If I’m being honest… I’m very proud of this post.
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It took me more time than I thought, and really… the research for recs was very time-consuming.
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I saw several Reddit posts with recs straight out from the Bing AI, and well… I could easily have done that… just copy-paste the recs that AI gave me.
But NOPE, HOW COULD I!!
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So I spent HOURS looking for exact matches for these beloved anime characters… comparing traits, personalities…
I remember going to the store to buy groceries and thinking about which book I was going to put for Lelouch or Kyo and making mental notes haha xD.
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I only hope you enjoy this post, and if you like it and want to share it, that would mean the world to me.
Now to the post!!!
Table of Contents
Gojo Satoru is the most powerful character in the Jujutsu Kaisen series, and HE KNOWS IT.
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He loves to tease his students and seems like a carefree guy who doesn’t take anything seriously. He makes jokes all the time and annoys his colleagues as well.
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However, behind that flamboyant personality, you have an arrogant and ruthless sorcerer who is capable of doing anything to win over his enemies (killing innocents as collateral damage is no problem for him).
Personality
- Flamboyant character
- Arrogant and overconfident about his powers
- He cares about his friends ( to an extend)
- Cold-blooded with his enemies
- Collateral damage isn’t important for him if the job is done
Books with characters like Satoru Gojo
This one was HARD.
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Gojo is so unique and is a beloved character by everyone inside and outside the anime fandom.
The perfect husbando!
So I have one pick and a character I think matches pretty well.
Wendell Wambleby!
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The definition of flamboyant is actually a good description for Wendell Bambleby:
Ā A person tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness
And like Gojo when shit goes crazy, he basically transforms into another person and becomes a ruthless and unforgiving creature.
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A warning: You WILL get a book hangover after reading these books (there are two now, with a third in the works), and you will probably struggle to find characters like Wendell after this.
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It’s your choice HAHA sometimes ignorance is bliss xDD
In case you insist and want to torture yourself, here is a complete guide:
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Ohh, Sebastian… The plot of this manga/anime is very unusual, so finding a character like him was incredibly difficult.
If there is something that manga does right, it’s original stories.
Well, Sebastian is a demon who has a contract with Ciel, his master.
Nobody knows his real form. He dresses as a butler and has impeccable manners.
But behind his aristocratic behaviour is a cunning and sadistic demon who enjoys inflicting pain and has zero feelings and empathy.
Unless he happens to encounter a cat. He is totally obsessed with cats, and those scenes in the anime and the manga are glorious!!
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Personality
- Devoted to Ciel ( the protagonist) He obeysĀ his orders
- Gentleman manners
- Obsessed with cats
- He is a cunning and sadistic demon hiding behind a human facade
Books with characters likeSebastian Michaelis
Sebastian is a demon disguised as a human.
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There is one character that checks all the boxes in ‘Sorcery of Thorns.’ It’s not the main protagonist but an important side character who – for some readers – steals the book with his charisma and nonchalant personality.
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The character in question is Silas, the personal demon of Sebastian Thorn, the love interest in ‘Sorcery of Thorns.’
He is arrogant and acts as kind of a butler for Sebastian as well.
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Silas has a pact with his master, (same as Ciel with Sebastian)
Levi Ackerman is one of the most popular anime characters and with good reason.
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He isn’t even the main protagonist of the series/manga ‘Attack on Titan’ (Shingeiki No Kyojin), but he won the fans’ hearts with his mysterious and somewhat dark personality.
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He doesn’t care too much about other people’s opinions and always says what he thinks.
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He is a military genius, and despite seeming to be cold and devoid of feelings, he cares deeply for other human lives and protects them at all costs.
Personality
- He rarely shows emotions
- A solitary wolf. He is pragmatic and independent
- Obssessed with cleanliness
- He values human life and is compassionate (although it doesn’t show at first sight )
Books with characters like Levi Ackerman
This one was easy!! Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows fills the criteria to a T.
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Similar to Levi, he has an obsession but with people not touching him (due to childhood trauma like Levi). He always wears gloves and avoids closeness at all costs.
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Despite not being as skilled as Levi in the art of fighting, he compensates for this with a brilliant mind and the capacity to scheme intricate heists.
Let’s begin by clarifying which tropes this anime portrays.
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Hidden identities, fake marriage, and found family are the three most important ones.
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This anime features some hilarious situations. Loid and Yor don’t know each other’s real identities. Loid is assigned an important mission, and to complete this mission, he needs to go undercover as a married man with a child.
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He adopts Anya and marries Yor, but what he doesn’t know is that he is not the only one with a double life. Yor is a skilled assassin, and their adopted daughter is a telepath (who knows that both of them are on undercover missions).
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Although I think there is no exact match for this anime, there are some books with found family vibes and hidden identities that are a close match.
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Loid cares deeply for his adopted daughter and wife; he is husband material 100%.
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In addition to this, he is intelligent, cunning, and a ruthless spy.
Personality
- Calm and calculating
- He is an INTJ. A dedicated planner and thinker.
- He excels as a spy. Cold and methodical with exceptional mental and physical skills
- He has shown a softer side regarding his fake family. Worrying about their well-being more than he wants to admit.
Books with characters like Loid Forger
There is no EXACT match like the series SpyxFamily, but there are several books that have the hidden identities trope (we’re always talking about fantasy romances).
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The one that I think is closer to Loid Forger is the series Renegades by Marissa Meyer. The heroine is a villain and falls in love with her mortal enemy. They don’t know the real identity of each other (like Loid and his fake wife Yor) and this add excitement to the overall story.
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Defy the Night and The Kiss of Deception have rich plots with hidden identities and lots of romance.
The love interest in Defy the Night is adorable. I loved that book, and Brigid Kemmerer always creates exceptionally good worlds for her stories.
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The Kiss of Deception is good as well, but I really can’t say anything about the hidden identities part that matters here, otherwise, I will ruin the book for you
Roy is an interesting character and with his looks and charisma quickly became one of the most popular characters in the series.
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The amount of fanfics and shipping Roy had back at the time was… astounding to say the least.
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Arrogant, intelligent, and a total flirt… I love his archetype, and luckily for you, I have the best fantasy romance rec with a character who is just like him.
Personality
- A womanizer. He loves flirting
- Exceptional intelligence. he is a strategist
- Ambitious and arrogant
Books with characters like Roy Mustang
FullMetal Alchemist was very popular a while ago and I think it has become a classic. So I HAD to include RoyĀ in this List because there is a book that has a love interest who is just… Roy haha xD
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Weston Winters from A Far Wilder Magic is the impersonation of Roy.
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He is an ALCHEMIST (in training) with a cheerful personality that hides some trauma from his past.
He likes to flirt with women, knows he is handsome, and likes to wear his coat like Roy.
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Exact same personality, and I LOVED HIM.
If you liked Roy in Fullmetal Alchemist, you will love Weston to pieces 100% guarantee.
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Oh, these two… I loved them back then when I read this manga. They’re complete opposites but both are charming in their own ways.
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I still prefer Zero over Kaname, but revisiting the manga in these last years, I totally understand the hype for Kaname. He is, well… gorgeous.
Zero is a vampire hunter turned vampire, so basically, he hates himself xD. But what he hates the most is being attracted to Yuki’s blood, the human protagonist.
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He is broody, doesn’t talk, and hates Kaname with all his life.
Kaname, on the other hand, is the Prince of Vampires, totally gorgeous, charming, and cares deeply for Yuki.
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But the reality is that he is a manipulative bastard and knows that Zero is in love with Yuki and uses him for his benefit.
I won’t tell you who is endgame , you will have to read it š
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If you love love triangles I strongly recommend reading this manga!!
Personality
- Complete opposites: Kaname is cunning and manipulative, and Zero is an edgy boy
- Zero is calm unless provoked and quiet. he never talks unless it is strictly neccesary
- Kaname is ruthless and capable of killing people to get what he wants
- Zero will sacrifice himself if that means saving the ones he cares for.
- Kaname is the most powerful vampire and a prince.
- Zero is a vampire hunter who was turned into a vampire against his will.
Books with characters like Zero Kiryu
Okay, for Zero, it’s easy peasy for me. Broken and damaged male love interests are my weaknesses, so I have a few recs for books with characters like Zero.
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Creon from A Court of Blood and BindingsĀ is always sulking and hates his life. He thinks he doesn’t deserve the heroine, and she has to always cheer him up.
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Azriel from A Court of Court and Roses... well… no explanation needed hahah. He is reserved, doesn’t show his feelings, and is a great fighter.
Niktos from A Shadow in the Ember hates himself (same as Creon) and is the archetype of a broken and damaged character who will first sacrifice himself in order to keep his friends safe.
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Rook from An Enchantment of Ravens is… PERFECTION. I’m sure you’re all bored of me talking about this book HAHAH.
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He definitely has some of Zero’s personality traits. Rook finds it hard to communicate with humans, and is quiet and broody, but when his loved one is in danger… mamita… agarrate (brace yourself in Spanish) because he will no doubt kill anyone who even tries to hurt her.
Books with characters like Kuran Kaname
Okay, at first sight, you may think Kaname is gorgeous and that he will do anything for Yuki. That is true… but the THINGS he does for her are a little… extreme…
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He is a manipulative bastard who really doesn’t care about hurting others and treats everyone else like pawns (you will find lots of art made by the author with chess pieces on it because of this… of course Yuki is his queen and he considers himself a king).
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I have a few recs with manipulative and morally grey characters that are very similar to Kaname.
Rhysand in books 1 and 2 from the ACOTAR series and Cyrus in the Woven Kingdom series.
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Commander Rip in the Plate Prisoner series can be considered a manipulative bastard as well xD.
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Jacks from Once Upon a Broken Heart may be in this category… but he doesn’t care about Evangeline at the beginning. He shows disdain for any human and slowly begins to care for her until he is completely lost in his feelings, and Evangeline becomes his only reason to breathe, basically.
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In Addie La Rue, we have Death as the love interest and he manipulates Addie at his will.
Light Yagami ( Death Note) and lelouch Lamperouge ( Code Geass)
I paired these two together because both are often compared and are somewhat similar.
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However, we can definitely agree that Light Yagami is a total psycho with no feelings for anyone, whereas Lelouch, albeit cunning and manipulative, does everything for a reason and not for himself (debatable, but at least Lelouch is convinced of this).
Personality
- Both: manipulative bastards and extremely intelligent
- They have little value for other human lives
- Lelouch ( the one with the cape): He is convinced he is doing everything so that her sister can live in a better world
- Zero will sacrifice himself if that means saving the ones he cares for
- Light Yagami: He wants to be a god. He will never sacrifice himself for anyone ( not even his own family )
Prince of Thorns is the first book that came to my mind, along with Red Rising. Both are very popular fantasiesĀ and match Lelouch’s personality almost at 100%. ( traumatic pasts, and a strong thirst for venguenace )
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Maven from the Red Queen series and The Darkling from Shadow and Bone are also very good matches.
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Complex characters with their moral compass a little bit backward but willing to sacrifice anything for their beliefs
There is no fantasy romance with a character like Light Yagami. I am sure there are books in other genres with characters like him, but I wanted to focus on fantasy romances.
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However, there are two titles, one is a manga and the other a very popular TV show that are worth mentioning here.
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Monster by Naoki Urasawa is just a work of art. Johan Liebert is maybe even worse than Light Yagami. He is SCARY and a total psycho. The story is SUPERB. Both the anime adaptation and the original manga are good choices if you want to begin with this series.
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And the other rec is… of course… Breaking Bad, oneāif notāthe best US TV show ever. Walter White is Light Yagami but with 30 years more. (30 or 25 maybe? I don’t know Walter White’s age in the series.)
He is a dedicated drug dealer who does everything for his family. But the reality is..he only does it for himself..just like Kira
Fruits Basket is THE romance manga (or shoujo manga… meaning manga for women).
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I recently began watching the new anime thanks to one of my lovely book friends on Instagram ( Koisty ) who insisted I read/watch it.
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I was very hesitant at the beginning, so I asked her if she knew anything about it, and she told me it was one of her favorite mangas of all time.
I love when book friends give me recs because it encourages me to begin reading a series when I’m in doubt.
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And of course, Kyo was going to be a sure pick for this list.
Just look at the AMOUNT OF RECS I have for characters like him xD.
Personality
- Kyo is the perfect example of a tsundere ( a person who acts cold and distant to gradually become softer )
- He doesn’t like people getting to know him because he is afraid of being hurt
- He shouts A LOT
- He has a soft side but doesn’t like showing it.
Books with characters like Kyo Tohma
Ahhh, tsundere characters… fantasy romance has lots of love interests with this type of personality.( the grumpy character with a soft side for the heroine )
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Cold and distant at the beginning but with a softer side, characters that go from being grumpy to becoming a cinnamon roll only with the heroine.
Hart from The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a total tsundere. Grumpy and with little patience, he shouts at his protƩgƩe and fights with Mercy every time he sees her.
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Cardan from The Cruel Prince begins as a bully, full of himself, to later become Jude’s pet.
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He can’t help having a soft side with her and doing everything she says. It’s like he enjoys being bossed around xD.
Ash from The Iron King is a cruel Fae Prince who is always cold with his peers but has a soft side for the heroine.
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The love interest in Uprooted and the relationship with Agnieszka are very similar to Kyo and Tohru.
Throne in the Dark and The Secret Society of Irregular Witches are both excellent recs with grumpy characters like Kyo.
My Top picks: Must-Read Love Triangles in Fantasy Romance
These are my two picks for the love triangle trope.
A traditional love triangle likeĀ This Woven Kingdom series, with a hint of insta-love but tension that intensifies with every book. (Queen Mafi sure knows how to write romances!)
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And The Revenant Games as a must-read for modern love triangles. It features vampires (my favourite ‘magical’ creatures), witches, a heroine who doesn’t give up her dreams for anyone, and well-developed side characters.
