Anime is filled with dreamy heartthrobs who are stoic warriors, mysterious beauties, and powerful antiheroes who dominate fan-favorite lists and leave entire fandoms swooning. But while these characters may look like the ultimate catch, appearances can be wildly deceiving. Beneath the surface, many of these so-called “ideal partners” come with emotional baggage, deep-rooted trauma, or even straight-up evil intentions.
There are many anime characters who might dominate posters and Pinterest boards but would make absolutely terrible partners in real life. Whether it is because of emotional unavailability, moral ambiguity, or an inability to form healthy human connections, these anime icons are much better admired from a safe distance. Love them on-screen, just do not attempt to love them in real life.
7Loid Forger
From Spy x Family by Wit Studio and CloverWorks; Based on the Manga by Tatsuya Endo
Loid Forger is everything you’d want in a partner, because he is handsome, intelligent, kind to children, and incredibly competent. But here’s the catch, his entire life is a lie. As a master spy working under the codename Twilight, Loid is constantly pretending. From his name to his occupation to his family life, nothing is real.
Even if you were in a relationship with him, you’d always be second-guessing his sincerity. Is he complimenting you because he means it, or is it just part of the mission? Does he love you, or is he merely keeping up appearances to complete an assignment? Dating Loid would mean constantly wondering if any part of your bond is genuine.
Loid is also perpetually busy and emotionally unavailable. He compartmentalizes everything, and real vulnerability isn’t exactly in his toolkit. In moments when a relationship would require openness or emotional intimacy, he would default to logic, strategy, or withdrawal.Love demands honesty, and unfortunately, that’s Loid’s biggest blind spot.
Worse still, his line of work is downright dangerous. Anyone close to him becomes a liability, and even the smallest misstep could put your life at risk. You’re not dating a man—you’re dating a ticking time bomb. It’s best to leave this heartthrob to the world of espionage.
6Frieren
From Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End by Madhouse; Based on the Manga by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
Frieren is gentle, wise, and beautifully melancholic, but that doesn’t make her a great partner. As an immortal elf who has lived for centuries, she sees time very differently. For her, a decade is a blink, and the people around her are like passing seasons. It’s not personal, she’s just built that way.
Dating Frieren would mean loving someone who might never fully understand you.Human emotions and fleeting lives baffle her. While she’s learning to appreciate those things over time, she often comes across as cold, distant, or detached. She may care for you in her own way, but she will never be able to love with the same urgency or depth you do.
Worse, she would never grow old with you. While your hair grays and your body weakens, she remains unchanged and a silent reminder of your mortality. When you’re gone, she will mourn you briefly, then move on to the next chapter of her endless journey. For someone craving a lifelong bond, that kind of love is heartbreak waiting to happen.
Despite her wisdom and beauty, Frieren would make for a painfully lonely partner. You might adore her, but you’ll always feel like a footnote in her epic saga. Some legends are best admired from afar.
5Sasuke Uchiha
From Naruto by Studio Pierrot; Based on the Manga by Masashi Kishimoto
Sasuke Uchiha may be one of the most iconic bad boys in anime, but let’s not romanticize his trauma. He’s brooding, cold, and hellbent on revenge for most of the series.Sasuke’s drive to destroy those who wronged his clanconsumes every aspect of his life, including his ability to form meaningful relationships.
Even when Sasuke does interact with others, he keeps them at arm’s length. He rarely shows affection, doesn’t trust easily, and lashes out emotionally and physically when cornered. If you’re hoping for romantic dinners or heartfelt confessions, look elsewhere, because this guy is more likely to leave you in emotional purgatory.
A relationship with Sasuke would be an endless cycle of confusion, isolation, and emotional whiplash.
Sasuke’s idea of love is also twisted. He distances himself from people to protect them, but that often comes off as abandonment. He’s not above manipulating others or using them to reach his goals. A relationship with Sasuke would be an endless cycle of confusion, isolation, and emotional whiplash.
To top it off, he spends years away from the people who care about him, often putting his personal mission above everything else.You wouldn’t just be dating a cold-hearted genius, you’d be dating someone who might disappear for years with no explanation.That’s not romantic, it’s exhausting.
4Eren Yeager
From Attack on Titan by MAPPA; Based on the Manga by Hajime Isayama
Eren Yeager begins his story as a passionate and idealistic youth, but over time, he becomes unrecognizable. Hardened by war, betrayal, and existential dread,Eren eventually transforms into someone who prioritizes his mission above all else, including human life, morality, and love.
While his intensity and determination might be admirable from a narrative standpoint, they’d be terrifying in a relationship.Eren is consumed by rage and trauma. He becomes emotionally volatile, closed off, and entirely fixated on a vision of the future that leaves no room for tenderness or intimacy.
Trying to date Eren would be like clinging to a storm. He doesn’t want comfort, he wants revolution. He doesn’t need a partner, he needs soldiers. Even those closest to him find themselves estranged and confused by his choices. You’d never truly know where you stand with him.
At his worst, Eren is willing to sacrifice innocent lives to achieve his goals. That’s not just emotionally unavailable, it’s morally incompatible. No matter how much you once admired the boy he used to be, the man he became is no longer capable of love in any conventional sense.
3Makima
From Chainsaw Man by MAPPA; Based on the Manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto
Makima is hypnotic. She’s poised, mysterious, and seems to offer comfort in a world of chaos. But under that calm exterior lies one of the most manipulative and terrifying characters in anime. She doesn’t want love; she wants control. And if you’re in her orbit, you’re just another pawn in her game.
Makima weaponizes affection to break people. She doesn’t just lie, she reprograms you. She uses fear, charm, and subtle coercion to turn her victims into loyal pets who will do anything for her. A relationship with her wouldn’t be mutual, it would be psychological imprisonment disguised as intimacy.
Even when she offers warmth, it’s transactional. She gives just enough to keep you hooked, only to pull the rug out from under you later. You’d never feel safe, and worse, you’d lose your sense of self.Dating Makima would be like falling into a beautiful nightmare that you can’t escape from.
Makima isn’t just emotionally dangerous, she’s cosmically dangerous. With her supernatural abilities and agenda, you’re not just dating someone difficult, you’re dating a literal threat to humanity. If you’re lucky, she’ll leave you broken. If you’re not, she’ll turn you into a monster. Either way, run.
2Lust
From Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood by Studio Bones; Based on the Manga by Hiromu Arakawa
Lust is arguablyone of the most alluring characters inFullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Her sultry voice, graceful movements, and commanding presence make her magnetic. But don’t let the name fool you, beacuse Lust is incapable of genuine love or connection. She’s a homunculus, and her role is destruction, not romance.
What makes Lust particularly dangerous is that she knows how to use desire against people. She can read weaknesses and exploit them with surgical precision. If you fall for her, she’ll use your affection as leverage. You’ll feel wanted, until you’re no longer useful. Then you’ll just be in her way.
A relationship with Lust would be more like being stalked than being loved.
Lust is also defined by a detached cruelty. While she’s not as sadistic as some of her fellow homunculi, she still enjoys the upper hand and doesn’t hesitate to kill when necessary. A relationship with Lust would be more like being stalked than being loved. You’d always be one wrong move from ruin.
Ultimately, Lust isn’t looking for a partner, she’s looking for prey. She might look like the perfect seductress, but she’s empty inside. You wouldn’t be dating a person, you’d be dating a weapon shaped like a woman. And weapons don’t do happily ever after.
1Ryomen Sukuna
From Jujutsu Kaisen by MAPPA; Based on the Manga by Gege Akutami
Ryomen Sukuna isn’t just a bad boyfriend, he’s a literal curse. As one of the most powerful and malevolent beings inJujutsu Kaisen, Sukuna delights in death, manipulation, and chaos. Even if you could somehow separate him from his host, Yuji Itadori, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere near him romantically.
Sukuna doesn’t feel love, he feels domination. He enjoys asserting his power over others and views relationships as tools for control, pain, or amusement. If you fell in love with him, he’d laugh in your face, or worse, use your feelings to torture you emotionally and physically.
There’s also the issue of constant fear. Sukuna is unpredictable and cruel, even to those who serve him. Dating him would mean living under the threat of annihilation every single day. He wouldn’t protect you, he’d treat you like entertainment in a personal horror show.
Even if you’re attracted to danger, there’s nothing romantic about a being who sees humanity as disposable.Sukuna is the embodiment of ego, wrath, and violence.Loving him isn’t edgy, it’s suicidal. And no, you’re not going to “change him.”
