The best anime tropes that fans just can’t get enough of have been lastingly popular for a reason. From character design to story elements, certain things continue to pop up in anime after anime. While they may not appeal to everybody, they appeal to enough of an audience to have developed considerable staying power.
Sometimes, a trope can be traced back to a single point from which all other examples take influence. Other times, it is present in other media and has been for a very long time, even if it’s best known in anime, and its origins are harder to pinpoint. Wherever they came from, it takes many elements to create a truly great show.
10 Out-Of-This-World Hair And Eyes
Examples: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Danganronpa, Kill La Kill
The world of animation has always been home to creative character designs. Anime in particular is known for the striking faces of many characters. Characters with eyes that would be way too big on a real-life face, of many colors and patterns — all the better to show off the high emotions of most shows — are so prevalent in anime that keeping track of every example is impossible.
Even more fun are the outrageous hairdos that many creators seem to be trying to outdo each other on. The craziest anime hairstyles would take considerable time, dye, and styling in real life, but all these guys just woke up like that. From the iconic spiky blonde of the Super Saiyan transformation in Dragon Ball to whatever Yugi Muto has going on in Yu-Gi-Oh!, some fans know heroes’ gravity-defying hair better than they know their show!
9 Every Hero Needs A Cool Sword
Examples: Bleach, Blue Exorcist, Soul Eater
The only thing better than wielding knockout magical powers is swinging around the coolest weapon in the entire world. Whether it’s the Ancient Blade Of Legendary Power that chose one true hero as its wielder, or a weapon created and drawn from their own soul, the bond between heroes and their cool swords is unbreakable. On occasion (as in Soul Eater), a sword might even be the hero’s literal best friend.
It’s hard to even count the most powerful swords in anime, belonging to heroes or villains (villains’ cool swords will not only look crueler than the heroes’, but may even be actively evil themselves). Often, they will be one of a kind and personalized to the wielder, or have a long and storied history behind their strength: they may even have a meaningful name. It forms a considerable part of the hero’s identity, and if it is ever damaged or worse, broken, it will be truly devastating.
8 Going Chibi Mode
Examples: Attack on Titan: Junior High, Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals, Gundam S.D.
Though art and character designs vary considerably from anime to anime, there are a few specific styles most people associate with the medium. One of them is “chibi” style, meaning “small.” This style is characterized by characters drawn short and cute, with oversized heads and features and small, doll-like bodies.
Primarily, fans will find their favorite chibi-fied characters in fan art or bonus content in the official manga or anime, and sometimes in the show, proper characters will switch into chibi style for a gag. Some shows, usually spin-offs, that are more humorous and lighthearted in nature will be animated entirely in chibi style, such as Attack On Titan: Junior High or Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals.
7 The Beach Episode
Examples: Dragon Ball, Gintama, Food Wars
There are many specific episode plots that anime enjoy reusing. For instance, there’s the baseball episode, the festival episode, the hot springs episode, and so on. However, one of the most beloved among them is the beach episode, in which all the heroes take a well-deserved trip to a beautiful beach.
The best beach episodes in anime remain fan favorites to this day because of the versatility of their setting. While a few are actually plot-important, such as the beachside restaurant competition in Food Wars! or the total mood whiplash of Another, many take the opportunity for as much humor and fun as possible. Sometimes, if a beach isn’t doable, the heroes will simply hit the local pool instead, to much the same effect.
6 Super Modes And Transformations
Examples: Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto
One of the most thrilling moments in any anime is when the hero unlocks their true power, which comes out in a brilliant show. Many times, the Super Mode surrounds the hero in a physically tangible aura or changes their appearance aesthetically, like the most famous example: Dragon Ball’s Super Saiyan mode. Other times, their entire body is transformed, such as Naruto’s Tailed Beast modes or mecha anime’s heroes forming many mechs into one.
Possibly even more famous are the transformation sequences, particularly those in magical girl anime. Usually a good few seconds long and accompanied by cheerful music and bright background colors, a magical girl dons her uniform and gear as triumphantly as possible. In many of the best magical girl anime fans can’t miss, it’s an absolute must that makes it even more fun when the heroes spring into action.
5 Everyone Calls Their Attacks
Examples: Bleach: Hunter x Hunter, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
In real life, most forms of combat are without dialogue, save for maybe some furious yelling. In anime, from Dragon Ball to Yu-Gi-Oh to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The very best attacks must not just have names, but those names must be bellowed at the top of the lungs: the longer and fancier the name, the better!
Somehow, the power of this trope is such that characters are rarely, if ever, attacked in the middle of yelling. In some anime, it’s even an in-universe science, such as in Hunter X Hunter where Gon can include a clause in his Nen attack that calling it makes it even stronger. It also extends to some weapons that like to be called by their names before they’re wielded, such as the Soul Reapers’ bankai in Bleach.
4 The Tournament Arc
Examples: Dragon Ball Z, My Hero Academia, Naruto
From their rivals to their archnemeses, every shonen hero loves to prove their power in competition, usually battle. The best way to get as many characters as possible showing off their skills and clashing is a massive tournament, complete with a grand prize and stadiums full of shouting fans. The never-ending quest for nationals in sports anime is similar, but not quite so larger-than-life as these.
While it’s present in other media, especially anime-adjacent ones (like RWBY), this trope is overwhelmingly most prevalent in anime. There are almost always high stakes attached to the competition, from League championship in Pokémon to the rank of Chuunin in Naruto (though the results of the tournament quickly become irrelevant by its end) to the wish granted to the winners of the Dark Tournament in Yu Yu Hakusho.
3 Getting In The Robot
Examples: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, the Gundam Franchise
Starting with Mazinger Z in 1972, audiences have been going bonkers for decades over plucky young pilots climbing into enormous mech suits and pummeling one another. Or aliens, or monsters, or whatever there is that needs to be pummeled on Earth or in space. Often, they’ll come equipped with swords, laser cannons, and other such flashy weapons.
While mecha anime is a prominent genre in and of itself, boasting some of the longest-running anime of all time, the trope isn’t limited to science fiction. Fantasy shonen such as Fairy Tail and One Piece will introduce mecha into their settings. And, of course, sometimes weapons dressed up to look like mecha, such as the Evas of Neon Genesis Evangelion, are really different beasts entirely.
2 A Banger Opening Sequence
Examples: Naruto, Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Don’t click that “Skip Intro” button: stick around for some of the most awesome couple minutes in the episode! The best opening sequences of anime are usually extremely detailed, perfectly capturing the mood of the show (except when they’re jarringly dissonant: looking at you, Death Parade), and come with some rocking theme music. And, of course, it’s not a classic anime opening without a shot of the cast running spiritedly to some unknown destination.
Sometimes, eagle-eyed audiences will notice that the opening is more important to the story than many realize. Especially if it’s an adaptation of a manga, bits and pieces of the opening can spoil later story or character revelations; some shows dodge this by having the credits change after major beats like this. From Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure to Tokyo Ghoul, it can be easy to predict how shows will go from the opening alone.
1 The Power Of Friendship
Examples: Yu-Gi-Oh, My Hero Academia, Sailor Moon
This trope has been a staple of shoujo, shounen, and many other genres of anime since its very earliest days. Like the wide variety of other media it appears in, it’s fairly straightforward: absolutely nothing can overcome the power of true friendship. Heroes are always at their strongest when fighting alongside or to protect the people they love most.
Often, it will be especially effective in comparison to the villain, usually a bitter and isolated person who either works alone or treats their companions and henchmen terribly. If the heroes bring up the power of friendship, expect them to mock it viciously, even as they’re being thoroughly trounced by it. However, what’s more fun is when even the villains are made stronger by true friendship, like My Hero Academia’s League of Villains, who despite their differences legitimately form close bonds. Friendship is at the heart of so many anime, making the power of friendship the best anime trope.
