As the world reels back from winter, anime has ensured that many of us don't endure hardships alone – even when we're "physically" alone. Winter 2021 has introduced or popularized some of the most colorful and fun anime characters around. Whether from returning anime or new additions to medium, they made winter a bit warmer.

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These guys and gals have peaked in the popularity polls, and are probably everywhere by now. Many anime fans can't help but see them in memes, and thus have no choice but to watch their shows lest they encounter spoilers. For those in the market for a new bias, waifu, or husbando, look no further than these candidates.

10 Kon (Kemono Jihen)

kon from kemono jihen

Kon from Kemono Jihen is a bit rough around the edges. To some she might even seem like a wild child, but one has to consider she really is just that. She's only fourteen years old and acts as most 14-year-olds do, which is surprising in an anime. Beneath her brash demeanor is a soft and naive heart, waiting to be understood.

Of course, her untamed personality is mostly caused by her superhuman capabilities. Being a kemono, she's practically a were-beast and has a kitsune or fox form. With her complexity, Kon is a refreshing character as far as female ones go in anime.

9 Kyouko Hori (Horimiya)

Hori-Haruka

At the heart of the romance anime Horimiya is Kyouko Hori, a seemingly perfect girl with a combination of beauty and brains. Due to her outward facade, no one expected her to fall for a meek and shy guy like Izumi Miyamura, yet that's exactly what happened.

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Turns out, Hori has more to her than just being Little Miss Perfect. Apart from being a closet borderline masochist, she also has a funny side to her along with other quirks. This makes her relationship with Miyamura quite the riot.

8 Senku Ishigami (Dr. Stone)

Senku Ishigami in Dr. Stone

After concluding its second season this winter, it's clear that Senku Ishigami, Dr. Stone's resident polymath genius and protagonist, hasn't lost his touch. He's as sharp and as brilliant as ever, creating inventions of increasing complexity.

He remains the skeptical but benevolent Einstein of the series, who will stop at nothing to bring mankind back to its modern glory after a weird phenomenon plunged Earth back to the stone age. As a shonen protagonist, he also transcends certain stereotypes, making him among the most unique characters in anime.

7 Rika Kawai (Wonder Egg Priority)

rika kawaii

Looking for a cute character to simp for in 2021? Then check out Rika Kawai. Her name literally says it: she's cute. On the surface, she's a typical outgoing blonde anime girl, but as with all those, she has some bubbling quirks underneath.

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She's good at hiding her regrets, sadness, and self-hatred under that loud and extroverted exterior. Surprisingly enough, Rika isn't even the main character in Wonder Egg Priority. It's a show about the protagonist coping with a friend's suicide, and Rika just gets involved. However, no one's complaining, what with how much color she adds to the series.

6 Nakano Miku (The Quintessential Quintuplets)

Nakano Miku

Stop looking for the shy girl on the list, because here she is in her introverted glory. Miku Nakano from The Quintissential Quintuplets is the nerdy and silent girl of an anime lover's dreams. Her personality is reserved and she has a pessimistic way of looking at things, oftentimes having low self-esteem as well.

However, she can also be rather possessive towards the people she wants. Moreover, her fixation for Sengoku Period figureheads makes her one of the most compelling out of the four titular siblings in the anime. She's shy, clingy, and loves samurai – girlfriend material right there.

5 Emilia (Re:Zero)

emilia re zero

Re:Zero is back and remains just as stressful and as traumatic for Natsuki Subaru. However, another star of the show is Emilia, a ray of sunshine and one of the most powerful magic users in the anime. She's also the oldest character here, being 115 years old.

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Thanks to her half-elf heritage though, she looks like an 18-year-old at most. As for her personality, she loves to pretend that she's selfish and clever. However, her kindness eventually gets the best of her, as she has saved Natsuki more times that she can count without him even asking.

4 Natsuki Subaru (Re:Zero)

natsuki subaru

Speaking of Natsuki Subaru, he's also quite hot right now thanks to the second season of Re:Zero. He remains jaded and struggling as ever, especially with his troublesome capability of returning to life back in time after being killed.

In season 2, he's still the same irrational adventurous nerd. He's more seasoned this time around though, and is more useful to his friends. Yet, he's definitely starting to lose his sanity after dying countless times and seeing his friends meet the same fate, only to become a stranger to them once he resurrects.

3 Satoru Gojo (Jujutsu Kaisen)

satoru gojo

One of the latest characters to make waves in shonen, Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen is Naruto's Hatake Kakashi on steroids. This white-haired charmer is the most powerful character in the show, which is sad since he's not the main one.

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Gojo is a certified heartthrob. His borderline insane, cheeky superiority complex, and rebellious attitude all make him a show-stealer. For some reason, though, his creator decided that he's never had a romantic relationship despite being in his late 20's and being an anime supermodel in terms of appearance.

2 Mikasa Ackerman (Attack On Titan)

mikasa ackerman

Quite possibly the strongest female character in anime in 2021, Mikasa Ackerman has grown up in the latest season of Attack on Titan. Her hair got shorter as she aged and she started looking less gentle, but she's still the same protective adoptive sister most anime fans would love to have.

With how things ended in the season finale of the anime, it's clear that Mikasa's heart was shattered to bits. The person she'd been dedicating her life to suddenly rejected her and made her cry. Fans came to the rescue to prove their devotion, voting for her in popularity polls.

1 Levi Ackerman (Attack On Titan)

levi fighting titans.

Sure, Mikasa might be the most important Ackerman in Attack on Titan right now. However, her sexiness fails in comparison to her clanmate, Levi Ackerman. He's one of the shortest characters in Attack on Titan, but that doesn't stop him from being a fan favorite.

Levi's cold killer attitude and stoic personality, as well as his general insecurity about his height and germophobia, make him a complex character. Still, he's probably the most skilled and powerful combatant in the show, proof that big gifts come in small packages.

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