Here’s why people have anime guys as their profile pictures:
In most cases, people do this because they are a fan of the character that they put in their profile picture.
People might do this to feel a little more anonymous.
In many cases, it’s actually normal to use avatar pictures instead of a picture of yourself in a profile, especially with online forum spaces.
So if you want to learn all about why some choose anime guys for their profile pictures, then this is the right article for you.
Let’s jump right in!
Which Profile Pictures Have Anime Guys? (4 Places)
Is this really a thing?
Do people use anime guys as profile pictures?
In a word, yes.
It is a thing, but there are a lot of variances.
You’ll find some anime guys in profile pictures for mainstream social media sites like Facebook or Instagram, but it’s less common.
There are a lot of other places on the internet where you can create a profile, though.
So, let’s explore that a little.
Allow me to walk you through some of the places where you’re most likely to see anime guy profile pictures.
Then, I’ll explain why people do this.
#1 Social Media
Mainstream social media is probably where you’ll see this practice less (at least compared to the bulk of users), but it still happens.
With most social media accounts, you can make yourself available for people to contact you and get to know you.
That’s kind of the point of social media.
Most platforms allow you to set up a profile, and you can upload a profile of yourself so that people online can see what you look like.
It’s a normal thing these days.
But, some people choose to be a little different.
They use a picture of an anime guy (or any number of other options) instead of a picture of themselves.
It definitely does happen.
#2 Forums
There are a lot of different forums online too.
Reddit is probably the most popular and best known, but it’s hardly the extent.
You can find specialized forums to discuss almost any topic.
The thing about forums is that they aren’t social media.
Forums aren’t typically a place where you meet people who will know your face and personal information about you.
They’re a lot more anonymous.
As a result, it’s fairly common for people on forum sites to use anime guys or other pop culture references in their profile pictures.
#3 Games
A lot of online games allow you to create profiles and make friends.
Steam is a super popular gaming platform, and you can create an account there where you have a picture or avatar.
In these kinds of gaming scenarios, it’s actually weird to use a picture of yourself for your profile.
Almost everyone chooses some other type of avatar.
You might choose an element from your favorite game, but there are people who choose anime guys instead.
#4 Pretty Much Anything Else
A lot of people watch anime online.
Many websites that enable you to watch shows also allow you to create an account.
You can set up a profile picture with that account, and the account makes it easier to track what shows you’re watching.
You might also rate shows, and plenty of the sites allow you to discuss shows with other users.
If the account is specifically about anime, then it kind of makes sense for you to use your favorite character as an avatar, but I’ll get into that a bit more later.
The point is that the internet is a big place, and there are countless types of profiles that you can create.
It won’t always make sense to use your own face for those profiles, and anime guys often come up as substitutes.
Why Do People Use Anime Guys for Profile Pictures? (3 Reasons)
Now that you know where you can expect to see these kinds of pictures, we can get into the why of it all.
Here are some of the most common reasons for people to pick an anime guy for a profile picture.
#1 Some Want to Stay Anonymous
Why wouldn’t you use a picture of yourself for a profile picture?
Maybe you like having a little more anonymity on the internet.
A lot of people value that anonymity, and it can be an expression of a few different ideas.
Some people just don’t like having pictures of themselves online.
Maybe they don’t like pictures of themselves in general.
Maybe they find it uncomfortable when people they don’t know can recognize them.
There are countless possibilities.
But, if you don’t want to use a picture of yourself, a picture of your favorite anime character makes a lot of sense.
There’s also an element of security.
Some social media includes so much personal information that hiding behind an anime guy profile picture doesn’t really do anything.
But, other things that have profile pictures don’t require you to put yourself out there.
A lot of online forums and places for discussion allow you to choose a profile picture, and in those scenarios, you might prefer the security of anonymity.
You don’t have to provide any personal information, so why would you put an actual picture of yourself out there?
Sometimes, it really does make sense to use the anime guy instead of your own face.
#2 It’s in Style
When it comes to a lot of forums and games, it’s actually unusual to use a picture of yourself for a profile.
In fact, many games don’t even have an option for you to upload a picture at all.
Those games allow you to choose a profile avatar, usually using something from the game itself.
Naturally, if you can’t upload pictures, you can’t pick an anime character either, but this helps create a bit of a norm.
For a lot of things related to games, anime, and forums that don’t focus on personal connections, it’s pretty uncommon to put a picture of yourself on display.
If you aren’t using a picture of yourself for your profile, then you suddenly have a whole world of options.
You’ll see tons of different choices used in these scenarios.
Video game characters, anime characters, non-character images, and other pictures all end up in profiles.
The point is that it’s normal in a lot of situations to see these kinds of profile pictures, and anime guys definitely pop up under those circumstances.
Why would someone choose an anime guy over any other picture?
It’s just a matter of preference.
But, by choosing an anime guy, they are staying within conventional norms for a lot of profile pictures.
#3 Others Like the Character
Look. What you choose to put on your profile for anything online is really up to you.
It’s a reflection of who you are.
Obviously, I can’t reduce the personal choices of large groups of people down to a few words.
More often than not, people do this because they like the character in their profile.
If you have an all-time favorite character, why not use it as your profile picture?
It’s an expression of who you are and what you like.
Plus, whenever you use that account, you’re greeted by your favorite character.
People might find other reasons to do this, but in general, I’m sticking with this explanation.
People choose anime guys for profile pictures because they simply like the character.
Do we really need a better explanation than that?
Why Do Some Men Use Anime Guy Characters as Profile Pictures?
Ok, but what about when men and women do this?
Do males and females have different motivations for using an anime guy as a profile picture?
Let’s explore men who do this first.
Typically speaking, I’m going to stick with what I said in the previous section.
It’s their favorite character—or at least a character they like a lot.
I think that’s the most common motivation for guys who do this.
But, there could be a situation where a specific anime character just feels appropriate.
Maybe a guy is in a forum with a bunch of firefighters where they talk about work and stuff.
So, for his profile picture, he uses a character from Fire Force (it’s an anime where firefighters fight fires . . . with their fists).
In this example, he isn’t necessarily using his favorite character for the profile picture.
Instead, he’s choosing a character that seems particularly relevant to the occasion.
Why Do Some Women Use Anime Guy Characters as Profile Pictures?
That covers the primary motivations for men.
Are women any different?
For the most part, no.
Most women still use anime guys as profile pictures because they like the character.
They might also find a situation where one character seems like a perfect fit (like the Fire Force example above).
There is also the possibility that the anime guy is a “husbando.“
And, that means I need to explain a little bit about anime culture.
It’s pretty common for anime shows to have characters that are primarily there to be cute.
Let’s keep things simple and call it a culture thing.
As a result, some people who watch the shows get attached to the cute characters.
They even have silly arguments over which cute character is the best (it really is supposed to be in good fun).
If the cute character is female, it’s referred to as a “waifu.”
This is a play on the word “wife.”
If the cute character is male, then it is referred to as a “husbando.”
You get it, right?
So, if a woman has an anime guy in her profile picture, that character might be her favorite “husbando”.
This is really just a more specific version of “she likes the character,” but I figured I would expose you to waifu and husbando culture while we’re at it.