Best anime teachers

Many anime protagonists have a mentor who brings out their true skills. These special top 15 anime teachers are the ones that we also need in our lives.

Credit: Toei Animation

School is the most important time of our lives because we’re full of energy, goals, and motivation. Similarly, young protagonists enroll in their schools with many serious goals to achieve. Whether it is a normal school or one in a school of superpowers, having qualified teachers in them is very important. So here is the top list of some iconic anime teachers that are too good to be real.

Most of these anime teachers are very eccentric. Some of them have very complex personalities and a sad background story as well. That explains their behavior and devotion towards teaching. These teachers can change the life of their students with their great mentorship. They leave an impact on their students for a lifetime. Some of them become good friends with their students while some teachers are the literal “class clowns” themselves. Either way, they are a significant part of an anime.

If you love reading about anime characters, you should also check out our picks of best anime wolf & dog girl and purple hair anime girl.

1. Koro-Sensei from Assassination Classroom

Credit: Lerche

The very famous Koro-Sensei is on the number one spot for being an incomparably amazing teacher. This mysterious yellow teacher with tentacles is a creature much more complex than what he looks like. He is an anti-hero and secondary protagonist of Assassination Classroom. He’s no ordinary teacher. He can visit countries in seconds and is extremely powerful.

But what earns him the first rank is his love and understanding for his students. Koro-Sensei developed a special bond with each of his students. He taught them life lessons that they will never forget and they will be their biggest asset forever. Koro-Sensei protected his students when needed and always understood them. The students couldn’t help but love him.

2. Jiraiya from Naruto

Credit: Pierrot

Time for the spotlight to be on one of the three Legendary Sanin, Jiraiya. Jiraiya is an extremely powerful ninja who trained many strong characters in the anime. Including some villains. Jiraiya at first seems like a carefree, selfish, and perverted ninja. Although the perverted part is true, the rest are not. Jiraiya deeply cares about his students and goes out of his way to help them and bring out their skills.

Jiraiya understood Naruto’s strengths and weaknesses and brought out his power. It is due to him that Naruto learned the Rasengan, Sage Mode, and much more. Jiraiya trained Naruto individually for years and was like a friend to him. Sharing popsicles with him and cracking up jokes which took away Naruto’s loneliness. Jiraiya is one of the most loved anime teachers ever.

3. Eikichi Onizuka from Great Teacher Onizuka

Credit: Pierrot

One can see the anime’s title and instantly find out why Onizuka is on this list. Most anime teachers are only supporting characters but Onizuka is the protagonist in the anime. Onizuka used to be in a gang but he took a 360-degree turn in his career by acquiring a college degree and becoming a teacher. Onizuka falls in love with teaching and challenges the traditional schooling system.

He uses unique teaching methods and teaches his student many life lessons. Onizuka has been through a lot in life and he wants to make sure all of that doesn’t happen to his students.

Also, He’s a pervert who badly wants a girlfriend but isn’t able to get one. Even good teachers can be naughty when it comes to hormones. Right?

4. Izumi Curtis from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Credit: Bones

Each character from FMAB is unique and exceptional and Izumi is no different. She is a very strong alchemist and martial artist. Izumi is all tough, but she takes pride in being a housewife. She doesn’t usually take students but was convinced to teach Edward and Alphonse. They were only kids, but Izumi took no mercy in giving them harsh and rough training.

She was such a good teacher that Edward became a State Alchemist at the age of 12. Edward and Alphonse truly respect her. She could be harsh to them, but she loved them and treated them as if they were her kids. She really cared about them.

5. Shota Aizawa from My Hero Academia

Credit: Bones

Aizawa is another favorite anime teacher of fans. He loves sleeping and is very lazy but when he’s needed, he’ll give his all and can be very badass. Aizawa believes in logic about everything. He is intelligent and can be very blunt and harsh to his students. He is even known to expel many of his class students before.

But Aizawa cares a lot for his students. He makes them realize their weaknesses and faults which can make him look as insensitive, but he only wants his students to be the best and work hard. He protects his students whenever he can even if it would put a lot of strain on his eyes.

6. Franken Stein from Soul Eater

Credit: Bones

Dr. Stein is a science-obsessed teacher who has always wanted to dissect people. He thinks of everything in the world and himself as an experiment. But he is an extremely strong meister. His weird obsession and behavior make many people get afraid of him. He has a scar on his face which shows that he has even tried to research on his face as well.

Although Dr. Stein is very eccentric, he is smart and powerful. His students often approach him for help and advice. He has a cruel personality, yet he is protective over his students which shows he has developed an emotional attachment with them. Also, he too has emotions even if he doesn’t show them much.

7. Master Roshi from Dragon Ball

Credit: Toei Animation

Master Roshi might be the favorite childhood anime teacher of many people. Roshi proves that age is just a number because he is so strong and bulky even after getting old. He has earned the title of “God of Martial Arts” because of being a very skilled martial artist.

Although he at first looks like an absolute pervert. He has such extraordinary powers but he enjoys doing small things more such as watching TV, seeing magazines of sexy girls and eating pizza. Roshi is an important teacher in the anime and overall because he is the teacher of the legendary protagonist, Goku.

8. Heine Wittgenstein from The Royal Tutor

Credit: Bridge

Heine is a tutor like no other because he took a task that couldn’t have been completed by anyone in the anime. He became the tutor of four princes in line for the throne. Heine is another example of how deceptive looks can be because he looks like a child but is older and has a lot of wisdom and intelligence.

It makes it more difficult for him because everyone mistakes him for a child and that is the one thing that angers him the most. Heine goes out of his way to tutor each of the princes. He studies their behavior, understands them the best, and teaches them accordingly. He is an inspiration for teachers as he shows that patience and devotion can be rewarding.

9. Kakashi Hatake from Naruto

Credit: Pierrot

Kakashi is another teacher from Naruto on this list, but he is simply too good to not be listed here. Kakashi started his journey with team 7 by giving them the most important lesson. He taught them to always prioritize their comrade over the mission. This teaching of his built the foundation for teamwork.

Kakashi has all the qualities of an ideal anime teacher. He’s intelligent, experienced, mysterious, and adds humor sometimes. Kakashi likes to laze around sometimes, and his best source of entertainment is his favorite book, “Makeout Tactics”. But when he’s on a mission he takes things seriously and gives it his all to protect his students.

10. Genkai from Yu Yu Hakusho

Credit: Pierrot

She’s small, she’s old, but trust me she’s extremely powerful. She was the teacher of Yusuke and the training she made him go through was so difficult that it brought him close to death many times. Genkai believed that the best of skills can be attained when risking your life. But even then, Yusuke greatly respects us because he knows it’s because of her training that he has become powerful.

Genkai really loves Yusuke and would even risk her life to protect him. She’s bad-tempered but is down to earth. Genkai also trained Yusuke’s allies throughout the anime. She is an unforgettable teacher from Yu Yu Hakusho which left an impact on the characters and the audience.

11. Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen

Credit: MAPPA

Gojo is probably one of the most fun and humorous anime characters. He is extremely arrogant, but he is so overpowered that his arrogance is understood. Gojo mostly seems to be smiling, laughing, and messing around with his students. But one shouldn’t take him lightly because his abilities and powers are astonishing. Gojo often puts his students at risk and gives them a lot of real-life experience in dangerous situations. But he does that only for them to become stronger because he steps into the situation when needed.

Fans love Satoru Gojo, although he can be very annoying to many characters in Jujutsu Kaisen such as Megumi. Satoru knows Yuuji has a long way to go, so he gives him individual attention and trains him according to his pace. He has limited time because he’s got his hands full, so he makes sure to give his students important lessons in a short time.

12. Kisuke Urahara from Bleach

Credit: Pierrot

Kisuke Urahara is a cunning and powerful character. He used to be a former captain of the 12th Division which explains why he’s so strong and has so much knowledge. Kisuke likes to stay on the sidelines but has been a great teacher to Ichigo. He trains him extensively and hones his skills. He makes him realize a lot of important things and gives him valuable knowledge. He has helped Ichigo and the others throughout the anime.

He mostly seems like a laid-back, optimistic person but he’s much more serious and capable. Kisuke can be manipulative and make people do work for him by staying off the scenes. He has information that is known to people very few. Not only is it entertaining to see him in the anime, but he also adds some twists to the plot.

13. Sakonji Urokodaki from Demon Slayer

Credit: Ufotable

 Sakonji at first looks like a grouchy man but he deeply cares for all his students and remembers them. Sakonji made Tanjiro go through rough training which made Tanjiro capable of starting his journey of achieving his goal. While Tanjiro was away, Sakonji looked after Nezuko and constantly told her to not consume humans. It is probably due to this that Nezuko thinks of humans as her family and fights against demons.

Sakonji truly believes in Tanjiro that he will succeed in recovering his sister and that Nezuko will never consume a human. Sakonji also shows affection to Nezuko and Tanjiro by hugging them when Tanjiro comes back from the selection. He’s hurt by the deaths of his previous students and seeing Tanjiro come back gives him relief.

14. Kumiko Yamaguchi from Gokusen

Credit: Madhouse

Nobody apart from the principal of the school knows that the new math teacher is a Yakuza. She doesn’t seem appropriate to be a teacher at first because she is a Yakuza. But Kumiko is determined to fight all odds and be a teacher. Her skills of being a fighter come to use as she’s put into a class full of gang delinquents

The class is full of rowdy kids which are not easy to teach. Many teachers have left this class before. Things between Kumiko and the class don’t start well but soon things begin to change between them. The class starts to respect Kumiko and is willing to listen. That is because Kumiko has a serious and strict attitude and knows how to handle them. But she is also determined to be their teacher, so she doesn’t give up when things get rough.

15. Junichiro Kagami from Ultimate Otaku Teacher

Credit: A-1 Pictures

As the name suggests, this anime focuses on a teacher whose and Otaku and that teacher happens to be Junichiro. Junichiro is a die-hard Otaku. He is very stubborn because he only does things that he wants to do. Even when being forced to do something he doesn’t like, he’ll add in the things he likes to do in it. This explains why Junichiro is a physics teacher, but he talks to his students about stuff of his interests like anime, manga, games, etc.

Junichiro used to be a scholar, but he failed. He was forced to become a teacher by his sister. Many people find Junichiro to be attractive and inspirational because his unique personality looks interesting. Junichiro looks cheerful most of the time but when he is angry his face becomes all serious. That can be quite intimidating.

If you enjoyed reading this list, you should also see the list of best anime moms or the list of best anime with overpowered main characters.