Mangaka put a ton of work into designing their characters and ensuring that their personalities are evoked through their looks and outfits. Aside from a few exceptions, most manga and anime have hyper-stylized characters who look extremely distinctive and are all the more memorable for it. Everything from their headwear to the boots they wear plays a major part in making their personalities all the more unique and distinctive.
This applies to their gloves as well, with certain anime characters being known for the unique nature of this apparel. Here are some of the most iconic anime characters that are known for their memorable gloves that most people would recognize almost instantly.
8 Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Roy Mustang is one of the most iconic characters in anime history. His mastery of Flame Alchemy is a joy to behold, and the manner in which he conjures these flames to decimate his opposition over and over again is a thing of joy to witness.
The reason why he's able to conjure these flames at a moment's notice is because of the Transmutation Circle etched into his gloves. It's a simple and clever way to inflict damage with ease and has helped Mustang attain the legendary reputation he enjoys to this day.
7 Ash Ketchum (Pokemon)
The Pokemon anime might not enjoy the same level of craze as it did a while ago, but fans still love the early moments of the anime. The protagonist of this show is Ash Ketchum, who is easily one of the most iconic protagonists of all time.
His new look has been derided by long-time fans for straying too far away from his origins, with the lack of his iconic gloves being a sore spot for many. Watching this Pokemon trainer come into his own makes for a great character arc, and most fans would recognize this character just by taking a look at his gloved hands!
6 Violet Evergarden (Violet Evergarden)
Violet Evergarden is easily one of the most heartwarming shows around. The story of a war vet as she slowly finds meaning in her life makes for a riveting and emotional watch.
She uses gloves to hide her prosthetics, which is understandable. Every time Violet removes her gloves, the moment is pretty powerful and some instances are pretty wholesome as well.
5 Saitama (One-Punch Man)
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Everyone's favorite overlooked superhero has an outfit that harkens back to the classic age of superheroes with caped outfits. Saitama might be a goofball, but there's no denying that his immense power has made this outfit pretty iconic as well.
The sharp contrast of his red gloves and boots with the rest of his outfit is pretty stylish, and it's a shame that not many people know about the might of this hero. This, coupled with the lack of news surrounding the third season of One-Punch Man, has made many fans restless to see the iconic anime character in this outfit once again.
4 Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)
The protagonist of My Hero Academia is the very definition of an underdog. However, a chance encounter with his favorite superhero led to Midoriya becoming the next inheritor of One for All, a powerful Quirk with immense destructive power.
So, after being selected to study at U.A. High School, Midoriya gets to try out his own outfit... along with gloves that help him make the most of his powers too. Seeing him decked out in his outfit is pretty great, with his gloves being memorable for accentuating his combat skills.
3 Ippo Makunouchi (Hajime No Ippo)
It's only a given that a series that focuses primarily on boxing would have iconic gloves. Ippo Makunouchi starts off as a character who becomes the target of bullies before he learns and falls in love with the art of boxing.
His bright red 12oz boxing gloves have pretty much become synonymous with this character. Watching Ippo fight against powerful opponents and come out victorious is enjoyable pretty much every single time and is a major draw of this show.
2 Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)
The son of the White Fang, Kakashi Hatake, is one of the most beloved characters in Naruto. There's no denying that his mere presence makes things exciting in Naruto, especially due to his wealth of abilities coupled with the iconic Sharingan he has in his left eye.
His fingerless gloves are something that fans will just associate with this character, even though it might not be his most striking feature. It's a testament to the strong character design of Masashi Kishimoto that each and every part of Kakashi's character design is notable, even though his outfit is largely unchanged from a regular Jounin's attire.
1 Saber (Fate Series)
It might be a stretch, but Saber's iconic gauntlets from the Fate series definitely do fit this description in a rather loose sense. Her entire outfit is pretty stylized, with her gauntlets being the cherry on top of her amazing character design.
Watching her grip Excalibur with these gloves and smash enemies in her path makes for a great time. She's a loyal, trustworthy, and reliable Servant who steals the show with her alluring persona every single time.