Anyone that watches anime knows that one of the trademarks of the genre is the hair. In anime, a character’s hair is very important. Often weird-looking, physics-defying, oddly shaped, and/or strangely colored, hair allows characters to stand out. Anime feature all kinds of hairstyles and even hair effects. For example, there’s the Ahoge or Idiot Hair, which is the “noticeable slim forelock of hair that sticks straight up from a character’s head.” There’s “expressive hair” when a character’s hair seems to move independently. Naruto’s mother, Kushina’s, hair is expressive, floating wildly in the air when angry. If you want more examples check out TV Trope.
Regardless, I here to list those that lack this magnificent hair. It’s rare but there are several bald characters in anime. I created a list of my five favs.
Dot Pixis (Attack on Titan)
The commanding officer from Attack on Titan, Pixis is responsible for the safety of the southern territory within Wall Rose. He organized the mission to reclaim the Trost. As General, he is responsible for the defense of the military. Pixis baldness seems to be related to his age, but he’s got a kickass mustache.
Gluttony the Voracious (FullMetal Alchemist)
One of the homunculi in the Fullmetal Alchemist, Gluttony is simple and childlike. He can and will eat anything. Despite his size, he’s extremely fast. A lot of Gluttony’s behavior can be easily characterized as evil, however, he has shown kindness. His sibling relationship with Lust often shows this kindness. Anyone that harms her will certainly be eaten and when she dies he’s deeply hurt.
Krillin (Dragon Ball Z)
Krillin is probably the most famous of the bald anime characters. Initially, he was an awesome fighter, being able to learn the Kamehameha simply by watching Goku and Yamcha do it. Unfortunately, he’s mostly used for comic relief particularly in the movies. Krillin’s been peed on by Gohan, rubble falling on him, and getting punched in the face by the villain. Krillin is bald by choice, having shaved his head since childhood to emulate what he thought martial artist looked like.
Ikkaku Madarame (Bleach)
Ikkaku in my opinion is an undervalued character in Bleach. This is in part because he hides his power to remain in Squad 11. He’s currently the vice-captain of Squad 11. His baldness is a running gag throughout the series. When he’s teased for his baldness he erupts in anger. Ikkaku takes hiding his Bankai so far that he will throw a fight to avoid using it. However, everyone already knows he’s achieved Bankai.
Saitama (One Punch Man)
Saitama may have surpassed Krillin in terms of public recognition at this point. A former salaryman, Saitama trained for three years to gain his power. According to Saitama, “if you don’t train so hard that all your hair falls out then you won’t be able to One-Hit Kill any opponent you face.” He used to have a full head of hair that fell out due to the intensity of the training. This is also true for Superalloy Darkshine who apparently “deliberately” trained until his hair fell out. It seems that One Punch Man believes that baldness is correlated with strength.