In any given anime series, there are certain roles and character archetypes that are almost always universally loved and used. One such character is the ‘Sensei’ or Mentor character, whose purpose is to guide the protagonist towards their ambition.
Due to this close, emotional relationship, many popular and beloved characters are often from this category, especially if they hold an in-universe legendary status. In this list, we’ll be looking at the
Top 5 Anime Senseis
5. Izumi Curtis
- Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
- Students: Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric
When someone looks at Izumi Curtis, all they could see is her calm, sweet, and serene exterior. She takes pride in introducing herself as a ‘Simple, kind housewife‘, which is a stark contrast to who she is on the inside. Beneath that flowery facade, Izumi can be quite scary and diabolical if provoked, which keeps the Elric brothers on edge.
However, she happens to be a very skilled alchemist. She follows a style of alchemy that chooses to use anything in her immediate surrounding to her advantage. offering a great deal of flexibility. What makes her earn a spot on this list is not how she trained the Elric brothers, but rather her fun, engaging and refreshing Dynamic with them throughout the story.
4. Silvers Rayleigh
- Anime: One Piece
- Student: Monkey D. Luffy
Who could be a better candidate to train the future pirate king than the Vice-Captain and first mate of the former Pirate King? The name ‘Dark King’ Rayleigh is infamous far and beyond the Grand Line and the Four Seas, with several prominent and powerful characters from Admirals to Emperors commenting on his abilities.
His spot on this list is cemented through his significance in Luffy’s. After the Straw Hats were disbanded at Saboady, Luffy realizes how weak he was in comparison to the monstrous foes he’d have to face in the New World. Rayleigh chooses to teach Haki to Luffy over the two-year time skip, preparing him for the battles to come.
3. Shota Aizawa
- Anime: My Hero Academia
- Students: Class 1-A
Aizawa is probably the only actual “Teacher” on this list. While he still has the status of a Pro hero, fans first saw him as the stern, rigid, and unforgiving homeroom teacher of Class 1-A. Aizawa’s reputation was that of a cold teacher who had no tolerance for mediocrity or poor performance. He is known to expel students who don’t meet his expectations.
- However, beneath that cold skin, Aizawa truly cares for his students and wants the best for them. All the students he expelled were ultimately re-enrolled into UA.
- His idea was to teach those students through a fake “Death”, so that they’ll be motivated to do better. While his methods may be a bit extreme, ultimately, he is a teacher who’d go to great extents for his pupils.
2. Biscuit Krueger
- Anime: Hunter X Hunter
- Students: Gon Freecs, Killua Zoldyck
When Gon and Killua first met Bisky at Greed Island, all they saw was an old, annoying squeaky hag who always acted entitled and bratty. This often got her into scuffles and skirmishes with Killua, who gets sick of her childish, “Cutesy” escapades.
But underneath all that, Bisky is a double-star hunter proficient with Nen. She’s a Transmuter who also is very proficient at Emission, Enhancement, and Manipulation, even though that last one is usually considered to be the hardest to master for Transmuters. Without her training Gon and Killua couldn’t have finished Greed Island, let alone reach their full potential.
1. Korosensei
- Anime:Â Assassination Classroom
- Students: Class 3-E
Korosensei’s top spot is indisputable. He is not just another teacher who wants to teach his students. He takes on the entire school system of Kunugigaoka, with the intent of reforming it while also turning those students who’ve been branded as “Delinquents” into their best possible selves.
Korosensei is commitment personified. He always goes above and beyond for his students, keeping their education as his number one priority. His style of education is not just about subjects and academics, but about everything that life throws at a student. Even at the very end, he gifts each student a ‘Book of Advice’ to help them in his absence.