I feel like the post title is pretty self-explanatory. Even though anime regularly draws 13 year-olds like they might be in their mid20s. There are some characters that are eternally youthful. But in the cases of some of these characters, it’s just ridiculous! I need to know what face cream they’re using.
Sometimes we get an explanation for why these people have escaped the grips of time but other times, you just have to go along with it. Here are a few characters that look way younger than they actually are.
5. Muzan – Demon Slayer
I put him at the bottom because he does look a bit demonic most of the time. Or maybe I’m just too used to how scary he is and I just can’t see him any other way. In any case, we all know demons are ageless creatures so you kind of expect him to be old. But that old!!
So far the anime hasn’t given us an exact number but it’s at least in the 4 digits and upwards of 10 000 years. That is A LOT. He almost seems a bit weak for someone who has been around for that long. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed he still has an interest in, well anything really. Ironically, you gotta really love life to put up with it for so long!
4. Kurama – Yu Yu Hakusho
Karuma is a normal high schoolboy. Well not exactly normal, he’s a very attractive high school boy who charms everyone that sees him.
Except not really! He’s actually a 300-year-old fox spirit… who also charms a lot of people. What can I say, he’s just a charming guy. Ok, he’s a bishi!
Once again this is the demonic blood taking effect as other characters in Yu Yu Hakusho are also quite a bit older than they look. But at 300, he’s still the senior of the group even though he looks like one of the youngest.
3. Bicsuit – Hunter x Hunter
Finally, we have a character who isn’t a demon. Although you might think she is if you end up training under her. Biscuit has led a life of clean eating and rigorous physical training. Obviously, it has paid off for her. She doesn’t look a day over… well 13 maybe.
The thing is, she might be a sweet little girl at heart, but Biscuit is in fact 57 when we first meet her. Granted, she does appear a little more age-appropriate in certain situations but it’s just bad lighting, and angles. Stupid angles!
In any case, I think Biscuit looks adorable no matter what!
Meanwhile, poor Leorio, who I thought might have been in his late 20s/ early 30s is only 19 years old? What gives!
2. Near – Death Note and Honey Senpai – Ouran Highschool Host Club
I’ve put these two characters together because they are in fact the same age. It’s one thing when supernatural elements can explain a character’s youthfulness, it’s another when they just really look young for no particular reason.
Honey Senpai is often mistaken for a grade-schooler that accidentally made his way to the host club. Maybe a little brother of one of the members. and I honestly thought Near from Death Note was around 7 at most. One of those precarious genius children who may also be on the spectrum.
Actually, both are 17. Honey Senpai is a senpai because he’s the oldest member of the club and about to graduate while Near is only a year younger than Mellow. Near was in fact a real shock to me when I found out his age. It changes the way I see the character quite a bit.
1. Vash the Stampede and Wolfwood – Trigun
I bundled my number two spot because the characters were the same age, so I’m bundling my number 1 spot since they are from the same anime.
What is it with Trigun and making old dudes so cute? Who said that?
I understand that Vash is in fact an alien. An alien plant at that. I actually really love that part. And well plants don’t age that much. You can tell a baby plant from an adult one but that’s about it. So Vash is past 130 years old and we’re just going to have to agree that it makes perfect sense. But what’s Wolfwood’s excuse!?!
Look, I know he’s got some chemical enhancements going on. But you’re telling me they have a drug that can make a man in his mid 40s looks like that and everyone isn’t taking it all the time? I don’t buy it!
Well, there you go. A bunch of anime characters who are in fact much older than they look! Do you have a favourite one? Maybe Komoe from Index comes to mind. Oh and Maho from Steins;Gate 0. Another rare character that happens to be shorter than me!
I had the biggest crush on Kurama from Yu Yu hakasho. I even had three trading cards with him in his fox form and his red head form
There are YuYu Hakasho trading cards? That’s awesome
Rory from Gate is actually 961 years old, although she appears to be 13 – the age at which she ascended to become a living diety. She is one of my favorite anime characters! And one aspect I find interesting is that in the anime, she sometimes does something that makes it clear she is NOT 13 – such as express sexual interest in a man. Everyone reacts with some form of “oh, ick” and she has to remind him she is NOT in fact, 13 years old. So it sort of plays with that anime oddity of the girls who appear so terribly young and act so …ahem…mature or who have mature males interested in them. To me this is one of the very few occassions when I DON’T go “ugh” as it’s perfectly reasonable that a woman of 961 has probably had a bit of sexual experience. It’s a neat sidestep of the main issue. So I give them a bit of credit for that. LOL.
I haven’t seen GATE. The way you described it makes it sound pretty interesting
I am surprised! It is a favorite of mine, and even my non-anime hubby enjoyed very much. It’s not really all that profound, but it has it’s moments. Mainly sort of a fun semi-Isekai, semi-scifi where a Gate suddenly opens into a medeval sort of world from modern day Tokyo. Of course, the JSDF is sent to investigate and ends up embroiled in that worlds politics. The main character is an interesting fellow who really only joined the military so he could afford more comics. He turns out to be quite reasonable and compassionate as the modern world intersects with this somewhat less developed one.
Well you sold me
I can’t wait to see your review 😀 I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Old dudes ARE cute! Well, some of us are. Others are…well…never mind! 😂
No one’s prefect
Hmm, characters that look really young? Definitely Aharen from Aharen san wa hakarenai. When the series started I thought she looked pretty young for a high school student, but maybe it was just the art style. Then Raido met Aharen’s little brother who is a 4th grader, and the two siblings look identical. Yup Aharen got mistaken for a 4th grader!
Actually, Kurama is at least upwards of 1000 years old, before he calmed down, he was known as Yoko, and worked with the blind demon lord.
Please forgive me for pointing out this, I hate to point out mistakes usually.
Oh wow, you should update the official wiki. That’s where I got the info from.
Feels like cheating to include the whole cast from Land of the Lustrous, given that they’re rocks. Likewise with Reg (Made in Abyss), Motoko (Ghost in the Shell) or Sasori (Naruto Shippuden). Easy to look young when you’re a robot, a cyborg or a puppet.
I dunno about that, technology gets obsolete pretty quick… They show you the good parts in shows