<p>Organic molecule electrodes (OMEs), in particular anthraquinone with multi-electron redox-active centers, have shown great potential in the field of electrochemical energy storage (EES). In this paper, anthraquinone molecules with four different types of substituents (containing amino or hydroxyl, or both or neither) were selected to modify graphene for a comparison study. Among the selected anthraquinone molecules, 1,5-diamino-4,8-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (DADHAQ) was found to be highly compatible with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The optimal OME (DADHAQ/rGO-0.5) achieved specific capacitance of 436.82 F g⁻¹ and a high capacitive contribution (85% at 5&#xa0;mV&#xa0;s⁻¹ and nearly 100% at 100&#xa0;mV&#xa0;s⁻¹). In further practical application evaluation, the asymmetrical device based on the DADHAQ/rGO-0.5 and 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DBQ)/rGO-0.5 electrodes delivered energy density of 31.8 Wh kg⁻¹ at a power density of 320 W kg⁻¹. Further analysis indicated that organic molecules with an electron-donating group may demonstrate a more negative redox peak potential, and the hydroxyl substituents located in adjacent positions of the quinone carbonyl group will inhibit its electrochemical performance because of an intramolecular hydrogen bond. The present work provides a referenced route for the effect of substituent type on the capacitive performance of OMEs.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>