We have reached some of the hottest days of the year, which also means we have entered the domain of one of the three fire zodiac signs: Leo. People born between July 23 and August 22 are often extroverts that love being the center of attention, and their popularity helps make them good leaders. Leos, like their lion namesake, have a sort of regality about them, and many Leos aren’t afraid to flaunt this. Unfortunately, sometimes this confidence comes off as pretentiousness or even arrogance. But this noble nature can also make them courageous and loyal. Leos shine brightly, and for better or for worse, they cannot be ignored! Here are 12 Leo anime characters.
Mina Ashido (My Hero Academia) – July 30
Mina Ashido is U.A. High School’s it-girl. She is fun, friendly, and fashionable; she’s the life of the party. But she’s not just here to goof around. Mina has always been very brave (as we see in a flashback to a particular incident when she was in middle school) and always stands up for others. Some may argue that physical strength is the most important requirement to be a hero, but Mina proves that likeability and heart are also crucial to a hero’s success.
Nagisa Hazuki (Free!) – August 1
Depending on how you perceive them, a Leo can either be obnoxious or endearing, and the same can be said about Nagisa. He has a childish, excitable personality that can be both exhausting and uplifting. Nagisa loves his friends (especially his fellow Iwatobi High School Swim Team members) and strives to make life as enjoyable as possible.
Taiga Kagami (Kuroko’s Basketball) – August 2
As I mentioned above, Leos are known for their ability to shine brightly, and Kagami showcases this trait in that he is the “Light” half of the Seirin High School Basketball Team’s legendary Light and Shadow duo. He is tough and headstrong and works hard to be the best basketball player he can be. Interestingly, while Leos are often stereotyped as being arrogant, Kagami actually despises arrogant people who are too confident in their talent. In addition, Kagami is afraid of dogs, which makes sense for a Leo since lions are in the cat family! Also like a lion, though, Kagami is far from being a coward.
Honoka Kosaka (Love Live! School Idol Project) – August 3
When faced with the prospect of her beloved high school shutting down before her graduation, Honoka didn’t just get depressed and begrudgingly accept that her high school life wouldn’t go the way she had anticipated; instead, she took the initiative to put together an idol club. It took a lot of confidence to believe that the group she assembled would be so successful that their school would become famous and no longer be forced to shut down, and there few signs possess more confidence than a Leo. Without a hard-working, optimistic leader like Honoka, μ’s (Honoka’s school idol group) may not have achieved as much success as it did.
Nobara Kugisaki (Jujutsu Kaisen) – August 7
People will say that girls can’t fight, but in the animal kingdom, lionesses are the ones who do the hunting and killing. Nobara is the type of female Leo who represents the zodiac sign’s namesake: like a lion, she takes pride in being both beautiful and strong. On the one hand, she’s a fashionista that loves shopping; but on the other hand, she’s also a ruthless and powerful jujutsu sorcerer. Unfortunately, Nobara’s self-love does border on arrogance and tends to rub people the wrong way, but at least she doesn’t take any crap from anybody!
Bu-Ling Huang (Tokyo Mew Mew) – August 7
As the youngest member of the Mew Mews, Bu-Ling is like a little sister to the rest of the team, and with her cheerful and energetic personality, she plays that obnoxious-but-loveable role perfectly. She has a knack for entertaining, which makes her very successful in both the job she works as a cover-up for being a superhero and the side gig she uses to make money for her family. That’s a lot of charisma and hustle for an 11-year-old girl! Plus, she is so outgoing that she even managed to befriend one of the alien villains tasked with destroying the Earth. The fact that she is infused with the DNA of a Golden Lion Tamarin is just the icing on her Leo cake.
Jinpachi Toudou (Yowamushi Pedal) – August 8
Toudou is one of the most stereotypical Leos on this list. He’s a beauty queen, he’s so popular that he has a fan club, and he loves to bask in the glory of winning bicycle races. Yet at the same time, his thirst for victory is overshadowed by his sociability, as he enjoys befriending and hanging out with his rivals. He has a huge personality that simultaneously attracts supporters and annoys the heck out of people.
Leonard Burns (Fire Force) – August 10
Leonard Burns fully embodies the regal aspect of the Leo sign. He is a strong, reliable leader that commands respect without needing to force anyone to follow him. Unlike some of the more dramatic members of this zodiac, he is unemotional and values strength above all else. In case there was any doubt that he is a Leo, it’s literally in his name, with his first name having the name of his zodiac in it and his last name, Burns, reflecting the sign’s fire element. He is also known by the moniker “The White Lion.”
Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop) – August 14
Faye is a beauty and she knows it. But she doesn’t simply flaunt it: she uses her looks and flirtation skills to get what she wants. Despite this charisma, she avoids getting too close to anyone or forming meaningful, lasting relationships. She is also indulgent and just wants to enjoy cruising through life. Faye has all of the potential to be adored by many, but none of the desire.
Kenjirou Minami (Yuri!!! on Ice) – August 18
Minami is such a little ball of sunshine, it’s a miracle that he doesn’t melt the ice around him while he skates. He views the ice skaters he competes against more as talented people to learn from than as competition to beat. In typical Leo fashion, however, he shines so brightly that it’s hard for him to not succeed. His bubbly energy may be annoying to characters like the grumpy Yuri Plisetsky, but for others, he’s impossible to hate.
Manjiro Sano (Tokyo Revengers) – August 20
If Draken needs the grounded level-headedness of a Taurus to be the vice-leader of the infamous Tokyo Manji Gang, then Mikey needs the regality and uncontested strength of a Leo to be its leader and founder. While he is certainly strong enough to force people into submission, most of his followers support him because his natural laidback aura makes him someone worthy of their loyalty. Although, the fact that he can single-handedly take down four of the country’s best fighters also helps to command respect.
Emma (The Promised Neverland) – August 22
Emma is loved by every child at the orphanage. For the younger kids, she acts as a fun yet wise big sister, while for the older kids, she is a loyal and loving friend. Since everyone has so much trust in and affection for her, when she discovers that their world isn’t what it seems, she quickly assumes a position of leadership with ease. She may be cheerful and a bit of an airhead, but Emma has incredible mental fortitude and will fight fiercely for the ones she loves.
