With Hunter X Hunter slated for a return from hiatus as early as 2022, many fans are hoping for the return of one of anime's greatest comedic relief characters, Leorio.
Shonen anime are famous for epic fights and powerful moments mixed with a bit of comedy here and there, but some characters add an extra bit of joy and humor to every scene. A good comic relief character fulfills their niche while also having powerful moments in their own show that showcase the depth of the character.
Kaminari, My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia has some of the best young characters in anime, and Kaminari Denki is one of the show's top side characters. Along with Kirishima, he's best known as being one of Bakugo's best friends.
Kaminari's facial expressions alone when he overuses his electricity quirk are enough to make the character a hilarious inclusion to the show. However, the character is also genuinely funny and one of the most cheerful members of 1-A. His friendship with Kirishima and Bakugo as well as his closeness to Jiro adds some depth to his character.
Mr. Satan, Dragon Ball Z
Mr. Satan, also simply called Hercule, is a surprisingly key character in the Cell saga. He's one of the only ordinary humans with no powers in the show's main cast.
Mr. Satan is first introduced to the world of Dragon Ball as one of the "world's strongest martial artists." In reality, he's a goofball who believes many of the displays of supernatural power in the show are caused by smoke and mirrors. Despite his absurdity in the Cell saga, Mr. Satan's help to the Z-fighters and his ensuing relationship with Majin Buu in the following arc adds tremendously to his character.
Chazz, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Chazz Princeton, also known as Manjoume Thunder in the original Japanese, is one of the main characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and is one of the three main rivals for Jaden Yuki.
The arrogant Chazz is often played for laughs in multiple facets, including his unrequited crush on Alexis and his odd partnership with the Ojamas. Unlike Jaden's other two rivals in Zane and Aster, Chazz also loses the majority of his important games in the first few seasons. However, thanks partially to the Ojamas, Chazz finds himself and becomes one of the best duelists (and people) in the show.
Alex Armstrong, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
The incredibly muscular Alex Louis Armstrong is a major supporting character in both the original Fullmetal Alchemist as well as Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.
Armstrong is one of the most physically imposing characters in the show, but he still offers a great deal of humor to the show. One of his both funniest and most intense moments comes in Brotherhood when he takes on Sloth, eventually concluding with a blossoming bromance between Armstrong and fellow muscleman Sig Curtis.
Saitama, One-Punch Man
Saitama, the protagonist of One Punch Man, is the strongest person in his universe. His power is so great that he famously can end most fights with a single punch.
It isn't often that the protagonist of a show is the main comedic relief character, but Saitama fits the bill. Genos is both the main source of emotional impact and traditional action scenes in the show, while Saitama is often brought out at the end to comedically finish the fight. Of course, as the protagonist, he does have his moments, but he's largely there for fun.
Joey, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yugi's former bully eventually grew to appreciate the young protagonist and the duo of Yugi and Joey became one of the most iconic 2000s anime duos.
Joey inspired multiple generations of Yu-Gi-Oh! Clones and dozens of Red-Eyes cards in the official Trading Card Game. Even when the gang was enduring intense and dangerous situations, Joey was always able to bring a lighthearted atmosphere with his big and boisterous personality. Joey wasn't without his powerful moments as well, including his famous duel with Marik.
Inosuke, Demon Slayer
The boar-headed swordsman is one of Tanjiro's main allies in Demon Slayer. Few characters in the series give a lot of laughs, with great tragedy in both heroes like Kanao and villains like Gyutaro and Daki.
However, Inosuke is the rare exception that constantly gives humor to the show. The mountain man has plenty of fun comedic bits, like his constant mispronunciation of Tanjiro's name or his tendency to challenge everyone to a competition. Inosuke of course has serious character development, including his season 1 loss to the spider demon and overcoming his slump during Kanao's training.
Might Guy, Naruto
Might Guy is Kakashi's main rival throughout both the original Naruto as well as Shippuden. Guy is also the mentor of fan-favorite taijutsu master Rock Lee.
While Might Guy was frequently used to be the funny man to Kakashi's straight man, their rivalry wasn't only played for laughs. Guy's obsession with youth and paving the way for the next generation was also used both for comedy and inspiration. By the time he had his final fight and Madara declared him the strongest taijutsu user ever, Guy had earned both everyone's laughter and respect.
Leorio, Hunter X Hunter
Hunter X Hunter's Leorio, despite disappearing for much of the middle of the show, is one of the most beloved characters in the anime's first and final arc.
Much of Leorio's job in the first season is to play comedic relief to the much more severe Kuripika. The two boys developed an unlikely friendship towards the beginning of the series and Leorio has been a fan favorite ever since. His greatest moment came when he punched Ging Freecs, one of the strongest characters in the show, to the cheers of both fans and other characters.
Todo, Jujutsu Kaisen
Todo is one of the major supporting characters in Jujutsu Kaisen. He's also one of the strongest sorcerers in the series and Itadori's self-proclaimed "best friend."
Todo's constant "what kind of woman is your type?" questioning and his obsession with the idol Takada is funny, but his bromance with Itadori is what makes him outright hysterical. Despite his humor, Todo played a huge role in his and Itadori's battle against Hanami, one of anime's best minor villains, which was a great way to close out the show's first major arc: the exchange event.