Whether it is set in actual Japan or a fictional universe, fans always think the anime characters to be Japanese by default. And let’s be honest, it is not easy to portray different ethnicities properly in 2D animation. Especially Japanese-speaking Mexicans. I mean, how crazy does that sound?
Mexican characters in anime are extremely rare, among them significant characters that hold importance in the story are even rarer. That is why we have prepared a list of the top 14 Mexican anime characters just for you.
14. Antonio Lopez
Anime: Tiger & Bunny
Antonio Lopez, also known as Rock Bison is the best friend of one of the main protagonists of Tiger & Bunny. He is a Mexican chain restaurant owner in his early 30s when the series begins.
Antonio is short-tempered and is concerned most of the time about his rank as an ability user. But he is honest and hardworking. He does whatever he can to make himself better and others around him. Much about his past has not been disclosed in the anime or the manga.
Antonio Lopez is voiced by Taiten Kusunoki who is also known for his work in Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece.
13. Musca no Dio
Anime: Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac
Musca no Dio or simply Musca Dio is from the anime Saint Seiya, a considerably old anime on this list. It has a mixture of Sailor Moon and Legend of the Galactic Heroes vibes.
Musca no Dio is one of the good guys in the show who fights off the evil party to keep the earth safe. He is a Mexican boy and is only 16 years old (though he does not look that young).
In Saint Seiya, the peacekeepers are divided into three categories— bronze, silver, and gold, defining the color of their uniforms, privileges, and status. Musca is a silver saint. Although he is a minor character, he is shown to be fighting bravely against some bronze saints who had gone astray.
12. Alex Kandley Stewart
Anime: Terra Formars
Alex is an 18-year-old Mexican boy with long black hair and black eyes. To be honest, I think Alex looks a lot like Katsura from Gintama (Zura janai! Katsura da!!).
Terra Formars exceptionally portrays a lot of Mexican characters. Alex Kandley Stewart is one of them. Born and raised in the north of Mexico, Alex lost his mother when he was only 7. Nourishing the American dream to be a successful baseball player, he came to California as an illegal immigrant and began his destitute life at the age of 17. But Americans dreams do come true, and so did Alex’s.
The world of Terra Formars is set in the distant future. Unlike other anime, this series shows important issues such as the life and struggles of immigrants.
11. Freeda Verasko
Anime: Blue Submarine No. 6
Blue Submarine No. 6 is a 4-episode OVA (original video animation) from the late ’90s that will remind you of the beauty of the ’90s animation.
Freeda Verasko is a Mexican Navy officer born into a military family. She is married and has a child. She is a strong independent woman, who might remind you of Riza Hawkeye or Olivier Mira Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist. She is a good officer and radiates feminine beauty wherever she goes.
Sadly, GONZO did not turn this anime into a full series, so four episodes of OVA is all we have to be content with.
10. Peyote Diaz
Anime: Shaman King
Peyote Diaz from Shaman King is a Mexican Shaman who made his first appearance in the 37th episode of the old anime and the 10th episode of the 2021 remake. In 4Kid’s version (which is shown on Cartoon Network) his name is Ramiro.
Peyote Diaz’s appearance is the epitome of Mexican culture. He hides his face behind a Skeleton mask (like the Day of the Dead), and wears a sombrero and a green poncho with red fringes. He even carries a guitar with him. Under all that he is a slender man with long green hair. To be honest he looks better than he sounds in the anime.
If you like anime with Japanese mythology, spirits, and ghosts, you must watch Shaman King. It is a classic fantasy anime that will stay with you forever.
9. Quetzalcoatl
Anime: Luck & Logic
Like Yuki Onna, the Nine-Tailed Fox, and Princess Kaguya, you may have seen Quetzalcoatl in more than one anime. Quetzalcoatl is an entity from Aztec mythology which is, as you all know, an ancient civilization based in Mexico. Quetzalcoatl is a dragon-like creature, worshiped by Mayans and Aztec people as the god of rain, agriculture, and innovation.
Quetzalcoatl from Luck & Logic has rather a comical form and looks more like a snake than a dragon. He is an arrogant Demon God with a serious case of God complex. Of course, as a God, chibi or not, he has some supernatural powers and is capable of granting wishes to his worshipers whom he deems worthy.
Quetzalcoatl was first seen in the 6th episode of Luck & Logic and is voiced by Ryuu Nakatani.
8. Pepe Iglesias
Anime: Megalo Box
The real-life Pepe Iglesias was an Argentine comedian from the late 30s. Pepe Iglesias from Megalo Box is a Mexican Boxer.
Pepe’s nickname in the boxing right is the Spider and he wears a Day of the Dead mask while fighting his opponent. In the anime, he also has a match with the main protagonist Yuri.
In this list, Pepe Iglesias is different from the other characters. Why, you ask? It is because he is the only character on this list that speaks Spanish even in the original Japanese version of the anime. And no, his voice in the original version was not given by a Japanese voice actor with a broken Spanish accent. In both English dub and Japanese he was voiced by Alejandro Saab, a Latino American.
7. Ricardo Espadas
Anime: Captain Tsubasa
Ricardo Espada from Captain Tsubasa is a Mexican football player, also known as the Aztec Condor or the Miracle Keeper. He is an excellent goalkeeper and a competitor in the Olympics.
Growing up in Mexico, Ricardo did not have an easy childhood. He was poor, and undernourished, but always had a burning passion for football. He started playing in different local associations from an early age and he along with his four other friends soon became so popular in the community that people started calling them Five Soldiers of the Aztec Sun.
Ricardo’s first encounter with Tsubasa was not smooth. But soon after realizing their common goals and interests, they became good friends.
Good sports anime are rare in the world of anime. It is undoubtedly one of the least-watched genres. Recently Haikyuu made it come out to the light. Before Haikyuu from the twenty-first century, Captain Tsubasa was considered a classic and a genre-defining sports movie.
6. Nadie
Anime: El Cazador de la Bruja
I am pretty sure not many people heard the name of this anime. Roughly translated as The Witch Hunter, El Cazador de la Bruja is a story about a bounty hunter accompanying her next target, a girl with memory loss who is accused of killing a famous scientist.
Nadia, the 6th Mexican character on this list is the main protagonist of this anime and the so-called bounty hunter. That’s right, an anime with a Mexican protagonist. Sounds exciting, right?
Nadie is a bad-ass femme fatale who is headstrong and determined in her mission. She is full of mysteries that you have to unfold by watching the anime El Cazador de la Bruja.
5. Lala Gonzalez
Anime: School Rumble
We know how people in anime are more influenced by their eternal rivals than their closest friends, right? This is what happened to the Mexican immigrant in Japan, Lala Gonzalez in School Rumble.
Upon seeing the incredible strength of Karen Ichijo, not only did Lana throw her a challenge, but she also got admitted into the same school as hers, Yagami High School.
Lala is a very beautiful Mexican girl raised by her single dad. She has been a gifted Lucha libre wrestler from a very early age and has always been known as the rough and tough kind of girl. Before joining Yamagi High School she used to dress up as a tomboy. She only started to grow her hair after meeting Karen. (No, School Rumble is not a GL anime.)
Lana Gonzalez is voiced by Yuu Kobayashi, you might also know her as Sasha from Attack on Titan.
4. Leo de la Iglesia
Anime: Yuri!!! On Ice
Anime based on a sport like ice skating is extremely rare. Now that I think about it, Yuri!!! On Ice is the only ice skating anime I have ever heard about.
Leo de la Iglesia from Yori!!! On Ice first made his appearance in episode 6. He has brown tanned skin, dark brown hair, and thick eyebrows. He is voiced by Shunichi Toki who is also known for his works in After-school Hanako-kun.
Leo de la Iglesia is an American-Mexican ice skater with a huge number of fans and followers. He is big on social media platforms and known for his creative choreography, though they don’t always go as planned. Personality-wise, he is a friendly soul who greatly cares about his friends.
3. Ricardo Martinez
Anime: Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting!
Pronounced as Rikarudo Maruchinesu in the original Japanese version, Ricardo Martinez is a supporting character in both Hajime no Ippo and Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger. He is voiced by Sugawara Masashi.
Ricardo is a Mexican boxer with an undefeatable record, widely known for his inhumane physical strength and hybrid fighting method. He is the second strongest character in the show.
The character Ricardo Martinez is actually based on a real-life sports figure. No, it is not the Mexican footballer Ricardo Martinez whose name matches perfectly. The character is based on Ricardo López, a famous Mexican boxer, born in 1966, currently retired. And just like our character Ricardo Martinez, the real-life boxer also went to his retired life being one of the few undefeated boxers in history.
2. Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa
Anime: Bleach
Oscar Joaquin de la Rosa made a brief appearance in Bleach in only one episode for a few minutes. But a true Bleach fan knows how his influence in episode 12 shaped the life of Sado Yasutora.
Sado used to get into all types of trouble as a kid since his parents died when he was 8 years old. It was Oscar who taught him to never raise his fists against another person except when it is to save a person. He gave Sado a Golden coin that Sado treasured for the rest of his life.
This great man died protecting Sado when he was being attacked by a band of thugs.
1. Sado Yasutora
Anime: Bleach
Sado Yasutora is undoubtedly the most popular Mexican anime character out there. He is a part of Karakura Town’s Hollow fighting group and one of the closest friends of Ichigo. Though Ichigo calls him ‘Chad’, Sado never seems to correct him.
Sado Yasutora first made his appearance in the second episode of Bleach and the 7th chapter of the Bleach manga. He is way taller than other high schoolers his age and normally does not talk too much. Despite his huge frame and terrifying brutal strength, Sado does not adhere to violence, not even for himself unless it is to save someone else.
Among various power groups and species in Bleach, Sado is a Fullbring, just like Orihime Inoue. His fullbring ability decorates his arm with a black and purple shield and he can throw lethal punches using his spiritual pressure.
Above all, Sado Yasutora is strong but a gentle soul and he is a great representative of Mexican characters in anime.
So this was our article on the top 14 Mexican characters in anime. I hope you enjoyed this piece and keep looking forward to the next article. Don’t forget to share. Happy reading and take care!