Summary
- The diverse representation of ghosts in anime spans across all genres, showcasing their flexibility as characters and captivating presence.
- Entertaining ghosts like Gengar in Pokémon, Fuyumi in Blood Lad, and Yuuta in Punch Line bring humor, action, and emotional depth to their stories.
- Sai from Hikaru no Go is the most lovable ghost, blending mentorship and comedy perfectly for an engaging character journey.
The most entertaining ghosts in anime history will leave their mark both on the screen and in the hearts of viewers. Whether the characters are astral bodies, temporary souls, or a figment of imagination, if their presence is captivating enough to bring smiles to faces, then they are worthy ghosts.
Furthermore, the concept of ghosts in anime is not restricted to any one genre, as there are characters who fall under categories ranging from the sports genre to the comedy genre. Subsequently, ghosts are characters who have an even wider flexibility than normal character archetypes because their existences hinge on dramatic irony and their ability to speak to viewers through suspension of disbelief. With such barriers, being an entertaining ghost in anime is hard, but far from impossible.
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Horror and supernatural anime like Ghost Hunt and Bleach have some of the most horrifying ghosts in the medium, but which rank as the scariest?
10 Yanagi Fuyumi Is a Great Foil For Absurdity
Blood Lad (2013), produced by Brain’s Base,
Yanagi Fuyumi is one of the main characters in Blood Lad, an action comedy seinen anime that incorporates various fantasy aspects. The story follows Fuyumi and Staz, a powerful vampire who is an otaku of Japanese culture and is obsessed with anything related to the human world and its creations.
Luckily for Staz and unluckily for Fuyumi, the perfect opportunity arises when Fuyumi stumbles into the demon world and is killed. Staz vows to find a way to revive her, both due to his guilt for letting her die in his territory and his curiosity towards the human world. The vampire-ghost pair embark on an adventure to find a mode of resurrection, as Fuyumi’s kind but outspoken character foils nicely with Staz’s absurdity and lack of common sense.
9 Gengar Is the OG Ghost-Type
Pokémon Journeys: The Series (2019), produced by OLM
Gengar is one of the many Pokémon in the Pokémon franchise, but does take up a major role in the anime until Pokémon Journeys: The Series, in which Ashes catches one and integrates it into the core of his team.
The 2019 Pokémon Journeys anime follows Ash and Goh as they travel through all eight of the Pokémon regions as Ash constructs arguably his strongest ever team of six Pokémon, which includes Dragonite, Lucario, Dracovish, and Sirfetch’d, in addition to Gengar and Pikachu. As a result, not only does Gengar entertain with action, but he often brings a haunting sense of comedic relief.
8 Iridatsu Yuuta Has Explosive Out-Of-Body Experiences
Punch Line (2015), produced by MAPPA
Punch Line is perhaps MAPPA’s wackiest anime adaptation to date and arguably one of the weirdest anime series altogether. However, the anime’s oddities do not take away from the creativity of its premise and the characters who carry the plot forward in apt excitement, especially the main character, Iridatsu Yuuta, who spends the majority of the anime in spirit form.
Apart from the supernatural aspect of spirits and ghosts, Punch Line also introduces an interesting power called “uberfying,” which somewhat resembles the Super Saiyan transformation. To top it all off, Yuuta has an exclusive ability to get stronger when he sees a girl's panties, but the caveat is, if he does so in spirit form, a meteorite will be summoned to obliterate the Earth.
7 Yami Yugi Is the Anime’s Driving Force
Yu-Gi-Oh! (2000), produced by Studio Gallop
Yami Yugi is a mysterious character from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series who is originally introduced as an alter ego of sorts of the main character, Mutou Yugi, as the pair team up to tackle the obstacles that arise in the exciting world of Duel Monsters.
Although the anime is centered around a card game, the story gradually becomes more magical and the stakes rise to an extreme. As more and more about the world and the history of Duel Monsters is exposed, it is revealed that Yami Yugi is the link between Mutou Yugi and Ancient Egypt. Throughout the series, not only does Yami Yugi help little Yugi fight his battles, but the pair develop as characters in conjunction.
6 Iki Hiyori Straddles the Spirit Plane
Noragami (2014), produced by Studio Bones
Noragami is a popular shonen anime that is heavily rooted in mythology, as the story follows the exploits of the minor deity, Yato, who’s been regulated to do odd jobs. However, one day, a middle school girl named Iki Hiyori jumps in front of a car to save Yato, surviving but having her soul become loose.
As a result, Hiyori is constantly toeing the line between human and spirit, as her soul threatens to leave her body at the mere shaking of her being. To solve this problem, Hiyori teams up with Yato and enters the riveting world of deities with a mix of traditional and modern mythology. Hiyori’s caring nature heavily carries the flow of the narrative, as she would sacrifice a chance of returning to normal if it means implicating her friends.
5 Hanako-kun Puts a Twist on the Urban Legend
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun (2020), produced by Studio Lerche
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun is a modern rendition of the classic urban legend of the same name that entails bathroom hauntings of a young girl. However, in the setting of Kamome Academy, that legend is proven to be a slight step away from how it is normally interpreted.
When Yashihiro Nene attempts to summon the rumored Hanako-san, it turns out that Hanako is not a girl, but a boy, Hanako-kun. Furthermore, the two interact in a way that exposes the hazier side of the world in which ghosts and apparitions roam. In that world, Hanako-kun serves more than just the role of a member of the apparition society, but is the trusted regulator who maintains the balance between mortals and the unseen.
4 Takeuchi Riki Is a Hilarious Spirit Guardian
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K (2016), produced by J.C. Staff & Egg Firm
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K is a hilarious gag comedy anime series that is constantly moving from idea to idea, one of which includes the ghost of Nendou Riki’s father, Takeuchi Riki Sr., who died when Nendou was young, but is a spitting image of the former.
Any fan of Saiki K will know of Nendou’s unshakable role in the series as the overly-loving friend who provides constant comedic relief due to his brain literally being the size of a cockroach’s. The ghost of Nendou’s father is a major extension of this role as he provides similarly hilarious and blunt content, though through a more ghostly perspective. Lastly, the fact that Takeuchi Riki is the spirit guardian of the perverted Toritsuka Reita adds yet another compound layer of comedy.
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3 Yusuke’s Spirit Stint Starts the Show Off Strong
Yu Yu Hakusho (1992), produced by Studio Pierrot
Yu Yu Hakusho is a classic shonen anime that sets the standard for any long-running battle-oriented anime series. One of its main draws is the interaction between the spirit world and the mortal world, as the main character, Urameshi Yusuke, is a spirit detective who is tasked with handling inter-worldly conflicts.
However, the series all began with Yusuke’s death. Once a delinquent and a truant, Yusuke is hit by a car to save the life of a small child. His soul detaches from his body, but the surprisingly cute grim reaper, Botan, informs Yusuke that the spirit world has no place for him since his death was so unexpected. As a result, Yusuke takes a quick high-stakes stint as a ghost, quickly creating emotional upheavals and comedic situations alike.
- Created by
- Yoshihiro Togashi
- Latest TV Show
- Yu Yu Hakusho
- Cast
- Nozomu Sasaki, Justin Cook, Cynthia Cranz, Christopher Sabat, Kent Williams, Shigeru Chiba, Tomomichi Nishimura, Sanae Miyuki, Takumi Kitamura, Shuhei Uesugi, Jun Shison, Kanata Hongô
Yu Yu Hakusho is a multimedia franchise that began as a Japanese manga series in 1992 by author and illustrator Yoshihiro Togashi. The franchise ventured into anime in 1992 from Fuji Television, and there have also been two animated films. In 2023, Netflix released a live-action TV series starring Takumi Kitamura, Shuhei Uesugi, Jun Shison, and Kanata Hongō.
2 Dimple the Reformed Evil Spirit Does It All
Mob Psycho 100 (2016), produced by Studio Bones
Mob Psycho 100 is the second popular series created by ONE, who is also the creator of One Punch Man. Although Mob Psycho and One Punch Man have glaring similarities, Mob Psycho takes a more refined approach in portraying power, society, and adolescent angst.
Furthermore, in a series that focuses on the psychic, Kageyama “Mob” Shigeo, there is no shortage of ghosts and other supernatural beings in the anime. One such character is Dimple, otherwise known as Ekubo. Dimple is a high-level evil spirit who knows no shame, as he submits himself to Mob after being utterly defeated. However, this sort of personality makes him a perfect ing character in an anime series that works to overturn the two-faced nature of adult society.
1 Sai Is the Most Lovable Ghost in Anime History
Hikaru no Go (2001), produced by Studio Pierrot
Hikaru no Go is one of the masterfully disguised sports anime, as it is about the journey of a young boy named Shindou Hikaru through the world of the traditional board game, go. When Hikaru was snooping around his grandfather’s attic, he discovers a dusty go board with blood stains on it and is subsequently haunted by a prolific go tutor from the Heian Period named Fujiwara no Sai.
Although Sai is technically haunting Hikaru, Sai acts more like a mentor and a friend. His centuries-long ion for go slowly influences Hikaru in his own personal discovery, and the pair bond in a way that closely drags viewers into the fray. Sai is not only a serious teacher but also a hilariously cute point of narrative suspension, as the pouty side of his personality flawlessly juxtaposes with his ancient existence. As a ghost who contributes so much to the story despite being invisible, Sai is well-deserving of the title of most entertaining ghost in anime history.
