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matrixen

  • 7th layer of the abyss
  • Joined Feb 7, 2019
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Indigenous African / Black Animes

I've tried to organize this list by presenting good animes with Black main characters first, followed by animes with secondary Black characters, and so forth. Animes with ethnically ambiguous characters that *could* be Black are listed at the very bottom of the list.
1 Afro Samurai

Afro Samurai

Black main character: Afro Samurai

(pretty much all the characters in this anime are Black, the title is self explanatory)

2 Castlevania Season 2

Castlevania Season 2

African Sufi main character: Isaac

**Extremely well-developed character and a masterpiece of an anime series 

3 Carole & Tuesday

Carole & Tuesday

Black main character: Carole Stanley

Includes many other Black characters that are actually relevant to the plot, like Ezekiel and Crystal (character was inspired by Beyonce and Aretha Franklin)

4 Banana Fish

Banana Fish

There are no Black main characters, but there are plenty of minor characters that are Black Americans like Cain Blood, Skip, etc. 

In general this anime is pretty diverse as it centers around gangs/mafias from different ethnic backgrounds like the Chinese triads, American street gangs, etc. 

5 Michiko & Hatchin

Michiko & Hatchin

Afro-Latina main character: Michiko Malandro (Afro-Latinos are usually of mixed African, Indigenous American, & European blood)

Black American secondary characters: Atsuko Jackson (+ more)

6 Yasuke

Yasuke

Indigenous African main character: Yasuke, who is based off of a real African historical figure in Japan (despite this anime having a fantasy & sci-fi twist) which is SO COOL, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasuke

Most likely an ethnic Yao, who are indigenous to East Africa

***created by Black American animator LeSean Thomas

7 Neo Yokio

Neo Yokio

Black American main character: Kaz Kaan [voiced by Jaden Smith too, so freakin awesome] 

+ other Black secondary characters like Lexy 

8 Black Lagoon

Black Lagoon

Black main character: Dutch

9 Lycoris Recoil

Lycoris Recoil

Secondary Afro-Japanese characterMika

10 Great Pretender

Great Pretender

Black minor character: Dorothy

11 Cannon Busters (2019)

Cannon Busters (2019)

Black main character: Philly the Kid

+ a multitude of Black secondary & minor characters

***created by LeSean Thomas

12 Darker than Black

Darker than Black

Black secondary character: April

13 Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online

Secondary Black character: Agil

14 Durarara!!

Durarara!!

Afro-Russian secondary character: Simon Brezhnev

15 Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Minor Black character: Canary

Canary, my love, you needed more screen time *starts throwing things out of anger*

+ Other minor Black characters: Geretta & Abengane

16 Bleach

Bleach

Possibly Black secondary character: Yoruichi Shihouin

(her ethnicity has never been clearly stated so she could be South Asian, etc or simply a made-up ethnicity for all we know...)

+ Black secondary character: Kaname Tousen

17 Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop

Black minor character: Coffee

(very briefly appeared)

18 The Promised Neverland

The Promised Neverland

Black secondary character: Krone, also Jemima

19 Little Witch Academia TV

Little Witch Academia TV

Kenyan side character: Wangari

20 Basquash!

Basquash!

Secondary Black character: Miyuki Ayukawa

21 Children of Ether

Children of Ether

Black main character: Rhonda Vega

-anime episode short-

***also created by LeSean Thomas

22 Blade Runner: Black Out 2022

Blade Runner: Black Out 2022

Black main character: Iggy

-anime episode short-

23 The Mysterious Cities of Gold

The Mysterious Cities of Gold

Black main character: Tao

24 Kaze no Naka no Shoujo Kinpatsu no Jeanie

Kaze no Naka no Shoujo Kinpatsu no Jeanie

Black main character: Bill

25 Radiant 2nd Season

Radiant 2nd Season

Possibly Black secondary character: Ocoho

(she has an extremely dark complexion so she could be Black, however she could also be South Asian, etc)

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