I don’t know why, but anime just can’t help but create adorable & wholesome nuns. And extremely likable/father material priests. What’s up with that? Well let’s dive into the house of (anime) worship and rank some of the best nun and priest characters out there.
10. Gyomei Himejima
Anime: Demon Slayer I’m going to start off with Gyomei because if you’re an anime-only fan, you probably don’t know a lot about this sulking and hulking man. I’m sure he caught everyone’s eye the second he was introduced, as he towered over all the other characters in size. And yet wept and prayed for everyone’s well-being. He was raised in a temple. And by his wardrobe alone, we can see that this has definitely left an impact on him. He’s the only one who looks more like a holy man than just a warrior.
9. Ruri
Anime: Dr. Stone Ruri is the priestess of the Ishigami village, and the source of all things precious in the show. Even though she’s extremely sick, she does her best to be there for her people and not trouble anyone, especially her gorilla-strength sister. This does change, however, when Senku Nye the Science Guy joins the picture. After that point we get to see a little more of Ruri’s personality. And as we had all expected, she’s too wholesome for this world. She’s also surprisingly quick.
8. Index Librorum Prohibitorum
Anime: A Certain Magical Index My heart just hurts with this one. Let’s just say that Index does not have quite the ideal setup in life. She’s a nun in training and is blessed with a perfect memory, and the capability to not be affected by grimoires. Which is a dynamic duo that can take over the world. However, her memory keeps getting wiped every year and she can’t use mana. What an odd coincidence, right? Being that she only has one year of memory to go on, she acts very childishly, but in the best meaning of that word. She’s kind, naïve, flabbergasted by technology, and really caring towards her partners. A memorable nun if I’ve ever seen one.
7. Shiro Fujimoto
Anime: Blue Exorcist Shiro is that loving father figure that just makes you want to cry, and maybe call your parents or your pastor. He’s a down to earth guy who does his very best to take care of Rin and Yukio, as well as protect the Earth from demonic threats. And even though he acts all tough (okay he technically is the toughest Exorcist in the world, but that is not my point here), but we get to see how much his altercation with Rin got to him. I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry.
6. Hakuren Oak
Anime: 07-Ghos This is one of those characters where you’re initially certain that you’re going to hate them, but then you end up pleasantly surprised. Even though he comes from a rich family with a lot of political pull, Hakuren decides to become a bishop. Which is pretty noble of him to do. However, where I was really sold on the character was his approach to the princess. He was appointed to be her tutor. And instead of manipulating her for his own gain, he used her to point out the suffering of the people to the higher-ups. Which I guess is also manipulation, but like holy manipulation.
5. Shinpu
Anime: Black Clover Shinpu hits on a lot of the same notes as Shiro. Mainly his down to earth character, and the fact that I want him to be my Father and my dad, but in a slightly different way. Shinpu is a full blown goofball and most of his screen time is either extremely wholesome or funny. Even though he’s obviously bummed that both of his boys went into the real world to chase their dreams, he’s still proud of them. And weeps like a baby whenever they come to visit. I like the old fart.
4. Rosette Christopher
Anime: Chrono Crusade As a holy figure, Rosette is quite difficult to read. On the one hand, she devotes her life to finding her missing brother and is completely willing to give up her own life in order to save him, or anyone else she holds dear for that matter. On the other hand, the way she goes about saving him is quite peculiar, being that she formed a pact with a demon and all. So maybe she isn’t quite getting the “nun of the year” award. But she is definitely the best sister a person could ask for.
3. Chitose Nanbu
Anime: Ah My Buddha I’m once again conflicted with how holy this character is. The premise of the show is simple: a dude living with a bunch of nuns, Chitose being the best one obviously. The guy has a lot of spiritual power, but can only unleash it when he gets really horny. So Chitose kind of fulfills that need of his, that way they can exorcise spirits and generally save the day. It also helps that she likes the guy, even though Buddha knows that she’ll never admit it. The show might not be winning any anime awards. But at least it was worth watching for Chitose.
2. Maria Takayama
Anime: Haganai: I don’t have many friends You don’t usually expect to see a 10 year-old nun in a high school slice of life anime. But man was it worth it this time around. Being that she’s 10 years old, Maria acts just like you would expect her to. She gets easily tricked and easily triggered to call other people rotten mandarins, which is like the heaviest of insults for a child, I guess. And of course, she forms a wholesome brother-sister relationship with Kodaka. Which is always adorable to see. Granted it’s a bit unfortunate, since he has a sister who has a thing for the demonic… but that’s another tale for another day.
1. Sister Lily
Anime: Black Clover Even though Sister Lily has very limited screen time, we all know that she’s best God girl. I mean, she was lovable enough for Asta, a boy with 0 magical capabilities, to decide to become the Wizard King. And although she occasionally has to slam him into the ground with her own magic, it’s no secret that Lily cares deeply for Asta, Yuno, and all the other kids under her care. Plus, her and Shinpu just make such a good duo that I couldn’t go mentioning one without the other.
