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Vegan anime characters are not a very prominent topic in the industry and there aren't a lot of examples of that trope in the medium. A good reason for this is that a lot of series don't really explore what the characters eat or don't eat, which is something that perhaps doesn't give a lot of material to explore in that direction.
However, there are different vegan anime characters in the medium and some of them have even become a part of some series throughout the years. Therefore, here are, in no particular order, eight vegan anime characters and their roles in their respective series.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series on this list. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.
Neon Genesis Evangelion's Rei Ayanami and seven more vegan anime characters
1. Rei Ayanami (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a certified classic in the world of anime and Rei is one of their poster girls. A lot of people who haven't watched the series are probably already familiar with her because of how popular she is. Furthermore, she is arguably one of the first vegan anime characters in the medium.
In one of the first episodes of the series, Rei is seen eating with Asuka, the other poster girl of the anime, and she tells her that she doesn't want any pork with her ramen, later fully confirming that she doesn't eat meat. Asuka didn't like this stance from Rei, although that didn't stop the latter.
2. Ryuuko Mifune (Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl)
This anime is very slice-of-life and with some beautiful moments, but the character of Mifune works more as a support character rather than having a lot of prominence. However, what is shown of her is liked a lot by fans of the series and she also happens to be one of those vegan anime characters.
Mifune loves playing basketball and is confirmed throughout the series that she has a very strong vegan diet. She also has a small arc in the story where she develops a crush on the protagonist, Makoto Niwa.
3. T-Bone (One Piece)
T-Bone is a Marine Captain who first shows up in the Water 7 Arc in One Piece when Luffy and the remaining Straw Hats are on the train leading to Enies Lobby. However, Roronoa Zoro made quick work of the Marine, thus showing how much the Straw Hats' swordsman had improved in recent arcs.
However, T-Bone stood out for his honor and always tried to protect his men, plus he is among the most prominent vegan anime characters because of him being part of such a popular series.
4. Taikobo (Soul Hunter)
Soul Hunter is probably one of the most underrated shonen series of the late 2000s, with a very interesting list of characters and a strong lore that the anime didn't fully explore. However, Taikobo, the protagonist, stands out because of his ability to resolve conflicts without fighting (for the most part) and his charisma.
He is also one of those vegan anime characters and there have been several scenes, particularly in the original early 2000s adaptation, where he states that he doesn't like to eat meat.
5. Buddha (Saint Young Men)
Saint Young Men has a very bizarre premise with Jesus Christ and Buddha being friends and having normal lives in the human world. The series goes in a lot of interesting directions and also serves as an example of how people can understand each other beyond religious beliefs.
Furthermore, Buddha is also one of the most straightforward vegan anime characters in the medium. He states in the series that he is a vegan and stays loyal to that preference throughout the story.
6. Nadia La Arwall (Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water)
Interestingly, this series features on the same list as Neon Genesis Evangelion when considering that they were both created by Hideaki Anno, so there is definitely a pattern there. The quality and appeal of the series are also defined by its protagonist, Nadia La Arwall.
Nadia is a girl with very mysterious origins and it is part of the quest in the series, but she is also proven to be a very significant vegan throughout the story. This is also due to her ability to communicate with animals. So, she has developed a greater deal of empathy for them.
7. Fardania (Restaurant to Another World)
The premise of this series is that there is a restaurant in Japan that offers Western dishes and on Saturdays, they open the door to people and creatures from a fantasy world. It is a very unique premise, with a lot of unique takes on isekai and food-themed anime, and one of the most popular characters is Fardania.
One of the defining elements of Fardania as a character is that she is a vegan and it is something that plays a notable role in the series because several peculiar dishes are made for her. She also has the goal of making similar dishes for her own business, the Western Restaurant Nekoya.
8. Tanktop Vegetarian (One Punch Man)
The Tanktop Vegetarian is an A-Class Hero of the Hero Association and the second in command of the Tank Toper Army in the One Punch Man series. As his name suggests, he stands out from the rest of his team because his strength is a diet based on vegetables.
He is also one of the most prominent vegan anime characters in the medium, mainly because he is part of the very popular series One Punch Man.
Final thoughts
There are more vegan anime characters out there but these are some of the most prominent in the entire medium. Some of them are more popular than others but the bulk of them have had a significant impact in their respective series.
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