Anime is a medium to express a feeling or emotions in the form of a picture story to the audience. What makes anime a powerful way to express emotions is because of various music, arts, and the bodies of the characters.
One such significant medium is scars or burns on the character’s face or body which represents or stands out as a symbol of resilience, inner strength, and often, a painful past.
Today we will be looking at some of these characters who have burn marks, scars, or symbols on their faces and the past they tell in today’s blog post.
Zuko: “Avatar: The Last Airbender”
Zuko, the exiled prince of the Fire Nation, carries a distinctive burn scar on the left side of his face, a constant reminder of his father’s wrath.
The scar shows us how his father only desired power and for that, he could even get rid of his own son his own blood.
This incident traumatized Zuko because of this he always wished to be of value to his father and his behavior was also shaped because of this.
Driven by the desire to regain his honor and prove himself, Zuko undergoes a transformative journey from seeking vengeance to embracing redemption and finding his true purpose.
Natsu Dragneel: “Fairy Tail”
Don’t feel insecure just because you lost!! We are Fairy Tail! We’re from the guild that doesn’t know when to stop! We won’t survive unless we keep running!
Natsu Dragneel
Known for his vibrant personality and powerful fire-based magic, Natsu bears a scar on his face from his fight against Future Rogue.
During an intense battle with the Rogue Cheney of the future, Natsu gains a cross-shaped scar on the left side of his abdomen, a result of the two fatal wounds the man dealt to him during their altercations dragon roar and one scar on the other side of his face fighting against his brother Zeref.
Despite the mark, Natsu exudes determination and warmth, symbolizing his resilience and unwavering spirit in protecting his friends.
Shoto Todoroki: “My Hero Academia”
“Never using my bastard of a father’s Quirk… No.. By rising to the top without using it… I’ll have denied him everything.”
Shoto Todoroki
Shoto’s distinctive feature is the burn scar covering the left side of his face, a painful reminder of his abusive upbringing by his father, Endeavor, and the mental breakdown his mother caused her because of Endeavor.
From that day onwards even though Shoto had the power of both ice and fire he decided to prominently only use his ice powers as a rebellious form to his father.
With a combination of fire and ice powers, Shoto strives to define his path, breaking free from his past and becoming a hero on his terms.
Roy Mustang: “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood”
As a State Alchemist wielding flame-based alchemy, Roy Mustang bears the guilt of causing immense destruction during the Ishval Civil War, resulting in both physical and emotional scars.
Roy carries a faint scar on the back of his right hand in the shape of the Flame Alchemy Transmutation Circle.
He also carries a large burn wound on his left side, lower back, and abdomen from the same event.
His burn marks serve as a testament to his resolve to create a better world while grappling with the consequences of his actions.
Scar: “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood”
Scar’s face is marked by intricate burns obtained during the Ishvalan War, a traumatic event that drives his quest for vengeance against State Alchemists.
As his name already suggests Scar is only there for his revenge, we can’t say that he was wronged because of his actions he only wanted to hurt others as he was hurt.
Despite his initial desire for retribution, Scar’s journey ultimately evolves into seeking justice and understanding, symbolizing the complexity of moral choices.
Shanks: “One Piece”
Shanks is a very powerful pirate and one of the Four Emperors, who bears a prominent scar across his left eye. And there are not many people capable of hurting a yonko on the level of Shanks.
This scar was given to him by none other than Marshal D Teach or his well-known name Blackbeard.
Even if people considers Blackbeard a coward but rather he is more cunning and intelligent in knowing which fights he can win and which he can’t.
In the past Blackbeard used a claw as his weapon before he had his devil fruit and before Shanks met Luffy for the first time.
This scar is a prominent part of Shanks as it is a testament to Blackbeard’s power and why Shanks considers Teach to be a big opponent in the future.
Guts: “Berserk”
Guts, a formidable warrior, has a distinctive lacerated scar on his nose he got from a sparring match with his abusive father Gambino.
He was the leader of a mercenary band, taught Guts how to fight with a sword, and gave Guts the scar he bears across his nose.
In the manga, Guts received it during a practice fight, while in the anime, he cut Guts’ nose on the night he attempted to kill him.
These marks are a result of traumatic events in his past, marking him as a sacrifice and serving as a constant reminder of the dark forces at play in his life.
Ken Kaneki: “Tokyo Ghoul”
After a tragic encounter with a ghoul, Ken Kaneki undergoes a drastic transformation, becoming a half-ghoul.
Kaneki suffers from a rare disease called Haemolacria. It makes people cry blood.
His character bears a distinct burn-like pattern around his eyes which is formed when he cries and those tears are in the color of blood, signifying his internal conflict, dual nature, and the struggles between his human and ghoul sides.
Hawks: “My Hero Academia”
Hawks, a skilled hero with feathered wings, has a distinct burn scar around his left eye.
Hawks’ was struck in the face by Dabi in battle, leaving a permanent patch of scarred skin down the left side of his face.
Hawks knows it’s his duty as a good guy to stop the bad guys and takes his profession seriously.
Kakashi Hatake: “Naruto”
Kakashi, a highly skilled ninja, has a distinct vertical scar across his left eye. Though not a burn scar, it’s a sad reminder to him about his friend’s death and also the reason for him being known as the copy ninja or Kakashi of the Sharingan.
He got this scar during his genin days when he was on a mission along with Rin and Obito and when in an attack his eye was stabbed by a ninja from another village and in the same day Obito got crushed under a boulder.
Obito had given his awakened sharing eye to Kakashi and was thought to have died that day.
Obito Uchiha: “Naruto”
Obito, also known as Tobi, wears a mask that conceals half of his face, including a distorted face from his being crushed under a large boulder.
This scar was a symbol of how he had forgotten about his own safety in order to protect his friend’s life and sacrificed himself.
But what was meant to happen had been changed because of him being mind-washed by Madara Uchiha.
These scars symbolize his descent into darkness and manipulation by external forces, shaping his character’s path in the Naruto series.
Sabo-One Piece
“My fingers are the Dragon’s Claw! They are meant to shred arrogant forces!”
Sabo
“Flame Emperor” Sabo The sworn brother of Ace and Luffy was the son of celestial dragons who did not like the way his parents treated others and how to them he was just a tool to increase their status among nobles.
Sabo has a red burn scar on the left side of his face which he got when he tried to set sail to leave his family but his ship was destroyed by the world noble Saint Jalmack leaving him with serious burns and critical injuries.
In that attack, his memory was also erased of all things relating to his birth and his brothers.
But now after acquiring the mera mera no mi or the fire devil fruit of Ace that scar actually complements his character’s design of fire user.
Tanjiro Kamado’s Demon Slayer
Well Tanjiro from Demon Slayer doesn’t have a scar on his face but rather birthmark or demon slayer mark of the sun breathing that he has in his blood.
It was explained in the manga that whenever a demon slayer whose heart beats reaches 200 bpm or above the mark manifest in them but it results in there life shrinking to teen age.
They get immense powers and there agility, strength and skills gets a major boost.
There has been only 1 demon slayer uptil now who has this mark from birth which was the first demon slayer and progenitor of breathing styles Yoriichi.
He was also the only demon slayer whose life didn’t decrease after getting the mark.
Dabi’s Purple Scars
Now Dabi’s scar and there story is even more sadder than that of Shoto Todoroki as he was the elder brother of Shoto and eldest son of Endeavor.
The scars which are although out body of Dabi was the result of him losing control on his flame quirk which resulted in temperature reaching 2000C which resulted in his jaw melting.
And during that time All for one found him and with help of Garaki performed many plastic surgeries on him to use him as his vessel.
But Toya had a uncontrollable fire inside of him which All for one couldn’t control and he had created an alter ego of himself as Dabi to took revenge to his family especially his father.
Sanemi Shinazugawa’s Multiple Scars
Sanemi Shinazugawa the wind hashira is among the strongest hashira who was a big part in the fight against the upper moon one Kokushibo.
He has scars all over his body including his face which makes him appear to be very dangerous and blood thirsty.
But in actual he is a very kind and gentle person and the reason how he got the scars could make anyone cry.
Just like Tanjiro,Sanemi also had a family with 5 siblings including Genya and there mother.
One night his mother was turned into a demon and killed all of his siblings he was only able to save Genya.
He had runned after his mother to stop her from hurting anyone else and fought with her the whole night till sunrise he got injured very badly with scars all over his body but he killed his mother.
That night Genya was also slashed across his face and also got a scar.
King’s Three Scratches
King from One Punch Man is the strongest human being in that universe who has three monsters nail scar on his face.
He is the strongest hero of the hero association and up until now he had been so strong that only his presence could easily erase a monster from existence.
Well the joke aside but King actually has been a major part of the One Punch Man story as he was the one person who was given the credit of all the monsters hunted by Saitama and say it luck or bad luck King was always in those spots when Saitama leaves after killing the monster.
King received his scars when a very weak monster attacked him. Octopus Claw Man had scratched King’s eyes, giving him a permanent scar that makes him look quite intimidating.
And that monster was killed by Saitama having hairs and this was the very first time that Kings was recognised as a S Rank hero for being there at the right time.
Zoro’s scar on his body and Face
Zoro the future strongest swordsman from One Piece has a scar on his right eye which he got during his 2 years of training with Dracule Mihawk during the timeskip when the small knife of Mihawk rejected him, this is just a theory that was never actually revealed in the manga or anime how he got the scar.
He also has a large massive scar on his chest from his right shoulder to the left side of his abdomen being the witness of Zoro’s determination to be the strongest swordsman in the world given to him again by Dracule Mihawk when they met for the very first time on Baratte.
All the scars on Zoro’s body are the proof of his unwavering determination to be the strongest swordsman but the scars he has on his heart which we don’t actually see are the proof of his selflessness and how he will sacrifice himself and his goal for the loyalty for Luffy.
Fujitora Scars Of Incomplete Justice
If you don’t want Justice to be dishonored, keep it close to you at all times! If we lose credibility just by admitting fault, we didn’t have any in the first place!
Fujitora
Fujitora one of the admirals of the Marines has a self-inflicted X-shaped scar on both of his eyes which resulted in him becoming blind.
We only knew there were some things in the Marines that were against his beliefs of justice which were happening in the Marines which he couldn’t stop nor did he want to see but in the recent chapters of One piece, we also got to know what it was.
During the God Valley incident, Fujitora was among the marines assigned to protect the world nobles in their sport of hunting innocent people for fun, WHich he did not want to support but he could not stop it and could not see it with his own eyes.
So he blinded himself. Even after being blind is among the strongest admirals with his gravity devil fruit using which he could even defeat Luffy and Doflamingo.
