Another year, another list of anime characters to draw hearts around. Just like in previous years, we ended 2025 with our readers weighing in on who their anime crushes were. With newcomers like Gachiakuta and May I Ask for One Final Thing , and returning favorites like The Apothecary Diaries and Solo Leveling , fans were spoiled for choice when it came to their favorites. The votes have been counted, the crushes have been figured out, and, to my delight, fans had plenty to say as to why a certain character made their heart go pitter-patter in 2025 (and, maybe still, in 2026). Who were the top anime crushes? Read on to find out! NOTE: This year, along with naming the top picks, we'll be highlighting some honorable mentions from each series. Enjoy! 10. Enjin Series: Gachiakuta The newest, quote from a fan, “hot boy” to make it on our top anime crushes list is Enjin. Hailing from the trash heap (said affectionately) of Gachiakuta , fans are in love with his design and personality, as he received an equal amount of comments about his looks as he did his humorous moments. From his tattoos and unique powers, to stressing out about his team throughout the last episodes of season one, Enjin manages to be both cool and in need of an adultier adult when things start to fall apart. Honorable mentions: Zanka, Jabber, Riyo, Rudo and Semiu. 9. Satoru Gojo Series: JUJUTSU KAISEN We technically didn’t see much of Gojo this year, but with two theatrical releases ( JUJUTSU KAISEN: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death – The Movie and JUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution Compilation ), fans were able to get a recap before JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 3. That was juuuuust enough to get “the honored one” on the crush poll for 2025 and, well, I’m gonna let one fan summarize the sentiment for him. Ahem. “He is so beautiful, handsome, breathtaking, gorgeous, attractive, charming, heavenly, magnificent, divine, alluring, lovely, delightful, appealing, winsome, ravishing, glamorous, irresistible, bewitching, beguiling, graceful, exquisite, aesthetic, hot, sexy, tasty, divine, dazzling, fascinating and good looking.” Honorable mentions: Megumi, Nobara, Maki, Yuta, Inumaki and Sukuna 8. Suo Hayato Series: WIND BREAKER It’s the eye patch, isn’t it? Whatever the case, our boy Leonardo DiCaprio has made it onto our crush poll after being an honorable mention in 2024. From his odd sense of humor (spoiler: he’s not actually Leonardo DiCaprio) to that moment when he genuinely lost his temper, fans really enjoyed this WIND BREAKER character during the anime’s second season. Honorable mentions: Sakura and Tsubaki 7. Soshiro Hoshina and Shin Kashiwagi (TIED) Series: Kaiju No. 8 and Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You. Tied for seventh place are two characters from two very different anime. “I started watching Kaiju No. 8 this year and I fell in love with Hoshina's wit, humor, skill and heart,” one fan said about the Third Division vice-captain. For something completely different, there’s Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You. , a romance anime where a love confession does what it often does in shojo: cause chaos. While there are multiple crushes to choose from in this anime, fans picked Shin as their number one (or rather, their number seven, in the case of this list). Honorable mentions: Gen and Reno ( Kaiju No. 8 ) 6. Lu Guang Donghua: Link Click Early in the year, we saw the return of Link Click , which meant seeing the number six entry of our list again. In the Link Click: Bridon Arc , Lu Guang goes back to where it all began in this six-episode saga, and fans were eager for more of the story. Along with commenting on his looks, fans pointed to his dynamic with Cheng Xiaoshi as a reason behind their love for him. “I also like how calm he is while also being snarky,” one fan said, “And his voice is super gentle and calming.” And, of course, “He’s super cool.” Honorable mentions: Xia Fei 5. Aoi Akane (The Clock Keeper) Anime: Toilet-bound Hanako-kun Toilet-bound Hanako-kun Season 2 is a bit of a whirlwind from start to finish, with massive reveals about the characters fans have gotten to know and love. Such is the case with the number five pick on this list, who turns out to be one of the seven wonders of the school. The main thing pointed out with Akane is his love for Aoi, despite everything that happens between them, with fans commenting on how much he cares, how tragic it is, and how he perfectly illustrates how much love can hurt. Honorable mentions: Teru Minamoto 4. Sung Jinwoo Anime: Solo Leveling If you’re familiar with Solo Leveling , you probably already know the main word used to describe its lead character. “Aura” and “Jinwoo” go hand in hand, especially in the second season of the anime. Much like the nurses who stared at his growth back in season one, Jinwoo was often described as being “hot,” but it wasn’t just his looks or godlike powers that fans gravitated toward. “He protects his family,” one fan said, alluding to the entire reason Jinwoo became a hunter in the first place and calling out the emotional moment he had in season two . That said, as another fan put it, “he’s HIM!” Honorable mentions: Cha Hae-in and Igris 3. Caesar Gattuso Donghua: Dragon Raja II – The Mourner's Eyes Another donghua character makes it onto the list, and this time it's Caesar Gattuso from Dragon Raja II – The Mourner's Eyes . Admittedly, I knew nothing about this character or Dragon Raja as a series, but who doesn’t love a popular, blond-haired, student union president? Characters from the donghua itself point out how attractive Caesar is, so it's no surprise to see him here. Whether it's for his looks, his confidence, his determination or combat skills, he’s earned his place on this list and, perhaps, in your hearts. 2. Jinshi Anime: The Apothecary Diaries Fans had a lot to say about Jinshi, who went from being an honorable mention in 2024 to taking the number two spot in 2025. “He’s pretty,” one fan ( several , actually) said about The Apothecary Diaries character, with another deciding that he’s “husband material.” Of course, you can’t talk about Season 2 Jinshi without mentioning one word: frog, another thing fans pointed out when voting for him. All in all, it’s easy to see how he moved up in this year’s crush poll. Honorable mentions: Maomao 1. Julius Von Pallistan Anime: May I Ask for One Final Thing? You can, in fact, ask for one final thing, in this case, one final crush in our 2025 list. To be honest, May I Ask for One Final Thing? may have one of anime’s most unlikable men right off the bat. That said, Kyle’s older brother, Julius, is the exact opposite of him, making him feel like a breath of fresh air compared to that dude Scarlet punched really hard. Julius is, quote, “beautiful, charming, and doesn’t make you want to punch him in the face.” That said, there is something about Julius beneath that calm exterior, but many are into that as well and, of course, Scarlet’s reactions to him throughout the series. Basically, Julius’ charms worked, making him the winner of our anime crush poll. Whether or not Scarlet responds with a swift right hook is anybody’s guess (she probably will). Honorable mentions: Scarlet More Honorable Mentions Here are a few more honorable mentions outside of the ones mentioned from any of the top 10. These characters almost made it onto the main list, but they're still close to many a fan's heart! 5. Reze Series: Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc 4. Katsuki Bakugo Series: My Hero Academia 3. Loid Forger Series: SPY x FAMILY 2. Shoto Todoroki Series: My Hero Academia 1. Aki Hayakawa Series: Chainsaw Man | Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
