20 Beginner-Friendly Anime Characters To Draw, Perfect for Leveling Up Your Art

The best anime characters to draw are the ones you can actually finish. Simple shapes, a silhouette you recognize on sight, one or two signature details that carry the whole design. Get those right and you walk away with a sketch worth keeping instead of a page you want to hide. That is the real filter for a beginner-friendly pick, and it has nothing to do with how strong or popular the character happens to be.

We rounded up twenty of our favorite anime characters to draw and sorted them by difficulty, from mascots you can knock out in five minutes to cooler picks worth leveling up for. Every one comes with the reason it works on paper and a quick tip on where to lay your first line, so you are not just staring at a finished drawing wondering how anyone got there.

If you need anime characters drawing ideas, a quick warm-up, or a proper challenge, there is something below at your level. We also tucked a short how-to section near the end for the fundamentals that sharpen every anime sketch. Grab a pencil and let's get into it.

Easy anime characters to draw

These are the picks to start with. Bold shapes, minimal detail, and faces that forgive a shaky line. If you can draw a circle and a couple of triangles, you can handle everyone in this group.

1. Totoro

Anime: My Neighbor Totoro

Totoro is basically a giant fuzzy bean, and that is the whole secret. Start with one big rounded oval for the body, add two triangle ears up top, then drop in the tiny eyes and that wide whiskery grin. The proportions are so soft that nothing has to be precise, which makes him the perfect first sketch of any session.

2. Pikachu

Anime: Pokémon

Nothing says warm-up like Pikachu. A rounded body, two long pointed ears with black tips, the zigzag tail, and those red cheek circles do all the work. Begin with an egg shape for the body and build outward. If your tail already looks like a lightning bolt, you are basically there.

3. Anya Forger

Anime: Spy x Family

Anya is a masterclass in getting expression out of almost nothing. Her head is a simple round shape, her eyes are big and glassy, and the two little hair points and rounded buns are the details that make her unmistakable. Nail the wide-eyed look and her whole scheming-toddler charm comes through without any fancy construction.

4. Saitama

Anime: One Punch Man

Saitama might be the most beginner-proof face in all of anime. An egg-shaped head, two dot eyes, a straight line for a mouth, and you are done. The trick is trusting the simplicity, because the harder you resist adding detail, the more he actually looks like himself.

5. Pochita

Anime: Chainsaw Man

Pochita is pure geometry with a heartbeat. The little orange chainsaw-pup is built from circles and a chunky snout, with a pull-cord poking out of his head and a round eye on each side. He is soft enough to warm up with and iconic enough that people clock him instantly.

6. Shinnosuke Nohara

Anime: Crayon Shin-chan

Shin-chan looks like a kid drew him, which is exactly why he is a joy for beginners. Blocky head, thick caterpillar eyebrows, tiny dot eyes, a cheeky grin. Keep the lines loose and a little wonky, because a too-clean Shin-chan somehow ends up looking wrong.

7. Tony Tony Chopper

Anime: One Piece

Chopper is what happens when a reindeer gets designed to be maximally huggable. The oversized pink hat, round face, and little antlers all stack up from a handful of soft shapes. Start with the hat as its own big blob, since it frames everything else and does most of the identifying for you.

Fun anime characters to draw

Ready to add a bit more? These fun anime characters to draw ask for some hair detail or a signature prop, and the payoff is a character that really reads on the page. Good territory once the basics feel comfortable.

8. Monkey D. Luffy

Anime: One Piece

Luffy is the friendliest step up on this list. His face is simple and round, the scar under his eye is two quick strokes, and the straw hat does most of the identifying before you even finish the smile. Block the hat and head together first, then let that huge grin set the whole mood.

9. Nezuko Kamado

Anime: Demon Slayer

Nezuko is a favorite because her signature details carry the drawing. The bamboo muzzle strap, the long flowing hair with its lighter tips, and the checkered kimono collar tell you exactly who she is. Get the hair silhouette and the bamboo in place first, and everything else falls into line.

10. Zenitsu Agatsuma

Anime: Demon Slayer

Zenitsu is a blast because his panic is half the drawing. Swept-forward yellow hair, worried eyebrows, and the triangle-patterned haori give you a character bursting with personality. Start calm with the head shape, then push the expression as far as you dare.

11. Naruto Uzumaki

Anime: Naruto

Naruto is the gateway shonen sketch. Spiky hair in clear chunks, the forehead protector as a simple band, three whisker marks per cheek. Draw the hair as a handful of solid shapes rather than individual strands and the whole thing clicks together fast.

12. Killua Zoldyck

Anime: Hunter x Hunter

Killua keeps things clean. Messy white hair drawn as loose spikes, a relaxed face, and almost no clutter to trip over. He is proof that a cool character does not need heavy detail, just a confident silhouette and a slightly mischievous look.

13. Roronoa Zoro

Anime: One Piece

Zoro bridges fun and cool. Short green hair, three little earrings on one side, a scar over the left eye, and a bandana when he means business. Each of those is a small, satisfying detail, and together they make him instantly readable without much anatomy at all.

14. Frieren

Anime: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Frieren has one of the calmest, most elegant designs on this list. Long pale hair tied up with a few loose strands, pointed elf ears, a soft steady expression, and a simple mage's outfit. The stillness is both the challenge and the reward: less motion, more care in every line.

Cool anime characters to draw

Reach for this tier when you want cool anime stuff to draw that still stays achievable. A little more attitude, a little more detail, but every pick is built on the same shape-first logic as the easy ones.

15. Satoru Gojo

Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen

Here is a secret: Gojo is easier than he looks, because the blindfold lets you skip the hardest part of any anime face. Spiky white hair, the wrapped blindfold, a smug half-smile, and you have got the strongest sorcerer alive. Nail the hair volume and the cloth folds and he lands every time.

16. Levi Ackerman

Anime: Attack on Titan

Levi is all sharp angles and clean lines. The undercut hair, the loose cravat, and those flat serious eyes give him a cool that reads even in a rough sketch. Keep everything crisp and controlled, because a sloppy Levi loses the entire vibe.

17. Hisoka

Anime: Hunter x Hunter

Hisoka is a personality you draw more than a body. Slicked-back hair, a star and a teardrop painted on his face, and a playing-card motif you can scatter around him. Those two face marks are the fastest way to make a sketch unmistakably him, so lay them in early.

18. Guts

Anime: Berserk

Guts is the boss level of this list, and the giant sword does half the work. That massive slab of a blade is an iconic silhouette on its own, so build the drawing around it first, then add the scarred face, the prosthetic arm, and the heavy armor. Ambitious, but hugely satisfying when it all comes together.

19. Ichigo Kurosaki

Anime: Bleach

Ichigo gives you a cool payoff for moderate effort. Bright spiky orange hair, a permanent scowl, the flowing black shinigami robes, and the oversized cleaver slung behind him. Start with the hair and the sword as your two anchors and let the rest hang off them.

20. Denji

Anime: Chainsaw Man

Denji is a perfect closer because you get two drawings in one. Base Denji is a scruffy, simple-faced teen, easy enough for anyone. His Chainsaw Man form, with the blades bursting from his head and arms, is one of the coolest things on this whole list to pull off. Work up to the transformation and you will feel every bit of that progress.

How to draw awesome anime characters (quick tips)

Picking the character is half the battle. The rest comes down to a few habits that make every sketch stronger. If you want to know how to draw great anime characters faster, this is where it starts.

Build from basic shapes before you commit to a single clean line. A circle for the skull, a soft line for the jaw, and simple blocks for the body give you a frame that keeps proportions honest. Treat the hair as one big silhouette first, then carve the chunks out of it, instead of drawing strand by strand and hoping it adds up. Let the eyes carry the expression, since in anime they do most of the emotional work, and keep your first pass light so you can fix mistakes without a fight. Loose, confident, and shape-first beats slow and stiff every single time.

Honorable mentions

A few more worth keeping on your practice page: Megumi Fushiguro for that spiky, sculptural hair, Tanjiro Kamado for checkered-pattern practice, Jigglypuff for a pure round-shape warm-up, and chibi versions of literally anyone when you want the fun without the anatomy. None quite cracked the top twenty, but each one earns its spot in a sketchbook.

Fill the page and keep going

The fastest way to get better is to pick one character above and actually draw it, then draw it again tomorrow. Start in the easy tier, steal the starting tips, and let the cool picks pull you forward as your confidence grows. Every artist you admire began with wobbly ovals and one favorite character they could not stop sketching.

If you want more anime in your week between drawing sessions, come hang out with us at Kaminari, where our newsletter rounds up the news, reviews, and character breakdowns worth your time. Bring your sketchbook. We will bring the hype.

FAQs

What anime characters to draw when you are starting out?

Start with the simplest shapes. Totoro, Pikachu, Anya Forger, Saitama, and Pochita are all built from circles and a couple of signature details. They read instantly and forgive a shaky line, which is exactly what you want early on.

What anime is easy to draw for beginners?

Anything with bold, simple shapes and minimal fine detail. Mascot-style designs like Totoro and Pikachu, and minimalist faces like Saitama, are the easiest anime to draw because a few strokes already look right. Chibi versions of any character work too.

How do you start drawing an anime character?

Block in basic shapes first: a circle for the head, a line for the jaw, and simple forms for the body. Treat the hair as one silhouette before adding chunks, and let the eyes anchor the expression. Keep the first pass light so mistakes are easy to fix.

Who is the easiest anime character to draw?

Saitama from One Punch Man is the usual answer. An egg-shaped head, two dots, and a line for a mouth is a complete, recognizable character. Totoro and Pikachu sit right behind him for the same reason: unmistakable shapes, almost no detail.

Looking for cool anime stuff to draw?

Once the basics click, reach for characters with strong silhouettes and signature props: Gojo's blindfold, Levi's cravat, Guts and his giant sword, or Ichigo with his oversized blade. Big iconic shapes look impressive on the page even before you add any polish.