Summary
Animeviewers are particularly interested in awesome combat, and there’s something really fascinating about swordsmanship. When great fighters go against one another in slow-motion, with their swords covered in blood, those moments become some of the most thrilling of the anime. The stylish choreography of such brutality keeps us glued to our screens, turning every scene into a work of art and taking sword fights to an entirely new level.
Consider Guts from Berserk, famously known as a swordsman who wields the massive Dragon Slayer, a name enough to send shivers down the spines of his enemies, or, Dracule Mihawk from One Piece, who is a pirate who travels the sea alone, with power enough to slice through entire ships. These are some of those swordsmen fans love to see on-screen, whenever they’re rewatching shows.
10Kirito – Sword Art Online
A Beta Tester Turned Into A Powerful Swordsman
Set in a virtual reality game, Sword Art Online popularized the trend of gaming isekai anime, and since then, many other series in the genre have followed its lead. This sci-fi anime takes you to a futuristic world where new technology lets people enter a virtual reality.
Chosen from a group of a thousand beta testers, Kirito is sent to compete in this gaming world, where his swordsmanship makes him stand out in a class of his own. He wields two swords, and even without magic or power-ups, his slashing speed makes him one of the most overpowered swordsmen.
9Ichigo Kurosaki – Bleach
A Shinigami Destined To Possess Great Power
Ichigo Kurosaki, a high school student who can see the dead, becomes a Shinigami when the Soul Reaper named Rukia transfers half of her powers to him, and he gradually trains himself to become incredibly powerful.
With a swing of his sword, he can use Getsuga Tenshou, which is enough to defeat most of his opponents. Later,as he grasps the true power of his Zanpakuto, he masters a duel-bladed weapon that allows him to take on even the toughest opponents. Although his fighting style may seem simple, his adaptability enables him to hold his own, even against veteran swordsmen.
8Mugen - Samurai Champloo
Brash Dancing Samurai Of The Ryukyu Islands
Mugen, the vulgar and impolite samurai from Samurai Champloo, is one of the three main protagonists and incredibly visually appealing when it comes to his sword skills, which he does smoothly, all while showing off some flashy dance moves.
Given his rough upbringing, Mugen had to turn to crime to survive, and a life filled with constant danger hardened him into a tough samurai. Mugen is an unpredictable fighter who developed his unique swordplay inspired by break-dancing. He blends various martial arts moves into his fighting style to take his opponents by surprise.
7Afro Samurai – Afro Samurai
A Samurai Who Could Parry Bullets With His Katana
The 2007 mini-anime series Afro Samurai is set in feudal Japan and centers on Afro, a black samurai on a path of vengeance against an enemy who ruthlessly killed his father right before his eyes.
At a young age, a sword master took Afro to his Dojo, where Afro honed his sword skills by combining traditional Samurai swordsmanship with his unique techniques, training himself to the point where he could almost deflect bullets with his blade. His skills were so exceptional that he could take on a dozen men single-handedly, and cleave through their bones with only a single swing of his hand.
6Killer Bee – Naruto
The Seven-Sword Wielding Freestyle Ninja
In the Narutoverse,Jinchurikis are among the most powerful ninjas, as having a tailed beast sealed inside them grants a huge amount of chakra. However, only a few can master this power to perfection, such as Killer Bee.
With the power of the Eight-Tailed Beast, Killer Bee can channel his chakra so effectively that he can fight with seven swords simultaneously. He is incredibly skilled at swordplay, overwhelming his enemies with unpredictable slashes from every direction, swiftly impaling their skin. His combat style is based on the fluid movements of hip-hop, and he gave a powered up Sasuke trouble in their fight.
5Levi Ackerman – Attack On Titan
Levi Of The Ackerman Clan, And Humanity’s Greatest Soldier
Attack on Titan’s Survey Corps has some of the strongest soldiers of humanity, with Levi Ackerman earning a legendary status. When it comes to human survival, they always stand at the forefront against the gigantic Titans, ready to sacrifice their lives for the cause.
Unlike any traditional swordsman, Levi fights mainly while midair with his incredible maneuvering gear, and even the Titan shifters fear his name. His swordsmanship is at its finestduring the battle against the Beast Titan, where his agility and lightning-fast movements with the blade cut through the Titans, showing that he is beyond human level.
4Atomic Samurai – One Punch Man
A Hero Who Could Literally Reduce You To Atoms
In One Punch Man, the heroes and the villains are incredibly powerful, something which is fitting for an anime that celebrates over-the-top super abilities. There are also S-Tier heroes in the series who haven’t had much screen time, but from their limited appearances, it’s clear they possess the power to obliterate their opponents.
One such character is Atomic Samurai, who, in one episode, faces the former sword master Haragiri. With astonishing speed and precision, he makes hundreds of cuts in an instant, slicing so finely that his cuts can literally be analyzed at an atomic level, which is why he has earned his name.
3Guts – Berserk
The Black Swordsman Who Could Defeat A Hundred Men
Guts, the Black swordsman and a former captain of the Band of Hawks, from Berserk, is among the most iconic characters in all anime. He’s a fighter who never gives up, so much so that even demons stay hidden in the dark, to avoid him. The anime is incredible and isone of the best introductory anime for adults out there.
Guts is a character marked by tragedy, as everyone he’s ever loved has either died or faced terrible suffering, and the worst blow came when Griffith, the person he looked up to the most, betrayed him. Guts wields a colossal sword known as the Dragon Slayer, which he can use to easily cut down hundreds of men at the same time.
2Yoriichi Tsugikuni – Demon Slayer
The Greatest Demon Slayer Ever Born
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba subtly chronicles the life of Yoriichi Tsugikuni,a Demon Slayer from the Sengoku era who is revered as the most powerful ever, as well as the creator of Hashira Breathing styles.
Armed with the Bright Red Nichirin Sword, Yoriichi displayed unmatched skills that eclipsed all others, including the Demon King, Muzan, who barely managed to survive his attacks. An estimate of Yoriichi’s swordsmanship can be seen when Tanjiro fights Yoriichi Type 0, a mechanical doll designed to replicate Yoriichi’s combat skills with six katana-holding arms. Even in this form, the doll was far outmatched compared to the real Yoriichi.
1Dracule Mihawk – One Piece
A Bored Pirate Who Could Cut Steel Ships In Half
One Piece is filled with pirates, each with their own impressive powers, as they often come into confrontations with one another. In such a pirate world, where being known as the strongest swordsman is no easy feat,Mihawk’s reputation speaks for itself.
Mihawk navigates the treacherous vast ocean alone on a small boat, unbothered by the giant monsters lurking in the waters. During his first appearance on the show, he slices an entire ship in half with a swing of his sword and takes down Zoro, who himself is an incredible swordsman with just a casual flick of his pocket knife.
