The 8 most powerful martial artists in animation history, ranked

In the entire animation industry, shonen is probably the most well-known subgenre. Shonen series, comprised of basic anime franchises that laid the foundation for the boom that anime experienced in the world, are typically characterized by the importance they place on combat and power scaling.

Therefore, many of the greatest fighters to come out of this genre are those who fall into the 'martial artist' trope. As warriors who have dedicated their lives to perfecting complex martial arts techniques to increase their strength, they have become one of the most recognizable characters in all of anime. So, let’s take a look at the most powerful martial artist among them.

8

Kenshiro is an incredibly iconic fighter.

series: Fist of the North Star

One of the original anime martial artists, Kenshiro has been delighting fans with his impeccable martial arts skills since the 1980s. Unlike most warriors who devote their lives to combat, Kenshiro has a unique presence in that he is cool, calm, and completely unfussed about what he can do until needed.

Not only is Kenshiro incredibly important as a blueprint for the shonen genre, but his skills are equally foundational. Because he lives in a post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with terrifying monsters, Kenshiro often uses his deadly martial art, Hokuto Shinken, to aim directly at his target's vital points and often end entire battles with a single strike.

7

Shoto Aizawa is a master martial artist with incredible ingenuity.

series: My Hero Academia

One common trend that some shonen series incorporate is the presence of deadly warriors who don't fit neatly into the typical mold of the power system, and Shoto Aizawa is a good example of this. My Hero Academia. Despite possessing an overwhelming Quirk, his true power comes from his martial arts abilities.

'Erasure' allows Shoto to temporarily nullify a target's Quirk as long as the target is within sight, but this power is not suitable for close combat situations. To compensate, Shoto became a master of martial arts to fight the strongest beings in the world, which proved to be incredibly effective for him.

6

Yujiro Hanma is the strongest creature in the world.

series: Hanma Baki

You don't earn the nickname 'The Strongest Creature on Earth' unless you are exceptionally powerful. Like the best and craziest in the series Hanma BakiWith incredibly powerful characters waiting around every corner, Yujiro's brute strength and martial arts prowess were so great that he was considered superior to all.

In almost every single fight he is shown in the series, he is able to defeat powerful and famous fighters and martial artists without really trying. Even in the toughest fights he ever had against his son, he still came out on top, proving to be one of the strongest martial artists in anime history.

5

Akaza stands out from other moons.

series: demon slayer

Upper Moon's Inn demon slayer Demons are the most powerful demons in the entire landscape, so to be considered one of the top three strongest demons among them is truly a testament to their power. Akaza, Upper Moon 3, is one of the most powerful characters in the setting, and his entire moveset is based on his unparalleled martial arts prowess.

His Blood Demon Art is known as Destructive Death, and instead of granting him elemental powers like other Sangwol, it empowers him with Soryu martial arts, a fighting form he mastered while still human. This power increases his strength, speed, and accuracy to much higher levels than before, and the only reason he meets his end against Tanjiro and Giyu is because he chose to commit suicide rather than continue as a demon.

4

Toji and Maki were unrivaled physical specimens

Japanese cartoon movies: Do a jujutsu

As is the case with Shoto Aizawa, Toji and Maki display enormous levels of power in the world despite being separated from Cursed Energy, the main power system in the series. By removing all cursed energy, they have broken the limits of what the human body can achieve, making them the most dangerous characters in history.

Toji has always been paired with Special Grade Sorcerers, but the Culling Game arc saw Maki awaken to the same level of strength and physical mastery, making him identical to the original. Do a jujutsu series. Although they are not martial artists in the traditional sense, their physical prowess and special weapons make them more than worthy of inclusion on this list.

3

Might Guy almost kills the strongest shinobi in history

series: naruto

To further elaborate on my previous point, Might Guy is another character who doesn't fit into his series' main power system. This is because he was not always able to utilize traditional types of Jutsu like other Shinobi. That is why he devoted his entire life to the mastery of Taijutsu, or martial arts. naruto world.

Although he was always ridiculed because of this, Guy proved everyone wrong in his fight against Madara. Not only did he cause great harm to the man considered the most powerful shinobi in history, but he also nearly killed him when he awakened the Eighth Gate of Death, earning him the respect and admiration of Madara, who recognized him as the strongest.

2

Garou is a master at copying other people's techniques.

series: One Punch Man

One Punch Man It's a series full of incredibly powerful martial artists. Notable examples include Bang and Bomb, who dedicated their lives to martial arts and became the most powerful characters in the setting. However, Garou is not only weak in strength, but he is also a martial arts genius who becomes stronger than everyone except Saitama and Shin.

Garou started out as one of Bang's students at the dojo and quickly rose to the top of his class. Eventually, Garou became immeasurably powerful, learning the signature techniques of Bang and Bomb and creating techniques of his own, using his incredible ability to completely copy and master any technique in sight. In his Cosmic Garou state, he nearly destroyed the universe itself.

1

Goku is the best anime martial artist

series: dragon ball

To say that Goku is a great martial artist, as if it could have been anyone else, is actually a huge insult to how powerful, talented, and disciplined he is. From an early age, Goku had a love for combat and martial arts, which he cultivated over the years and grew further until he became one of the most powerful mortals in the multiverse.

Not only has Goku easily mastered techniques that even the greatest martial artists cannot, but his understanding of those techniques often surpasses that of their creator. He mastered the Kamehameha at a young age, learned how to use an imperfect version of the Hakai just by observing Beerus, and most impressively, mastered Ultra Instinct, the pinnacle of martial arts in the multiverse that was so difficult to learn that even the Destroyer was unable to fully use it.

Both of these series are available to stream on Crunchyroll.