The history and origin of the word ‘geek’ is quite interesting. The word finds its roots in the German word geck which literally translates to a ‘fool’ or ‘freak’. Over the centuries, the word has become more of a concept and evolved into something entirely different. In contemporary times, the word geek is usually used to describe nerds who are stereotyped as being book worms who know little about practical life.

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In the world of anime though, geeks are not always foolish nerds who do not know anything. In this article, we will mention 4 of those geeky anime characters who are actually underdog heroes.

If we move away from the stereotypical definitions, then it is not necessarily bad to be a geek. If you look at it differently, then geeks are those passionate souls who dedicate their lives to their cause to the point of obsession. It can be for studies, some research or even something related to arts. Geeks have extreme devotion for whatever they love, and they prioritize their passion over everything else.

 Keima Katsuragi  

Keima Katsuragi
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Since we are talking about geeks, let us start with a nerdy looking character who looks exactly like a nerd from his appearance. For some anime lovers, Keima Katsuragi might be an arrogant and rude person and this is partly true as well.

Keima can be seen always dedicating all his time and effort into dating sims. He has neither time nor desire to form real human relationships at all. However, when he is forced to interact with some girls in the real world, you will be surprised to find out that he is not as bad as it seems. He pays attention to what people have to say and is always trying to come up with solutions to help anyone who is facing a problem. This side of Keima was not known to a lot of people. Surprisingly, when you look beyond his appearance and geeky behavior, he is a loving and empathetic person.

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Yutaka Itazu

Yutaka Itazu
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Next on our list is Yutaka Itazu, one of the most genius characters in the world of anime. Yutaka knows that sometimes sacrifice is necessary to achieve big things. Like all geeks, he left everything to dedicate all his life and time to his craft. He left his friends and the entire society. Yutaka is so involved in work that he often even forgets to wear his pants.

Despite all his hard work and dedication, Yutaka is often seen struggling and has at times suffered with loss and failure. However, none of his struggles or failures ever stopped him from pursuing his passion with the same level of dedication. He is truly one of those who do not quit or give up. He is an intelligent person with many God gifted abilities.

Although he always stays away from people and never socializes much, he is very soft at heart. There have been occasions when he has gone out of his ways to help people in need. He never hesitates from taking out some time whenever there is a good cause. Other than being involved in computers, this geek also loves baseball.

Rika Shiguma

Rika Shiguma
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If we could think of one anime character that could challenge all the stereotypes about geeks, it is Rika. Unlike the popular belief, Rika is neither an introvert nor socially awkward when it comes to interacting with people. In fact, there are times when Rika shows a lot of confidence and does not shy away from sharing her fantasies with everyone.

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What makes her a geek is her brilliance and her dedication to work. She spends most of her time staying in her lab and doing great new experiments. She is never afraid of discovering new things. Once she sets her eyes on a goal, there is nothing stopping her from achieving them. There are times when her experiments turn into disasters, but that is never something that can shatter her confidence.

Renge Houshakuji

Renge Houshakuji
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Ouran High School Host Club is usually focused on boys, but here we have chosen to talk about Renge Houshakuji. She is an extraordinary, brave girl who is into dating sims too. When she likes a human that is usually because they resemble her favorite anime character.

When she gets appointed as the manager of the club, she uses that opportunity in trying to mold boys in such a way that they can match her ideals. Other than being dedicated and smart, Renge is also caring and sweet at times.

Despite being a geek, she finds time to for cosplay as well. Although she is not so good at it, but she can be very terrifying at times if anything makes her mad. Anger turns her hair into a nest of hissing snakes that can scare even the bravest of people.

Unlike most geeks, Renge does not run away from love and human relationships. All she tries to do is to find humans, and people she can love, who resemble her favorite characters. It was in the pursuit of this goal that she joined the club as well.

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Rikka Takanashi  

Rikka Takanashi 1
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And finally, we have Rikka Takanashi, one of those few anime characters who are blessed with mythical powers. She grew up into a mature, ethereal being who never minds going out of her way to achieve her goals. She is an honest and dedicated individual who is no less than a symbol of love in the anime world. Other than that, she is also a great warrior who is never afraid of fighting tyrants. She never loses hope and struggles every single day to fit into a society whose values rarely align with her.

Conclusion

All these anime characters that we have mentioned here are those geeks that are underdog heroes in their own ways. All of them have different traits and different powers, but one thing that is common in all of them is their dedication.  They all have dedicated their lives to their passions and they never stop pursuing their goals.

If there is one thing we could learn from these anime characters that would be to understand that it is not always bad to be a geek. Geeks are not always the odd ones out, rather they are just those few people who have mastered the art of setting priorities. Other than these 5, there are many more anime geeks that you can take inspiration from.

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