Four Anime With Animal Totem Characters You'll Love
The fantastic world of anime is brimming with magical characters and creatures. From nine-tailed foxes to super-powered reindeer, you'll find all sorts of mystical beasts hiding in weird and fantastic shows. But one particular type of creature is often overlooked: a Totem or spirit animal. You see, many anime characters are blessed with the ability to assume the physical characteristics of animals. These so-called "totem" or "spirit" animal transformation powers can make for more potent, faster, and agile characters that are more remarkable. This brings us to today's topic, four anime with animal Totem characters you'll love! So, let's look at some of our favorite beast-infused protagonists who won't leave you barking mad.
Naruto Shippuden
Naruto's story begins with a young boy struggling to find his place in the world. He's a mischievous youth with a knack for mischief, but he's also got a heart of gold and a sincere desire to help others. Throughout the series, Naruto builds a close relationship with many animals inhabiting his world. He has a solid connection to frogs and other amphibians and is even trained in Sage Art by Gamabunta and Gamakichi, summoning animals. As Naruto grows as a person, so does his ability to summon his totem animals. However, the primary source of Naruto's strength comes from the nine-tailed beast, Kurama. Kurama not only provides him with his Chakra energy, but he is also his companion.
Pokemon
Okay, so this list isn't exclusively about anime, but we could not leave this particular series off the list. So when you were a kid, did you ever wish you could catch 'em all? Well, that's what the main character of Pokemon dreams of. The hero of the series is a young trainer keen to capture and collect all the different "species" of Pokemon that live in their world. His quest to find more and more Pokemon takes him on an adventure to extraordinary places. And as silly as it sounds, the Pokemon world is full of creatures that can stand in as totem animals. So when the main character is in a tight spot, he can turn to any of his Pokemon pals to lend him a helping hand.
Fairy Tail
This is another action-packed anime series with a lot of magical animal abilities. It follows a group of young wizards whose magical skills are dictated by the type of animal they have as a spirit guide. There's a frog girl, a cat girl, a dog boy, a rabbit girl, and a ferret boy, among others. These characters get their fair share of screen time, but the show star is a powerhouse reindeer called Sirius. As the series progresses, he transforms into a giant reindeer that towers over most other characters. He's a significant plot point, so you'll see him often. His transformation occurs when his master's life is in danger, so he can be seen defending her at every turn.
One Piece
Another famous and unique animal character comes from the anime One Piece. A reindeer with a blue nose, Tony Tony Chopper turns into a human with a superhuman strength factor when needed. Usually, he looks like a tiny creature. However, in his transformed state, he's a tall, muscular man with brown fur. He is also a doctor and the crew's pet. As a half-human, half-reindeer, Chopper has the best of both worlds. He is a laid-back, friendly guy who loves to eat and is very close to his crew. One Piece is renowned for having wacky and bright characters as well as unique and imaginative transformation sequences.
Totem Animals & Anime
The world of nature comes with a variety of Totem symbols. These can be animals, plants, or inanimate objects. Anime, as a genre of storytelling, is especially interested in how totem symbols can be used to tell a story. Anime is replete with totem symbolism. Historically, we have attributed characteristics to ourselves from the natural world. This helps us connect.
One of the best things about anime is how imaginative it is. From the characters to the plotlines, everything is larger than life. Animal Totem symbols featured in these shows are no different. Fantastic creatures are almost like superheroes, making for some of the most memorable characters in the genre. Whether you're a seasoned anime fan or new to the genre, watching one of these shows will leave you enriched!