The longest-running conversations in a fandom center on ranking the strongest anime characters and who would win in a fight. These debates are likely to go on for as long as new shows air every season. Anime can tell a broad range of stories, and the nature of animation tackles just about every genre of fiction, from slice-of-life to sci-fi.
However, combat-focused anime (usually in the shōnen genre) tends to be some of the most popular and commercially successful anime around. With so much combat in the medium, it’s no surprise that debates about which character is stronger than another are a staple of the fandom.
Of course, with more anime airing than ever before and heroes of ongoing tales constantly receiving power-ups, these debates can change from day to day. It may be impossible to say for sure who would win in a one-on-one fight, but the most powerful characters in anime can be ranked when they are at their strongest and most capable.
Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul
Over the course of Tokyo Ghoul, Ken Kaneki goes from a timid bookworm to a figure of worship known as the One-Eyed King. In exchange for only being able to consume coffee and human flesh, Kaneki gained superhuman strength and the ability to regenerate limbs and even his entire body.
After transforming into a half-Ghoul and training his body, he’s able to destroy entire cities easily and command legions of monstrous beasts that can transform others into Ghouls. This makes Ken Kaneki a borderline undefeatable fighter who only grows stronger with each injury he sustains.
Muzan Kibutsuji from Demon Slayer
Muzan Kibutsuji is the progenitor of the demons of Demon Slayer, who gained his own powers when experimented upon by a scientist with a rare blue spider lily over 1,000 years ago. Muzan is capable of turning others into demons, and his blood will outright kill those who are incompatible with it.
He can shape and mold his body to form weapons and is an absolutely vicious killer. Muzan’s only weakness is sunlight; as a demon, he’s unable to go out during the day, and he’s spent most of his long life desperately searching for a cure for this one flaw.
When in the dark, however, Muzan’s ability to regenerate is nearly unlimited, and as a result, he’s killed many, many demon slayers over the years.
Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan’s protagonist Eren Yeager is a very powerful character who has the ability to transform into a 15-meter-tall Titan with incredible regenerative abilities. However, the reason he ranks among the strongest anime characters is because of his ability to command legions of Titans with the power of the Founding Titan.
Using this ability, Eren can bring entire nations to ruin with a simple command that summons thousands of 50-meter-tall Titans to action. Entire armies could not stand against this ability, and that makes Eren deserving of a spot as one of the most powerful characters in anime.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni from Demon Slayer
Not only was Yoriichi one of the first Demon Slayers, but he was also arguably the strongest. Yoriichi invented the sun breathing style that all of Demon Slayer’s other breathing styles derive from. As the base breathing style, Sun Breathing alone is incredibly powerful and effective against demons, making Yoriichi an absolute nightmare to face for any of Muzan’s followers.
Yoriichi’s older brother, Kokushibo, was also a Demon Slayer before he joined Muzan’s forces as a demon after failing to learn the family’s Breathing Style. In addition to the power of Sun Breathing, Yoriichi is also just a strong fighter. His skill with a sword is second to none, and he was in peak physical condition even in his eighties.
Denji and Pochita from Chainsaw Man
Before Pochita merged with Denji, he was the original Chainsaw Man and was one of Hell’s most feared creatures for good reason. In addition to his incredible strength, endurance, and regeneration, the original Chainsaw Man was capable of warping reality by ‘eating’ devils and erasing them from existence.
As a result of Pochita, major events in world history have just been erased from existence. Though Denji’s longing for connection makes him easy to manipulate, his potential power as Chainsaw Man could make him one of anime’s strongest characters if and when the series returns.
Koro-sensei from Assassination Classroom
Koro-sensei is an “alien” who wields dozens of incredibly powerful tentacles, which make up the bulk of his body. Koro-sensei is unbelievably fast, able to zip across the world on his lunch break and dodge streams of bullets coming out of machine guns without breaking a sweat.
Koro-sensei can only be killed by special “anti-sensei” material, which is harmless to ordinary humans even when made into weapons. It’s also a master assassin, skilled in various forms of combat. While his stamina isn’t limitless, it’s incredibly high, so if Koro-Sensei weren’t specifically training people to kill him, he’d be nigh unstoppable.
Alucard from Hellsing Ultimate
A character based on a legend like Dracula has to be able to deliver in the power department, and Alucard in Hellsing Ultimate does just that. Functionally immortal at the beginning of the series due to the number of souls inside of him, and then literally immortal by the end of it, Alucard cannot be killed.
He has super strength, speed, and incredible durability, putting him far above the level of a mere human. Alucard can manipulate and control blood in addition to a plethora of other odd powers, like the ability to pass through walls.
His dual pistols are also essentially cannons, and he is able to summon the souls of those he’s eaten to form an army of servants. As if those abilities aren’t enough, Alucard also has an army of demon dogs at the ready that can tear nearly any enemy it shreds in an extremely painful instant.
Tetsuo Shima from Akira
Tetsuo Shima, the de facto antagonist of Akira, awakens his immeasurable psychic powers after a collision with another psychic. His powers quickly grow in strength, and before long, he runs the risk of obliterating the entire universe.
Thankfully, before that can happen, he warps himself to a place outside of reality, and the force of his psychic explosion gives birth to a whole new universe. Few other anime characters possess the ability to both create and destroy reality, and that’s what ranks Tetsuo among the strongest characters in the medium.
Jotaro Kujo from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Jotaro Kujo is the main protagonist of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders. As a person, he’s as smart as he is tough and able to discern and counter the abilities of anyone who would challenge him. His Stand’s ability, Star Platinum, is one of the most physically powerful Stands in the series, despite its short range.
After going up against Dio, Jotaro also learned how to stop time for several seconds, allowing him to wail on enemies as they stand helplessly. Those without Stands can’t even see them, so Jotaro could easily defeat any character without a Stand, without so much as cluing them into what just happened.
Kaguya Otsutsuki from Naruto
Known as the Rabbit Goddess, Kaguya is the most powerful villain in the Naruto franchise and easily ranks among the strongest anime women. Not originally from Earth, Kaguya travels to the planet in order to take the fruit of the God Tree. Her plan was to unite people by making them fear her.
Kaguya’s abilities allow her to read minds, manipulate memories, travel through space, and control the elements. Once she partakes of the God Tree’s fruit, she’s also able to heal her own injuries, making her nearly indestructible. Kaguya’s powers rank her as one of the strongest anime villains of all time.
