As compelling as many anime characters might be, their goals are often trite and uninspired. The desires to help others or to be the best are particularly stereotypical ambitions deliberately tailored to make the audience sympathize with them.
However, not all anime heroes are that predictable. Some of their motivations are incredibly original, to such an extent that there are few (if any) others even remotely like theirs.
10 Franky Wanted To See His Ship Sail Around The World (One Piece)
Franky met the Straw Hat pirates at Water Seven and eventually agreed to be their shipwright. This was for a number of reasons; not only did he become a wanted fugitive after the incident at Enies Lobby, but he also had a personal investment in the Thousand Sunny.
As the ship's architect, Franky felt a strong obligation to watch it sail across the entire world... or, for Luffy's purposes, the Grand Line.
9 Gowther Discovered His Humanity By Meddling With Memories (Seven Deadly Sins)
At first, Gowther was handily the least trustworthy member of the Seven Deadly Sins. He used his comrades in order to experiment with his abilities and gauge what defined the human experience. This was most prevalently seen when he stole Diane's memories shortly after she reciprocated King's love. He also attacked Escanor at the behest of Drole and Gloxinia.
Additionally, Gowther's creator was a member of the Ten Commandments. Given these considerations, he had much to redeem himself for once his comrades forgave him for his many accidental trespasses.
8 Erwin Only Wanted To Learn More About Human History (Attack On Titan)
Erwin's drive to save the denizens of Paradis was overshadowed by his fascination with history. He acknowledged this fact to Dhalis Zachary during a chariot ride after the man questioned whether or not overthrowing the reigning monarchy was the right decision.
In the end, however, Erwin would find the will to place the lives of his comrades over his own edification. This was why he led the charge against Zeke Yeager during the reclamation of Shiganshina. The Commander was even willing to put Armin's life before his own in order to quell dissent within the Scouts' ranks.
7 Kirito Only Wanted To Escape A Digital Nightmare (Sword Art Online)
Kirito's first and arguably most memorable goal was to escape the digital nightmare that was Aincrad. As an unwilling hostage to Heathcliff's game, he fought diligently to push past the game's many levels and even earned a legendary reputation as the Black Swordsman.
The young man's skills were so incredible that agencies hired him in order to investigate mysterious happenings in other games, such as "Gun Gale Online." Although his motive to save Asuna may have been generic, the means by which he went about it certainly were not.
6 Giorno Wanted To Become The Leader Of The Italian Underworld (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Giorno's goal embodied a perfect balance of good and evil. He sought to become the next leader of Italy's criminal underworld so that he could forcibly prevent selling drugs to kids.
To this end, he has been more of an anti-hero than the series' protagonists who came before or after him. For example, he almost always killed the opponents that stood in his path to success, rather than only sometimes (like Jotaro) or almost never (like Josuke).
5 Leorio Wanted To Become A Doctor In Order To Help People (Hunter X Hunter)
Initially, Leorio claimed to pursue his hunter's license so that he'd have enough wealth to afford medical school. He told Gon and Kurapika that the lavish life of a doctor was appealing to him, though they quickly saw through his bluff.
In reality, Leorio was a much different kind of hero than they were. Instead of attempting to save people from horrible monsters, he wanted to cure patients of their illnesses free of charge. This was in order to honor one of his deceased friends.
4 Naofumi Only Wanted To Clear His Name (Rising Of The Shield Hero)
Soon after being whisked away from his ordinary life, Naofumi was falsely accused of assaulting Myne. Given that she was royalty (and that he came from a mysterious land), most civilians took the princess' word over the Shield Hero's.
Consequently, Naofumi was forced to live in isolation for much of his earliest journeys. He only managed to prove his innocence by the selflessness of his actions and the many friends he made through them.
3 Alucard Didn't Care About Humans & Only Wanted To Serve His Master (Hellsing)
Alucard was the Hellsing organization's most lethal weapon. As an immortal vampire with few weaknesses, he battled and defeated villains ranging from Nazi war criminals to vengeful Iscariot paladins clamoring for his demise.
Despite saving London from two separate threats simultaneously, Alucard himself had no sincere compassion for the innocent. His actions were only at the request of Integra, who had been one of the nation's most reliable guardians since she was a young woman. The only other person he showed a semblance of concern for was Seras Victoria, as he was intrigued by her transformation into a vampire.
2 Mineta Embodied Everything Wrong With Hero Society (My Hero Academia)
Although Mineta was a student in U.A's prestigious Class 1-A, he seldom acted like a hero. To his credit, he has been completely transparent in his goals when becoming a professional; he wants to be as desirable to women as possible.
Unfortunately, this often manifests in creepy and predatory ways. For example, he will sometimes latch onto his female classmates without permission and even attempted to spy on them while they were showering. His behavior gives Stain's philosophy about the flaws of hero society some credibility.
1 Sakura Spent Most Of The Series Head Over Heels For A Sinister Villain (Naruto)
Sakura's goal throughout the entirety of Naruto has been to be with Sasuke. Although this superficially might not seem unique, it is when considering the man's moral choices.
By betraying the Leaf, sabotaging the Five Kage Summit, trying to enslave the world, and even making multiple assassination attempts on Sakura herself, Sasuke has proven to be an unreliable partner. Nonetheless, Sakura fell for him the moment he was somewhat willing to reciprocate her love.
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