This post is long over due, but it’s been so hard to come up with reasons for these animals😭 @monraggedy
The way I chose the animals was mostly vibes. I tried to take some of their key characteristics, like Isogai and Kataoka’s leadership qualities, but I also chose based off of looks, animals a character may have been compared to in the show/manga, and abilities a character may possess, like Okano’s gymnastics.
With that in mind, I’ve taken the liberty to change some of the characters animals because I believe I have found ones that suit them better.
My explanation for certain characters may be a little lacking, so if you want to ask specific questions for specific characters, please feel free to do so in my comments or dms.
Karma is a very cunning character, which foxes are typically made out to be in media. Nothing much to say other than the fact he just exudes fox energy.
Yuuma Isogai- Herding dog/bull
The dog just seems like the obvious choice because of his kind nature and ability to lead, so I was thinking some sort of herding dog. I think a border collie would fit him the most.
The bull mostly bc I think he’d look cute with the horns and ears, but also bc they’re like the leaders of their herd…? If that makes sense.
I have no idea. Okajima was so hard to pick for, so I chose a random animal.
Her code name was “amazing monkey.” With her gymnastics background climbing and the like comes easily to her, so her being a monkey is extremely fitting.
For her interest in poison, and her purple colored hair, being a poison dart frog just makes sense. I think her timid nature is contrasted by the vibrant colors of a dart frog.
A highly intelligent species of whale that forms bonds with its family. They can swim pretty fast which correlates to Kataoka’s swimming skills. I wanted to choose another leading animal like I did for Isogai, seeing as how they’re both class monitors, but I also wanted her to be a fish still. I think she could use her whale sounds in some way.
Kaeade Kayano- sheep (wolf)
She is the wolf in sheep’s clothing trope of course. I’m thinking that her sister was also a wolf, and that they’re a pretty rare species to be, so she disguised herself as a sheep to throw koro-sensei off. She’d cut off her tail as well!
Yukiko Kanzaki- butterfly
Butterfly’s symbolize change just like how Kanzaki was able to change the way she perceived herself. During the field trip episodes she talked a lot about her self-image, and even changed her appearance to feel more free, so her being able to accept herself is like her blooming from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
Masayoshi Kimura- cheetah
He’s the fastest in the class. Idk maybe he can SWIFTLY deliver JUSTICE… I’ll shut up.
She’s a very bubbly character, so normally a butterfly might suit her better, but I think the moth contrasts her personality. Maybe she’s the flame that the moth is attracted to. @monraggedy suggested this, and I believe it’s perfect for her. My first instinct was to make her a stag beetle, but I love this option much more.
He’s compared to a snake many times in the show and has explicitly been compared to a python. This pick was extremely easy.
No particular reason. They both have whiteish grayish hair. Was based of the Pokemon, Smeargle, but it turns out Smeargle is not a lemur…so.
Tomohito Sugino- tiger/golden retriever
Sugino definitely has golden retriever energy, and he is said to be able to adapt to most people’s personality, so this is a great pick for him.
Strong reliable characters are often compared to tigers which is exactly what sugino is. Also he would look very cute with tiger features.
His best subject is science, so of course he is a lab rat! As seen in episode 12, Ball Game Tournament time, he has a knack for observation, or more so, statistics. When testing on animals, namely rats, statistics play a big role in the process.
Ryuunosuke Chiba- dragon fly
He has great kinetic vision so I chose an animal that has the same ability. Being able to fly would be a great advantage for sniping. Dragon flys are able to make split second decisions because of their great vision, and I think that aligns with Chiba perfectly.
Ryoma Teraseka- buffalo/gorilla
I think Terasaka would look great with buffalo features, but I think being a gorilla would suit him more. Gorillas are known to have a strong bond with their pack, which could be like his bond with Yoshida, Muramatsu, Hazama, and Itona. I think he could get super aggressive when his friends are on the line, or if he feels his ego is being poked.
I chose the coyote to match with Karma’s fox. The more gold-ish color of a coyote also matches her hair. I think she would be more a solitary coyote because of the alienation she felt over her academics. She’d have a super annoying laugh too.
Kirara Hazama- long eared bat
Just the first “creepy” animal I could think of. I think Hazama is better with close range weapons but with her use of echo location, she would be a pretty decent sniper, or she could direct other members of E-class using it.
Rinka Hayami- red squirrel
Red headed red squirrel!! I knew I wanted some sort of tree animal for her because of her upside down tree feat. She’s noted to have incredible balance, so I chose an animal that shares that same trait. Squirrels use their tails to help them balance in many ways, but most notably as a counter balance and as a mechanism for landing.
Sumire Hara- chipmunk/mouse
She very much so gives off small rodent energy. She’s a very soft character I feel like, and her best subject is home ec which is indicative of her soft nature. She is also good with making traps, and I feel like a rodent would have to be tricky like that since they’re prey animal.
No real reason for this. She would just look absolutely adorable with raccoon features.
During the civil war arc he says he’s way better with knives as opposed to guns. Knife stinger. Bees are very sociable, and his color palette works with it.
Koki Mimura- pigeon (some bird)
As noted by Karma, Mimura has an eye for the battle field. Being able to get a birdseye view of things would aid that skill immensely. Loosely based off of “birds aren’t real.” Yk with the whole camera thing.
This boy looks exactly like a lama. He’s pretty lanky and always leaning on stuff, so the awkwardness of a lama suits him.
She’s a beautiful girl and looks up to Irina a lot, but choosing an animal with traits that could hint at that has proven to be difficult.
I just genuinely have no idea. His interests are motorcycles, so I was thinking a spider, which is an animal that could handle intricate things like that, but idk😭
I knew I wanted some sort of fantasy animal for her, and I think before Koro-sensei upgraded her she’d be a normal horse because her inventors are boring. Her being a unicorn is kind of saying her Ai capabilities are like magic.
Squids are very much so predatory animals, which Itona is introduced as. The squid is also a comparison to his tentacles, but I didn’t want to make him an octopus like Koro-sensei.
Wolves are also predators, but because of the “the sheep’s got eyes for hay and the wolf’s got eyes for prey,” quote that refers to Itona as the wolf I believe this animal is befitting as well.
Koro-sensei- blue ringed octopus
They are able to camouflage themselves which I think is similar to Koro-senseis ability to change his appearance, and even turn invisible. When he’s mad the blue rings would turn almost neon. They’re poisonous which makes sense for his assassin background.
She’s compared to a spider multiple times in the show. Black widows are one of the most dangerous spiders in the world, and once you’re caught in her web, it’s already too late. She plans meticulously which could be akin to spinning her web.
Tadaomi Karasuma- Doberman or catboy
Karasuma as a catboy is just my guilty pleasure. For the Doberman though, it’s one of the most recognizable police/guard dogs. Doberman are also very sleek compared to other dogs like that, which I think is very suiting for him. He’s seen protecting E-class on many occasions.
I wanted to draw more characters, but my motivation dwindled after these two💔