There’s something magical that happens during a battle in most animes. A protagonist, usually with amazing hair (not you Saitama), is beaten down and punishingly tortured until they find that last little inkling of strength that helps them make it to the top. The strongest ones prevail, and not only through brute force but also cunning and a little bit of luck. But who are the strongest anime characters ever?
We’re taking into account things like fighting style, special skills, superpowers, the ability to fly, and being able to survive in space. This list is by no means the end of the conversation, and trust us, arguing about anime with friends or strangers on Discord is one of the best ways to pass the time, besides watching anime itself.
15. Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto
Obviously, there are stronger characters than Naruto, but he has them covered in the undiluted confidence and masterful technique categories. He also has the ability to summon huge shadow clones, and his mastery of Sage Mode and the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox are unparalleled.
14. Alucard
From: Hellsing
Ah the glowing eyes, the unkempt red suit with the oversized hat, the devilish and deadly charm. These are all ways to describe the ultimate killer Alucard. He’s superhumanly fast and strong, and he’s just as deadly with or without a weapon. He’s pretty much invincible at the start of the series but by the end he’s both all over and nowhere at all, making it that much harder to kill him (or even impossible).
13. Aang
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Sure, Aang is innocent, sweet and lovable …and one of the deadliest characters ever to character. He has the power of endless Avatars before him, and can call on all that reserved power and absolutely devastate his enemies. As the show goes on he gets more and more strong, eventually defeating the Fire Lord himself.
12. Eren Yeager
Attack on Titan
When we first meet Eren, he’s just a teen who wants revenge on the Titans after witnessing his mother be devoured. He joins the Survey Corp to help fight the Titan scourge, but as he eventually gains the ability to become a Titan himself, his strength level goes through the roof. He’s huge, incredibly strong and can control other Titans with the Founding Power. An army of Titans? No thanks.
11. Broly
Dragon Ball Super
This is the big cheese. The hot enchilada. The Super Saiyan in the flesh. Broly stands his own against both Golden Frieza and Super Saiyan Blue Goku, not to mention Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta. In fact, he was so strong that when Goku and Vegeta fused into Gogeta, they still couldn’t take him out.
10. Kaguya Otsutsuki
Naruto: Shippuden
There’s a common misconception that Naruto is the strongest character in the Naruto universe, but that’s simply just not the case. That distinction belongs to Kaguya aka the Rabbit Goddess. She can control nature, she has a mastery of ninjutsu and after she ate from the God Tree she could heal herself, which makes her that much stronger and harder to kill.
9. Luffy
One Piece
Monkey D. Luffy may look like your ordinary harmless rascal in his signature straw hat, but he spent 10 years learning to control his rubbery body. He has a number of “gears” that he can use to increase his strength. When he’s in Gear 5, he can literally transform the world around him, including people and even lightning.
8. Tetsuo
Akira
Poor Tetsuo. He never really got a fair shake. With his immense psychic powers and unmatched arrogance, he took his inferiority complex to new levels and began to mutate uncontrollably, becoming insanely destructive during the process. He was incredibly powerful and could catch tank shells and travel like lightning. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who could take on Tetsuo during one of his rampages.
7. Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw man is a hybrid being that’s one part devil from hell and one part a guy named Denji. The devils in the show are all based on objects that vary greatly (one is a tomato), but the chainsaw devil Pochita is one of the most feared. Why? He hunts other devils in Hell and kills them permanently, which means they can’t reincarnate on earth anymore.
6. Yhwach
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War
A villian to end all villains. His moniker “the almighty” is strangely fitting, considering he has all the powers of every one of the Quincy. He also has healing powers and can see into the future. Even more, if he doesn’t like that future he can simply change it, making him one of the hardest anime characters to kill. Now that’s strength.
5. Madoka Kaname
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
What’s cool about Madoka is that instead of a usual anime narrative where a protagonist gets stronger and stronger, Madoka is constantly trying to keep her powers in check. Her final form is so strong it can rewrite history, and so powerful that it becomes a law of the universe. Is she the strongest female anime hero ever? Maybe!
4. Anos Voldigoad
The Misfit of Demon King Academy
Even though the Demon King Academy, which came out in 2020, is one of the newer anime out there, Anos is more than 20 centuries old. As the reincarnation of the original Demon King, he possesses incredible abilities that make him incredibly hard to defeat. He can also destroy pretty much anything with his magical eyes.
3. Son Goku
Dragon Ball Z
When we’re talking pound for pound physical power in a body that was made for fighting, Son Goku is the only on in the conversation. He keeps getting stronger and he’s saved Earth more times than than one can even count. His Saiyan blood means if he’s beaten he’ll only get stronger, too.
2. Saitama
One Punch Man
An all around amazing character, Saitama is unmatched in strength. Even more remarkable is that he doesn’t really need to do anything at all. His punches create misty red goo out of his enemies, and he’s also hilarious, which is neither here nor there but absolutely true.
1. Zeno
Dragon Ball Super
What’s great about Zeno is he looks like a child, but he the strength of an almighty God. Some might argue that he has the physical strength of a grandmother, but does that matter when you can snap your fingers and end the world? Didn’t think so.