Anime is widely popular in Japan some people believe it's part of their culture. Maybe its the fact that the anime can range from action-packed fighting to more serious and dark storylines with life lessons, nevertheless, its popularity has reached all across the world. Among all the characters in their respective anime, only a few stand out to be called an iconic figure in the genre. So here's my list of the top five popular anime characters.

5. Saitama.

The main hero of "One-Punch Man" and the guy that pretty much knocks out all enemies in one punch, Saitama's appearance in the anime world has been quickly rising up in fame and jokingly to some he's labeled as the strongest anime character by fans despite the series as being a parody. The series began as a webcomic created by 'One.' It gained a lot of popularity due to it making a parody of other anime as well as Saitama laid back attitude and beating them all with one punch. However, what took the series up a notch was the animation by MadHouse. Combining their amazing animation with the story and humor of "One Punch Man" ensured that the series was and still is a big hit. With the series is being new Saitama fame will most likely rise once they release the second season.

4. Monkey D. Luffy.

The protagonist of the "One Piece" series. Renowned for his trademark straw hat, with blue trousers, cuffs, sandals and a sleeveless red vest, Monkey D. Luffy aims to become Pirate King. The series as a whole is one of the most popular anime in Japan if not the most popular. Around the 1990s three characters emerged as the new face of anime after series like Dragonball ended one of them is Luffy. Now flash forward today Luffy remains as the last member of the "Big Three." The manga is still selling a lot in Japan, According to Comicbook/anime earlier this year, reports confirmed that One Piece has sold an incredible 430 million copies worldwide. Clearly, its still going strong and will not go away anytime soon.

3. Naruto Uzumaki.

Another member of the "Big Three" Naruto Uzumaki had one of the most endearing stories in the anime community. He started out as an underdog with little to no talent and add to the fact he was hated by the villagers because there's a demon inside his body (It's a long complicated story). He spent everyday training to surpass everyone including is rival, turned enemy, turned friend Sasuke Uchiha (again a loooong story) with his end goal of becoming Hokage. His kind personality of seeing the good in someone despite them being evil, along with his never giving up attitude, ensured that "Naruto" has touched the hearts of many anime fans.

2. Son Goku.

Known to the anime community as the 'Father of the Big Three' Goku laid the foundations of modern shonen anime lead characters series. His strength, and dedication to becoming stronger as well as having a naive but with good intention heroism, Goku became a perfect core for a kid's show where the themes are meant to be pretty simple. He may not be the most complex character in anime history, but he's perfect for the goal he was meant to accomplish and that is to get strong. The creators of "Naruto" and "One Piece" even admitted that Goku influenced their respective main character. Arguably he also might be the strongest anime character.

1. Pikachu.

"Pokemon" will always remain popular throughout the world but one stands above the rest and that is Pikachu. Starting from 1996 Pikachu remains to be the most recognizable character. From the "Pokemon" anime, games or live action sequences, the yellow rodent's influence in the world runs deep. A game dedicated to Pikachu is in the works called 'Detective Pikachu.' The Pokemon anime is still currently running in Japan while the English voice acting is still keeping up to date with recent episodes.

These characters have indeed made a huge imprint in the anime world. Whether it's the rising star Saitama, the living legend Son Goku or the cute lovable Pikachu these guys will certainly stay iconic for a long time.