by March 18th is “Spirit Day”. When we hear the word “spirit,” we tend to think of spiritual beings that dwell in all things, but this day is the day of the spirits (hour), which means the souls of the dead. The origin day is the death anniversary of three poets: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, Izumi Shikibu, and Ono no Komachi.
Fairies often appearing in anime can also be considered a type of spirit. Elves, familiar in fantasy works, are sometimes translated as fairies in Japanese. The character depictions of fairies and elves vary depending on the job, such as using magic, boasting long lifespans, and loving mischief. So Anime! Anime! Conducted a reader survey titled “Speaking of fairy/elf characters?” following on from last year. From March 1st to March 6th, 599 people responded to the study.
The gender ratio was about 40 percent male and 60 percent female, with a slight female predominance. In terms of age group, about 45 percent were 19 years old or younger, and about 15 percent were in their 20s and 30s.
The top three were all dominated by elf characters! First place went to Frieren from “Frieren’s Funeral”. Her approval rating was about 39 percent, making her the top for the second consecutive year. “She has lived for an eternity, so she seems philosophical, but she has an eye for treasure and gets caught by mimics even though she knows they’re traps, so her childish side is endearing,” and “Even though she’s lived for over a thousand years, she’s sloppy in her daily life and is often scolded by her apprentices. It’s strange how even this helpless side of her makes her so endearing,” said the protagonist of the popular work, who was overwhelmingly popular again this year.
“Friesen’s Funeral begins with the regret that she should have known more about her dead companions, and watching it encourages me that people can grow no matter how old they are,” said a reader who enjoyed the story. The second season will begin airing in January 2026—2nd place: Deedlit from Record of Lodoss War. With a support rate of about 8%, she has moved up from last year’s tie for 6th place. Deedlit is a high elf from the Forest of No Return. “Because she is the character who established the image of elves in Japan.
Even if you don’t know the work, everyone must have seen Deedlit’s visual at least once,” and “This is the work where I first learned the word elf. I also bought the single CD,” were some of the votes from longtime fans. “At first, she behaved condescendingly towards humans, but after meeting the main character, Parn, it was fascinating to see how she gradually changed,” said one reader, who touched on the changes she experienced through her interactions with people. 3rd place: Emilia from Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World. With a support rate of about 6%, she also moved up from last year’s tie for 6th place to the top three. Emilia is a girl the main character, Subaru, meets when he is reincarnated in another world.
The popular heroine, whose 3rd season is currently airing, was ranked in the top 100, with comments such as, “Even though she is discriminated against because she looks just like the Witch of Envy, who once nearly destroyed the world, she never becomes servile and treats everyone kindly,” and “She’s over 100 years old, but she’s a bit of a natural and sometimes makes off-kilter remarks, which is cute.” “Contrary to her cute appearance, she has a very martial side, which is cute. The scene in the latest work where she beats up Regulus’ face with her fist was the best!” She is also active in battle.
Here are some other comments! Ryu Lion from “Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?”: “I love how he gets stronger and cooler with each series. In the final episode of “Deep Chapter: Calamity Arc,” she is embarrassed and tells Bell, “I can’t see your face,” which is cute.” For Marsil from “Dungeon Food,” “I like how he refuses to eat monster food with all his might but still eats it with gusto.
Elves have a cool image, but Marsil has a lot of facial expressions, so it’s fun to watch. Well, he’s the representative of the unfortunate elves (lol).” For Leafa from “Sword Art Online,” “In the real world, Kirigaya Suguha has short black hair, but in the game world of Alfheim Online, she is a cute fairy. Her golden ponytail is also lovely.”
For Malleus Draconia from “Disney Twisted Wonderland,” “Various facts are revealed in Chapter 7 of the main story, which is exciting! Even among the fairy tribe, she has overwhelming power, so she is often avoided, but I love how she often cares about the prefect who treats her kindly.” There were also votes for titles about to be released as anime. In the 2025 edition, elf characters took the top three spots. In particular, female characters stand out, and there are a lot of reliable characters in battle.
Ranking Top 10 [What are fairy/elf characters like? [2025 Edition] 1st place Frieren “Frieren’s Funeral” 2nd place Deedlit “Record of Lodoss War” 3rd place Emilia “Re: Zero -Starting Life in Another World-” 4th place Tinker Bell “Peter Pan” 5th place Cirno “Touhou Project” 6th place Marcil “Dungeon Food” 7th place Malleus Draconia “Disney Twisted Wonderland” 8th place Ramiris “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” 9th place Ryu Lion “Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?” 10th place King “The Seven Deadly Sins” 10th place Great Fairy “Touhou Project” (Response period: March 1st – March 6th, 2025)
Top 20 Ranking [When you think of fairy/elf characters? 2025 Edition] 1st place Frieren “Furieren’s Funeral” 2nd place Deedlit “Record of Lodoss War” 3rd place Emilia “Re: Zero -Starting Life in Another World-” 4th place Tinker Bell “Peter Pan” 5th place Cirno “Touhou Project” 6th place Marsil “Dungeon Food” 7th place Malleus Draconia “Disney Twisted Wonderland” 8th place Ramiris “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” 9th place Ryu Lion “Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?” 10th place King “The Seven Deadly Sins” 10th place Great Fairy “Touhou Project” 12th place Elf Archer “Goblin Slayer” 12th place Cham Fau “Saint Seiya: Knights of Dunbine” 14th place Memerun “Complete Repair. 14th Leafa “Sword Art Online” 16th Sylphiette “Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation” 16th Mariabelle “Welcome to Japan, Elf-san.” 16th Legolas “The Lord of the Rings” 19th Aria “I’m an S-Rank Monster, Behemoth, but I’m Mistaken for a Cat and Living as a Knight of an Elf Girl” 19th Elda “Edo-mae Elf” 19th Steria Lara Silva ” #Compass19th place: Mirumo “Mirmo de Pon!” (Response period: March 1st to March 6th, 2025)
This survey is part of readers’ opinions on “current interest and attention in anime works and characters.” The results are not intended to determine the superiority or inferiority of any character or work. This article will help you learn about new works and characters and deepen your understanding and interest.
