The word "honorable" has a defined definition but can also mean something completely different to one person than it does to another. Still, the overall general definition of the word relates to those who always strive to do what's right or those who loyally stick to their moral code.
And, in anime, there are plenty of honorable characters to be found. After all, they tend to make for great protagonists or characters that heavily influence the protagonist. But, some characters take their honorable nature a bit too far. So, let's go over some of the most prominent examples of anime characters that could be called too honorable.
8 Roronoa Zoro: One Piece
This first entry might surprise some people, given that Zoro is a rude and brash pirate who spends all his time either cutting people down, working out, or drinking. That said, Zoro is still absolutely someone who follows a moral "code" of sorts and fights with honor. There are hundreds of examples of Zoro being too honorable to his own detriment, but to name a few of the standouts:
- He was tied to a pole and almost starved when Luffy first meets him, as he honorably saved a young girl from Axe-Hand Morgan's pet Wolf.
- He has Hawkeye cut him across the chest when he lost the duel on the Baratie, as he didn't find it honorable to be cut with his back turned.
- He almost cut his ankles off to free himself from Mr. 3's trap and fight, rather than sitting there and waiting for Luffy to save him or use some other underhanded tactic.
Zoro doesn't bite, kick, or use "cheap" moves against his opponent. He's a swordsman, so he only fights with his swords. Additionally, he never attacks defenseless or even unaware opponents.
7 Tenya "Ingenium" Ida: My Hero Academia
To be frank, a lot of characters in My Hero Academia can be considered honorable to a fault. After all, this is a series about superheroes who are known for putting others above themselves. Among the vast cast of MHA, Tenya Ida, otherwise known as Ingenium, is one of the ones whose dedication to what he considers right and wrong impacts him negatively on a daily basis.
To put it bluntly, Ida is a stickler for rules and following the "proper" way of doing things in any situation. He follows this code of honor with such dedication that he's been compared to a robot by a fair number of characters in the story. Of course, throughout the events, injuries, and even tragic deaths within MHA's narrative, Ilda does eventually loosen up a bit, but he's still one of the most iconic "overly honorable" characters in the series.
6 Vash The Stampede: Trigun
One of the all-time classic loveable anime protagonists, the Human Typhoon is a perfect example of someone who fits the bill of "overly honorable". He has a complicated past and a tragic life as the human-like "Plant" is essentially immortal. Yet, in all the 131 years he's been alive, Vash has stuck to the moral code that Rem instilled in him as a kid before humanity crashed onto planet Gunsmoke (thanks to Knives).
In general, Vash's code of honor is similar to his catchphrase "The world is made of love and peace", and as such, he always helps those in need, has a strict policy of not killing humans, and works his hardest for whatever would be the most peaceful solution. And of course, it's this same overly honorable nature that ends up being the main conflict of both the manga and anime, as Knives (Vash's brother) is constantly using Vash's honor against him.
5 Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama: Mob Psycho 100
Mob, otherwise known as Shigeo Kageyama, is not intentionally honorable to a fault but is generally just a stand-up guy who doesn't realize he's following a "moral code" or even doing something funny most of the time. When he was young, Mob learned how dangerous his psychic abilities were and how they were tied to his emotions. And, since then, Mob has learned to keep his emotions in check and not use his powers if he can help it.
Because of this restriction and open-mindedness, Shigeo is kind, socially awkward, overly forgiving, understanding, surprisingly intelligent, and generally just a real precious kid. But, because he doesn't want to do anything wrong or use his psychic abilities right away to hurt anyone, Mob often gets taken advantage of or beaten up until his emotions swirl out of control.
4 Himura Kenshin: Rurouni Kenshin
Himura Kenshin bares a lot of similarities to Vash the Stampede. Both characters are seasoned warriors with dark, pasts that they vehemently regret. Both of them put others before themselves constantly which puts them in dangerous situations often. And, both use a light-hearted tone or way of speaking to constantly diffuse tense moments.
But, unlike Vash, Himura is a bit more soft-spoken, and directly seeks out people to help rather than stumbling into them (though he does this as well). That said, a major aspect of the series is how long Kenshin can keep his vow to never kill again, despite the danger he's constantly in, and that's usually the trademark of a character who is honorable to a fault, especially in such a turbulent time period as the Meji Era.
3 Jin: Samurai Champloo
Coming up next is a character from one of the most iconic anime with one of the best openings, Jin from Samurai Champloo. Jin is another lovable character like Himura or Vash, but he's much more stoic and serious compared to their jovial and energetic personalities. Jin is one of the three main characters of Samurai Champloo alongside Fuu and Mugen. And, these three characters contrast each other incredibly well, especially Mugen and Jin.
While Mugen is the very definition of brash, adaptable, and instinctive, Jin is calm, extremely skilled in his specific sword style, and much more intellectual. That said, Jin is every bit the honorable Samurai as one would expect, even going so far as to kill his Master, Enshiro Mariya as a result of him changing his dojo to one that trains assassins.
2 Minato Namikaze & Kushina Uzumaki: Naruto
Now, a lot of characters in the Naruto franchise fit the bill of being "honorable", since many of them are ninjas that are sworn to serve their countries or personal ethics. However, Naruto's parents, Minato and Kushia, are perfect examples of characters who are too honorable, given that they both sacrifice their lives and seal a Tailed Beast within their newborn in order to protect their village and the future from people like Tobi.
Minato was one of the most intelligent (contrary to his son) and strongest ninjas of his age, and Kushina was as well. The two of them did so much for the ninja world during their time, but if they had been just a bit less honorable and more selfish in regards to keeping their family intact, then at the very least Naruto wouldn't have had the Nine-Tailed fox sealed within him and Minato could've lived out the rest of his life with his son.
1 Emma: The Promised Neverland
Ignoring this series' lackluster second anime season, The Promised Neverland was an incredibly thrilling story. And, a large part of this is due to Emma, one of the main protagonists of the story, working so hard and executing such genius plans to follow her own code of honor as much as possible.
Emma is the very definition of both an extrovert and an empathetic child, so she always wants the best for everyone around her, regardless of their background, past, or even species (in the case of Mujika). In the violent and awful world The Promised Neverland takes place in, Emma somehow manages to make both fans and in-universe characters alike believe that she really can achieve her goals without leaving anyone behind. That said, not only does this dedication to her ideals cause Emma to personally suffer quite a bit, it also forces everyone around her to take the most difficult path forward so they have the highest chance possible of saving everyone.