It's Time To Geek Out Over Anime Hackers!
Let's be perfectly honest with ourselves, being into anime is considered pretty geeky - especially to those outside the fan base. But hey, rest assured that we're not alone. Those that are into computers and the latest tech are considered to be even bigger geeks. And then, you get hackers who are the ultimate geeks. These are the crazy guys and gals who'll spend sleepless nights figuring out the inner-workings of a piece of tech or computer code.
So if we consider the above then we could easily assume that anime, technology and hackers make strange but fitting bedfellows. In some cases, the hackers are heroes, in other cases they're the anti-heroes or even villains.
Now, let's delve deeper into a secretive underground world, and unveil the top 15 anime hackers!
Tsugumi
From Guilty Crown
We've got to hand it to Tsugumi; she's cute, smart and tough. But she's also very cocky with a sharp tongue, and often finds herself at loggerheads with others. She works as a hacker for the Guerilla Resistance Group, and spends much of her time inside the Command Hub Tractor-trailer where she's surrounded by leading edge technology.
Akira "BPS" Shirase
From Battle Programmer Shirase
Are you a programmer, or are you curious about the daily life of an unconventional computer programmer? Then, you might want to check out Battle Programmer Shirase.
The main protagonist, Akira Shirase is an extremely talented programmer. But don't be fooled by the dozy stupor that he always seems to be in. He is actually a sharp guy who happens to be one of the best anime hackers out there!
Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV
From Cowboy Bebop
If we could line up all the anime hackers against a wall, and then pick the most well-known but also quirkiest hacker... then the result would be predictable.
Edward doesn't exactly resemble what we've come to expect a young female anime character to look like. With her androgynous appearance, eccentric character, attire, and her hack job of a computer, she simply screams hacker!
Yuki Nagato
From Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Yuki looks like an ordinary high school girl, albeit very short in stature. But looks can be deceiving. In fact, she's a humanoid interface created by the Data Overmind!
Her social interactions are limited, and therefore she comes across as someone that's shy. As a humanoid, she possesses a range of abilities beyond those of average humans. And she's not your bog standard anime hacker either. She can manipulate data by chanting incantations which resemble the Structured Query Language (SQL).
Anonydeath
From Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation (Hyperdimension Neptunia)
Is he a mechanical being? Or is he a human inside a mechanical suit?
These are probably some of the questions running through your head, when you first encounter this unique character. Even his name is a playful take on the famous global hacktivist group - Anonymous. Nevertheless, he is a hell of a hacker and one of his special attacks is aptly called the 'DDoS Attack'!
Ishikawa
From Ghost in the Shell
It seems like every second character in the Ghost in the Shell universe is hacker. Even Motoko Kusanagi has some incredible hacking abilities. But Public Security Section 9 is not some two-bit operation, and therefore, assigns specialists for specific tasks.
There's nobody better on the team than Ishikawa when it comes to hacking, and that's mainly due to his intensive cybernetic augmentations.
Matsu "Sekirei No. 02"
From Sekirei
Matsu definitely ranks as one of the most impressive anime hackers here. Her skills are top-notch and she possesses a very high IQ. More importantly, she's able to tap into networks of various sizes and satellites for surveillance purposes. Unfortunately, she has a tendency of being a bit of a perv when she's spying on others.
You're a naughty girl, Matsu!
Hiro Tsukiyama
From Blood-C: The Last Dark
At a glance, Hiro seems like an adorable lolita which is due to her young age, hairstyle and dress code. And similarly to many anime hackers, she keeps to herself and prefers to spend her time in front of the computer. She learned how to hack from Mana Hiiragi, and tends to laser focus on the task at hand...although she's temperamental at times!
Itaru "Daru, Perverted Gentleman, Super Hakar, Hack" Hashida
From Steins;Gate
If you bumped into Itaru Hashida on the sidewalk, you'd automatically assume that he's either an otaku or a hacker. The dude has just got the kind of physiognomy and dress-sense that make him look the part. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that Itaru is both an otaku and a badass anime hacker. But be careful, he's also a total horndog!
Lain Iwakura
From Serial Experiments Lain
Serial Experiments Lain is the kind of anime which stays with you, long after you finish watching it. It's stark, striking and shocking while asking more questions than it truly answers. And in turn, it makes one contemplate the very real effects technology has on society at large.
Lain Iwakura is a reserved junior high school girl who spends more time with her computer than is truly healthy. She learns a lot by hacking together bits and pieces of computer parts. But it's when she delves into the deep end of the virtual world that she'll uncover more than she bargained for.
Noiz
From DRAMAtical Murder
Oh man, just look at this dude!
Noiz has got the kind of look that's just way too cool for school. Even his job description is mysterious and dope, as he goes by as an information broker. Nevertheless, he's an incredibly talented hacker, who happens to enjoy electronic music and pizza. But I think those are common traits among most hackers.
Ritsuko Akagi
From Neon Genesis Evangelion
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Ritsuko Akagi has nerves of steel, and that’s probably a good thing as NERV headquarters would probably fall apart without her mad computer skills. She seldom bends under pressure, and ensures that everything is well-maintained even under the most strenuous conditions.
Koushirou "Izzy" Izumi
From Digimon Adventure
Koushirou Izumi, or Izzy as he's better known is one of the smartest characters in the Digimon universe. He's a diminutive boy who is often seen wearing a bright orange buttoned shirt. And like many other anime hackers, Izzy is virtually inseparable from his computer, which is known as the 'PiBook' laptop.
Yuuko "Alice" Shionji
From Kamisama no Memochou (Heaven's Memo Pad)
Hiro Tsukiyama isn’t the only loli character here. Yuuko Shionji is cute as a button, and also has an air of mystery about her. She’s in charge of the NEET Detective Team and combines her hacking skills with her detective work. And like most anime hackers, she hardly steps out of her darkened apartment where the glare from the computer monitors provides most of the room's lighting.
Akari "Kari" Tsukumo
From Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Zexal (Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal)
Not all anime hackers are solely involved with hacking. Akari Tsukumo is a driven journalist who’s always prowling around for the latest scoop. However, she’s also got adequate hacking skills which she uses when a virus is unleashed on Heartland City through her computer. Things don’t go exactly to plan, but she manages to defeat Bugman – the guardian of the virus.
Anime Hackers Honorable Mentions
You've just checked out some of the best anime hackers on the interwebs. But here's a few more cool characters that should pique your interest!
Frontier Setter from Rakuen Tsuihou: Expelled from Paradise (Expelled from Paradise)
Frontier Setter is a robot which hacked the space station DEVA, and for this reason is hunted down. However, its goals are not as nefarious as originally suspected.
Amy from Bakuretsu Tenshi (Burst Angel)
Behind the cute exterior lies a mischievous hacker mind. Amy even went as far as hacking into government computer systems. She likes to keep her PC inside a stuffed animal...so cute!
Helba "The Queen of Darkness" from .hack//Sign
Helba enjoys playing mind games and is more than capable of putting on an effective poker face. I guess that head piece helps. She's renowned for her experience and dedication to hacking.
