Hooray, it’s not all men!
In anime, it’s all about power, and those who can wield it best will rise to the top.
No series can ever be second-guessed, meaning the powers that characters have can manifest themselves in mysterious and magical ways. From Dragon Ball to Jujutsu Kaisen, each of our favourite shows have a protagonist that hits all the right notes.
Though comparing separate anime worlds is never an easy task, weighing up the skillset of our favourite anime characters reveals more than we might have realised about their powers.
But who truly is the most powerful of them all? Here’s our take on the top 10 most powerful anime characters of all time.
Most powerful anime characters ranked
10. Nobara, Jujutsu Kaisen
When it comes to the power of Nobara from Jujutsu Kaisen, it’s a question of what’s to come rather than what fans are already seeing.
In short, she shows a scary amount of potential. When Jujutsu Kaisen’s first season kicks off, Nobara isn’t even 16 years of age. She works at a level that’s already well beyond Yuji’s, tackling lower-cursed spirits like there’s no tomorrow.
Though she is still a first-year student, she’s on track to rival the best sorcerers around — and may even surpass them.
9. Isaac, Hunter x Hunter
Though the focus of Hunter x Hunter mostly rests on Gon’s shoulders, it’s Isaac that takes the crown when it comes to the most powerful.
Even outside of the Hunter x Hunter world, Isaac is considered to be one of the strongest martial arts elders ever created, which is mostly thanks to his gruelling personal training regime. According to the show, it was this that gave Isaac a mind-bending amount of power, surviving the ultimate tests that were put in his way.
In addition to this, he’s also able to summon a giant karate god in case he’s ever in need of back-up.
8. Eren, Attack on Titan
The Titans clearly rule the roost when it comes to Attack on Titan, but it doesn’t mean that they are the show’s most powerful characters.
As a former member of the Survey Corps, Eren becomes able to transform himself into a 15m Titan, bridging the gap between the best of both worlds. Though he probably doesn’t have the same prowess as some of his other anime counterparts, he can’t be counted out, as he’s able to summon the existing Titans to wage war on who he chooses. All in all, it’s a pretty scary feat to go up against him.
7. Erza, Fairy Tail
Making up a significant part of Natsu’s team, Fairy Tail’s Erza is both dependable and incredible at what she does.
Erza’s endurance is what sets her apart from those she battles, knowing full well of her impeccable skills with a sword and an intuitive ability to re-equip with weapons. On top of that, she has amazing durability, intelligence and supernatural powers, utilising her telekinesis wherever she can.
6. Beerus, Dragon Ball Super
When the going gets tough in Dragon Ball Super, Beerus gets going. Though he is one of the key antagonistic forces in the show, the God of Destruction of Universe 7 completely lives up to his namesake.
With the appearance of a humanoid cat, Beerus is actually considered to be one of the 12 most powerful Gods of Destruction in the Dragon Ball franchise. Though he has huge streaks of laziness, he’s unstoppable when he is on good form, easily wiping out entire planets in a matter of seconds.
5. Naruto
As the most powerful ninja on our list, Naruto’s unmatched talents come down to sheer physical power.
Though his loud mouth is helpful for getting him through the toughest of spots, his various modes help to boost his natural powers to an unbeatable level. Naruto’s Nine-Tailed Demon Fox mode is the perfect example of this, which also helps to fuel his positive relationships with other tailed beasts.
4. Sailor Moon
Considered to have the same power level as a God, Sailor Moon is the be-all and end-all of powerful women in anime history.
Though her kawaii looks can be deceiving, she’s incredibly resistant to tricks that are frequently used on her, such as hypnosis. As fans would expect, she’s the most powerful out of the Sailor Senshi group, with her signature attack holding enough power to shake the entire Solar System.
3. Goku, Dragon Ball
Goku is a man of many forms, with the current count of 21 making up the bulk of the reason why he is one of the most powerful anime characters of all time.
Through training and perfecting his skillset, Goku has managed to level up enough times to wipe out a whole host of opponents in the Dragon Ball franchise, leaving him vulnerable to only a few classic characters that exist in the anime world. Alongside Goku’s infamous golden form of Super Saiyan, he’s also learned how to transform into a giant ape to defeat his foes.
2. Zeno, Dragon Ball Super
It’s often said that no one can match Goku’s power in Dragon Ball Super, but Zeno might just have him beat.
Though he is absolutely tiny in stature, Zeno can simultaneously create and destroy things across all universes in a single instant. Not only does this leave every living thing at his beck and call, but he can also command spaces without the need for technique or physical abilities.
1. Saitama, One-Punch Man
They say one punch does the job — and against Saitama’s fist, no one else really stands a chance.
Even if Zeno was to snap his fingers and wipe away all of humanity, a punch from Saitama before impact would stop him in his tracks. As far as Saitama’s physical structure is concerned, he might not be too much to write home about… but a lethal combination of supernatural and natural abilities is enough to arguably make Saitama the most powerful character there is.
You can catch the above shows on Crunchyroll. Sign up to Crunchyroll from $7.99 per month with a 14-day free trial.
Check out more of our anime coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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