Seven Deadly Sins has remained popular since its release in 2014, becoming one of the most popular anime shows on Netflix. The anime has a unique cast of characters, each with wildly different personalities and physical traits. All five seasons of the show are available to watch on Netflix, along with the movie based on the show called Prisoners of the Sky. Given its cult following and unique storylines that offer a fresh twist on the fantasy genre, Seven Deadly Sins is easily one of the best anime shows from the 2010s.
RELATED: Best Anime You Can Watch For Free On YouTube
While there are some differences between the manga and the anime, the characters remain largely the same in terms of physicality. Many characters in Seven Deadly Sins are quite old, having lived for thousands of years. Some have been reincarnated, while others have remained in one body that appears stuck at a specific biological age.
10 Meliodas
- Age: 3,000+
- Height: 5'0
- Birthday: July 25
Considered one of the strongest characters in Seven Deadly Sins, Meliodas's powers are truly impressive. He's the sin of Wrath and is small but mighty. He uses his agility, wit and Demon Clan powers in battles against enemies. At one point, he owned the Boar Hat tavern, where Elizabeth and Hawk spend much of their time. Meliodas's love for Elizabeth gets him in trouble with his clan and cursed by the Demon King.
Over time, Meliodas has watched numerous incarnations of Elizabeth die before his eyes. This has toughened him up over the years and he spends a lot of time and effort trying to break the curse. As a character, Meliodas is a sassy yet likable protagonist that viewers new to the anime genre will find quirky and entertaining.
9 Diane
- Age: 750
- Height: 5'5 as human, 30' as a giant
- Birthday: December 24
Diane is known as the sin of Envy and is a part of the Giant Clan. She has the ability to change size, going from 5'5 to over 30' tall. She has a special war hammer and incredible physical strength. Even as a human, she appears to have super strength and speed. In the show, she crushes on Meliodas but ends up with King. She has the power of Creation, allowing her to transform earth. Drole, the leader of the Giant Clan, believes Diane will become the next leader of their people. If Diane performs Drole's Dance, her connection to the earth increases and she acquires more transformative powers.
8 Ban
- Age: 1,114+ but looks 34
- Height: 6'11
- Birthday: February 14
Ban is the sin of Greed. He's spent a lot of time in Purgatory and will do anything for the love of his life, Elaine. Ban has the ability to snatch objects or body parts from people, making him a versatile and sneaky opponent in battle. He also uses the Holy Staff Courechouse, a unique staff with four parts connected with chains. When the staff is stolen from him, Merlin eventually returns it to him. For a long time, Ban considered Meliodas to be a frenemy of sorts, but they eventually work things out and become good friends.
7 King
- Age: 1,300+
- Height: 5'11 in human form
- Birthday: April 1
King is the sin of Sloth in the show and is a part of the Fairy Clan. He has a special weapon called Chastiefol, a sword-like spear made from the Sacred Tree. Chastiefol can transform into many different objects, but most often appears as a green pillow when King is not in battle. Chastiefol is highly versatile, offering 10 different forms ranging from a giant lethal teddy bear to a deadly flower or a crab-like spear.
RELATED: Best Historical Anime, Ranked
King might not look like much, but he's extremely powerful and can take down most enemies with ease. He can levitate, fly and use super speed. Once he grows his wings, King becomes even more powerful and able to harness the power of the Sacred Tree.
6 Gowther
- Age: 3,000+
- Height: 5'9 in human form
- Birthday: June 2
Gowther is the sin of Lust with a unique origin story. Created by a powerful wizard long ago, Gowther is actually a magic doll. He does not really show emotions or seem to care about friendship. He doesn't understand human emotions and struggles to grasp the concept of empathy. Gowther does understand the concepts of honor and responsibility, though he doesn't seem to care about what others think of him. In the past, Gowther had more emotions, but loneliness killed his soul over time.
RELATED: Best Anime That Will Make You Cry
Gowther has the ability to invade the minds and memories of others. He can imprison people inside their own pasts, confusing and disabling them. He can also change his own appearance at will. Gowther's Sacred Treasure is a bow called Herritt, which Gowther uses in battle when he's invading memories.
5 Merlin
- Age: 3,000+
- Height: 5'10
- Birthday: December 3
Merlin is a mage and the sin of Gluttony. She uses Aldan, a floating orb, to cast spells and defeat enemies. Merlin isn't her real name—she uses it because it's simple and easy for people to pronounce and understand, unlike her real name, which remains a mystery. Merlin is very powerful and has many different abilities and spells. She can erase spells, locate people, amplify magic, teleport, summon dragons, use fire, summon lightning bolts, fight enemies with icicles, and more. Fans of Merlin's magic and connection to the occult should check out these supernatural anime shows.
4 Escanor
- Age: 41
- Height: 5'5-10'8
- Birthday: July 1
Escanor is the sin of Pride. During the day, he appears as a super-strong man, but at night he becomes weak and frail. He has the Divine Axe, Rhitta, which he uses in battle. In the show, he uses his body as a weapon in addition to the axe and fights numerous demons over the course of the anime. Sadly, in the manga Escanor is one of the few characters who dies in battle and does not get a happy ending. He also has an unrequited love for Merlin.
3 Elizabeth Liones
- Age: 16 (in current body), 27 after timeskip
- Height: 5'4
- Birthday: June 12
Elizabeth Liones is the daughter of the ruler of the Goddess Clan. Elizabeth has a kind and compassionate personality but her naïve innocence and beauty have spawned some hilarious memes. She seems powerless and helpless in the show at first, but is later revealed to be very powerful. Elizabeth is one of the show's most misunderstood characters. There are a number of things about her character's backstory and life that don't really make sense.
RELATED: Hilarious Anime Hairstyle Memes
Elizabeth grows and matures over the course of the show. In the beginning, she's a clumsy and insecure waitress working at the Boar Hat tavern. But when she realizes her powers, she becomes serene and more at peace with herself. She loves Meliodas and has known him her whole life, but forgets him every time she dies and is reincarnated. Her love story with Meliodas is quintessential romantic tragedy and shapes both her character and Meliodas over the years.
2 Hawk
- Age: 16
- Height: 1'8 tall
- Birthday: August 6
When fans first meeting Hawk in the anime, he's a talking pig who helps out at the Boar Hat tavern. Hawk has a big personality and is quite the chatterbox at times. He thinks of himself as very powerful but his powers are similar to Kirby—Hawk acquires abilities when he eats special things. Hawk can also locate people and track them for miles. But Hawk is more than just a magic pig—he was born in Purgatory and is a spy of the Demon King for part of the show.
1 Elaine
- Age: 1,000+
- Height: 4'11, or 5'2 with wings
- Birthday: March 14
Elaine is a fairy who is in a relationship with Ban. She can levitate and fly like King, but the rest of her powers are different. Elaine can control the wind and trees. She worked as the Holy Maiden of the Fountain of Youth for a long time and learned that humans can be malicious and deceitful. But Elaine can read minds and access the thoughts and memories of others.
Her personality is kind and thoughtful, but she doesn't trust others easily because of her work at the Fountain. She had to read Ban's mind in order to learn to trust him. For fans of Elaine and magical female characters in anime, there are many more shows to watch after finishing Seven Deadly Sins that feature female leads with magical powers.
NEXT: Funimation Completes $1.2 Billion Deal To Buy Out Crunchyroll