by October 1 is celebrated as “Glasses Day” in Japan, making it the perfect occasion to look back at some of anime’s most memorable characters who wear glasses.
Glasses can completely change a character’s appearance and personality. They can make someone look intelligent, serious, calm, mysterious, or even unexpectedly cute. For some anime characters, glasses are so closely connected to their identity that it is difficult to imagine them without their signature frames.
To celebrate Glasses Day, Anime! Anime! conducted its annual reader survey asking, “Who comes to mind when you think of glasses characters?” The 2026 survey received 146 responses between September 29 and October 1. The respondents were almost evenly divided by gender, while people aged 19 and under and those in their 30s each represented roughly 35 percent of the respondents.
The results once again showed the lasting popularity of classic anime characters, while several newer characters also made an impression.
At the top of the ranking was Shinpachi Shimura from Gintama, who has now claimed the No. 1 position for the sixth consecutive year. Conan Edogawa from Detective Conan followed in second place, while Girl A from Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Walpurgisnacht Rising took third.
Here is a closer look at the 2026 anime glasses character ranking.
Why Are Glasses So Important to Anime Characters?
In anime, glasses are often much more than an accessory.
A pair of glasses can immediately communicate something about a character. A strict class representative may wear glasses to emphasize their serious personality, while a detective may use special glasses as an important piece of equipment. Other characters become more attractive or mysterious simply because of the contrast created by their eyewear.
There is also another popular character trope: the “glasses-off” transformation. Some characters look completely different when they remove their glasses, creating a memorable gap between their everyday appearance and their more striking side.
The 2026 survey included all of these types, from characters whose glasses are central to their jokes to characters whose eyewear adds another layer to their personality.
1st Place: Shinpachi Shimura — Gintama
Taking the No. 1 spot once again is Shinpachi Shimura from Gintama.
Shinpachi received roughly 10 percent of the votes, making this his sixth consecutive year at the top of the ranking. For many anime fans, simply hearing the word “glasses” is enough to bring Shinpachi to mind.
Shinpachi is a young man who works at the Yorozuya alongside Gintoki Sakata. He hopes to learn the samurai spirit from Gintoki and gradually grows into a dependable fighter and member of the group.
However, his glasses have become almost as famous as the character himself.
One of Gintama’s longest-running jokes is that Shinpachi’s glasses are his “real” identity. The series repeatedly exaggerates this joke in increasingly ridiculous ways, turning an ordinary pair of glasses into one of the show’s most recognizable comedy elements.
Survey respondents highlighted exactly this aspect of the character. Some fans pointed to jokes in which only his glasses change appearance, disappear, or are treated almost like an independent character.
One particularly memorable aspect is how Gintama can turn something as simple as Shinpachi losing his glasses into an elaborate comedy gag.
However, fans also appreciate that Shinpachi is much more than a punchline.
Throughout the series, he grows mentally and emotionally after meeting Gintoki and facing increasingly dangerous enemies. Although he often serves as the straight man who reacts to the absurd behavior of those around him, he repeatedly demonstrates courage when his friends are in danger.
That combination of comedy, character development, and unmistakable visual identity is likely one of the reasons Shinpachi continues to dominate the annual ranking.
2nd Place: Conan Edogawa — Detective Conan
Taking second place is Conan Edogawa from Detective Conan.
Conan received approximately 6 percent of the votes and has remained in second place for the fourth consecutive year.
Conan is actually Shinichi Kudo, a brilliant high school detective who was transformed into a child after being forced to take the experimental poison APTX 4869. While living as Conan Edogawa, he secretly continues solving complicated crimes.
His oversized black glasses are one of his most recognizable features.
Unlike Shinpachi’s glasses, Conan’s eyewear is not simply part of his visual identity. His glasses are also equipped with special functions developed by Professor Agasa, making them useful tools during investigations.
The survey comments particularly praised the combination of Conan’s appearance and the practical functions of his glasses. For many fans, the large black frames are inseparable from the image of the young detective.
Conan’s popularity also demonstrates how glasses can become an important part of a character’s storytelling. His glasses help him maintain his childlike appearance while he secretly works as an experienced detective.
Even after decades of Detective Conan, the character remains one of the first names many fans associate with anime glasses.
3rd Place: Girl A from Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Walpurgisnacht Rising
The biggest surprise in the 2026 ranking may be third-place character Girl A from Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Walpurgisnacht Rising.
Girl A received approximately 4 percent of the votes.
Unlike Shinpachi and Conan, Girl A is not a long-established character with a famous name. Her identity is deliberately mysterious, which makes her appearance in the ranking particularly interesting.
Her glasses are also connected to the visual language of the Madoka Magica franchise. Fans noticed similarities between her eyewear and the glasses associated with Homura Akemi’s earlier appearance.
According to comments from voters, Girl A’s gentle facial expression contrasts strongly with the darker world around her. Her glasses contribute to that impression while also making her appearance stand out.
Her third-place finish is another indication of the attention surrounding Walpurgisnacht Rising and its expanding cast of characters.
Homura Akemi Also Makes the Ranking
Homura Akemi tied for sixth place.
Her glasses-and-braids appearance has long been affectionately recognized by fans, with the character’s earlier look often associated with the nickname “Megahomu.”
Fans noted that although Homura’s appearance can change dramatically depending on the story, her determined and single-minded personality remains one of her defining characteristics.
The 2026 ranking also included another character from the movie, Murasaki Choka, who appeared among the tied entries at 10th place.
The presence of multiple Madoka Magica characters demonstrates how strongly the franchise has influenced this year’s results.
4th Place: Tenya Iida — My Hero Academia
Tenya Iida from My Hero Academia tied for fourth place.
As the class representative of U.A. High School’s Class 1-A, Iida is known for his serious personality, strict sense of responsibility, and disciplined approach to hero training.
His glasses fit his personality perfectly.
Iida is meticulous about preparation, and the series even shows that he keeps multiple replacement pairs of glasses. Considering how dangerous his work as a hero can be, having spares ready is a surprisingly practical detail.
His glasses therefore do more than complete his design. They reinforce his organized and responsible personality.
For many fans, Iida is one of the clearest examples of how an anime character’s appearance can communicate personality before the character even speaks.
4th Place: Koharu Nanakura — Aikatsu Stars!
Also tied for fourth place is Koharu Nanakura from Aikatsu Stars!.
Her appearance demonstrates another side of the “glasses character” appeal. Rather than using glasses primarily as a joke or a piece of equipment, her eyewear contributes to her overall character image.
The tie between Iida and Koharu also shows that the popularity of glasses characters extends across different genres and generations of anime.
Other Popular Glasses Characters
The 2026 ranking included many familiar faces beyond the top three.
Among them was Ranpo Edogawa from Bungo Stray Dogs, another detective character whose glasses have become an important part of his image.
Kei Tsukishima from Haikyu!! also tied for sixth place. His glasses complement his calm, analytical personality and his sharp observations during volleyball matches.
Hanayo Koizumi from Love Live!, Masumi Ageo from Crayon Shin-chan, Ririsa Amano from 2.5 Dimensional Seduction, and several other characters also appeared among the tied entries.
Another interesting example is Masumi Ageo, whose character design uses glasses as part of a personality contrast. Fans enjoy how her behavior changes when she removes them, creating a memorable “glasses-on versus glasses-off” dynamic.
This kind of contrast is one of the most popular reasons glasses characters remain memorable in anime.
The Full 2026 Anime Glasses Character Ranking
According to the survey results, the leading characters were:
- Shinpachi Shimura — Gintama
- Conan Edogawa — Detective Conan
- Girl A — Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Walpurgisnacht Rising
- Tenya Iida — My Hero Academia
- Koharu Nanakura — Aikatsu Stars!
- Homura Akemi — Puella Magi Madoka Magica
- Ranpo Edogawa — Bungo Stray Dogs
- Kei Tsukishima — Haikyu!!
- Hanayo Koizumi — Love Live!
- Masumi Ageo — Crayon Shin-chan
- Ririsa Amano — 2.5 Dimensional Seduction
- Chitose Ikeda — Yuru Yuri
- Chiaki Ogaki — Yuru Camp△
- Doppo Kunikida — Bungo Stray Dogs
- Kusuo Saiki — The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
- Murasaki Choka — Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Walpurgisnacht Rising
- Kotaro Takebayashi — Assassination Classroom
- Asuka Tanaka — Sound! Euphonium
- Yamato Nikaido — IDOLiSH7
The survey was conducted from September 29 through October 1, 2026.
Why Shinpachi Continues to Be the Ultimate “Glasses Character”
The most interesting part of this year’s results is not simply that Shinpachi won. It is that he has continued to win year after year.
His appeal comes from the fact that his glasses are simultaneously a character trait, a visual trademark, and a recurring source of comedy.
Conan’s glasses, meanwhile, represent intelligence and detective work. Iida’s glasses reinforce his serious and organized personality. Tsukishima’s eyewear contributes to his cool and analytical image. Other characters use glasses to create an entirely different appearance when they remove them.
In other words, there is no single definition of a “glasses character.”
Some are cool. Some are cute. Some are intelligent. Some are funny. Some are mysterious. And some are all of these things at once.
Glasses Day Gives Anime Fans Another Reason to Celebrate
October 1 is known as Glasses Day in Japan because the date can be represented as “1001,” which visually resembles a pair of glasses. The commemorative day dates back to 1997.
For anime fans, the day has naturally become a fun opportunity to celebrate characters whose glasses are an important part of their identity.
The 2026 survey once again demonstrates just how much personality can be packed into a simple accessory.
From Shinpachi Shimura’s legendary comedy appeal to Conan Edogawa’s detective equipment, Girl A’s mysterious design, Iida’s meticulous personality, and Tsukishima’s cool image, each character shows a different reason why anime fans love glasses.
And for the sixth year in a row, one character remains the undisputed king of anime glasses: Shinpachi Shimura.
Survey Details
- Survey: “Who comes to mind when you think of ‘glasses’ characters? 2026 Edition”
- Survey period: September 29–October 1, 2026
- Number of responses: 146
- Top character: Shinpachi Shimura from Gintama
- Consecutive No. 1 finishes: 6 years
