The epic battles of vengeance, competition, and power played a major part in defining the Japanese anime landscape that fans know today. A focal point for most of that action is the anime swordsman — fighters of a special, mid-range martial art that itself has come to be defined by Kurosawa-esque noble warriors, epic clashes, and ridiculous displays of power.
Yet, it is these simple weapons that make sword-wielding anime characters so engaging and innately stoic. They have honed their craft and their mind to become the best swordsmen possible. That said, anime swordsmen are in an entirely different league because of one simple reason: many of them have supernatural powers.
Updated on March 13, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Swordsmen always rank among the coolest and most popular characters in anime, and anime fans are eager to know who's the best sword-slinger of all. These characters take swordplay to the next level, often employing advanced tactics, incredible techniques, and even supernatural abilities to slash their foes apart time and again. As such, we've updated this list with some more information.
20 Kento Nanami Combines His Powerful Cursed Technique With A Blunt Sword
Jujutsu Kaisen
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
Ratio Technique |
Episode 8 "Boring" |
Kenjiro Tsuda |
David Vincent |
Jujutsu Kaisen Author Refuses to Copy These Hit Shonen Jump Creators
Jujutsu Kaisen creator Gege Akutami refuses to imitate the work of two major Shonen Jump manga authors, despite highly admiring their work.Jujutsu Kaisen's Kento Nanami combines his powerful cursed technique with a blunt sword that can cut through anything, even with its cover still attached. The sword works particularly well with his Ratio Technique since, once he has pinpointed his target's weakest spot, the blade allows him to cut them down easily. In fact, Nanami's Innate Technique gives him a huge advantage when it comes to battle.
Even if he has to create multiple weak points by wearing his opponent down, Nanami's accuracy and precision never fail him. Nanami can cut through moving targets with immense speed and impressive precision. As a grade 1 sorcerer, it is clear why people in the Jujutsu Sorcery industry respect Nanami so much. All things considered, however, Nanami just doesn't have the raw power to be higher on this list.
Jujutsu Kaisen
A boy swallows a cursed talisman - the finger of a demon - and becomes cursed himself. He enters a shaman's school to be able to locate the demon's other body parts and thus exorcise himself.
- Release Date
- October 2, 2020
- Cast
- Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Adam McArthur , Asami Seto
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 3
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Creator
- Gege Akutami
- Number of Episodes
- 47 Episodes
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll , Amazon Prime Video
19 Yato Battles Spirits With His Dual-Bladed Yukine
Noragami
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
Sunder |
Episode 1 "A Housecat, a Stray God, and a Tail" |
Hiroshi Kamiya |
Jason Liebrecht |
Yato is a lowly god from Noragami trying to regain followers to get back up to his once esteemed reputation. To do this, he rebrands himself as a delivery god, but paths are not always easy when they are lined with spirits. To combat them, Yato enlists the help of his new regalia, Yukine, who becomes a wrapped-hilt katana. Though Yato and Yukine have trouble cooperating at first, the pair eventually bond so much that Yukine transforms into dual blades.
With his new weapons, Yato becomes one of the best anime swordsmen and a nearly unstoppable force against those who would wish him or his beloved Hiyori Ikki harm. Some of the special techniques used by Yato are Rend, Sunder, Cloudburst, and Crimson Bloom, each of which is more effective than the previous one.
Noragami (2014)
A minor god seeking to gain widespread worship teams up with a human girl he saved to gain fame, recognition and at least one shrine dedicated to him.
- Release Date
- January 5, 2014
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 2 Seasons
- Creator
- Deko Akao
- Production Company
- Bones
- Number of Episodes
- 29 Episodes
18 Stain Employs His Bloordcurdle Quirk In Conjunction With His Swordsmanship
My Hero Academia
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
Bloodcurdle |
Episode 24 "Fight on, Ida" |
Go Inoue |
Robert McCollum |
Hero Killer: Stain from My Hero Academia has cut down countless heroes with his paralyzing Quirk in combination with his peerless swordsmanship. A villain with a strong moral compass, Stain wants nothing more than to see false heroes who only care about fame and fortune fade away from society's consciousness. As such, he attacks heroes like Ingenium.
Stain's Quirk requires him to cut somebody and then take a lick of their blood to paralyze them. The duration of the paralysis depends on someone's blood type. Regardless, without such a long katana, Stain's Quirk would be pretty much unusable in most fights. Unfortunately, Stain has already been killed at this point in the MHA manga, with his Bloodcurdle stolen by the villainous All For One.
My Hero Academia
Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life—a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered “quirk,” Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies.
- Release Date
- May 5, 2018
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 6
- Production Company
- Bones
- Number of Episodes
- 145
17 Aki Hayakawa Only Uses His Sword As A Last Resort
Chainsaw Man
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
None |
Episode 2 "Arrival in Tokyo" |
Shogo Sakata |
Reagan Murdock |
Most anime swordsmen can use their weapon of choice without any repercussions, but that is not the case for Chainsaw Man's Aki Hayakawa. He can only use his sword as a last resort since it shortens his life span. Aki has a contract with the Curse Devil and has a sword that resembles a nail. To use the contract, Aki has to point the nail at his target and then say "fire."
The Curse Devil's hand will flick the nail at wherever Aki aimed the sword. After three stabs from the nail, Aki can then summon the Curse Devil to either permanently injure them or kill them. Although he also has a contract with the Fox Devil, he loses this connection after battling Katana Man. That said, Aki completely failed to do anything against the Snake Devil, proving that even his powers have limitations.
Chainsaw Man
Following a betrayal, a young man left for dead is reborn as a powerful devil-human hybrid after merging with his pet devil and is soon enlisted into an organization dedicated to hunting devils. When his father died, Denji was stuck with a huge debt and no way to pay it back.
- Release Date
- October 11, 2022
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Creator
- Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Network
- Crunchyroll
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll , Hulu
16 Levi Ackerman Has Reinvented The Art Of Swordsmanship
Attack On Titan
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
Vertical Maneuvering |
Episode 4 "The Night of the Closing Ceremony: Humanity's Comeback, Part 2" |
Hiroshi Kamiya |
Matthew Mercer |
Humanity's Last Hope: A Beginner's Guide to Attack on Titan
Not sure how to dive into the world of Attack on Titan? Our guide will help newcomers join in the fight to save humanity.Attack on Titan's Survey Corp members have, in many ways, reinvented how sword fighting works. Sword fights typically involve close-quarter fights with finesse. In the story, however, that same skill is combined with explosive and exhilarating speed as the swordsmen launch themselves at their targets to cut them down. In Attack on Titan's horrifying world, there are few as respected and feared as Levi Ackerman.
Though he is far smaller than both the Titans and his compatriots, Levi's tactical mind and skill with a blade can more than level the playing field. Even the Beast Titan himself was no match for this overpowered character. Although he's rightly known as humanity's strongest soldier, there's only so much Levi can do against superpowered villains.
Attack On Titan
Original title: Shingeki no Kyojin.
After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Jaeger vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction in Attack on Titan.
- Release Date
- September 28, 2013
- Cast
- Bryce Papenbrook , Yûki Kaji , Marina Inoue , Hiro Shimono , Takehito Koyasu , Jessie James Grelle
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 4 Seasons
- Studio
- Wit Studios, MAPPA
- Creator
- Hajime Isayama
15 Tanjiro Kamado Has Not Yet Reached His Full Potential In The Anime
Demon Slayer
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
Hinokami Kagura |
Episode 1 "Cruelty" |
Natsuki Hanae |
Zach Aguilar |
A fresh, loveable face within the world of animated swordsmen, Demon Slayer's Tanjiro Kamado has quickly won the world over during his adventures. Besides having his series break all manner of sales records, Tanjiro is a humble, aspiring underdog who has surprised and inspired everyone with his fights against horrific evils.
It helps that Tanjiro has trained to test his sword against many fantastical, demonic dangers. With grace and power to hype up any shonen faithful, Tanjiro has become a swordsman for everyone. His Water Breathing technique has improved considerably, and it's going to become even stronger before the story ends. In the anime, however, he can't easily access the Hinokami Kagura technique, explaining his ranking among his peers.
Demon Slayer
When Tanjiro Kamado returns home to find his family was attacked and killed by demons, he discovers his younger sister Nezuko was the only survivor. As Nezuko slowly becomes a demon, Tanjiro sets out to find a cure for her and become a demon slayer so he can avenge his family.
- Release Date
- April 6, 2019
- Cast
- Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 3
- Studio
- ufotable
- Creator
- Koyoharu Gotouge
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll , Hulu , Amazon Prime Video , Netflix
14 Ryuko Matoi Wields One Half Of A Pair Of Giant Scissors
Kill La Kill
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
Decapitation Mode |
Episode 1 "If Only I Had Thorns Like a Thistle..." |
Ami Koshimizu |
Erica Mendez |
Ryuko Matoi is a woman on a mission to destroy the villain who killed her dad in the anime Kill la Kill. All she has is a giant scissor half and a sentient uniform, but she is ready to pounce. With her Kamui Senketsu and her scissor blade, Ryuko becomes a force of nature. She even beat the more experienced members of Satsuki Kiryuin's Elite Four.
Though Ryuko's sword skills are a tad unpolished at the beginning, she eventually learns to work with Senketsu to control her power and use it to her advantage. With Senketsu, her scissor blade, and help from her friends, Ryuko finally finds the justice she craves. Then again, she has a long way to go before she can fight on par with the strongest anime swordsmen out there.
Kill la Kill
A young girl arrives at a school of superhumans to find out the truth behind her father's murder.
- Release Date
- October 4, 2013
- Cast
- Eric Mendez , Matthew Mercer , David Vincent , Christine Marie Cabanos , Carrie Keranen , Patrick Seitz
- Main Genre
- Action
- Studio
- Studio Trigger
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll , Hulu
13 Akame Can Kill Any Living Being With A Single Cut
Akame Ga Kill!
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
One-Cut Kill |
Episode 1 "Kill the Darkness" |
Sora Amamiya |
Molly Searcy |
Akame is the titular, deadly assassin from Akame Ga Kill! Her special ability allows her to kill any living being with a single cut. With her blade Murasame, she can inject a lethal curse that can quickly infect anyone she slices. However, even without the aforementioned curse, her opponents still would not live to tell the tale.
This is because Akame herself is a talented, super-soldier capable of defeating all manner of beasts and weapons with her agility and decisive strikes. In fact, Akame mostly relies on unarmed combat, which includes kicks and punches. If anything, Murasame is a blessing that keeps her enemies from seeing just how deadly she can be. Akame can also exploit a special performance enhancer called Little War Horn, which augments her strength.
Akame ga Kill!
A countryside boy named Tatsumi sets out on a journey to The Capital to make a name for himself and meets a seemingly dangerous group of Assassins known as Night Raid. Their journey begins.
- Release Date
- July 7, 2014
- Cast
- Soma Saito , Sora Amamiya , Yukari Tamura , Christina Kelly , Corey Hartzog , Molly Searcy
- Main Genre
- Anime
12 Erza Scarlet's Swordsmanship Is Enough To Handle The World's Strongest Fighters
Fairy Tail
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
Requip: The Knight |
Episode 4 "DEAR KABY" |
Sayaka Ohara |
Colleen Clinkenbeard |
A Fairy Tail Ending: Do Natsu & Lucy End Up Together?
Fairy Tail's most popular ship is Natsu and Lucy, or "NaLu." Where did the manga/anime leave the potential couple in the end?Some Fairy Tail fans believe Natsu Dragneel is the main character. Others think it is Lucy Heartfilia. However, going by pure hype, everybody knows that the real star of Fairy Tail is none other than Titania herself, Erza Scarlet. Erza is certainly more than a master of the sword, as viewers learn almost immediately. She also has complete control over her magical ability, known as Requip: The Knight.
Furthermore, Ezra is proficient with all manner of weapons meant to beat down rogue wizards and demons. However, Erza has proven repeatedly that she is talented and powerful with a blade. Sometimes, she does not even need to wear a single piece of armor. Her sword skills are more than enough to handle some of her world's toughest fighters, but anime swordsmen are a different ball game.
Fairy Tail
Lucy, an aspiring Celestial Wizard, becomes a friend and ally to powerful wizards Natsu, Gray, and Erza, who are part of the (in)famous wizard guild, Fairy Tail.
- Release Date
- October 12, 2009
- Cast
- Cherami Leigh , Todd Haberkorn , Tia Lynn Ballard , Colleen Clinkenbeard , Newton Pittman , Brittney Karbowski , Monical Rial , Brina Palencia
- Main Genre
- Action
- Seasons
- 9
11 Afro Is One Of The Best Anime Samurai Of All Time
Afro Samurai
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
None |
Episode 1 "Revenge" |
None |
Samuel L. Jackson |
While many people fondly remember Afro Samurai as that one anime that has Samuel L. Jackson, the sheer amount of action it contains should never be underestimated. Colder than the blade he wields and more powerful than Sam Jackson's voice, Afro is a brilliant and vengeful samurai looking to avenge his father and become the best fighter in the world.
It does not help that everyone else is looking to dethrone him to claim the title as well. With plenty of opportunities to show just how deadly he is, there is very little question why Afro is one of the best samurai in all of anime. He can actually destroy bullets with his blade, demonstrating his speed. Although Afro is unquestionably great, the lack of supernatural power puts him at a disadvantage when it comes to anime swordsmen.
10 Kirito Applies His Real-World Kendo Training Inside A Video Game
Sword Art Online
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
Horizontal Arc |
Episode 1 "The World of Swords" |
Matsuoka Yoshitsugu |
Bryce Papenbrook |
Sword Art Online's Kirito showed just how cool fighting in fantasy video game worlds could be when he applied his real-world kendo training. Despite being trapped in the video game world, Kirito never faltered and let his sword skills do the talking. He has used numerous named swords throughout Sword Art Online, each with differing stats.
Kirito dominated the ranks, gained exclusive abilities, and took on boss-level nightmares like the Gleam Eyes. He has also quickly disposed of some of the gaming community's worst. Kirito has mastered numerous sword skills in the show, including one-handed swordsmanship and the use of dual blades. And yet, Kirito would be crushed by some of the other strongest anime swordsmen.
Sword Art Online
In the year 2022, thousands of people get trapped in a new virtual MMORPG and the lone wolf player, Kirito, works to escape.
- Release Date
- July 8, 2012
- Creator(s)
- Reki Kawahara
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 4
- Production Company
- A-1 Pictures, ASCII Mediaworks, Aniplex, Bandai Namco Games, Genco
- Number of Episodes
- 100
9 Sakata Gintoki Has Single-Handedly Wiped Out Amanto Hordes
Gintama
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
None |
Episode 1-2 "You bastards!! Do you even have a silver soul!" |
Tomokazu Sugita |
Michael Daingerfield |
As much of a great comedic romp as Gintama is, viewers should not forget the legend that is Sakata Gintoki. His own "White Yaksha" moniker was earned on the battlefields of the Joi War, as he single-handedly wiped out Amanto hordes in a brutal fashion. As a testament to his devastating abilities, Gintoki earned the name Shiroyasha, or White Demon.
Though he has hung up the steel blade, Gin still manages to be incredibly powerful with his wooden Lake Toya sword. Using it, he somehow takes on the steel of the Shinsengumi and slashes through entire giant robots. That's not even mentioning his epic battles against Yato King Hosen, Oboro, or Takasugi. Parody characters are generally overpowered, but Gin makes his battles look so casual and easy.
Gintama
In an era where aliens have invaded and taken over feudal Tokyo, an unemployed samurai finds work however he can.
- Release Date
- April 4, 2006
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 8 Seasons
- Creator
- Hideaki Sorachi
- Production Company
- Bandai Namco Pictures (BNP), Bandai Namco, Dentsu, Sunrise, TV Tokyo
- Number of Episodes
- 375 Episodes
8 Clare Uses Her Wits And Profound Ingenuity While Sword Fighting
Claymore
Signature Ability |
Debut |
Japanese VA |
English VA |
---|---|---|---|
Quicksword |
Episode 1 "Great Sword" |
Houko Kuwashima |
Stephanie Young |
Claymore: How to Get Started With the Anime & Manga
The success of the Claymore manga and anime amounted to a shonen franchise that was both incredibly well done and even more so underrated.Clare is part of an elite group of demon-hunting knights solely comprised of women. These characters are simply known as the titular Claymore. These knights are put through harsh training and imbued with Yoma blood so that they can partake of the superhuman feats necessary for slaying ravenous Yoma threats to humanity.
Raised as the successor of the number one Claymore, Teresa, Clare is a cold, calculating Claymore who uses her wits and profound ingenuity to take on monsters way above her level. She can also increase her speed by using a technique known as Quicksword, which comes with a few drawbacks. Despite this, Clare has still walked alongside and battled against some of the world's leading Claymores, proving that rank isn't everything.
Claymore
In a world plagued by deadly creatures called "youma," a young silver-eyed girl, Clare, works on behalf of an organization that trains female youma half-breeds to become warriors.
- Release Date
- April 4, 2007
- Cast
- Stephanie Young , Cherami Leigh , Christine Auten , Brina Palencia , Monica Rial , Caitlin Glass , Jamie Marchi
- Main Genre