While recent years have brought the debate on what truly fits the bill,animeis still predominantly produced in Japan, and based on Japanese stories. Considering Japan’s general homogeneity, it’s no wonder then, thatforeign characters rarely make an appearance in anime.
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Of all the countries that do get some representation, America and the United Kingdom are easily top of the list. Anime however, does have quite afew Italian charactersof note. Stereotypically viewed as suave and passionate, Italians tend to fall into very specific roles in anime, but luckily each series at least tries to make theirItalian charactersstand out, and some succeed in making truly memorable ones.
8Croix Meridies (Little Witch Academia)
In themagic-laden world ofLittle Witch Academia, people are either born with magical aptitude or not, and so it has been for time immemorial. However, Croix makes a name for herself by presenting a new, more technologically fueled version of magic that’s hard for many to resist.
AsLWAprogresses, Croix’s past relationship with the disappeared Shiny Chariot is slowly revealed, showing that jealousy for her friend is what drove Croix to be the woman she becomes. Although, the two are able to reconcile in the end.
7Celestino Cialdini (Yuri On Ice)
Of all the anime focused on specific sports,Yuri on Iceis the main one that comesto mind for ice skating. It follows the young Yuri Katsuki, as he attempts to climb his way up the icy ladder and become the skater of his dreams.
While the story really takes off when Victor Nikiforov becomes Yuri’s coach, his former coach Celestino stays on the show as a recurring character. He does go on to coach Pichit Chulanont, a Thai skater who competes with Yuri during the show.
6Takumi Aldini (Food Wars)
One of the things Italy is most famous for is its cuisine, a fact that resulted in the Italian chef becoming an archetype of its own. As the quintessential chef-based shounen series,Food Warswas sure to feature this archetype itself.
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Takumi plays the stereotype of the proud Italian to a comedic level. He insists on being rivals withseries protagonist Soma, even though the latter doesn’t reciprocate for most of the series. He also represents his Italian heritage by throwing in a “gracie” when someone compliments his food.
5Ricardo Fellini (Gundam Build Fighters)
TheGundamserieshas almost too manyshows to count. Back in 2013, the series grew with the release ofGundam Build Fighters, aYu Gi Oh/Bakuganstyle show where pilots fought with collectible ‘gunpla’ figures. Ricardo, “the Italian dandy” is one of those pilots.
Taking on another common Italian stereotype, he is an unashamed flirt and a ladies man. His pride also makes him despise losing to the point where he will self-destruct his own gundam in order to pull a fight to a draw.
4Capone Bege (One Piece)
The Italian mobster is likely the most pervasive trope the nation has attached to it. Movies likeThe GodfatherandGoodfellashave cemented the suit-wearing mafioso as an iconic figure in popular culture, andOne Pieceplays this completely straight with Capone Bege.
Bege is a member of the ‘worst generation’, a group of 12 notorious pirates who often come to blows with Luffy and his crew. Like any good mob boss, Bege is willing to strike a beneficial deal, even teaming up with Luffy when it means taking out a mutual enemy.
3Caesar Zeppeli (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
By itself,Jojo’s Bizarre Adventurelikely provides above25% of anime’s Italian characters, and they’re all worth talking about. For the sake of variety though, only 2 of them will be featured here, and the bubble master Caesar Zeppeli is the first.
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Caesar is similar in many ways to his grandfather William, being a proud Zeppeli hamon practitioner. Where he sets himself apart is in his unique, bubble based fighting style, and his rivalry with Joseph Joestar, which eventually blossoms into a short, but iconic friendship.
2Porco Rosso (Porco Rosso)
Out ofStudio Ghibli’s massive quality catalog, it’s hard to stick out. This is perhaps why 1992’sPorco Rossodoesn’t get brought up more. The story takes place in 1929, where the airways are hounded by pirates. The titular Porco Rosso is an ex fighter jet pilot, who’s been cursed to look like a pig.
His real name is Marco Pagot, and he’s one of Ghibli’s more snide main characters. He holds a lot of guilt for losing his comrades in the first World War, and so despite his somewhat surly nature, is fiercely loyal to himself and his loved ones.
1Giorno Giovanna (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
The secondJojocharacter here is also the only Italian protagonist in the series. While not born from Italian parents, Giorno grew up in Italy from the age of 4, eventually developing a stand and seeking to become a ‘gang star’ to help out destitute people in society.
ThroughoutJojo: Golden Wind, Giorno and his comradeswork to take over the stand-filled gang, Passione. Time and time again, he escapes fatal scenarios through pure resolve and team work. His theme song going viral also didn’t hurt in making him anime’s best known Italian.
