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The trope of bookworm anime characters has become quite common in recent times, and most titles employ it. Such characters often become a massive source of information and help the main characters in achieving their goals. Therefore, they are often supporting characters, and only a few manage to receive the spotlight.
Those who do, showcase their bookworm tendencies occasionally without making it their entire personality. Such bookworm anime characters end up being either the primary antagonist or the protagonist of a manga and anime series. This list will take a look at some of the most popular bookworm anime characters that fans have come across so far.
Disclaimer: This article is not based on any ranking and may contain the author's opinions.
Kaneki Ken and 9 other popular bookworm anime characters
1) Kaneki Ken - Tokyo Ghoul
Kaneki Ken is the protagonist of the Tokyo Ghoul series. He is one of the most popular bookwork anime characters on this list due to the series' popularity.
Kaneki is a student at Kamii University studying Japanese literature and has spent most of his time reading literature novels. While it appeared like he didn’t socialize with others, he cherished company and feared being alone. Hide was his only close friend during the earlier parts of the series, and things slowly started to change post-aogiri.
2) Levy McGarden - Fairy Tail
Levy was a supporting character in the Fairy Tail series who was romantically interested in Gajeel Redfox. An exceptionally smart character, Levy is a valued member of the Fairy Tail guild. she is often seen studying or reading books in her free time.
This was also the reason why Levy got along with Lucy Heartfilia in the anime and manga series. She was the only one who was allowed to read Lucy’s novel with the latter’s consent.
3) Shogo Makishima - Psycho-Pass
Shogo Makishima was the prime antagonist of the Psycho-Pass anime series. His lust for the darker aspects of humanity fueled his goals and actions. Shogo is a gifted orator, often manipulating others into doing his dirty job.
He is among the popular bookworm anime characters, often showcasing his knowledge of Shakespeare, the Bible, and various dystopian literature pieces by quoting them. Shogo Makishima always found a way to justify his psychotic tendencies while remaining extremely stoic.
4) Ritsu Kawai - Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior
Ritsu Kawai, often referred to as Richan is a classic example of bookworm anime characters. She is extremely shy which hinders her ability to socialize with others. Instead, she spends the majority of her time reading books.
Her obsession with books is quite evident to those around her. She is so lost in her books that she becomes unaware of her surroundings. Additionally, she also considers books to be her friends, which is proof enough that she is a massive bookworm.
5) Ami Mizuno - Sailor Moon
Ami Mizuno who is also Sailor Mercury is the typical bookworm anime character. This can be seen during the part of the series before Ami Mizuno became Usagi’s friend. At this point in the Sailor Moon series, Ami Mizuno was extremely shy and rarely approached people during social interactions.
She found it hard to make friends and preferred spending her time indoors, either reading some of her favorite books or studying. While Ami is portrayed to be insecure at times, she is incredibly sweet, caring, and kind towards others.
6) Itaru Hashida/Daru - Steins;Gate
Itaru Hashida, referred to as Daru is another example of bookworm anime characters who happen to be technology-obsessed nerds. Itaru Hashida is one of the most important characters in the Steins;Gate. This is due to his understanding of technology and programming allowed Okabe Rintaro to achieve his goals. He finds it hard to interact with new people and appears to be more comfortable while reading off a screen or while working on a new device.
7) Maka Albarn - Soul Eater
Maka Albarn is an important supporting character in the Soul Eater series. She is partnered with the protagonist, Soul Evans, and she happens to be a Scythe-Meister in the anime series. Maka is quite athletic and able on the battlefield.
However, she often spends her time studying and pursuing academic achievements. She is also seen spending a considerable amount of her time reading in her house. It is worth noting that Maka is one of the few bookworm anime characters, who don't struggle during social interactions.
8) Ray - Promised Neverland
Ray is one of the deuteragonists of the Promised Neverland series. He is a typical example of the bookworm anime characters who also happen to be model students. He manages to achieve perfect scores on every exam and is exceptionally intelligent and cunning, which can be seen whenever he comes up with a plan.
Ray is often seen reading books but lacks a certain degree of emotional intelligence. He rarely interacts with other orphans who often spend their time playing outdoors and is snarky while being aloof most of the time in the anime and manga series.
9) Sophia Ascart - My Next Life as a Villainess
Sophia Ascart is a character from My Next Life as a Villainess anime series. Her albinism attracted a ton of negative attention, which led to her being bullied by those around her. Thus, she refused to step outside, was quite shy, and rarely interacted with anyone. She spent all of her free time reading.
She is the quintessential bookworm in the anime series and isn’t particularly interested or shows excitement with the only exception being romance novels. She is visibly excited and showcases her passion for reading romance novels in the series.
10) Sheska - Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Sheska from the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood series is among the biggest bookworm anime characters on this list. She initially worked in the National Central Library but was fired shortly after joining.
The reason for her being fired was that she spent all of her time staying indoors and reading books, instead of performing the duties of a librarian. She loved books so much that she abandoned her work. She also struggles with self-esteem and often finds her passion for reading books as a hindrance.
These are some of the most popular bookworm anime characters from various shows. Each of these characters has found ways to influence the plot in their ways. Some have had a bigger influence, while others didn’t receive the spotlight. That being said, every character mentioned on this list is important to their respective plot to a certain degree.
