Blue Lock's Wataru Kuon Tops Anime Traitor Character Poll
The poll highlights how betrayal arcs that carry emotional weight and narrative payoff, rather than simple villainy, resonate most with viewers.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime Anime.
Anime! Anime!'s annual reader survey on the most memorable traitor characters in anime ranked Wataru Kuon from Blue Lock first, Kanjuro Kurozumi from One Piece second, and Reiner Braun from Attack on Titan third. The poll received 238 responses between May 18 and May 24, 2026.
Anime! Anime! conducted its annual reader survey asking which anime character is the most memorable traitor, timed to Betrayal Day on June 2. The poll ran from May 18 to May 24 and collected 238 responses from a nearly equal gender split, with the largest age group being under 19 at about 40 percent. The top three all come from major shonen series and share a common thread: each character's betrayal is a turning point that recontextualizes earlier events rather than a straightforward act of malice.
- Wataru Kuon (Blue Lock): 1st place, about 7% support, up from 2nd last year
- Kanjuro Kurozumi (One Piece): 2nd place, about 6% support, down from 1st last year
- Reiner Braun (Attack on Titan): 3rd place, about 5% support, same rank as last year
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.