With the rising popularity of online personality tests, MBTI has been equated to astral charts and enneagrams when it comes to discovering more about communicational interactions. Much to every anime fan’s delight, it is also a new tool to help those trying to find exactly how their favorite characters match a specific personality type, including if it matches their own!
One of the most interesting types in the Myers-Briggs Personality Type charts is INTP. Known to be extremely intelligent, logical, lazy, and independent. The INTP type, also known as “The Thinker,” are people with a tendency to have a small circle of friends, and they are reserved and objective, considering this is a type that is very introverted and analytical. In spite of their cold exterior, INTPs are often prone to self-doubt and have a tendency not to easily externalize their feelings, showing exactly how multidimensional these individuals can be. Taking all of this into consideration, here are everyone’s favorite INTP anime characters!
Noriaki Kakyoin (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Kakyoin is one of the main characters in Jojo’s part 3, Stardust Crusaders, and quite possibly one of the most realistic representations of INTP in media. Kakyoin is a quiet and reserved character, who is also known for his stoic posture and intellect. Although seemingly ruthless and cold at first glance, especially during his introduction, as the story progresses and as Kakyoin is released from Dio’s control we see a shift in the character’s personality. He becomes a lot more caring and devoted to his comrades. Aside from his personality, while in moments of high stress, Kakyoin is extremely analytical and observant, especially considering his quick thinking when he is battling other equally strong characters.
“The side which survives is good and how they do it is beside the point. The loser is the evil one.”
Kozume Kenma (Haikyuu!!)
From the get-go, Kenma is someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy interacting with others, as he said so himself. The “brain” of the team is incredibly videogame-savvy, enjoying various games as opposed to idling his time away with friends and colleagues. During his time playing games, Kenma strategically comes up with solutions to solve any obstacles he might face. On the other hand, and much like every INTP, Kenma gets easily bored, showing uninterest in most activities that don’t involve his handful of areas of interest. In spite of his cold exterior, Kenma seems to still very much enjoy the little social interaction he gets from Hinata and his teammates, proving himself to be a valuable element for their passionate team.
“Even if a game doesn’t seem clear-able at first, after playing it over and over again, you can conquer it.”
Zeke Yaeger (Attack on Titan)
Zeke Jaeger is an extremely complex character who fits the best and worst traits of any INTP. Appearing to be cold and quite ruthless from his introduction, Zeke’s motives and intentions are laid out as the story progresses. The audience gets to meet a mature man, with strong values and a big intellect. Inherently curious about the unknown (3DM gear, for instance), Zeke is incredibly analytical and has great strategic thinking, which is a great asset on the battlefield. Although calm and collected, Zeke is a particularly mysterious character who uses his analytical skills to attain his end goal, selfishly putting others’ lives at stake.
“What a beautiful day it is. … if only I’d realized that earlier … well … after all the killing I’ve done … that’s asking for too much.”
Saiki Kusuo (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.)
Much like most INTPs, Saiki wishes to live a casual and average life. However, since childhood, the main protagonist has been known for being notoriously powerful, being born with all psychic abilities in existence. Calm, mature and collected, as a child, Saiki had to withdraw and control his emotions in order to completely subdue his powers. In spite of his lack of social activities, Saiki is a good person at heart, always aiming to do what’s best for everyone else, even at the cost of his own happiness and safety. Regardless, the psychic is still very much oblivious to other people’s emotions, and even though it isn’t a dominant trait in INTPs, he struggles with how his words may seem perceived, at times being considered rude and insensitive to others.
“There’s no such thing as a person without thoughts.”
Yu Ishigami (Love Is War)
Anti-social at his core, Yu Ishigami puts the introverted in INTP. The genius and analytical treasurer from Love Is War has his personality defined by being a cynical introvert high school student. Nevertheless, the audience gets to meet Ishigami more and more, finding that he’s not just a knobhead who excels at processing data. Yu Ishigami has a dark past he ought to overcome, explaining a lot of his depressive episodes and cold exterior, as his rationale seems to tell him it is better to be alone rather than being surrounded by people who will betray him. Ishigami is still rather insensitive and sarcastic, as are many INTPs, but he has a really good heart and often helps his newfound friends when they are in a pickle, showing he is particularly loyal and caring to those he cares about.
“I think I have Stockholm Syndrome so I’m going home.”
Nico Robin (One Piece)
The archaeologist of the Straw Hats is quite possibly one of the healthiest depictions of an INTP in media. Fending for herself from a young age, Robin is incredibly self-reliant, practical, and realistic (even if a bit too realistic at times). Although with a fair share of traumatic experiences, Robin has also learned to rely on her friends and ease in when it comes to being so serious, opening up more and more with her hilarious and witty one-liners. A character with incredible development, Robin is a source of reason and logic, entertaining even the biggest idealizations and theories, including the existence of the sky island, Skypeia. Generally, Robin isn’t overly emotional nor does she exteriorize her feelings all that much, however, she is still someone who is very well resolved as a healthy and mature INTP.
“Sometimes the only thing you have to doubt is your own common sense.”
L (Death Note)
The personification of INTPs is definitely L. The enigmatic and world-renowned detective from Death Note is most likely the most famous INTP in anime. Intelligent to a fault, L is considered to be a genius who easily solves every case coming his way, through his meticulous and at times extreme antics. Fitting for an INTP, L is extremely analytical and rational, using his powers of deduction as well as his knowledge of human nature to solve the cases with which he is presented, questioning every and any bit of information he gathers. Although incredibly serious and hard-working, L still has quite a few quirks, including his peculiar sitting (crouching) position, and as most INTPs, he communicates very sarcastically.
“I just can’t sit any other way than this. If I sit the way other people do, my reasoning ability drops by 40 percent.”
Kisuke Urahara (Bleach)
Urahara exteriorizes his emotions as much as every INTP … he doesn’t. With a laid-back demeanor, and a calm and reserved personality, the founder of the S.R.D.I highly values his alone time. Quite mysterious when it comes to his intentions and schemes, Urahara isn’t the type of character to talk about his plans right away, puzzling those around him regarding the former captain’s intentions. Much like most INTPs, Urahara is a character who detaches himself from emotion if needed, appearing to be lacking sympathy for others. One particular peculiarity is that although standoffish and absent-minded, Urahara isn’t exactly someone who dislikes the company of others, but rather, he prefers to be on the sidelines as opposed to the spotlight, thus still earning his place as an amazing INTP.
“Your transformation is not a disease. You were just given the key to the door in front of you. There’s no need to know the cause. No need for sorrow or sadness. What comes next is up to you.”
Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)
Although odd and bizarre in his own way, Kakashi is a controversial INTP. Quiet and calm for the most part, Kakashi has the introverted side down to a T, however, when it comes to how strict he is, that’s where it gets tricky. Kakashi is someone who sticks to rules and likes order, from when he was a child, while INTPs are known to be meticulous, but dislike being restricted and following rules. However, a lot of this comes from his childhood trauma and unhealthy coping habits, forcing Kakashi to find his comfort in familiarity, and if it means reading the same book over and over again, then that’s his prerogative. However, Kakashi is still someone who sees possibilities, and analyzes situations logically, constantly concerned about how his actions affect his environment. Much like most INTPs, Kakashi is also someone who enjoys learning about several topics for fun, rather than sticking and obsessing over a certain subject and getting bored by it.
“I’m Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and things I hate? I don’t feel like telling you that … My dreams for the future? Never really thought about that. As for my hobbies … I have lots of hobbies.”
Killua Zoldyck (Hunter x Hunter)
Much like our previous entry, Killua is someone who holds a lot of trauma from childhood — especially considering he is still a child. Extremely collected and a skillful strategist, Killua is born from a family of assassins who forced him to be a quick thinker on the battlefield. Even though the hunter is a phenomenal fighter and extremely powerful, Killua is still an immature kid who had to grow up fast due to his circumstances, and for this reason, he is still a very young and unbalanced INTP. Although he has a calm demeanor, Killua doesn’t exactly know how to handle emotionally stressful moments, breaking down whenever his best friend, Gon, is in life-threatening situations. In spite of his emotive scenes, Killua still has a very calm and threatening stance if needed, especially when it comes to proving his worth as a fighter (or assassin), or defending the people he is lucky to call friends.
“People only find me interesting because they can’t tell whether I’m serious or not.”
So here it is, a list of phenomenal and incredible anime characters who fit the INTP personality and communicational traits. Defying the common belief that introverts are dull, these characters certainly prove that even the most introverted individuals can still be sarcastic, prideful, and incredibly complex beings.