Sensei, in anime, is a very respected person – someone even the protagonist looks up to, and for a good reason! They bring growth to the flattest of characters. In an anime, there are only a couple of ways for these characters to progress.
They can either do it on their own or with the help of a guardian angel who’s got their back during the toughest times. The best teachers in anime come in all shapes and sizes, from the strict to the unconventional, the kind to the tough love. But regardless, they always take stories in new directions.
10 Fuutarou Uesugi – The Quintessential Quintuplets
Dealing with quintuplets can’t be easy, especially when they are spoiled and spoon-fed. But Fuutaro Uesugi – their classmate during the day and tutor at night – knows how to handle these troublemakers. Initially, he took the tutoring gig to help his family out.
But it quickly turned into a full-blown mission to save the girls from an academic disaster. He takes the time to really get to know each sister and recognizes their potential beyond just studies. And it wasn’t long before they all fell for him. However, Fuutaro knows where to draw the line in this romantic and hilarious tug-of-war.
9 Seika ijichi – Bocchi The Rock
Seika is the sister of Nijika and a big-time Tsundere. She used to be a musician herself before becoming a mentor to the Kessoku Band. She can come off as tough on Bocchi and her friends and initially even shot down their idea to perform a live concert, but she’s always looking out for them.
When Bocchi is lost in anxiety, Seika pushes her to find her footing. But she also values the girls’ input and lets them decide what’s best for them. It’s all thanks to her that Kessoku Band has made its official debut and even rocked its first live performance!
8 Kojiro Shinomiya – Food Wars
Kojiro Shinomiya holds the distinction of being the first Japanese chef to open a 3-star restaurant in France. Unfortunately, he has experienced discrimination in the French Culinary World, which has made him a stickler for perfection. If you work under him, expect to strive for excellence.
He’s a traditionalist who values the importance of a chef’s skills and experience above all else when creating a perfect dish. This sometimes puts him at odds with Soma Yukihira, who encourages student input and constructive criticism. Nonetheless, Kojiro’s expertise is unparalleled, and he is determined to impart his culinary wisdom to the next generation of chefs.
7 Ozen – Made In Abyss
Revered as the “Immovable Sovereign,” Ozen is probably the strongest among the White Whistles in Made In Abyss. She’s also able to resist the Abyss’s seductive pull, something that other explorers like Bondrewd struggle with. After 50 years of exploring the abyss, she’s seen its cruel side and doesn’t hesitate to give her students a reality check.
In fact, she scared the living daylights out of Riko and Reg when they first met her to test if they were up for the challenges ahead. In the broader spectrum of anime mentors, Ozen’s brutal honesty makes her one of the realest characters out there.
6 Lisa Lisa – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
There are countless Sensei in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure that fans love – Speedwagon, Zeppeli, Straizo, and a few others. But Lisa Lisa was able to make the most impact on us, given the challenging circumstances she faced.
In Battle Tendency, she schooled Caeser and Joseph in the art of ripple hamon technique to take down the Pillar Men. These two macho apprentices would’ve been helpless without her guidance. Lisa Lisa’s determination to keep going even after Caesar’s tragic death earned her serious props from the anime community.
5 Henry Henderson – Spy X Family
“No elegance, no excellence!” – That’s what Henry Henderson, a teacher at one of the top-notch schools in Spy X Family, firmly believes in. To him, a student’s behavior and values are just as important, if not more so, than their academic performance.
Henderson’s ability to pick out elegance from even the ficklest of instances has become a meme in the anime world and one of the best running gags in anime. Perhaps the most elegant thing about Henderson is his openness to receiving feedback and taking criticism to better himself as an educator, as seen during his first interview with the Forgers.
4 Reigen Arataka – Mob Psycho 100
Reigen from Mob Psycho 100 may be a fraud, but he knows his responsibilities as an adult. Having experienced various facets of society, he’s pragmatic about life. Even during the fight against Claw’s 7th division, Reigen scolded the megalomaniac enemies for acting like infants.
They’re so detached from reality that they forget what it means to be a part of society. Reigen believes that being an adult means staying grounded in reality, and that’s the first step toward achieving greatness.
The iron-willed woman of Fullmetal Alchemist rightfully claims a top spot for making the Elric brothers one of the most beloved anime duos of all time. Since their mother’s passing, Izumi has been watching over them as both a mother and a mentor.
She appears to be a simple housewife who runs a meat shop with her husband, but her skills and abilities in alchemy are enough to make even Edward quiver. However, above all, she empathizes with the Elrics, having experienced a botched transmutation herself years ago. Izumi firmly believes that every action comes with a price to pay.
2 Shizuka Hiratsuka – My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
Shizuka Hiratsuka is one of the most popular characters from Oregairu, even more so than the main girl Yukinoshita. In a world full of superficial people, she comes across as genuine – something the cynical male lead, Hachiman, also seeks in a partner. It’s no surprise that a lot of fans often ship them together.
Since his first day in high school, Shizuka has constantly been looking out for Hachiman. She brought him into the service club and opened up a whole new world for him. After her farewell in the final season, Hachiman had to confront his feelings and let go of his past.
1 Eikichi Onizuka – Great Teacher Onizuka
Onizuka is the undisputed king of anime teachers, and he claims it himself. He doesn’t play by the rules of traditional teaching and isn’t afraid to butt heads with the school’s principal, for that matter. Instead of lecturing his students to death, he takes them on surprise wild rides on his motorcycle and gets into all sorts of mischief.
Once a gangster, Onizuka was the most hated classroom teacher, but he quickly turned the students to his side. His morals may be loose, but he never fails to impart relevant life lessons in any of the episodes of GTO.
