Anime greats like Yasuko Kobayashi, Gen Urobuchi, and Hideaki Anno have crafted unforgettable moments that rival Shakespeare in their emotional depth. From quiet, introspective moments to explosive declarations, here are 10 of the best anime monologues, soliloquies, and speeches that will have you feeling ureshii at your next audition.

1. “Attack on Titan” (2013–2023): Erwin Smith’s final charge

On the battlefield, Commander Smith urges his soldiers to charge into almost certain death. What starts as a logical, composed call to arms builds into an impassioned war cry as he convinces his troops to sacrifice everything. This monologue is an opportunity to showcase controlled intensity. It requires a steady progression from an almost eerily calm, existential persuasion to full-blown, battle-ready desperation, commitment, and ferocity.

Standing and waiting just means we’ll be showered by more boulders. Get ready on the double! No matter what dreams or hopes you had, no matter how blessed a life you’ve lived, it’s all the same if you’re shredded by rocks. Everyone will die someday. Does this mean life is meaningless? Was there even any meaning in our being born? Would you say that of our fallen comrades? Their lives, were they meaningless? NO, THEY WEREN’T! It’s us who gives meaning to our comrades’ lives! The brave fallen! The anguished fallen! The ones who will remember them...are us, the living! We die trusting the living who follow to find meaning in our lives! That is the sole method in which we can rebel against this cruel world! MY SOLDIERS, RAGE! MY SOLDIERS, SCREAM! MY SOLDIERS, FIGHT!

2. “Death Note” (2006–2007): Light Yagami’s “I am Kira” confession

After years of deception, Light Yagami finally embraces his role as Kira, relishing his godlike power. His composed exterior begins to crack as he taunts his opponent, laughing maniacally in a mix of arrogance, determination, and hysteria. This is an opportunity to showcase a gradual transformation in a short time period, starting as smooth and calculated before spiraling into full-blown, sinister triumph. Try experimenting with vocal shifts, facial tension, and body language to highlight the unraveling of Light’s mask.

That’s right, I am Kira. And what can you do? Kill me right here? Hear this: I’m not only Kira, but I am also god of the new world! Kira has become law in the world we now live. He’s the one who’s maintaining order. I have become justice. The only hope for mankind. Kill me? Is that really the right thing to do? Since Kira’s appearance six years ago, wars have stopped and global crime rates have been reduced by over 70%. But… it’s not enough. This world is still rotten with too many rotten people. Somebody has to do this! And when I first got that notebook all those years ago, I knew I had to do it—no, I was the only one who could. I understood that killing people was a crime. There was no other way! The world had to be fixed! A purpose given to me! Only I could do it. Who else could have done it and come this far? Would they have kept going? The only one who can create a new world is me.

3. “Vinland Saga” (2019–2023): Thorfinn’s speech on having no enemies

In a moment of profound transformation, Thorfinn reflects on the cycle of violence that has defined his life and the teachings of his late father, Thors. After years on the battlefield, he now realizes the inanity of war, which he shows through a deep internal shift. To really sell this speech, balance restraint with emotional weight and integrity through subtle facial expressions and controlled pacing.

Why ask such a ridiculous question? Beating a man into submission is no way to start a peace negotiation. Today is the first I’ve met any of you. We know nothing about one another. I have no quarrels with anyone here, and I’m not who you came to fight. So what reason could we have to hit each other? It’s absurd. We’re only here because of a dispute between Canute and Ketil. The two of them could settle it with a game of hnefatafl and it would mean as much as this war. But they both raised armies instead and sent them out here to spill each other’s blood. We just met and we’ve hardly even spoken. I don’t have one enemy among these men. I have no enemies at all.

4. “Hunter x Hunter” (2011–2014): Meruem’s final words to Komugi

As the Chimera Ant King faces his final moments, he spends them not in rage, but in quiet reflection. He expresses the simple desire to stay by Komugi’s side, but warns her of the poison that might infect her. This is a study in subtlety, allowing you to show off your abilities to excel in underplaying emotion while still giving the writing an emotional weight.

I suppose I must tell you the truth. I… I have been poisoned, and I have little time. Komugi, I wanted to spend my final moments playing against you. But this poison is contagious. If you stay near me too long, you will also… She reversed my reversal?… I see… I… was born for this moment.

5. “Fullmetal Alchemist” (2003–2004): Roy Mustang’s oath

On Episode 43, “The Stray Dog,” Roy Mustang discusses the true cost of war and the sacrifices required for freedom. As tensions rise, he reflects on the blood on his hands, questioning whether his pursuit of justice will ever outweigh his past sins. His words are calm but laced with underlying bitterness. The writing carries an arc from regret to pain to conviction that makes it perfect for anyone trying out for a badass action character.

I once executed two people, two doctors. “There are no sides, just patients.” That’s what they said as they treated our fallen enemies in Ishval. But the people they were healing would just rise up again to fight us. The military asked them to stop, but they wouldn’t. And their makeshift hospital was becoming a den for insurgents. I got my orders in the morning, and I shot them that night. Afterwards I tried to kill myself, but I was too much of a coward. So I took an oath instead: to never follow unreasonable commands again, to reach a position where I wouldn’t have to follow them. And I’ve stayed true to that. I’m not chasing you because I was commanded to. I’m doing it because I’m pissed. Now, why the hell did you two run away without asking for my help first?!

6. “One Piece” (1999–): Nico Robin confesses she wants to live

For most of the series, Nico Robin is a woman who buries her emotions under a stoic facade. But in this moment, she finally breaks down, admitting her deepest fear: that she doesn’t want to die. This moment thrives on contrast—restraint shattered by raw desperation. If you know how to cry on command and can bring that to the audition room, all the better.

I can live? I never dared to wish for something like that. The world had denied me hope. I just want to die! But now, if I’m allowed to say my wish, just this once, then I… I want to live! Take me with you! Take me away from here!

7. “Code Geass” (2006–2008): Lelouch demands obedience

On the brink of executing his grandest plan, Lelouch gives both a declaration and a farewell. He masks his sorrow behind cold calculation, all while manipulating the world into believing he is the ultimate villain. This speech’s layered performance makes it ideal if you’re auditioning for an antagonist who shows one face to the world and another behind the mask.

Attention, entire world! Hear my proclamation! I am Lelouch vi Britannia, emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire and your only ruler. Schneizel has surrendered to me. As a result of this, I am now in control of both the Damocles and the F.L.E.I.J.A. weapons, and even the Black Knights no longer possess the strength to oppose me now. If anyone dares to resist my supreme authority, they shall know the devastating powers of the F.L.E.I.J.As! Those who could challenge my military rule no longer exist. Yes, from this day, from this moment forward, the world belongs to me! Lelouch vi Britannia commands you: Obey me, subjects! Obey me, world!

8. “Naruto: Shippuden” (2007–2017): Pain’s cycle of hatred

On Episode 165, Pain stands before Naruto and explains the endless cycle of war, vengeance, and suffering that plagues the world. He speaks not as a villain but as someone who has endured unbearable loss as he puts forth his nihilistic worldview. Allow cold rationality and controlled pacing to dictate your delivery and make this a truly commanding audition piece.

Oh, I see, that is noble of you. That would be justice. However, what about my family? My friends? My village? They suffered the same fate as this village at the hands of you, Hidden Leaf ninja. How is it fair to let only you people preach about peace and justice? Once, the Land of Fire and the Hidden Leaf had grown too big. To protect their national interest, they forced feudal clans to wage war against each other, and profited from it. Otherwise, the people of the villages would have starved. As it happened, our little nation and its villages became the battlefield where the great nations waged their war. Each time they did, our nation was ravaged and laid to waste. After many such battles, the great nations stabilized, but our smaller nation suffered, and it barely recovered. You and I are both seeking the very same thing. We both want to achieve the peace that Jiraiya-sensai envisioned. You and I are the same. We’re both motivated by our desire for peace and justice. The justice that I have delivered against the Leaf Village is no different from what you are trying to do to me. Everyone feels the same pain when losing something dear. You and I have both experienced that pain. You strive for your justice and I strive for mine. We’re both just ordinary men who have been driven to seek vengeance in the name of justice. And if one comes to call vengeance “justice,” such justice will only breed further vengeance, and trigger a vicious Cycle of Hatred. Right now we live in such a cycle. I know the past and can foretell our future. It is the same as our history. So we believe that human beings simply cannot understand each other, and they never will. The shinobi world of ours is ruled by hatred and hatred alone.

9. “Tokyo Ghoul” (2014): Eto Yoshimura wants to eat Kaneki

The seductive and manipulative ghoul Eto marvels at Kaneki’s rare and irresistible scent, drawing out each word with unsettling elegance as she describes the sheer pleasure of consuming him. This monologue is an exercise in controlled eccentricity, great for roles in horror films. Use it to show off your ability to shift between sophisticated eloquence and primal hunger, seduction and menace.

Mr. Kaneki, the truth is, I noticed you. The way you were looking at me. Yes. I, too, happen to be interested in you. Ah, delicious! Mr. Kaneki, there’s something I like even more than reading. Know what it is? It’s pulling all the organs out of someone who isn’t trying to run away from me. That expression! It’s fantastic! Would you let me thrill myself even more? I caught you! Mr. Kaneki! I’m going to gently scramble up your insides for you now, OK? Uh-oh, did you die? That’s too bad. I really did like you. There’s just the right amount of fat on you; you look nice and soft, and easy to eat.

10. “Clannad After Story” (2008–2009): Tomoya grieves

Crushed by the weight of losing the love of his life, Tomoya struggles to articulate his pain. His words are simple, but they carry years of longing, regret, numbness, and despair. The challenge of this isn’t in breaking down—it’s in holding back the tears until the moment feels unbearable. Focus on the build-up to earn the emotional release.

I was living only for the sake of living. I’d get up, go to work, eat, and sleep. I simply repeated what my body did out of habit. That’s how I lived every day. I kept working as if I were torturing myself. I wanted to forget everything. I worked without taking any notice of anything. After work and days off were rough for me. I spent money just to kill time. I felt as if I would fall to pieces if I faced reality. I hate this town. But if I left this town, I wouldn’t have anything to do or anywhere to go. I tried not to think of anything. I didn’t want to think of anything. I wanted to forget everything. I thought they were all mistakes. The fact that I met her, the fact that we dated and got married, and the fact that we had a baby… I thought they were all mistakes.