In anime, every detail of a character's design tells a part of their story. From the spiky blond hair of Naruto Uzumaki to the iconic golden mane of Son Goku, looks and aesthetics often symbolize deeper meanings in animated shows. One of the most intriguing aspects of anime character design is the use of hair, with the color often serving as a significant visual cue. Green, a color associated with nature, growth, and sometimes even envy or illness, adds a layer of mystique to an anime character's personality and story.

It's safe to say that there are a few things as unique as green-haired characters, the way the color stands out and gives the character in question that extra “oomph” of personality. In anime, green hair can signify a variety of traits and themes, from a character's connection to the environment to their personal growth throughout a series. Despite its less common appearance compared to other hair colors, there are plenty of green-haired anime characters that have captured the hearts of audiences with their unique personalities and stories, from One Piece's Roronoa Zoro to One Punch Man's Tatsumaki.

10 Envy

'Fullmetal Alchemist' (2003-2004)

Now, this character’s hair may not be fully green – rather, it’s probably closer to black, but let's call it dark-dark green. Envy is the living embodiment of Father’s envy. He has the power of shape-shifting into personas, real or made-up, and can regenerate from otherwise lethal injuries. In one such case, Envy regenerated his whole body after being half-devoured by Gluttony.

Envy shares more hatred for humanity than the rest of his kind, but is very thin-skinned, given that the tiniest insult can shatter his enormous ego. As with most of the homunculi, Envy's history is deeply interconnected with the dark secrets of their creator Father. He's a prominent villain and shows up in the best episodes of Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood and his death is perhaps one of the most emotionally-charged moments in the series. Consumed by despair and anger, Envy reveals his true monstrous form to Roy Mustang, but ultimately perishes in the skilled alchemist's hands.

9 Broly

'Dragon Ball' (1986-1989)

You all knew this was coming, and for good reason. Vegeta touted Broly as being the most powerful Saiyan in the galaxy, which is saying something coming from Vegeta. Like any Saiyan, Broly’s powers came at different levels; his base Super Saiyan form was strong enough to decimate the South Galaxy, leaving only a few planets and stars in his wake.

His Legendary form, however, is the real deal. It turns into a lime-green rather than the traditional yellow hair of a Saiyan, he’s stronger than both Super Saiyan Goku and Vegeta, and laughs off Goku’s Super Kamehameha. Despite his brutal behavior, Broly has shown moments of compassion and potential to become a "good" character, as seen in his bond with Goku during one of their battles. Broly is an iconic and fan-favorite character in the Dragon Ball universe with numerous movies and appearances.

8 N

'Pokémon' (1997-2003)

While he debuts as a major antagonist and rival in the popular anime series Pokémon Black/White, N also appears in the BW anime series. Forced to treat wounded Pokémon, N believed humans were lowly, savage creatures that existed only to harm Pokémon. N can hear the minds of all Pokémon and is led to believe that they are being used as mere objects for humans, so he wishes to liberate them all.

He also proves to be an equalizing personality for Ash, as the two confront each other about their conflicting views on Pokémon training and how humans view Pokémon. Despite his good intentions, his lack of trust in people and his ability to be easily manipulated makes him a mindless extremist, as obviously, not all humans abuse Pokémon. Thankfully, he comes to realize his mistakes and returns to Black/White 2 as a side protagonist.

7 Ribbons Almark

'Gundam 00' (2007-2009)

Ribbons is a genetically modified human who has nanomachines that both prevent him from aging and let him survive in space. He has amazing reflexes and combat abilities so even when he is in a mecha that is weaker than his opponents, he can still hold his own in a fight. As an innovator, he has a superiority complex over human beings, which he views as inferior beings.

Ribbons is known for his manipulative and cunning nature, often orchestrating events from behind the scenes in Gundam 00. He has done a handful of heinous acts in the show, including murdering characters like Lockon Stratos and starting war crimes. He sees himself as a messiah and is capable of eliminating anyone in his path for the ideal dream of world unification. Ribbons' death marks the end of his reign of manipulation and control but also signifies the triumph of good versus evil in the show.

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6 Tatsumaki

'One Punch Man' (2015-)

This here is somebody with a short temper, which is appropriate given her stature that always has people underestimating her. Tatsumaki is impatient with others and is rude to those she sees as incompetent. She's an immensely powerful telepath who is very serious about her role as a hero and takes on any task that is given to her.

It’s believed that Tatsumaki is the most powerful being on the planet — so powerful, in fact, that she nonchalantly shrugs off world-devastating events as if it’s just a casual afternoon. She may be confident to a possibly arrogant extent, but suffice to say, she’s earned that attitude for a reason. Fans of the show are still waiting for Tatsumaki to reveal the true potential of her powers, as even though One Punch Man is considered one of the best anime series in the 21st century, there's still no news on its third season.

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5 Jolyne Cujoh

'JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure' (2012-)

Jolyne is as snappy and confrontational as you can get – something fans all love about her. Daughter of Jotaro, Jolyne had to get tough in this dog-eat-dog world, growing up in a maximum-security prison. Jolyne knows how to hold grudges and is particularly violent in fights.

Her Stand, Stone Free, gave her the ability to move and unravel her body like a string, which allowed her to escape situations, eavesdrop on others, or perhaps more excitingly, ensnare or slice people up with her sharp edges. Jolyne made her anime debut in the adaptation of Stone Ocean, and viewers got to see some of the intense Stand battles the sixth "JoJo" engages in, including fights against incredible opponents like Pucci and Westwood.

4 Spike Spiegel

'Cowboy Bebop' (1998-1999)

Spike is the cool and collected bounty hunter and Bruce Lee enthusiast we all know and love. The Western anime Cowboy Bebop is an instantly recognizable show that has ingrained itself into popular culture, which wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for its equally recognizable, green-haired protagonist, Spike Spiegel. Because of his former life of crime, the bounty hunter’s biggest philosophy in life is that the past is ineradicable, something that can’t be forgotten or ignored. Despite this, he encourages those around him that the past is simultaneously meaningless and they must move on.

This life of crime he moved away from has also given him the belief that he’s already died once, and won’t be afraid of death again, showing he’s willing to tackle death head-on. Spike is deceptively hot-tempered and could even be a misogynist, but he’s such an iconic and charming character that you can see why he’s reached an iconic level now.

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3 Roronoa Zoro

'One Piece' (1999-)

We couldn’t leave this guy out, right? Roronoa is a master swordsman and a former bounty hunter who is up with the “monster trio” of the most powerful protagonists next to Luffy and Sanji. He’s capable of cutting through steel, boats, and even trains. Roronoa is able to use up to three swords at once with distinct styles and attacks, and his strength even allows him to use air itself to strike from a distance.

He and Zeus are the two characters who were able to leave a permanent scar on Kaido, the Strongest Creature in the World, a feat that is considered impossible. In a recent chapter of One Piece, Roronoa made it to the full-color front cover with the theme of right-hand men, and, of course, he’s fully front-and-center. He may just be a right-hand man, but Roronoa is nearly as iconic as the straw hat-wearing protagonist of the series.

2 Deku Midoriya

'My Hero Academia' (2016-)

Despite being born Quirkless, Deku grew up with an inborn sense of justice and heroism, so much so that he was able to capture the attention of renowned superhero All Might, who gifted Deku his own powers. These powers granted Deku superhuman speed and strength, enough to make him ridiculously overpowered.

And to make Deku even more ridiculous, he has the legendary One For All, a Quirk allowing Deku to store up immense, raw power and channel it into God-like strength. However, using 100% of his strength has been shown to, well… completely dismember the arm he landed the punch with. Talk about power. However, Deku goes through intense training throughout the show, demonstrating his determination to be fully worthy of the Quirk passed down to him by All Might. Surely, he's gonna return in the seventh season of My Hero Academia more powerful and driven.

1 Gon Freecss

'Hunter x Hunter' (2011-2014)

Hunter x Hunter's Gon is a little man with a big sense of adventure. This brave young boy dreams of becoming a Hunter so he can find his father and discover why he chose to be a Hunter over his own son. Gon’s inherent goodness and resourcefulness lead to both friends and foes joining his side, causing even the Hunter Ninja Hanzo to back out of a fight against Gon due to his relentless dedication.

Emotional and even increasingly hot-headed, Gon is shown to be caring, creative, and persistent when having a cool head. He has also shown how he's committed to the greater good, as he sacrificed his potential to gain immense power in order to defeat Neferpitou. Gon's confidence is inspiring and he's one of the many anime protagonists that are beacons of resilience and strength.

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NEXT: The Best Protagonists in Anime, Ranked