7 Examples of ISTJ Anime Characters

ISTJ characters are prevalent throughout anime. Although, oftentimes, ISTJs get mistyped as other types, for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, sometimes only the most stereotypical of ISTJs are labelled as such. In this article, we aim to showcase a variety of ISTJ anime characters, so you can see the various ways this personality type can manifest. We have written individual analyses for most of these, which you can check out, if you’re interested in reading a more substantial case. For the below, we’ll just give a general overview of the anime characters and why they stand out as an interesting example of the ISTJ personality type. Let us know what you think!

7 ISTJ Anime Characters

1. Muzan Kibutsuji from Demon Slayer

“Have I ever told you lot how much I detest change? Changes in circumstance, the changes of flesh, changes in one’s emotions. Most changes cause only weakness and inferiority, and I am not weak. What I’m interested in is permanence, to forever remain in perfect condition, immune to the disease of change.”

Muzan is an excellent example of the ISTJ villain, although many would make him an ENTJ or ESTJ. His goal is to be unchanging, or immortal. He openly declares how much he hates all forms of change. He has his sights set on the goal of perfection, possessing immense patience in his long journey toward it. Muzan is very cautious and takes great care to keep his underlings tightly under his control. Every one he turns into a demon gets a curse placed on them so that they cannot so much as say his name or leak any information about him. Of course, as an introverted lead, he openly states his dislike for having so many demons, but finds it necessary to complete his goals.

For the most part, Muzan is even tempered. However, he makes it abundantly clear when he is unhappy with the results produced by his underlings. For instance, after centuries of waiting for progress on a specific task, his patience with his upper ranked demons begins to wane. Rather than instantly dealing out judgment, he mostly just gives them an ultimatum, and reiterates his expectation for results. In this way, Muzan is oddly fair given the fact that he is evil (although this leniency does not seem to extend to those of lower rank).

2. Kaguya Shinomiya from Kaguya-sama: Love is War

“The term ‘heart and soul’ is quite vague and shouldn’t apply to dancing. What’s key is memorizing the choreography and training one’s body to efficiently do it.”

Kaguya is an example of an ISTJ anime character who is somewhat manipulative or conniving. She spends much of her time coming up with elaborate verbal traps or physical situations to trick or force Shirogane into confessing his feelings. She’s very meticulous and rehearses all of her carefully-made plans prior to putting them into action. As an inferior Ne user, Kaguya hates feeling unprepared, and struggles to adapt, which leads her to run multiples simulation and attempt to account for every variable. Those who never act predictably end up being a constant source of frustration, like Chika.

Kaguya is described as being far too rigid. She tends to follow rules to the letter, and has a distaste for vague terminology. In addition, she relies heavily on repetition and memorization whenever learning new skills. However, while she has a very sharp mind, Kaguya can be very naive in areas that she is unfamiliar. Love and relationships happen to fall into this category, ironically. Throughout the show, her entire cognitive stack actually surfaces, especially during the instances where she argues with herself internally. She’s shown going from observant and proper, to cold and emotionless, to love struck and emotional, to a ditzy goofball, depending on her state of mind.

Read More about this ISTJ Anime Character: Kaguya-sama: Love Is War: Kaguya Shinomiya (ISTJ)

3. Loid Forger from Spy x Family

“I need to consider all the variables, come up with an iron clad plan, and execute that plan to perfection, which means that I need to make a list of every question the interviewer could possibly ask then have them memorize each perfect answer, or create a system to feed them the right ones.”

In many ways, Loid is a classic example of an ISTJ, albeit in a role that one would consider non-typical. While the role of a spy or secret agent seems geared toward the more action-oriented types, Loid approaches his line of work in a very Si way. He is extremely thorough and cautious when coming up with a plan of action. Loid is shown taking account of every detail that he can think of, in order to find the best way to get the exact outcome he is shooting for. For instance, since he wants to leave no room for error, he tries to prepare Anya for her interview by coming up with every question that might be asked and making her memorize every answer. The amount of preparation he strives for here reaches a ridiculous level, since he refuses to narrow down the options.

Of course, Anya is a bit of a wild card, so Loid initially struggles to figure out how to work with the girl. Furthermore, he expects her to be able to use his methods to achieve results, even though she is just a child. While it takes him some time to realize that his methods do not translate over to a little kid, Loid eventually does learn to be more understanding. However, his natural inclination is to look at results rather than effort, which is demonstrated when he shoots Anya down for proclaiming that she helped with the cooking and cleaning. He flatly states the things that she had actually done, which was either not much or counterproductive.

Read More about this ISTJ Anime Character: Spy X Family: Loid Forger (ISTJ)

4. Kento Nanami from Jujutsu Kaisen

“We have to balance the pursuit of profit with the risks. No need to do anything special at the start. Just be sincere with the clients.”

Nanami is a cynical ISTJ who is initially out of touch with his Fi. After being trained as a sorcerer, he decides the job is only for crazy people, due to the risk and demands. He formed a logical longterm plan for his life, which extended all the way up through retirement. However, overtime, he realizes that his new life lacked meaning and purpose, so he decides to return to the job where he actually saves lives. Of course, Nanami approaches being a sorcerer in a way one would expect from an ISTJ. He emphasizes caution and moderation, especially when training others. He warns them to weigh the risks, and not rush into anything. In addition, he gives specific detailed instructions, and dislikes abstract questions that leave interpretation to others.

Nanami values facts over feelings, which often causes him to be blunt and straightforward. Nanami has many strong opinions, but his opinion on rules and regulations is one that is revealed rather quickly. He believes that order is important. While he may not agree with the rules or the authority figures making them, he doesn’t believe they should be flippantly disregarded. As a result, his Fi won’t allow him to respect anyone who constantly acts in opposition to authority, even if he values their abilities.

Read More about this ISTJ Anime Character: Jujutsu Kaisen: Kento Nanami (ISTJ)

5. Fern from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

“I devoted my life to achieving that goal without considering what my world would look like afterwards. Maybe that’s the problem. I spent all my determination. Now I’ve got no passion left.”

Fern is an example of an ambitionless ISTJ anime character, because she’s already achieved her goal. Early on in life, Fern feels an external expectation to get strong enough to join Frieren, so that Heiter wouldn’t have to worry about her. She works incredibly hard to achieve this goal, demonstrating perserverence and discipline. However, once she achieves it, she just follows Frieren around, no longer possessing a goal of her own. She’s essentially lost all personal passion.

However, as a character, she’s an incredible asset to Frieren. She is a surprisingly powerful mage, who follows her master’s instructions exactly, even when others question her tactics or approach. Although, in spite of being Frieren’s student, Fern often acts like Frieren’s parent, which is ultimately something that Frieren needs. Fern manages their money, in addition to making sure Frieren remembers to eat, clean up, brush her hair, not fall alseep with her hair wet, and etc. As a result, Fern tends to come across as bossy or rude, which can cause conflict within their group. She’s quick to scold any of her travel companions, and shut down any impractical decisions they try to make. Similarily, when they meander aimlessly too long in one location, she prompts them to push forward and stay on task.

Read More about this ISTJ Anime Character: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End: Fern (ISTJ)

6. Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan

“Once we’ve retaken Wall Maria and defeated every last one of our enemies, can we go back to how things used to be?”

Mikasa is an example of the ISTJ who fixates on a past point in time, wanting nothing more than to return to that ideal state. However, life has other plans, and she presses forward in spite of her longing. She becomes the top ranked recruit, displaying incredible skills and resolve. Unfortunately, due to her circumstances, Mikasa becomes noticeably emotionally withdrawn, choosing to focus on what needs to be done while pushing her own feelings to the back of her mind. She remains level headed even in high pressure situations, always seeming to be prepared. She cares deeply for her friends, seeing them as the only family she has left. They are the last remnants of her old life, and she cannot afford to loose them.

Mikasa has a strong sense of right and wrong that she tries to impress upon Eren with limited success. In spite of this, she is very loyal to Eren and continues to follow him even though she knows she can’t always get through to him. Eren is a large influence upon her, so significant that her loyalty to him is practically her defining trait. She always wears the red scarf that he gave to her, viewing it as a security blanket of sorts. To her, it represents Eren and all the memories of the life she wishes to return to.

7. Trafalgar D. Water Law from One Piece

“Don’t be ridiculous! You can’t just show up without a plan… “

Law is the example of the ISTJ that fights against the established authority structure instead of following it. His position as a pirate obviously puts him at odds with the world government, but being saved by pirates at a young age set him on that life path. Law is a planner, which puts him at odds with Luffy whenever they work together. For instance, when Law tries to explain all the steps of his plan, Luffy usually doesn’t listen. Instead, he completely ignores the plan and does whatever strikes his fancy. This frustrates Law to no end as he struggles to salvage things the best that he can. He has a cautious nature, which is why he likes to lay everything out beforehand to ensure things go smoothly and nothing catches them by surprise.

Law is very straightforward and blunt when dealing with others. When first interacting with Luffy, he proposes that they team up without offering up much in the way of trying to convince him. For the most part, Law likes to keep to himself, going off to be alone when the Straw Hats throw their wild, post-victory parties. He finds Luffy’s crew and their general disorganized and disfunctional way of interacting jarring. In addition, he seems to be shocked over and over again by the interactions, even to the point of being overwhelmed by the pure chaos that Luffy and his crew embody.

Read More about this ISTJ Anime Character: One Piece: Trafalgar D. Water Law (ISTJ)

Other Examples of ISTJ Anime Characters: Hit from Dragon Ball Super, Gilthunder from Seven Deadly Sins, Tien from Dragon Ball, Uryu Ishida from Bleach, Haruki Kitahara from White Album 2, Yamato from Naruto, Rob Lucci from One Piece, Smoker from One Piece, Tenya Iida from My Hero Academia, Genos from One Punch Man, Jinbe from One Piece