7 Most Iconic Deaf Anime Characters

While the world of anime is huge, there are hardly any characters who have disabilities. The industry is slowly making changes to include more characters with them, but it could take some time before they’re regularly seen. It’s even rarer to see characters who are deaf, but anime shows and movies like Ranking of Kings and A Silent Voice have proven it can be successful.

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

Updated on May 18th, 2024, by Sarah Prado: There are very few anime characters with disabilities, and not many of them have leading roles in their shows or movies. However, this small pool of characters is slowly expanding and more of them are starting to appear. Deaf anime characters, in particular, are part of a tiny pool of those characters with disabilities, but some are main characters in their respective anime. They overcome their disability in a variety of ways, such as communicating through sign language, texting, writing on a notepad, or lip-reading. Though there might be some issues here and there when out 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 is a shy 19-year-old girl with congenital hearing loss. Even though she wears hearing aids, she uses sign language to talk, and lip-reading and text messages to understand what others are saying. Despite her timid nature, Yuki attends a public university at the request of her mother. She struggled to adjust at first, but she has made a few friends from it.

After meeting Itsuomi Nagi, Yuki finds herself wanting to explore the world more. She begins opening up a little more and helps Itsuomi learn Japanese Sign Language by drawing him a guide. Though she still needs help in most situations, Yuki doesn’t let this stop her from getting a job and hanging out with her friends regularly. Overall, Yuki is living a pretty normal life, and has a pretty healthy social life with supportive friends who help whenever she needs it.

6 Bojji (Ranking Of Kings)

A Young Boy Who Sets Out To Prove He’s Strong Despite Being Deaf And Mute

This tiny but mighty hero proves an anime can have a deaf protagonist and be successful. Because of his small size and being deaf, many people believe Boji isn’t fit 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 to be kind, and he can read lips, so he knows what people are saying. He’s hardworking, intelligent, and empathetic, and would’ve made a great king.

However, many in the kingdom believe he’s dumb, and voted to have his brother be king because of his disability. Even though he was heartbroken, Bojji didn’t let this stop him from going on a journey to prove his worth. He proved that he is more than fit to be king, and is a lot stronger than he looks.

5 Shoko Nishimiya (A Silent Voice)

A Kind Girl Who Forgives Her Bully And Helps Him With His Own Issues

When it comes to deaf characters in anime, Shoko is probably the first one to come to mind for most people. She was often the victim of the other main character, Shoya, back when they were in elementary school. They meet each other again when they’re both in high school, when Shoya wants to give back a notebook she’d left behind. Even though he bullied her to the point that she had to transfer, Shoko was more than happy to be his friend.

She does fall in love with him as they get to know one another, and sees that he truly wants to repent for the bullying he put her through. Shoko shows that she forgives him and helps Shoya in his journey to forgive himself. It was a long and bumpy road for them, but Shoko and Shoya helped each other overcome their past trauma and stay together on the road to recovery.

4 Nicolas Brown (Gangsta)

A Man Who Gets Annoyed At Others For Not Knowing Sign Language

This is one man who definitely doesn’t let his hearing disability stop him from being a “handyman” for the mob. While most characters would see their disability as a nuisance and apologize to other people, Nicolas makes it clear that he finds the people he’s talking to a nuisance for not knowing sign language. He hates having to accommodate others who can’t sign to him, even though he can read lips.

Having grown up in a rough environment, Nicholas usually keeps to himself and comes off as aloof, even to those closest to him. He gets easily irritated, but he isn’t a terrible guy. Nicolas does small acts of kindness like playing Nina, and helping Alex, and will occasionally pick on others with a dark yet good sense of humor.

3 Princess Hinoto (X)

A Blind, Crippled, And Deaf Princess Who Uses Her Powers To Communicate

• Year Released: 2001
• Number of Episodes: 24
• Genre: Action, Drama, Dark Fantasy
• Studio: Madhouse

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

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After seeing her own death at the hands of Kamui, the dark side wanted to destroy him and the Dragons of Heaven. However, Hinoto herself stopped her dark side in the dreamscape, but it meant killing herself. This was the only way to end the dark side’s possession of her, showing she was willing to sacrifice herself to save everyone around her.

2 Hyakkimaru (Dororo)

Defends Others With His Enhancements Despite Not Having Any Of His Senses

Hyakkimaru had the misfortune of being born to a lord who had made a deal with demons. In return for the safety of their land, Hyakkimaru’s body parts were given to them. As a result, he had no skin, eyes, nose, arms, legs, or ears. Luckily, he was saved by Jukai, who became his father figure and made new body parts for him. Though he couldn’t hear, Hyakkimaru’s Soul Sight and Telepathy abilities were more than enough for him to be able to see and hear others.

He does get his ears and hearing back, but it is overwhelming for him at first. Having not heard anything all his life, the sounds can be a bit too much for him and cause him to lose control. But he does learn to control himself, and adjusts to having his them back, along with other body parts. It’s understandable that getting any of his senses back would be a shock for him, since he’s never had them before.

1 Nao Saito

A Young Girl Who Can Sense The Emotions Of Everyone Around Her

• Year Released: 2010
• Number of Episodes: 13
• Genre: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural
• Studio: Bee Train

The young cousin of Yakumo. Nao has been deaf since birth and lives with her adoptive father, Isshin, at a Buddhist temple. Though she’s unable to hear, Nao does have the special ability to sense the feelings of everyone around her. She’s also one of the very few people that Yakumo feels comfortable around, since many have made fun of him because of his eye.

After Isshin passes away, Nao is taken in by Kazutoshi (one of the main characters) and his wife. Since he and his wife Atsuko couldn’t have kids, they drifted apart, but Nao helped mend their relationship and the three of them became a loving family.

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