Well I haven’t watched regular television in years, so in order to cope I decided it would be fun to look at what anime has to offer us in the way of princes. So let’s go through and rank some of the best prince characters in anime.
14. Vegeta
Anime: Dragon Ball Z Vegeta has screamed out his title as “the prince of all Saiyans” so many times that he just immediately came to mind. He’s our beloved short king tsundere, and is instantly recognizable for his tall spiky hair and terrible parenting skills. But it’s probably because he’s so rough and tough that every moment of sincerity this man has is an instant tear jerker. I can’t say a lot about his qualities as an actual prince, as you know, the whole planet being blown up situation. But I’m sure that he would have been great.
13. Hakuryuu Ren
Anime: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic I don’t know why, but characters with face burns just seem to do well. And Hakuryuu is no exception. He’s a really reliable prince, as he doesn’t have that stereotypical snobby attitude. The man even knows how to cook, so major husbando points there! He does tend to worry about some trivial matters, like an evil mother usurping the throne. But he can be pretty laid back as well. His taste in women is impeccable, and his djinn powers are probably the coolest in the series, so a strong pick to be sure!
12. Boruto Uzumaki
Anime: Boruto Put down your pitchforks and let me explain. Even if the argument of the Hokage basically being a king isn’t a good enough argument for you, we must remember that Hinata was the Princess of the Hyuuga, so Boruto technically carries on that title. And although I hated Boruto early on, he does get a lot better. Especially in the manga. He’s crazy talented, brave, and powerful, so there’s little doubt in my mind that he will make for an excellent leader. He does have a lot of daddy issues to get over first. But we’re taking baby steps.
11. Canute
Anime: Vinland Saga In a show full of murder-crazy Vikings, a character like Canute can’t help put stick out. He has very soft and feminine features, prefers to pray rather than battle, and is overall kind of a coward. However, Vinland Saga really knows how to do character arcs. So Canute’s likability just starts rising steadily, without you even noticing it. And before you know it, boom, you fully sympathize with Canute and understand that he’s doing his best to face adversity and build a just kingdom. He probably would have been higher had he been more present in the show, but he still deserves a mention.
10. Soma Asman Kadar
Anime: Black Butler Soma was definitely set up to be the stereotypical prince. He lived in a giant mansion with a caretaker and a butler, which as you can imagine made him spoiled to the core. However, you know what spoils you ever more than a regular butler? That’s right, a sexy demon butler. So when Soma met Ciel some of his more positive attributes swam to the surface. And he was even shown to be quite the caring little prince. So… stereotype busted?
9. Meliodas
Anime: The Seven Deadly Sins Meliodas just doesn’t fit the stereotype of a prince in the slightest. But since he’s the son of the Demon King and is even fighting for that title currently, he definitely fits into this list. Meliodas is actually two characters packaged into one, as when he’s happy he’s the most lovable laid back dude ever. But when he gets mad, and I mean really mad, and his demon side starts to show. That’s when the smiling stops altogether and a lot of people end up dying. But I guess you can’t be a barrel of laughs if you want to become a demon king.
8. Ryuuki Shi
Anime: The Story of Saiunkoku Ryuuki is one of the few characters on here that actually had to deal with prince-business. As princes usually do, all of his brothers killed each other over who would be the next emperor, ironically leaving Ryuuki as a valid candidate. Even though he didn’t want the position. One of his brothers does survive, but is exiled, so Ryuuki has to take up the throne. And even though he does slack off at first, Ryuuki makes some actual progress. For example, he passes a law that allows females to be government officials. And if you have ever picked up a history book you know what a big deal that is.
7. Prince Hata
Anime: Gintama I’m going to be honest with you guys: I just find this character hilarious. Don’t get me wrong, he seems like an awful prince and an awful alien-being. But he’s so comedically terrible that I lowkey love him. The dude is just so high up on his horse that he can’t see how much everyone despises him, and is so delusional and hypocritical that he has nearly killed himself multiple times because of his “love for animals”. Why the animals always had to be like lions and not bunny rabbits, I have no idea. So since Gintama is a comedy, why not put mister Baka on here?
6. Arslan
Anime: The Heroic Legend of Arslan Now that I got the chuckles out of my system, it’s time to talk about a god-tier prince: Arslan. Man does his prince CV look good, as at only 14 he was more than capable of defeating enemies three times his size. He also had the natural charisma needed to gather a force around him and the comradery needed to truly become friends with his subordinates. Even when slaves were in question, Arslan refused to act all high and mighty. He even hid his title for a very long time. So he gets all of the good guy points.
5. Zen Wistalia Clarines
Anime: Snow White with the Red Hair You know how the whole “Prince Charming” thing is an unrealistic standard? Well Zen sets an unrealistic standard to what it means to be a Prince Charming! The guy is just seemingly perfect. He sees a damsel in distress and just immediately saves her and gives her a place to live. But does he abuse his power? Hell no! Is he at all snobby, spoiled or arrogant? Also no! Is he at least short-tempered? I’m telling you, the man has no chinks in his armor.
4. Wolfram von Bielefeld
Anime: King From Now On! Unlike Zen, Wolfram has quite the few chinks. He’s snobby, spoiled, and extremely easy to anger. Which is perhaps a bad combination considering he also wields fire powers. And yet he never comes off as a bad guy! For one, he’s so incredibly beautiful that just seeing his face can cure terminal illness. And his accidental marriage to Yuuri, who’s a dude by the way, is somehow the most adorable and wholesome boy love action ever.
3. Bruno von Grannzreich
Anime: The Royal Tutor The Royal Tutor features not one, not two, but four princes. So you can honestly take your pick. Personally, I liked Bruno the best. As I believe he’s the most fit to lead. Sure, he needs to work on his attitude a bit. But his will to learn and his drive to be the very best(like no one ever was) is not only admirable, but also necessary if you want to run an entire kingdom. The other princes might be more fun at parties. But when inflation or famine hits the streets, I have a sneaking suspicion that Bruno would be the only one capable of handling the situation.
2. Sinbad
Anime: Magi: Adventure of Sinbad Sinbad is just the ultimate power-fantasy. It seems like all of his stats are just maxed out. He has enough charisma to make people just naturally flock to him, and he has enough power to make entire armies need a change of underwear. His style is impeccable, his lady skills legendary, his courage limitless, his mind sharp, and this list could go on for a while. Even once he becomes emperor, he still doesn’t stop honing his craft. Sure, he might occasionally pass out in the jungle half naked. But he’s always making moves and trying to spread his influence.
1. Lelouch Lamperouge
Anime: Code Geass I would be shocked if there was anyone who didn’t see this one coming. Although it’s true that he had the Geass powers on his side, Lelouch still overthrew an entire country by himself. He was literally just a high school student with a grudge and a family name, but he managed to turn that into entire armies and public support. But what’s most important is that Lelouch truly just wanted peace in the end, not power. Spoiler alert: this is why he gave up his life in the end, after taking all of the hatred that would have otherwise fallen onto his comrades. Lelouch staged his own assassination so that public unrest may die with him.
