In popular culture, the term "Karen" has been standardized to describe an entitled and privileged white woman. So how does it correlate with anime?
Throughout the never-ending catalog of anime we watch every day, we come across several Karen-like female characters who act high-strung and egoistic without having any actual achievements to show. Most of the time, their obnoxious behavior is justified by their noble status.
For instance, Aqua from KonoSuba is useful to the team only once in a blue moon but craves constant praise. Similarly, Sakura from Naruto used to brag about being better than Naruto even though she was only book-smart and lacked experience in actual battles.
Here, we explore some other such anime characters who display Karen-like traits.
Disclaimer: This list is subjective and does not intend to offend anyone. It contains spoilers.
Jessie from Pokemon and 9 other anime characters who fit the bill of a classic Karen
1) Malty S Melromarc from The Rising of the Shield Hero
Malty is a classic example of a Karen, as she's the kind of devotee who believes that anything they do in the name of their beliefs and their own set of made-up morals has to be right. She even tried to disgrace and destroy Naofumi, the protagonist, by falsely accusing him of s*xually assaulting her.
Even after the Queen ordered Myne's beheading for committing high treason, this Karen apparently could not comprehend the gravity of her wrong-doings.
2) Iino Miko from Kaguya Sama: Love is War
Due to her uptight and borderline authoritarian personality, Iino Miko was initially not liked by her fellow student body members.
She has an unwavering sense of justice and has never faltered in calling out her prestigious school for its moral decline. She holds herself to a high standard and even decides to run for president in her freshman year.
Despite the dislike against her, she is not a bad person and only wants her peers to understand her views and acknowledge her ideas.
3) Jessie from Pokemon
One may not perceive Jessie as a Karen, but a closer look at her behavior suggests otherwise. She bursts into anger at the pettiest things and takes it out on her fellow team members, James and Meowth. Whenever she loses a contest or a fight, she always wants to complain about it to an official.
She acts obtuse and childish when she doesn't get her way, regardless of the dire consequences her partners have to face - the mark of a true Karen!
4) Luviagelita Edelfelt from Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya
Obnoxiousness, entitlement and arrogance pretty much sums up Luvia. Her perfectionist tendencies along with her competitiveness arise when in close proximity to Rin Tohsaka. She considers herself to be an elite and has undermined others because of her aristocratic background.
Above all else, however, it is her iconic and condescending laugh that has earned her the title of a Karen.
5) Nanami Kiryuu from Revolutionary Girl Utena
Nanami's affection towards her older brother Touga can be better described as obsession. She plans to mercilessly punish people and even animals who take Touga's attention away from her.
The fact that she drowned a kitten for doing the same shows how cruel and possessive she can be. Her brother-complex really portrays her unwavering and toxic belief system, pinning her as a classic Karen.
6) Aqua from KonoSuba
Despite doing something useful only once in a while, Aqua, as a goddess, loves to be praised and worshiped. This condescending and persistent 'need' for validation is why she is not always liked. She is stubborn, entitled and thinks too highly of herself for her own good.
She acts all high and mighty until a tough monster pulls up to challenge the gang, which is when she has to yell for Kazuma to help her. Such quick changes in personality make her an obvious candidate for a Karen.
7) Younger Sakura from Naruto
Fans expected to see Sakura in action when Kakashi acknowledged her chakra control ability and intelligence. Unfortunately, her initial contributions to Team 7 only came in the form of gushing about Sasuke and bragging about how she is way better than Naruto.
She also brought up Naruto's supposedly poor upbringing and blamed it on his dead parents when Sasuke simply asked about Naruto's whereabouts. Sasuke, for his part, puts Sakura in her place shortly after and lets her know that she is annoying.
8) Lust from Full Metal Alchemist
Lust felt no remorse when she tortured and murdered humans, believing that they were frail and foolish. She gleefully watched the village of Liore descend into civil war. Her ability to manipulate others and get information out of them using her charm was quite a hindrance to the world of Fullmetal Alchemist.
While she was outplayed by Mustang, her final wish was that he suffer in due time, which proves that like a true Karen, she too stuck to her evil beliefs even towards the end.
9) Daki from Demon Slayer!
Initially, Daki seemed to be a sadistic, dismissive and prideful demon who mercilessly slaughtered innocents for cheap entertainment.The slightest inconvenience would trigger her aggressive nature and she would take it out on anyone who stood in her way.
Her ego had grown to the point where she dismissed all Hashiras. However, when she did face Tengen, supposedly the weakest Hashira, she got beheaded in an instant and then started to throw a tantrum.
Despite being hundreds of years old, she displayed such childish behavior while still preserving her pride. Although she did experience a tough and traumatic childhood, her hypocritical personality is the hallmark of a Karen.
10) Haumea from Fire Force
Haumea's upbeat attitude invites sadistic actions and cruelty to friends and foes alike. She can also act very childish and impulsive when tested. The irony here is that despite being childish herself, she treats Sho like a child and doesn't think twice before using her abilities on him to get what she wants.
She knows when to be polite and quickly switches up her attitude to manipulate a person into doing what she wants. Therefore, it is not too difficult to guess that managers in the Fire Force universe must be really afraid of this Karen.
Final Thoughts
In anime, Karens are not limited to just females. For instance, Regulus Corneas from Re:Zero also fits the bill for a Karen, given his hypocrisy and childlike arguments.
While the Karens in the real world are merely an annoyance to those around them, quite a few of their anime counterparts have posed significant threats to their respective Universes.
Even though some of the characters listed here have seen considerable character development, most of them remain an absolute menace to society.