Highlights

• Deaf anime characters like Yuki and Bojji prove that strength and kindness can shine through overcoming disabilities.
• Characters like Shoko and Nicolas show how forgiveness and resilience can help overcome past traumas.
• Hyakkimaru and Princess Hinoto demonstrate that disabilities do not define someone's ability to protect and communicate.

Although the anime world is vast, there are almost no characters with disabilities. The industry is slowly making changes to include more characters, but it may take some time before they become a regular feature. It's even rarer to see deaf characters, but anime shows and films like Classification of Kings and A silent voice have proven that it can be successful.

There are very few deaf characters in the anime world, and even fewer who have made a significant impact. But these characters show that just because they can't hear doesn't mean they're not strong. They don't let their hearing impairment stop them from showing their strength or showing kindness to others who haven't been kind to them.

Updated May 18, 2024, by Sarah Prado: There are very few anime characters with disabilities, and few of them have major roles in their shows or films. However, this small pool of characters is slowly expanding, and more are beginning to appear. Deaf anime characters, in particular, are part of a small group of characters with disabilities, but some are main characters in their respective animes. They overcome their disabilities in a variety of ways, such as communicating through sign language, texting, writing in a notebook, or lip-reading. While there may be some issues here and there when in public, these deaf anime characters don't let their disability stop them from living their lives.

7 Yuki Itose (a sign of affection)

A sweet girl who opens up after making friends at university

Yuki Yuki is a shy 19-year-old girl with congenital hearing loss. Although she wears hearing aids, she uses sign language to speak, lip-reading, and texting to understand what others are saying. Despite her shy nature, Yuki attends a public university at her mother's urging. She struggled to adjust at first, but has made some friends through it.

After meeting Itsuomi Nagi, Yuki feels a desire to explore the world more. She begins to open up a bit more and helps Itsuomi learn Japanese sign language, drawing a guide for him. While she still needs help in most situations, Yuki doesn't let this stop her from getting a job and hanging out with friends regularly. Overall, Yuki lives a fairly normal life and has a healthy social life, with friends who support her and help her whenever she needs it.

6 Bojji (classification of kings)

A boy who sets out to prove he is strong despite being deaf and mute

This small but mighty hero proves that an anime can have a deaf protagonist and be successful. Because of his small size and deafness, many people believe Colors He is unfit to rule the kingdom and that his half-brother should take the throne. Bojji doesn't let this affect him and still dreams of being a great king like his father. He is known for being kind and can read lips, so he knows what people are saying. He is hard-working, intelligent, and empathetic, and would have made a great king.

However, many in the kingdom believe he's stupid and voted for his brother to be king because of his disability. Even though he was heartbroken, Bojji didn't let this stop him from embarking on a journey to prove himself. He proved himself more than fit to be king and is much stronger than he appears.

5 Shoko Nishimiya (A Silent Voice)

A kind girl who forgives her bully and helps him with his own problems

When it comes to deaf characters in anime, Word is probably the first one that comes to most people's minds. She was frequently victimized by the other main character, Shoya, when they were in elementary school. They reunite in middle school, when Shoya wants to return a notebook he left behind. Even though he bullied her to the point where she had to transfer, Shoko was more than happy to be his friend.

She falls in love with him as they get to know each other and realizes that he truly wants to apologize for the bullying he put her through. Shoko shows her forgiveness and helps Shoya on his journey to self-forgiveness. It was a long and difficult road for them, but Shoko and Shoya helped each other overcome the trauma of their past and stay together on the path to recovery.

4 Nicolas Brown (Gangsta)

A man who gets angry with others for not knowing sign language

This is a man who definitely doesn't let his hearing impairment stop him from being a handyman for the Mafia. While most of the characters see their disability as a nuisance and apologize to others, Nicolas makes it clear that he finds the people he talks to a nuisance because they don't know sign language. He hates having to accommodate others who can't sign to him, even if he can read lips.

Having grown up in a difficult environment, Nicholas often keeps to himself and appears indifferent, even to those closest to him. He's easily angered, but he's not a terrible guy. Nicolas performs small acts of kindness, like playing Nina and helping Alex, and occasionally teases others with a dark but good sense of humor.

3 Princess Hinoto (X)

A blind, crippled, and deaf princess who uses her powers to communicate

• Year of release: 2001
• Number of episodes: 24
• Gender: Action, Drama, Dark Fantasy
• Studio: Hospice

Princess Hinoto She's a psychic who's not only deaf, but also blind, mute, and crippled. The only way she can communicate with anyone is through her telepathic powers. With her psychic powers, she sees the future in her dreams, and events always come true. She has a dark side that takes control for much of the series, but the dark side has a good reason for this possession.

After witnessing her own death at Kamui's hands, the dark side sought to destroy him and the Dragons of Heaven. However, Hinoto herself interrupted her dark side in the dreamscape, but this meant killing herself. This was the only way to end the dark side's possession of her, demonstrating her willingness to sacrifice herself to save everyone around her.

2 Hyakkimaru (Dororo)

Defends others with his enhancements, despite having none of their senses

Hyakkimaru He had the misfortune of being born to a lord who had made a deal with demons. In exchange for the safety of their lands, Hyakkimaru's body parts were given to them. As a result, he had no skin, eyes, nose, arms, legs, or ears. Fortunately, he was saved by Jukai, who became his father figure and made new body parts for him. Although he could not hear, Hyakkimaru's Soul Sight and Telepathy abilities were more than enough for him to see and hear others.

He regains his ears and hearing, but at first it's overwhelming. Having been hearingless his entire life, the sounds can be overwhelming and cause him to lose control. But he learns to control himself and adapts to having them back, along with other parts of his body. It's understandable that regaining any of his senses would be a shock, as he's never had them before.

1 Nao Saito

A young woman who can feel the emotions of everyone around her

• Year of release: 2010
• Number of episodes: 13
• Gender: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural
• Studio: Bee Train

Yakumo's young cousin. No She has been deaf since birth and lives with her adoptive father, Isshin, in a Buddhist temple. Although she can't hear, Nao has the special ability to sense the feelings of everyone around her. She's also one of the few people Yakumo feels comfortable with, as many tease him about his eyes.

After Isshin's death, Nao is taken in by Kazutoshi (one of the main characters) and his wife. Because he and his wife Atsuko couldn't have children, they separated, but Nao helped mend their relationship, and the three became a loving family.