Kara Dennison
March 13, 2021 
When an anime character shows up wearing an eye patch, you know things are about to get serious. Because in anime, it’s not always just a way to cover an injured eye, or a clever way to give yourself dark vision. These accessories often hide dark secrets or amazing powers. Or maybe the person wearing it is just a big chuuni who wants you to believe they’re hiding amazing powrs.
Either way, we’re appreciating this small handful of accessorizing characters. Whether they’re hiding magic or insecurity, we kind of love this look. And this is just a small sampling of the many eye patch wearers across the world of anime. Who are your favorites?
King Bradley
In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, major injuries are just sort of par for the course. We’ve got one character missing two limbs and another who’s completely body-less, after all. So a simple eye patch on King Bradley seems pretty straightforward, right? Of course not, this is Fullmetal Alchemist. Everyone is hiding something, including (and especially) Bradley.
What’s especially cool, though, is that there’s nothing about Bradley’s design to suggest that anything is amiss. Terrible information is hiding in plain view. And with the military aspect of the State Alchemists, Bradley’s truth is even more well hidden.
Megumin
For some super-powerful anime characters, the eye patch hides an unfathomable power. For others, it’s just a fashion statement. Megumin of KONOSUBA is undeniably powerful, but (at least for a time) she’s got an eyepiece indicating that something even scarier lurks behind it. Of course, even she knows that’s not true.
The eye patch is something of a chuuni accessory in anime, with high schoolers claiming that it holds back their true magic or identity. At least Megumin comes by it honestly.
Shikinami Asuka Langley
And then we have Asuka of Rebuild of Evangelion — a new Asuka, with a new accessory. And potentially a new power. Because behind her eye patch shines a mysterious blue light. And it seems to be connected to some very specific elements of the Rebuild world. (Don’t worry, we’re not about to spoil the final movie for you!)
It’s a very cool, very modern accessory for the Eva heroine. It also adds a much more modern anime feel to her character, roping in the aspects discussed above. Of course, the children of Eva aren’t exactly teenagers on fake power trips. Far from it.
Who are your favorite overpowered eye patch wearers? Conversely… who are your faves who absolutely don’t have magic powers and are obviously accessorizing for show?
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