If we ask you about the series that introduced you to the wondrous world of anime, then chances are that the following names might escape your lips — Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z. Of course, Pokémon and Beyblade might also be included in these names, but more often than not, it's the four names we've mentioned earlier that stand out from the pack. Why is it, you ask? Well, it might just be because of the bevy of powerful characters that these series have featured, providing us with a power fantasy unlike anything that we'd ever seen before.
Our childhood has been graced with over-the-top fights where characters constantly reach new levels of power to combat and successfully overthrow an incredibly powerful threat that seems absolutely impossible to overcome. It's these power fantasies that have shaped the power trope everyone associates with anime.
Updated on September 20, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: Power fantasies and anime go hand-in-hand, with some of the best anime showing some truly powerful individuals who can make mincemeat out of normal humans with ease. The following characters are notable for being so ridiculously strong that crossing them would be nothing short of a harebrained move for any normal person. It's a testament to the vast and rich history of anime that this list is populated with so many characters!
30 Shigeo Kageyama
Mob Psycho 100 is one of the best anime around, and fans can't wait to see Shigeo and the gang back again for another season. Mob is a pretty calm individual who wants to succeed on his merit, but his dormant power absolutely explodes after his emotions go berserk.
He's a pretty powerful esper who can lay waste to anyone in his path when he reaches his full potential. However, he never tries to rely on these powers all the time, making him a pretty interesting protagonist.
29 Aizen Sosuke
Once a major part of Gotei 13, Aizen perhaps has the most memorable heel turns of all time in anime history. He definitely earns a spot on this list with his impressive Bankai that not many can overcome. His role as the antagonist of Bleach was incredibly engrossing.
There are many reasons that people point at while talking about the downfall of Bleach, and perhaps the most telling one has to be the fact that Aizen was disposed of as the primary antagonist of Bleach, which reduced the interest fans had in the series as a whole.
28 Natsu Dragneel
Most people have mixed opinions about Fairy Tail, but the general consensus is that it was a fairly engrossing — albeit somewhat generic — anime series. However, there's one thing that fans can unanimously agree upon — Natsu Dragneel was pretty freaking strong.
His growth throughout the series has been nothing short of commendable, even though most of these power-ups have been powered through raw emotion than sheer training far too many times for the liking of fans.
27 Monkey D. Luffy
The lovable protagonist of One Piece also has a firm spot on the list due to how his strength has progressed over time in the series. Eiichiro Oda can definitely write strong characters, and Luffy is certainly one of them — from both an emotional and physical perspective.
The fact of the matter is that Luffy can definitely give any person on this list a run for their money due to his incredibly durable physical nature. Of course, we can't talk about Luffy's powers and not mention his Gears, which have further improved his physical abilities.
26 Jotaro Kujo
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is full to the brim with creative powers that can be used for a whole host of functions. These appear in the form of Stands, with Stardust Crusaders being the first part to utilize these new projections of a person's being.
Jotaro, the protagonist of this part, has a pretty powerful stand that becomes even more impressive after he gets the power to control time. A Stand that can punch people into oblivion and stop time for a while is understandably quite powerful, and there's a reason why he wasn't given too much time to flex these powers in later parts.
25 Satoru Gojo
Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the most popular anime around, and it's easy to see why this is the case. The anime is full to the brim with iconic moments, and the movie has cemented the popularity of this series all over the world.
One of the best characters that people love in Jujutsu Kaisen is Satoru Gojo. This jujutsu sorcerer is extremely powerful, with no one really able to stand toe-to-toe with him. There's a reason why the demons are trying their hardest to seal Gojo before commencing with their nefarious plan.
24 Giorno Giovanna
There was a time when Giorno's Stand wasn't the most powerful thing around. Sure, Golden Wind could create life and had its unique powers, but the raw strength of this Stand wasn't really great. The punch rushes felt impactful, but there's a reason why Giorno had to make so many attacks to end most fights.
All of this ended when Golden Wind Requiem was born. This Stand is one of the most powerful in the entire series, being able to rewrite reality and manipulate life on a completely different level.
23 Kars
A villain so powerful that he couldn't be defeated by normal means, Kars was the antagonist of the Battle Tendency arc in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and certainly gave Joseph Joestar a run for his money.
A legendary vampire with incredible abilities, these powers are further improved upon once he activates the Red Stone Of Aja, which technically makes him an omnipotent being. It's only through a lot of clever thinking that Joseph is able to take care of this immense threat.
22 Dio Brando
Of course, we simply can't talk about powerful antagonists in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and not mention the one person who technically cursed the family tree of the Joestars, Dio. While he takes himself very seriously, the fans certainly don't.
Initially starting out as a vile human being who was out to take over the Joestar household, things quickly escalated when Dio became a vampire after activating the Stone Mask. People who thought that this threat was taken care of in the first part of JoJo were understandably perplexed when he made a return in Stardust Crusaders — this time with more powers as well!
21 Edward Newgate A.K.A. Whitebeard
Is it any surprise that Whitebeard's name is on this list? Well, we're pretty sure that anyone who's seen One Piece can attest to the fact that Edward Newgate is the most powerful character in the entire series and will certainly give anyone in the show a run for their money.
The Battle of Maniford is one of the most epic moments in One Piece, and it's easy to say that Whitebeard is one of the major reasons why this arc was all the more special.
20 Zeref Dragneel
We've already talked about Natsu from Fairy Tail, but the fact of the matter is that the protagonist of this series doesn't even hold a candle to his brother, Zeref Dragneel.
In terms of raw power, Zeref eclipses Natsu in almost all departments. In the world of Fairy Tail, he's considered to be one of the most imposing, powerful, and dangerous Mages in existence. Anyone who even so much so as looked at him in the wrong way would be on the receiving end of something brutal, that's for sure.
19 Ichigo Kurosaki
The protagonist of Bleach, who powered up to a level that no one could've dreamt of. It's incredible to think just how weak Ichigo was at the beginning of the series. However, it was only through sheer determination and hard work that he reached a level that even the Gotei 13 could admire.
While you might joke about the sheer number of power-ups that he was at the center of — the half-Quincy, half-Shinigami, half-Fullbring, and half-Hollow joke are still strong to this day — you still can't argue that Ichigo was immensely powerful, regardless.
18 Alucard
A legendary vampire who has made an appearance in several entertainment mediums, it can be confidently said that his persona in Hellsing is perhaps the most powerful iteration of the lot. After all, there's a reason why he's the most effective member of the Hellsing Organization.
Any vampire being hunted down by Alucard would understandably fear their life since Alucard can easily snuff it out without so much as a second thought. The fact that he actually enjoys dismembering his enemies is proof enough of Alucard's psychotic power.
17 Madara Uchiha
There's a reason why Madara was constantly built up to be one of the most powerful characters in the history of the Naruto universe — his power is incredible in every sense of the word. It's hard to think how even the powered-up duo of Naruto and Sasuke would've taken down Madara had it not been for the betrayal of the Black Zetsu.
Madara was already one of the most powerful ninjas of his generation, and that was before he became the Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails and obtained an immense level of power.
16 Yhwach
While Ichigo might certainly have been one of the most powerful characters in Bleach, don't fool yourself into thinking that he was at the pinnacle of the power rankings. Nope, that title can only go to the Wandereich, Yhwach.
There's a reason why this person was also called The Almighty — his power was simply godlike. The only reason why he's not higher up on the list is because of the disappointing manner in which he was taken care of at the end, and that was mainly because Kubo had to end this arc early and wrap up Bleach once and for all.
15 All For One
My Hero Academia is the newest shōnen anime to have taken over the Western world by storm, and for good reason — the unique spin on the concept of superheroes is equal parts familiar and enticing, making for a highly entertaining show indeed.
One of the major antagonists of the series that gives someone as powerful as All Might a run for his money is All For One, who can absorb other peoples' Quirks (superpowers) and make them his own. Do we really need to state outright why this is such a powerful Quirk?
14 Naruto Uzumaki
Of course, it's time to talk about the person who has an entire series named after him. Not just any series mind you — Naruto is one of the most popular Japanese exports of all time, and a major reason for this is the eponymous main character itself.
Starting from humble beginnings, Naruto quickly grew over time to become one of the most powerful shinobi of all time. There's a reason why he was chosen to be the Seventh Hokage after all — his incredible powers mean that the villagers find themselves safe in the arms of this oddly charismatic character.
13 All Might
It's impossible for us to talk about My Hero Academia and not mention perhaps the most powerful character in the series. While most people might consider it cheating to include this character in the series — especially given the recent events in the series — one simply can't ignore this character.
His entire persona is based on powerful pop culture icons like Goku and Superman, so this should already give you an idea as to how powerful this character really is. His fights in the series are the stuff of legends — and that's after he started weakening as well!
12 Misogi Kumagawa
The only individual to have two Minus powers in the series, Misogi Kumagawa is one of the creepiest antagonists of all time. Powers aside, it's his personality that sends chills down the spine of anyone who witnesses his actions in Medaka Box.
Ending lives with a smile on his face, Misogi's latest Minus power was All Fiction, which allowed him to straight up deny certain aspects of reality to fit his twisted mindset. It's incredibly powerful, to the point where Misogi himself needed to think twice before using this power.
11 Father
Let us warn you beforehand that omnipotence will become somewhat of a running theme near the end of this list for obvious reasons. So, let's kickstart this by talking about Father, the antagonist of the Fullmetal Alchemist series, who boasts immense power.
Fullmetal Alchemist is great to introduce people to anime, but it gets convoluted quickly. The Alchemy system of Fullmetal Alchemist works on the basic principle of Equivalent Exchange — to obtain something, a thing of equal value must be lost. However, after achieving omnipotence, Father is not bound by these rules, allowing him to conjure anything he wants.