Seven Years of Orange Dominance
At this point, unseating Shōyō Hinata from the top of this poll might be harder than beating Nekoma at the Spring Nationals. Anime Anime's 2026 edition of the survey drew 380 responses between April 1 and April 8, and Karasuno's sunshine boy pulled roughly 19 percent of the vote — the same commanding lead he's held since 2020.
It's not hard to see why. Hinata's orange hair is practically a character unto itself, but voters cited reasons beyond aesthetics: Karasuno's orange second uniform (which earned Hinata the nickname "full-body mandarin guy" from his teammates), the fact that the Spring Nationals court is literally called the "Orange Court," and SPYAIR's film theme song titled "Orange." When the color is woven that deeply into a franchise's DNA, no rival stands a chance.
The momentum isn't slowing down either. A new Haikyu!! theatrical film was announced for 2027, keeping the series front-of-mind for voters.
The Perennial Runner-Up and a Surprise Climber
Nami locked in second place for the fourth straight year with about 11 percent support. Fans pointed to her orange hair, her shoulder tattoo featuring tangerine motifs, and — most emotionally — the mikan trees she inherited from her adoptive mother Bellemère and still tends aboard the Thousand Sunny. One voter even recalled that in the 47 Cruise CD regional music collaboration, Nami represented Ehime Prefecture, Japan's most famous mandarin-producing region.
The real story at the top of the table is Jeremiah Gottwald's leap from seventh to third. The Britannian knight's connection to orange is infamously involuntary — Lelouch's Geass-powered taunt turned "Orange" into a humiliating nickname that Jeremiah eventually reclaimed as a badge of loyalty. Voters quoted his iconic line: "Orange? Heh… that is the name of my devotion." His surge coincides with Code Geass's 20th anniversary remaster screenings currently running in theaters across Japan.
The Rest of the Top 10
Rounding out the rankings:
| Rank | Character | Series |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Ichigo Kurosaki | Bleach |
| 5 | Chika Takami | Love Live! Sunshine!! |
| 6 | Naruto Uzumaki | Naruto |
| 7 | Ren Jinguji | Uta no Prince-sama |
| 8 | Mitsuki Izumi | IDOLiSH7 |
| 9 | Kamen Rider Gaim | Kamen Rider Gaim |
| 10 (tie) | Akito Shinonome | Project Sekai |
| 10 (tie) | Chūya Nakahara | Bungo Stray Dogs |
| 10 (tie) | Mikan Hinatsuki | The Demon Girl Next Door |
Notable mentions outside the top 10 included Blue Lock's Rensuke Kunigami (praised for his muscular physique and earnest personality), Symphogear's Hibiki Tachibana (whose defiant catchphrase "even so!" voters called the perfect embodiment of her never-give-up orange energy), and New Prince of Tennis's Ryōga Echizen — a character who literally carries oranges at all times and eats them rind and all.
Poll Demographics and Methodology
The survey skewed about 60 percent female and 40 percent male, with roughly 30 percent of respondents aged 19 or under and about 20 percent in their 30s. The poll was timed to Japan's Orange Day on April 14 — a holiday inspired by the Western tradition of orange blossoms at weddings, positioned as a follow-up to Valentine's Day and White Day for couples to reaffirm their affection.
Looking Ahead
Haikyu!! continues to dominate fan consciousness heading into the newly announced 2027 theatrical film, though details on story, staff, and international distribution haven't been revealed yet. Code Geass fans can catch the 20th anniversary remaster screenings in Japanese theaters now. And for New Prince of Tennis voters, the U-17 World Cup Finals Member Selection anime is set to air in Fall 2026. Crunchyroll streams the existing Haikyu!! TV series and the Garbage Dump Battle film internationally, while One Piece remains available on both Crunchyroll and Netflix.