Top 10 Most Badass Anime Characters of All Time
What makes a character truly badass in anime? Is it their sheer strength, unshakable resolve, or just the way they handle every situation like a total pro? Maybe it's the ruthless, no-nonsense attitude they bring to the table, or how they can walk away from a fight covered in blood and still look like they could take on a whole army. Whatever it is, some anime characters have that it factor that makes them unforgettable.This list is all about those characters who fight against impossible odds, live by their own code, and never back down from a challenge. They've got killer moves, intense storylines, and the kind of swagger that just screams legendary. Some are cold-blooded warriors, while others have a quieter, deadlier presence. No matter how they get the job done, though, they leave a serious impact on fans and opponents alike.
Vegeta is an anime fictional character from the anime series, Dragon Ball Z, created by Akira Toriyama. One of the first and most classic examples of an anime-style badass. When I consider the simplicity and consistency of his character development, paired with his badassery, it always puts a smile on my face.
Roronoa Zoro can go get bent for all I care. In fact, I posted an article on ScrewAttack about why I think Zoro is a prime example of the worst character archetype in all of fiction. If you're curious, it's called "Roronoa Zoro... isn't that great." It may be hammy, but DBZ for the win!
I don't think anyone can overtake Vegeta's badassery. To be honest, all the other badass male characters are usually molded to look like Vegeta. But his character is a genuine alpha male.
Unlike other male characters who look like 12-year-olds trying to look tough, he looks like a man. Plus, his English voice-over gives him an edge over the others.
Guts doesn't need any plot armor. He's already got the most powerful set of armor in all of manga, and maybe even in fiction. He was holding swords in his teeth before Zoro was even a thing. Not to mention, every night for two years, he fought dozens of demons, killing everyone that came to him.
He also doesn't care about what kind of power you claim to serve or have. If you get in his way, he will not hold back his sword swing. He shall cut you in half all the same without a second thought. Take away Ki, Chakra, Haki, or whatever from any of the others, and Guts could stomp them out easily. Period.
Roronoa Zoro, nicknamed "Pirate Hunter" Zoro, is a fictional character in the One Piece franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. Honestly, Zoro should be at the top. Having watched both DBZ and One Piece (legit all of it, I know One Piece is still going on), Zoro is more badass than Vegeta because, first off, Vegeta is too black and white in my opinion. Zoro has immense character development, and Vegeta, well, he hasn't really changed since his first appearance.
I mean, come on! Who can pull off green hair and carry three swords? He gets super lost, which I find cute and funny, and not to mention, he's actually pretty hot. And his sacrifices just for Luffy? And his loyalty! Not to mention his epic quotes that he says at the perfect times.
L Lawliet, exclusively known by the mononym L, is a fictional character in the manga series Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. L is the kind of man you would underestimate at first glance because of his unique appearance and habits, but you'd be sorry that you did.
He can blow your mind with his intellectual ways better than Light can because, coming from L, if you didn't know he was the famous detective, you would never have expected it.
Wait! It's only second? Have any of these guys ever watched this show? If they had, it would have been in the first position!
Death Note forever! L is so amazing. Love that anime. The story is amazing, and L is such a great character! And I want a Death Note too! L and I are going to run the world.
Itachi Uchiha is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. It's really a shame a character like Itachi had to get stuck in an anime like Naruto. Naruto is mediocre at best, and I found myself forcing my way through it a lot of the time.
But whenever Itachi was on-screen, I was completely hooked. I don't want to harp on too long about him because I'm sure I won't say anything that hasn't already been said. So, yeah. The guy's awesome. One of my favorite anime characters to date.
Itachi takes the metaphorical cake on badassery. While doing things that appear to have one effect, he is able to set plans for days, months, or even years in the future.
Even when faced with unexpected results, he forges ahead. And hell, how can you be a badass without looking out for your brother and joining a deadly organization?
Levi Ackerman is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Attack on Titan, also known as Shingeki no Kyojin in Japanese, created by Hajime Isayama. He accompanies the main protagonists in the second half of season 1. His most notable feature is being "Humanity's strongest". How can he not be number 1?! He can wreck all the Titans before Mikasa can say "Eren" again! He is the number 1 king of badasses and humanity's strongest soldier!
Plus, he also has that "I don't care" personality and his cleaning obsession, which just intrigues the audience. But he gets 2 percent of the votes?! He doesn't have any superpowers, but he can destroy the Female Titan and Beast Titan.
Humanity's strongest soldier, yet he doesn't think he's invulnerable. Talk about badass... no one's like him. He doesn't care about his superior officers. The way he introduced himself to the Survey Corps and the way he talks to others...
All the other characters had teamed up to defeat Frieza, which took about 20 episodes. All Trunks needs to kill him is one slice from his sword, and he did it alone - while killing his henchmen and King Cold (who is more powerful than Frieza?) at the same time.
The best episode of DBZ is the one where he shows up and completely destroys Frieza.
Look at it from the perspective of the young viewer you once were. He had a freaking sword in DBZ!
Alucard is a fictional character and the protagonist and antihero of the Hellsing manga and anime series created by Kouta Hirano. He is the definition of badass! Fearless of any opponent and with a love for blood, he's Vlad the Impaler, Dracula himself. Dual-wielding 16 kg (35 lbs) pistols, each 39 cm (16 inches) in length, even his gun has a badass engraving mocking the Father's words, saying "Jesus Christ is in Heaven Now."
He enjoys mocking and intimidating his opponents before brutally killing them. He shows no remorse for anyone, killing because he enjoys it. The more blood, the better for him. He even absorbs the blood of all of England's people just for a treat. Dare I say more?
Rebecca Lee, mainly referred to as Revy, and sometimes Two Hands, is the main female protagonist of the Black Lagoon series. I'm not scared of any of the other guys. Maybe Alucard slightly, but the rest? Nah. But Revy... that is one girl that I never want to cross. Her combination of amazing fighting skill, nonchalant attitude, and the absolute joy she takes in her work makes her the definition of badass.
She is the one person you don't want to piss off, and she gets pissed off really easily. Revy is basically a walking bomb about to explode at any second.
One of my all-time favorites, Revy combines her fighting skills with hilarious comments and a very interesting character.
Kenpachi Zaraki is a fictional character and an antihero in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. Definition of badass. Loves to fight more than Saiyans. He's so badass he gives his enemies a handicap!
He wears an eye patch on one eye and bells in his hair to let enemies hear him before they die. He hopes they won't die fast, but well... Last time he fought, it took one page... "Long time no see" to a blind man before cutting him up. And he still won with his sense of touch alone (every other sense was turned off by the blind guy).
Total badass. He is so powerful he handicaps himself to make the fights last longer so he can have at least a little fun. He fights his way to acceptance.
When he finally loses, instead of rage quitting or getting depressed, he decides to learn from the experience and gets even stronger. Total, total badass.
The Newcomers
Light Yagami is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga series Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. I honestly think he's less badass than some of the other characters listed below him because, in the end, he's upset because no one's coming to help him, as if he put most of his faith in them saving him.
I don't know why he's ranked so low, but he was almost like a god. That is something, huh?
He beat L and would have beaten Near had Teru Mikami not messed everything up.
Spike knows how a man should dress. A blue leisure suit, a yellow shirt, and a black skinny tie is the most badass thing he could wear. He doesn't care about his physical health. He smokes, drinks, and gets shot on a regular basis.
If that's not badass, I don't know what is. And he was in an organized crime syndicate. How many characters can you say that about on this list?
Dude, the guy lived through death. He has an eye that sees the past and one that sees the present. And what's even better, he's not a damn stupid, whiny brat about it. That is why Spike is the best anime badass.
This man is a combination of Jesus Christ, Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, and Son Goku in one body. He could eviscerate you with one punch. You've heard of One Punch Man? Nah, son, my boy Kenshiro is the real one punch man.
This should be number 1, not Vegeta!
Kenshiro obliterates all characters in his universe, always behaving like a badass. There's no chance for tears in someone like him.
Monkey D. "Straw Hat" Luffy is a fictional character and the protagonist of the One Piece manga franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. One minute he's a goofy, dumb monkey that says and does stupid things, and then boom! He becomes this awesome badass who says deep stuff and inspires awe. Kind of like Sakata Gintoki.
Ichigo Kurosaki is a fictional character in the Bleach manga series and its adaptations created by Tite Kubo. Ichigo has the most resolve of any anime character ever. He grows in power as the situation needs, unlike Goku who just toys with his opponents to see how strong they are. Ichigo doesn't even know his power until it grows in him to beat stronger and stronger opponents.
This guy is the definition of badass.
Wait, Sasuke a badass? He whines more than a dog I didn't give the leftovers to. In Bleach, Ichigo gets strong enough to beat the hell out of most of the other guys in the first 30 episodes. Sasuke almost dies, he's arrogant, and I wished he died almost 10 episodes into the anime.
Lelouch Lamperouge, whose real name is Lelouch vi Britannia, is the title character and protagonist of the Sunrise anime series Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. He is a smart, calculative, military genius who may come out as just being heartless. But it's that type of deceptive and hidden personality that makes him such a badass. Just when you think you have figured him out... bam, he surprises you with something unexpected.
This guy gives up his life so people can feel good about themselves, maybe even to the point that he knew that his bloodline and special power would not only be dangerous, it would also mean his very existence would make him a feared outcast.
I don't care what anyone says about this guy. It takes 100% badassness to sacrifice yourself for the world. I don't know about you, but I'd hate to die with a bad reputation amongst the majority of the world.
Sosuke Aizen is a fictional character in the Bleach manga series and its adaptations created by Tite Kubo.
Roy Mustang is a fictional character from the Fullmetal Alchemist manga series and its adaptations created by Hiromu Arakawa. Why is he this low? Has no one here seen Brotherhood? Does no one here remember how he had to be forced by several other heroes not to murder one of the most powerful beings in the series, after completely destroying its body with the snap of his fingers?
When Envy turns into a massive figure in the shape of a draconian hellbeast, he doesn't so much as flinch. All he says is, You've made yourself a bigger target, and proceeds to explode Envy's eyes.
Does no one remember how he ripped out Lust's heart with his bare hands, was then gored by Lust, and then, with that injury, burned the wound closed and single-handedly destroyed the near-immortal homunculus? He was rendered blind and just kept roasting his enemies. He defeated two homunculi single-handedly, more than any other character. Literally every other homunculus in the series was either beaten by several people, another homunculus, or after being severely weakened. But not here. Not one of them stood any kind of chance against this BAMF. The absolute greatest badass in all of anime, Roy Mustang.
Gaara is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. He is the jinchuuriki of the one-tailed shukaku and can control sand that is stored in his gourd. When you're badass, you can kick butt and look awesome while doing it. If you can kick butt, look awesome, have the coolest anime power, and are capable of doing all that by only moving your hands, then badass doesn't even begin to cover it.
Plus, no eyebrows. Bonus points!
Gaara has been one of my favorite badass characters for many years. I just knew I was going to like him when I first saw him.
And he gets the most character development of all Naruto characters.
Gaara could kill 1001 people just by covering their bodies with sand that will crush them, and he controls the sand with his mind! 100% badass.
Madara Uchiha (うちはマダラ, Uchiha Madara) was the legendary leader of the Uchiha clan. He founded Konohagakure alongside his rival, Hashirama Senju, with the intention of beginning an era of peace. When the two couldn't agree on how to achieve that peace, they fought for control of the village,... read more How is Madara this low? He drops a rock on an army the first hour he comes back from the dead and chops a mountain in half. Then he revives himself.
I mean, think about that, who revives themselves? It is also revealed that everything that happened in Shippuden was his plan set into motion like a hundred years before the series takes place.
How badass is he? He crushed the five Kage at once, summoned meteorites, created a perfect Susanoo, captured all the tailed beasts at once, awakened the Rinnegan, absorbed Hashirama Senju's power, and came back to life by forcing Obito to perform the Rinne Tensei on him.
Even though it was for a short time, he fought against the entire alliance and tailed beasts while blind! Not to mention, he's extremely intelligent, powerful, and wise, and he knows how to use these traits in combat.
He is the older half-brother of the hanyō Inuyasha and the firstborn son of Tōga.Unlike many other yōkai, Sesshōmaru had no interest in possessing even a single shard of the Shikon Jewel to enhance his powers and considered yōkai who sought its abilities only to strengthen themselves as... read more
How is he not the top badass? He has the grace of the moon, and every move he ever made was precise and calculated. Feared by all and revered by none, he bears the mark of the firstborn with the crescent moon on his forehead and his ever so perfectly jagged edges.
His remarks are on point, and he's followed by his mother's pelt. He's the definition of perfection, from his beautiful silver locks to his one-of-a-kind hakama. And don't even get me started on the sheer glory of his manhood!
Looking for the best of the best? Sesshomaru is the way to go.
Piccolo is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He first appeared in chapter 161 of the Dragon Ball manga in the Shonen Jump magazine on February 22, 1988. He is a member of the alien Namekian race and has abilities such as ki manipulation, regeneration, telepathy,... read more People should have more respect for Piccolo. He's one of the wisest and most ass-kicking characters in the franchise. This guy almost defeated Goku. Not only that, but he also killed both Goku and Raditz in one shot.
He's also the one who trained not only Gohan but also Gotenks and Trunks, turning them into tough, strong badasses themselves. Even Vegeta would admit that he has surpassed his power level. Not to mention, he has that Lone Wolf attitude about him.
Hell, even Vegeta respects Piccolo. He also seems to be a bit afraid of him at times. Everything's badass with the horned green guy with a large cape, who can take on Cooler's minions (who are stronger than Saiyans) and the Cell Jrs, and make Vegeta look like a quitter.
Vinsmoke Sanji, most commonly known by his moniker "Black Leg" Sanji, is a fictional character in the One Piece franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. He is the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates, as well as the former sous chef of the Baratie. He is also the third son of the Vinsmoke Family, thus making him... read more Sanji is not just strong. He is also really smart and always one step ahead of everyone else. He constantly saves people, more so than anyone else.
Plus, his main role in the crew is as a cook, and he is the only one who doesn't use a weapon or Devil Fruit. Yet, despite this, Sanji is still one of the top three fighters in the crew, with extreme speed and the ability to fly and create fire with his legs.
If that isn't badass, I wonder what is.
He is not only a strong fighter, but he is also pretty smart. He always finds a way to get the Strawhats out of a situation by coming up with something awesome that no one else even thought of before they even have time to realize they are in trouble.
He also saves more people than anyone and has some epic entrances!
Naruto Uzumaki is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto. I know he may not be as badass as Gaara or Kakashi, but he was always a badass. Protecting his friends from anyone, even if it's a big guy who's stronger than himself. That, ladies and gentlemen, is badass. Not to mention he is a rebel and a loner.
Naruto is badass. Why is he this low? He is the strongest character in the series, and he has surpassed all the Hokages. He never gives up. He's one of a kind, not like the others who don't do anything.
Plus, he is the main point in the Naruto and Naruto Shippuden series!
Naruto never gave up. He also knows some epic jutsus that can surprise his enemies at any time. Plus, he kicked Orochimaru's ass.
Major Motoko Kusanagi is the main protagonist in Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell anime and manga series. She is a "full-body prosthesis" augmented-cybernetic human employed as the field commander of Public Security Section 9, a fictional law-enforcement division of the Japanese National Public... read more She can't be stopped. She can be stumped but only for a little while.