7 Biggest Simps in Anime, Ranked

Obsession is one thing, but sometimes it becomes a defining personality trait and even borders on devotion when a character is attracted to another character or, in some cases, many others. The world of anime is absolutely full of examples. Whether it’s a massive shonen giant like One Piece or a niche series like High School DxD, simps can be found all across anime and manga.

The premise of this article is simple: highlighting the biggest simps in all of anime. Here’s who we think are the most obvious and obsessed of the bunch, ranked by the intensity of their obsession, devotion, and how far they were willing to go.

7 Yamcha Chases Bulma’s Love and Gets Left in Vegeta’s Dust

Before Vegeta showed up and stole the spotlight, Yamcha spent Dragon Ball’s early arcs completely wrapped around Bulma’s finger. He fought to impress her, tolerated her mood swings, and chased a relationship that never really solidified into anything lasting. Fans clown on him for peaking in devotion long before he peaked in power, and honestly, that’s fair.

His crush wasn’t creepy or obsessive, just painfully one-sided in that classic old-school shonen way, where the guy tries his best and the story moves on without him. He’s the gateway drug of anime simps: low-stakes and a little goofy. He lands at No. 7 because his devotion was brief and consequence-free — nobody died, nothing was sacrificed, and it all just quietly fizzled out.

6 Miroku Begs Every Woman to Bear His Child, Loves Only Sango

Miroku’s whole gimmick is proposing marriage to nearly every attractive woman he meets, blaming it on his cursed Wind Tunnel, also known as Kazaana (via FandomWiki), and the need for an heir before it swallows him whole. It’s a running joke for most of Inuyasha, groping included, but underneath the lechery is a guy who’s genuinely devoted to Sango once their bond deepens. He risks his life for her repeatedly, stays loyal even when she doubts him, and eventually settles down for good.

The comic relief hides real feelings — he flirts with everyone, but by the end, he’s clearly a simp for one woman in particular. He ranks above Yamcha because, once his devotion locks onto Sango, it actually leads somewhere — but it still has to share screen time with the series’ long-running lecherous marriage-proposal gag.

5 Sanji Turns Into Mush Around Any Woman Who Smiles at Him

Sanji’s chivalry code turns him into complete mush the second any woman walks into frame in One Piece; crewmate or total stranger. He’ll cook for them, flirt shamelessly, get nosebleeds, and refuse to fight back against female opponents no matter how dangerous they are – a rule that’s gotten him seriously hurt more than once. It’s exaggerated for laughs, sure, but it’s also consistent enough to be a defining trait rather than a one-off joke.

Underneath the swooning is real loyalty; he’d still die for Nami or Robin without a second thought. Charming, over-the-top, and completely unable to help himself. He edges out Miroku since his simp behavior applies to essentially every woman on Earth and comes with real physical risk, not just embarrassment.

4 Issei Hyodo Builds an Entire Harem Around Worshipping Rias

Issei Hyodo starts High School DxD as a pervert with a crush, but his entire arc revolves around devoting himself, body and soul, to Rias Gremory after she saves his life and makes him her servant. He trains relentlessly just to become someone worth standing beside her, throws himself into fights way above his level for her sake, and never stops treating her like the center of his universe, even as his harem grows around him.

The devotion is played for both comedy and genuine emotional stakes, especially in later seasons when his feelings for Rias become the show’s backbone. He beats out Sanji and Miroku because his simping isn’t just a comic reflex – it fuels his actual character growth and power progression across the series.

3 Zenitsu Proposes Marriage to Every Girl He Ever Meets in Life

Zenitsu Agatsuma proposes marriage to nearly every girl he meets in Demon Slayer, sometimes within minutes of saying hello, but his real devotion is aimed squarely at Nezuko, who he decides is his soulmate the instant he sees her. He begs, cries, and grovels for her attention constantly, even though she’s, well, a demon in a box who can’t really reciprocate.

It’s played almost entirely for comedy, but it never lets up, and it defines his entire personality outside of combat. When he’s not screaming in terror, he’s usually somewhere nearby, professing love to someone who didn’t ask. He ranks above Issei because his simping is indiscriminate and constant, targeting nearly every woman on-screen instead of just one.

2 Meliodas Loves Elizabeth Across a Hundred Lifetimes of Pain

Meliodas has loved the same woman across more than a hundred lifetimes in The Seven Deadly Sins, watching Elizabeth reincarnate, forget him completely, fall for him again, and then die right in front of him every time for three thousand years. He never stops. He wanders the world just to find her next incarnation, protects her even before she remembers who he is, and eventually gives up his identity as a demon leader just to try breaking the curse binding them both.

It’s one of anime’s most extreme romantic commitments, less a crush and more a centuries-spanning act of devotion. He sits at 2nd because his devotion spans literal centuries and multiple deaths – Elizabeth’s, not just his own – putting him a tier above anyone still working with a single timeline.

1 Subaru Dies Again and Again Just to Keep Emilia Alive and Safe

Subaru Natsuki takes simping to an almost masochistic extreme: his power, Return by Death, means he can die and rewind time, so he uses it over and over, getting torn apart, eaten alive, and murdered in increasingly horrific ways, all to keep Emilia safe and happy. He doesn’t just pine from a distance – he actively suffers, repeatedly, on her behalf, often without her even knowing what he sacrificed.

Re: Zero uses this to explore how devotion can curdle into something unhealthy and self-destructive, which makes his love feel less like a joke and more like a character flaw with a cost. He tops the list because he doesn’t just simp emotionally – he dies for it, repeatedly and graphically, making his devotion the most literal and costly on this entire ranking.

What are your thoughts on our list of the biggest simps from anime? We’d love to see your top picks and opinions in the comments below.