by It’s December! 2025 is almost over. December, known as “Shiwasu” in the lunar calendar, is said to be a busy month, with even the usually calm Buddhist monks running around.
Monk characters often appear in Anime and games. They’re portrayed in a variety of ways, from practicing Buddhist teachings to wielding healing and purification magic to showing no qualms about breaking precepts. Following on from last year, Anime! Anime! Conducted a reader survey titled “What’s Your ‘Monk’ Character?” We received 115 responses from November 15th to November 21st. There was an almost equal split between men and women. Approximately 25% of respondents were under 19 and in their 30s, and approximately 20% were in their 50s.
Are they allowed to drink and smoke? Eccentric Priests Rank High: No. 1 goes to Heiter from “Funeral of Freiren,” with a 17% approval rating. Heiter is a monk in the hero’s party who once defeated the Demon King. Readers commented, “While monks are often thought of as teetotalers, Heiter is a big drinker.
Freiren gives him the dishonorable nickname “Smelly Priest,” but his cheerful and generous personality is charming.” Others commented, “Like Freiren, he was greatly influenced by Himmel, the hero who always took the initiative to help others, and became the foster parent of Fern, an orphan from the war. I love the light-hearted tempo of their conversation.” Also ranking 12th is Zain, who specializes in healing magic. His lines while drinking are also popular, with comments like, “My favorite scene is when he mediates the fight between Fern and Stark,” and “He’s often messy, but he has the composure and consideration that only an adult can have! ‘Let’s just go out and get together!!!’ is a great line.” Second place was tied between Xuanzang Sanzo from “Saiyuki” and Miroku from “Inuyasha,” with roughly 8% support. Xuanzang Sanzo from “Saiyuki” travels to India with Son Goku, Sha Gojyo, and Zhu Bajie. He’s also popular for his unusual side, with comments like, “He’s a monk with a cigarette in his mouth, blonde hair, and even the ability to shoot a gun, making him stand out. He’s charismatic, and the contrast between his appearance and the words of guidance he gives is brilliant,” and “He’s a corrupt monk who enjoys alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling, but his way of life is cool.”
Miroku from “Inuyasha” is a monk who travels to break the curse of a wind hole in his right hand. “He usually uses “watashi” (I) as his first-person pronoun and uses honorific language with everyone, but when he gets angry, he switches to “ore” and becomes rough with his speech. He’s also perverted and a rip-off victim, so he’s the comedic one, but it was cool to see him put himself in danger to protect his friends and defeat Naraku,” he says, demonstrating his ability to play both comical and serious roles.
Here are some other comments! Regarding Gyōmei Himejima from “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,” he says, “His appearance, rubbing his prayer beads together and chanting Buddhist prayers, was memorable. In episode 7 of “The Pillar Training Arc,” it was revealed that he had raised an orphaned child… It was so tragic that I couldn’t stop crying.” For the demon warriors from “Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle,” They’re demons, but they’re like priests who can use healing and purification magic. Every time Princess Suyaris accidentally dies while exploring the Demon Castle, he frantically revives her.” For Takahide Kujo from “A Night of Lust with a Priest…,” “This is the work that sparked the naming of AnimeFesta’s original short anime slot as the ‘priest slot.’ It has the strongest impact.” For Nikkyu from “Ahare! Masterpiece-kun, “He aims to be a monk like Ikkyu, but, interestingly, even his wit isn’t useful. Yuichi Nakamura’s voice is incredibly cool, and his yankee-style sitting posture really makes the character stand out.” Votes were cast for various monk characters. In this survey, monk characters who don’t follow the precepts ranked highly. The results suggest that their unexpectedness left a lasting impression on readers.
Top 10 [What comes to mind when you think of a ‘monk’ character? ] 1st place: Haiter “Funeral of Freiren” 2nd place: Xuanzang Sanzo “Saiyuki” 2nd place: Miroku “Inuyasha” 5th place: Parai Kukyō “Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-” 5th place: Himejima Gyōmei “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” 5th place: Mia Adenauer “The Saint Who Was Broken Off Her Engagement Because She Was Too Perfect and Not Cute is Sold to a Neighboring Country” 7th place: Ikkyū-sanIkkyū-san “Ikkyū-sanIkkyū-san” 8th place: Shirasaki Kaori “Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest” 8th place: Sakuranbō (Cherry) “Urusei Yatsura” 8th place: Byakuren Hijiri “Touhou Project” 8th place: Misery “I don’t like getting hurt, so I’ll max out my defense.” (Response period: November 15th to November 21st, 2025)
Overall ranking [What comes to mind when you think of a “monk” character? ] 1st place: Haiter “Funeral of Freiren” 2nd place: Xuanzang Sanzo “Saiyuki” 2nd place: Miroku “Inuyasha” 5th place: Parai Kukyō “Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-” 5th place: Himejima Gyōmei “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” 5th place: Mia Adenauer “The Saint Who Was Broken Off Her Engagement Because She Was Too Perfect and Not Cute Is Sold to a Neighboring Country” 7th place: Ikkyū-sanIkkyū-san “Ikkyū-sanIkkyū-san” 8th place: Shirasaki Kaori “Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest” 8th place: Sakuranbō (Cherry) “Urusei Yatsura” 8th place: Byakuren Hijiri “Touhou Project” 8th place: Misery “I don’t want to get hurt, so I’ll max out my defense. 12th Geto Suguru, Jujutsu Kaisen 12th Zain, Freiren’s Funeral 12th Priest, Dragon Quest III: And Into the Legend… 15th Priestess, Goblin Slayer 15th Futatsukyu-san, Ahare! Meisaku-kun 15th Yukyuzan Anji, Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (Response period: November 15th to November 21st, 2025)
This survey is part of a survey of readers’ opinions on “interest and attention in current anime works and characters.” The results are not intended to determine the superiority or inferiority of any character or work. We hope this article will help you learn about new works and characters, and deepen your understanding and interest.
