Royalty often shows up in the world of anime, from princesses to kings, and of course, princes. In fact, some anime fans might not even realize one of their favorite characters might actually be a prince.
Appearing in both shojo and shonen series, the role of the prince takes many forms. Sometimes, they are the dashing romantic hero destined to love the heroine, patterned off their counterparts in fairy tales. Others are from a line of proud warriors and seek to conquer. Many have been stripped of their position and are trying to reclaim the throne or just move on with their lives. There are even a few villainous princes in anime.
10 Dragon Ball: Vegeta Is The Prince Of The Saiyan Race
In the Dragon Ball franchise, Vegeta is the warrior prince of the Saiyan race, even having a history of conquering planets. Granted, most of the Saiyan race is extinct throughout most of the series, but he still identifies as royalty.
Technically speaking, Vegeta's son Trunks might also be considered a prince by virtue of bloodline, but the only time this has ever been brought up is in one of the movies. Some fans also wonder if Goku's sons, Gohan and Goten, also count as princes- considering their mother Chi-Chi was a princess.
9 Yu-Gi-Oh!: Yami Yugi Was Once The Egyptian Prince Atem
In Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yugi's ghostly alter-ego, Yami Yugi, was once known as Atem, the Pharaoh of Egypt. Born and raised as a prince of the land, he was the son of Pharaoh Aknamkanon.
Much of his early life is only revealed towards the end of the series through flashbacks, such as his friendships with Mahad and Mana- who would become predecessors to the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl.
8 One Piece: Sanji Is A Son Of The Ruling Vinsmoke Family
In One Piece, Sanji is the fourth child and third son of the Vinsmoke Family, the rulers of the Germa Kingdom, making him a prince by birthright. Not having the best relationship with his abusive family, he has cut off ties with them and is now part of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew, serving as the cook. This hasn't stopped his family from trying to use him in a political marriage plot, however.
Ironically, his identity was hinted at early in the story when he once gave himself the alias "Mr. Prince."
7 Fullmetal Alchemist: Ling Yao Is In Line For The Throne Of The Xing Empire
In the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise, Ling Yao is in line to the throne of the Xing Empire, which functions as the series' fantastical counterpart to China. In search of the Philosopher's Stone, he travels to Amestris.
He's quite talented when it comes to combat, which makes sense as he was raised as a prince. Despite his status, he is a firm believer in protecting his people, going so far as to risk his life to protect his comrades.
6 Sailor Moon: Tuxedo Mask Is None Other Than Prince Endymion
When Naoko Takeuchi was developing Sailor Moon, she wanted a prince in the story, inspired by classic fairy tales like Cinderella and Snow White. Throwing in Greco-Roman mythology, she developed Prince Endymion, the lover of Princess Serenity, who would later reincarnate as Mamoru Chiba, who protects Sailor Moon with another alter-ego, Tuxedo Mask (and for a brief period, the Moonlight Knight). All the while, he searches for his long-lost princess, only to learn she's a schoolgirl he keeps bumping into.
It's unclear how the Earth Kingdom worked in his past life, as he seemed to be the main ruler, suggesting Pangea itself was a principality. His destiny is to eventually reclaim the throne as King Endymion, but fans tend to view this as a courtesy title- considering his wife is the one with all the power.
5 Cinderella Monogatari: Prince Charles Is Closer To Cinderella Than She Thinks
In this anime series based on the classic fairy tale, Cinderella actually knows her prince much longer than in other versions of the story. Likely as a nod to the Rossini opera, Prince Charles has a habit of switching places with his page, Alex, allowing him to meet Cinderella throughout the series, without her realizing he's the crown prince until late in the series.
Of course, the last few episodes of the series involve a bride-finding ball, a search for a mysterious princess, and Cinderella's ultimate marriage with the prince and becoming queen, all with a subplot of Charles having to overthrow a usurper terrorist group.
4 Kimba The White Lion: Kimba Is A Feline Prince
In Kimba the White Lion, Kimba (also known as Leo) can be considered a prince among the animal kingdom, being the son of Panja who is the King of the Jungle.
Admittedly, Kimba's tenure as a prince is technically short-lived. The death of his father Panja forces him to become the Jungle Emperor at a young age.
3 Princess Tutu: Mytho Is A Literal Fairy Tale Prince
In Princess Tutu, Ahiru is in love with her classmate Mytho and learns that he is actually a prince from a fairy tale who lost his heart, not to mention that she is a duck turned human to help him. She becomes the magical girl Princess Tutu who is tasked with finding the pieces of his heart, which have infected people in town with different emotions.
Granted, without the pieces of his heart and the emotions they represent, the Mytho viewers first meet is a shadow of his former self. This is kind of a plot point, as Ahiru has never really known the real Mytho. And in the end, it's Rue, the dark princess, who he chooses to be his princess.
2 Saiunkoku Monogatari: Shi Ryuuki Is More Cunning Than He Looks
In The Story of Saiunkoku, the heroine Shuurei finds herself installed in the court of Emperor Ryuuki, the youngest of six princes, who inherited the throne when the other princes appeared to have either killed themselves or got themselves exiled. Shuurei's job is to essentially act as his tutor, as he doesn't seem to take his position seriously.
He's a bit more cunning than he appears, as his shirking his princely duties is all part of a ruse to inspire his beloved older brother, Prince Seien, to return from exile and reclaim the throne.
1 Code Geass: Lelouch Lamperouge Wants To Create A Better World
In Code Geass, Lelouch Lamperouge is a prince in exile from the Britannian Empire. One day, he is granted the power of Geass, which allows him to command those he makes eye contact with. Through this power, he seeks to quell most of the Britannian royal bloodline, sparing his sister, at least.
His actions might cause his enemies to label him "evil," but that's his goal: give the world a villain to be a common enemy and they will rally together against him.
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