The Strongest Anime Characters of All Time, Ranked

99% of anime viewers watch anime for one reason: to watch strong people do stuff. One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball Z, the world’s most popular anime series focus almost entirely on the main character’s quest to be ludicrously, astronomically, plot-breakingly powerful. In the same way we pit our own fathers against one another, everyone thinks that their favorite anime character can beat your favorite anime character up. But like dads, not all strong anime characters are created equally tough. Some are stronger than others, and when the fists start flying, some anime fans are sure to be in for a rude awakening when their favorite character hits the floor. And faced with characters on this list, your favorite anime character (or your dad) probably doesn’t stand a chance.

10. Mob – Mob Psycho 100

The last place character on this list is a god among men, so that only goes to show what kind of power levels we’re dealing with here. Mob is a psychic – the world’s greatest. The boy can level cities with his mind. He’s perhaps one of the most powerful psychics not only in anime but in all of media. I’m sure that Professor X would not want to go toe to toe with this kid. He only gets downgraded because his body itself isn’t very strong. He’s sort of a glass cannon – he can dish it out, but can’t take it.

9. Kaido – One Piece

Kaido, on the other hand, is made of 100% solid steel – and dragon scales. They don’t call this dude the World’s Strongest Creature for nothing. He possesses a Devil Fruit that allows him to turn into a massive dragon that is nearly impervious to harm. He’s shrugged off blows from the multiple members of the Worst Generation in a combined assault – one of whom is the main character. To stand up against an attack from a shonen protagonist, Kaido is truly a monster of epic proportions.

8. Kaguya Otsutsuki – Naruto

Another foe that was able to fend off the attacks of the main character is Kaguya Otsutsuki – whose addition marks the point where this list shifts focus away from super strong mortals and becomes pantheon of anime gods. Kaguya Otsutsuki is basically a small “g” god in the Naruto universe. She is the person who brought charka into existence by eating the fruit of the God Tree before recorded shinobi history. Without her, the ninja world wouldn’t exist. In the end, she was defeated by her own horniness – Naruto was able to use his sexy jutsu in order to distract her just enough to and a blow.

7. Lucifer – Devilman Crybaby

Lucifer from Devilman Crybaby is where the power disparities on this list reach biblical proportions. Lucifer is an angel. You know, those unkillable beings of light and fire that capital “g” God sends to level cities and tell virgins they’re pregnant? Well, Lucifer is one of the strongest angels in heaven, second only to Michael. As such, he is able to wipe the floor with our poor Devilman hero Akira. One attack from Lucifer was able to split the Moon in half. Yikes.

6. Griffith/Femto – Berserk

Griffith is another powerful angel on this list, albeit in name only. He is one of the five fingers of the Godhand and is practically untouchable. He exists outside of physical reality, and therefore cannot be killed by physical means. A battle with Griffith would be fought in the astral world, and he’s got the home field advantage. What good is a sword the size of a four door sedan if your enemy can simply phase through it? Guts is going to need to come up with a more creative solution to bring Griffith down.

5. Tetsuo – Akira

So now we’ve crossed over from small “g” gods to medium sized “g” gods. Tetsuo isn’t the “God” of our universe per-se, but he does become “God” to another universe of his own creation. At the end of Akira, Tetsuo’s psychic ability gets so out of control that he essentially collapses into a singularity and then Big Bangs his way into an alternative dimension. I’d like to see anyone else on this list do that. I’m only taking points away because he isn’t in control of his powers, and therefore one of the more sophisticated universe-breakers on this list could possibly beat him.

4. Beerus – Dragon Ball Super

Beerus is the God of Destruction, and the only being that Goku is unable to beat. And Goku is the MAIN CHARACTER. WHAT GIVES? Goku even powered up into Super Saiyan God mode to take this guy out and he STILL couldn’t defeat Beerus. In fact, Beerus was able to beat Goku quite easily. Sure, Beerus was “impressed” while they were fighting, in the same way that I’d be “impressed” if a cockroach I crushed under my shoe were still twitching.

3. Whis –Dragon Ball Super

Whis is Beerus’s martial arts teacher, and another all-powerful angel. This dude is so strong that he was assigned to watch over Beerus and keep the God of Destruction out of trouble. He’s technically Beerus’s assistant, and helps prepare Beerus’s meals and even puts him to bed. At one point, Whis is able to knock out a rampaging Beerus with a single karate chop. When you consider that Beerus is the being that brought Goku to his knees, Whis becomes all the more terrifying.

2. Zeno – Dragon Ball Super

Zeno is a capital “g” God, full stop. You don’t think he looks like one? Say that to his face and he will simply delete you and the rest of your universe. Zeno may have the appearance of a li’l alien baby, but he is the strongest being in the Dragon Ball multiverse. Somehow, Goku manages to befriend him, though, which is a good thing, because I would hate to consider what would happen to the fabric of reality if this guy had enemies.

1. Saitama – One Punch Man

One Punch Man can defeat any opponent in one punch. That is the conceit of the show. Therefore, he is the most powerful character in anime history. I don’t care if Zeno could “delete” him from existence, because Saitama could probably punch his way into existence again. He is simply an unstoppable being. No, he can’t create life and other universes like a theological God, but he sure as hell could destroy them. And are not destruction and entropy the most powerful forces in existence? God could say, “Let there be light,” but if Saitama were trying to sleep, he would simply punch God out of existence and then nap in the cool darkness of Unbeing. Let’s just hope it never comes to that.

(featured image: Toei Animation)

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Sarah Fimm

Sarah Fimm (they/them) is actually nine choirs of biblically accurate angels crammed into one pair of $10 overalls. They have been writing articles for nerds on the internet for less than a year now. They really like anime. Like... REALLY like it. Like you know those annoying little kids that will only eat hotdogs and chicken fingers? They're like that... but with anime. It's starting to get sad.