The Big Bang Theory stands as one of television’s most beloved and quirky sitcoms, featuring a squad of genius friends and their antics at CalTech, comic conventions, and beyond. Arguably, the star of the show is Dr. Sheldon Cooper, who is notorious for his eccentric but brilliant ways. When it comes to pop culture, Sheldon has an enduring love of Star Trek, and he sees a lot of himself in Leonard Nimoy’s Mr. Spock.
It’s easy to see Sheldon’s point, but he may remind The Big Bang Theory fans of more than Captain Kirk’s Vulcan friend. Sheldon is also reminiscent of dozens of characters in other TV shows, movies, and certainly the world of anime, and Sheldon and Leonard have certainly watched anime before.
10 Shinya Yukimira Takes His Lab Work Seriously (Science Fell In Love So I Tried To Prove It)
Science Fell in Love So I Tried to Prove It is like the anime adaptation of Sheldon and Amy’s relationship, a short but sweet anime featuring two scientists who are determined to verify their love for one another in the lab. Roses and chocolates aren’t enough – they need hard data.
The lady in the pairing, Ayame Himuro, is playful and carefree as a scientist, while her partner Shinya is rather aloof and reserved, and he isn’t too quick to express his feelings. All this makes him like Sheldon’s long-lost anime twin.
9 Senku Ishigami Will Invent A Better Future (Dr. Stone)
It’s true that Sheldon often makes fun of engineers for being second-rate scientists, but if it weren’t for engineers, Sheldon wouldn’t have all that high-tech lab equipment to work with. Then there are anime scientists like Senku Ishigami, who prove just how incredible engineering can be.
Senku is less specialized than Sheldon, and he rarely brings up theoretical physics. Still, Senku is a calculating and aloof kid who always puts the project first and personal friendships are a distant second priority. Still, Senku and Sheldon both appreciate the need for a lab assistant now and them. They can’t do everything themselves.
8 Near Is Always Pondering The Possibilities (Death Note)
Near the detective isn’t a scientist, but in terms of personality and his methods, he has plenty in common with Sheldon Cooper. Just like Sheldon, Near is a dedicated specialist who is shockingly ignorant or helpless outside his area of expertise. He practically needs babysitters, despite being in his late teens.
Near is like Sheldon at his coldest, a humorless and calculating recluse who takes great pride in his work and cares nothing for the people around him unless they can aid him somehow. Near also has weak social skills, just like the original L, and Sheldon isn’t exactly charismatic, either.
7 Miyuki Shirogane Gets Excellent Grades (Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War)
Miyuki Shirogane is the student council president of Shuchiin Academy, and he has a good reputation for his tireless work ethic and his perfect grades. Miyuki comes from a poor family, so he made up for it with discipline and studying. He is also highly competent as a council president, and he is known for his calculating nature as well.
Miyuki has a warmer heart than Sheldon and gets flustered more easily, but the two characters still have a lot in common, including their habit of running experiments and playing crafty games in love instead of simply asking someone out.
6 Tenya Iida Takes Everything Seriously (My Hero Academia)
Tenya Iida is much more physically active than Sheldon is, since he is a hero-in-training who can use his Engine Quirk to run at high speeds and deliver powerful kicks. In the classroom, though, Tenya is definitely the Sheldon Cooper of U.A., and he has a reputation for it.
Tenya is an uptight and disciplined student who doesn’t like frivolity or jokes, and he focuses intently on his studies and training alike. He’s got a lot to show for it, but he also gets teased a lot for that uptight persona of his, and his classmates often ignore him when he tries to lecture them. Sheldon knows what that feels like.
5 Hirotaka Nifuji Is A Total Kuudere Gamer (Wotakoi)
Hirotaka Nifuji is a highly competent but quiet office worker who nurses a secret passion for gaming, similar to Sheldon being a dedicated gamer and comic book fan anytime he’s not at the office at CalTech. Both characters love pop culture and the geek life, but they’re not too quick to share this fact with most of their co-workers.
Hirotaka and Sheldon aren’t exactly social butterflies, and they tend to make friends very slowly. Instead, they value the friends that they already have and make the most of their limited social circles, which is what introverts tend to do. They also have a much more extroverted sibling – Hirotaka has Naoya, and Sheldon, his sister Missy.
4 Zenji Marui Is Frail But Brilliant (Food Wars!)
Some geeky anime characters are also tough, such as the athletic Tenya Iida, but most of them are physically frail and would much rather exercise their minds than their muscles, which describes Sheldon Cooper precisely. It also describes Zenji Marui, the local bookworm of Totsuki Academy.
Zenji Marui has a feeble constitution and often faints after a job, but his mind is much stronger. He has studied just about everything pertaining to cuisine, and he can use his vast knowledge to prepare any kind of dish, no matter the challenge at hand. If Sheldon became a chef, he’d do things the exact same way.
3 Souta Kazama Is A Shy Office Worker (My Senpai Is Annoying)
Souta Kazama may not be a genius scientist like Sheldon Cooper, but he is comfortable working a white-collar job, and like Sheldon, he’s a shy and reserved fellow who doesn’t express himself too easily, even to his co-workers. He’d rather go home and play video games alone.
Sheldon knows that feeling, and he also knows what it’s like to feel insecure about being in a romantic relationship. When Sheldon and Amy got serious, Sheldon wasn’t sure if he was ready, and similarly, Souta Kazama didn’t feel ready for a serious relationship with Toko Sakurai. But he managed it all the same.
2 Kaede Manyuda Is Smart But Cocky (Kakegurui)
Kakegurui takes place in a private high school where the students are the sons and daughters of elite business leaders, and they learn how to gamble in high-stakes games with one another. Scheming and backstabbing are the norms here, and only the smartest, and luckiest, students will succeed.
Protagonist Yumeko Jabami is a hedonistic thrill seeker, while the student council member Kaede Manyuda is a stone-cold schemer with an arrogant streak, thanks to his family’s vast wealth. He and Sheldon are both successful but conceited in their respective fields, and they sometimes pick fights they can’t win.
1 Edward Elric Is Brilliant But Has An Attitude (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Edward Elric is more outgoing than Sheldon Cooper and much more physically active, but when they’re in their element, the two characters have a lot in common after all. Both of them are dedicated scientists who are comfortable in libraries and research labs, and they take great pride in what they do.
In addition, Edward and Sheldon quickly lose their patience when someone mocks them or mistreats them, and they tend to hold grudges and put other people down in retaliation. They also struggled a bit in their love lives, though they’re making a sincere effort in that department.
About The Author