In the Japanese culture, between the Shinto and Buddhist religions, there are plenty of gods or "deities" to be found. Because of this polytheism, we often see a nod to that in many a Japanese anime series. In the Shinto religion, these deities are referred to as "kami" or "spirits". The kami possess powers of the elements such as fire, water, air, and various landscapes. They represent both good and evil and can also be spirits of those who have passed on, including emperors and other power figures. The Japanese believe in many kami and have many names for the various spirits, some of which you'll recognize. Many of the "gods" we see in traditional anime are of the Shinto religion. While Buddhism is also practiced widely, its deities, who are enlightened Buddhas, Bodhisattvas or Devas -- divine beings -- are rarely seen outside of Buddhist culture and less likely to be seen in pop-culture.
This list combines an otherworldly plethora of characters portrayed as gods or "god-like" figures in popular anime shows and movies, as well as anime-based video games. While strength and weakness is a trait of opinion, we've done our best to characterize them accordingly. Regardless of where they fall on the power spectrum, they're all worthy opponents and some may be characterized as weak because of character, or weak due to lack of skill or power. On the other hand, many are tested in the strength of character over strength in physical tenacities for destruction or humanitarianism. While we may even call out your favorite anime spirit for being "weak" or your least favorite for being "strong", we can all agree on one thing... We wouldn't want to mess with any of these gods or goddesses.
20 Weak: Dende From DBZ
Dende was designated as Earth's guardian in Kami's (literally translated to "god") place by Goku, although he is technically a healer. It's somewhat of a double-edged sword with healers, in the worlds of both anime and video games. Healers are essential to battle but can also be unprepared opponents vulnerable to fatal blows. Just like Aeris, or Aerith for some of us, in Final Fantasy VII, she was an utterly useless character aside from her ability to heal (sorry for the spoiler...She's terrible anyway.)
Dende has something in common with the traits of healers in the sense that he's not so much as a fighter as he is a life-saver. He's quoted in episode 179, "No More Rules", of the uncut Dragon Ball Z series as saying, "I know I'll never be able to replace Kami, but I will try my best. I promise. I just wish there was something more that I could do. I feel so helpless. This tournament will decide the fate of the Earth and all I can do for now is watch and leave it to Goku. I may be this planet's guardian, but he is its hero." His understanding of his place is admirable, honorable even, but portrays him as somewhat of a weaker character.
19 Strong: Ryūk From Death Note
Ryūk is terrifying. Upon first watching Death Note or reading the manga, we can all agree that he's not someone we'd want to face in a dark room. Ryūk is a Shinigami, which is a death god. In the Western world, we refer to them as "reapers". Shinigami are manipulative creatures and Ryūk was determined to be one of the strongest based on the power all of them possess and need -- taking the life others to extend their own lifespan.
Sometimes power doesn't always rely on strength, as intellect is another source of power.
This is especially particular to the Death Note series, but Ryūk didn't just make this list on that power alone. It's his sheer disregard not just for human life, but for much of anything, that makes him intellectually powerful as well. As if his love for "human world" apples wasn't strange enough, he has a restless need to rid himself of boredom. In fact, one of his more notable quotes is as follows: “Because I was bored, that's why.” Seems legit.
18 Weak: Aqua from Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku
Ah, the blue-haired water goddess from the KonoSuba series. Just based on goddess laws alone, Aqua is powerful in the means that she can control the element of water (obviously) but that doesn't necessarily make her strong. Her power directly correlates to the strength of the faith her followers have, otherwise known as the Axis Order. They're rather fanatically devoted, which does make her incredibly powerful. As a goddess.
It's when she is forced to descend down to the mortal world that her strength in being a goddess falls to the wayside and no longer holds water...Pun absolutely intended. This doesn't mean that she's completely helpless, but it does mean that her goddess status no longer packs the same punch. Although she does provide support magic to other members of her party.
17 Strong: Forest Spirit From Princess Mononoke
The Forest Spirit, also known as Shishigami ("deer god"), is the god of life and death. This is in stark contrast to a Shinigami who only controls death. The Forest Spirit is neither good nor bad, but controls both light and dark powers. In Princess Mononoke, he is portrayed as a deer with a human-like face and a ridiculous amount of antlers on a deer's body.At night he becomes the Night Walker and transforms into a humanoid creature that roams the woods.
Aside from the movie, this god is also seen in Japanese mythology as Yatsukamizuomitsuno and is believed to be the power that actually forms a planet.
The reason he's considered strong on our list is that not only is he immortal, but he's also invulnerable. He can cure illness with his blood, kill or grow plants directly under his feet, heal wounds, and end lives.
16 Medusa From Soul Eater
Okay okay, we know that Medusa isn't technically a "god" or "goddess" in her own right, but she is a witch, and her powers do give her a legitimate enough reason to make it to our list. In Soul Eater, she's one of the three Gorgon sisters and one of the main antagonists of the anime. She is based off the Medusa we know from Greek mythology and, in a very similar manner, does not possess a full capacity for love, though she understands it minutely.
Medusa is cunning, manipulative, and weak in the notion that her intellectual level paves the way for her lies. What makes her truly weak, though, is the blatant ability to disregard her own child as a "failure" and abandon them, as seen in volume six of the Soul Eater manga.
15 Strong: Izanagi From Persona 4: The Animation
How awesome was the first moment you were able to summon Izanagi in Persona 4? From the Persona 4 Compendium, he is, "one of the ancient gods who existed before Japan was formed." He's the first persona summoned that you see in both the Animation as well as the game, and possesses strengths such as Zio, or electricity, and Cleave, or light physical damage, along with both defensive and offensive power-ups.
This god is just as epic in The Animation and although he's not a "character" so to speak, he is a god and a strong one at that.
According to Japanese mythology, Izanagi is one of the seven divine generations and amongst the three characters to whom Izanagi was given to, the protagonist represented "hope" and is considered "pure". This pure persona is the embodiment of strength and denotes characteristics of a true god, even though Persona 4 portrays him as a demon in species.
14 Weak: Blanc from Hyperdimension Neptunia
We'd be lying if we said Blanc made the weaker list based mostly on the fact that she's a somewhat so-so character. However, she is a goddess, so it's only fair that we acknowledge the strengths that she does have, even if her personality isn't necessarily that of one. Her weapons are traditionally an ax and a hammer which, hilariously enough, dully match her attitude most of the time. While she does watch over her home and its people and cares deeply for her sisters, her temper is what makes her weak, and not necessarily in power.
Upon a first glance, she may seem somewhat dead inside, making the comparison Neptune makes of her to a "doll" somewhat accurate, her wild rage really does it in for her. Her nearly murderous anger and severe insecurities are what make her the weaker of the protagonists, if only tragically so.
13 Strong: Shénlóng From Dragon Ball
Pronounced "Shenron" in Japanese, Shenron is considered the Divine Dragon and most watchers of the dubbed Dragon Ball Z anime version will recognize him as the "Eternal Dragon"). He made it to the "strong" side of our list for obvious reasons that should go without saying but we're going to say them anyway.
Shenron is portrayed as a traditional Eastern dragon with features that are notably sacred and respected in Japanese culture, along with the powers he's been given.
While his temper is at times overwhelming -- he is a dragon after all -- he is mostly pure of heart and not malicious. That being said, he's not wholesomely angelic either and is considered a neutral character, hence why he was able to be killed off by King Piccolo later on. That was one wish that probably just shouldn't have been granted.
12 Weak: One-Eyed King From Tokyo Ghoul
Caution: Tokyo Ghoul: Re spoilers.
Thus, we're met with a controversy. The One-Eyed Ghoul, also known as (previously, anyway) Ken Kanecki, is formerly a high school student until he was attacked by a pretty wicked creature. The One-Eyed Ghoul isn't technically a "god", but functions as one nevertheless, leading the Aogiri. The title wasn't always held by Kanecki and had belonged to Arima Kishou prior, if you're going according to the Tokyo Ghoul:Re anime series.
The new and scary Kanecki is not the one we're referring to in this article. Instead, we're talking about sad, black-haired Ken Kanecki who would take blows that should have killed him but instead turned him into the monster king we now know him as. Before all that though, he was basically a pile of mashed potatoes.
11 Strong: Yato From Noragami
Yato, while having slightly conceited tendencies, is a powerful god. Specifically, he considers himself to be the god of fortune but has been known by other titles as well, including the god of war, calamity, and deprivation. What makes him so powerful along with his confidence are his powers. Rand, also know as Zan, gives him the ability to literally exorcise and destroy all Ayakashis.
Yato is a master swordsman, which is uncommon for a god in anime or manga.
Yato also has the ability to sever connections with virtually anyone of any ability, called severance or Zetsu. When he's not destroying people, he's able to temporarily possess their bodies using Divine Possession as well, and all of these combined make him virtually unstoppable. His ability to wield dully both magic and melee attacks makes him one of the strongest.
10 Weak: The Truth From Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
The only reason that Truth made this list is that while he's considered to be a "god", he only exists in the instance that someone considers themselves to be one as well. The Truth appears in the event that someone attempts Human Transmutation, which basically exposes them to the dark side of alchemy and can have truly devastating consequences. The Truth appears as a result of this and is often referred to as "one's self".
The act is viewed in the anime and manga as giving one's self an unfair advantage and because of this, Truth is portrayed in the human psyche to be punishing them for "playing God". The Truth is slightly ambiguous and his power is only seen as something along the lines as cosmic ability, but because he has no legitimate humanoid form, no specific ability other than punishment, and only appears when necessary. He's weaker than gods we've seen in other animes.
9 Strong: No-Face From Spirited Away
No-Face is also known as Kaonashi or "faceless" (which makes sense, he has no face...literally). No-Face is a pretty creepy-looking spirit from Spirited Away that has the ability to eat people and in turn, own their physical traits as well as their personalities. Having been a relatively lonely spirit until Chihiro came along, No-Face took a liking to her and follows her throughout the anime.
N0-Face can't speak, but he communicates using a series of grunts.
Because of all the people he ingests throughout, he begins to personify specific traits in addition to his natural-born powers of invisibility, conjuration, and brute strength. But simply because of his sheer ability to eat humans, No-Face made the ranks of our strongest gods. Or in this case, god-like spirits.
8 Weak: Old Kai From Dragon Ball Z
Old Kai may be one heck of a brilliant advisor, but he is not a fighter. He's a part of the 15th generation of Kai, but that doesn't stop him from having a rather gutter-trained mind. Amongst his mildly scandalous tendencies including a tenacity for being self-centered, that doesn't stop him from doing his job and sacrificing what's needed in the event that its required of him.
Even though he's a weakling on our list, he does have the power to essentially give other people limit breaks which he refers to as "menacing capacities". Although the process takes a full five hours, it's still useful, unlike his dated and dirty mind.
7 Strong: Sephiroth From Advent Children
Don't lie, we know you started humming "One-Winged Angel" in your head just now. Give us a break on this one -- Advent Children may not have been an anime in the traditional definition, but Sephiroth is still a god worth making our list. As a tribute to how strong Sephiroth actually is in the event that you didn't play Final Fantasy VII (if not, go do it -- but don't get your hopes up for that remake any time soon), Advent Children begins with fragments of Sephiroth in the forms of Kadaj, Loz, and a man named Yazoo. They each represent a separate aspect of Sephiroth, his hatred and rage, physical strength and speed, and charisma and nonchalant coolness.
Long story short, Sephiroth has mommy issues and a desperate desire to destroy Cloud Strife and rule the world via way of the lifestream. By the end of the movie, Sephiroth has absorbed what is left of his "mother's", Jenova's, cells and comes back to duel with Cloud one last time. If his unadulterated rage and over-confident personality weren't enough, the sheer size of the Masamune should carry him through to the "strongest" category...
6 Weak: Miku Izayoi, "Diva" From Date A Live
Date A Live is still a relatively new anime but luckily for us, it's one that's full of goddesses. Of those is Miku Izayoi, also known as "Diva". While all the goddesses that the protagonist, Shido, is sent out to in a sense tame, she is by far the weakest link. She's the first goddess who really gives him trouble both with her strength, but also with her obnoxious stubbornness.
She eventually does give in, letting him take away her "spirit" powers, but not without a fight. As far as strength goes, she's virtually unstoppable at times with her ability to turn music and sound into a weapon with her massive organ that destroys anything in its path. However, she made the "weak" side of our list simply for her unruly resistance and conniving traits that were ultimately no match for romance with Shido.
5 Strong: Tohka Yatogami From Date A Live
In stark contrast to Diva, Tohka is the first goddess "spirit" that you see in Date A Live. She lands on earth with a pretty thunderous chain reaction, sending the city into defensive mode and bring destruction with her. Tohka is literally brute strength and gives Shido and the AST a bit of a run for their money until they're able to save her. For some time after that while they constantly need to restrain her from accidentally wrecking havoc on the world.
Her spirit form is in the angel of Sandalphon, which literally means "Throne of Annihilation".
The final form of her broadsword is "Halvanhelev", translated to "sword of the end". Talk about seriously menacing.
4 Weak: Light From Death Note
Light Yagami, the protagonist of the Death Note anime series and manga, quickly becomes referred to as the "God of the new world". Due to his increased desire to use his Death Note to completely eradicate evil and the people carrying it out, his mission is to only fill the world with the pure-hearted; completely free of any injustice. While it differs slightly from time to time in the manga, Light wages a constant war between good and evil, right versus wrong.
At a certain point he becomes ruthless and stops at nothing to accomplish his goal of a world free from injustice, but always seems to remember his compassionate side. Unfortunately, it's his dedication to using the Death Note to bring about his idea of the world regardless of the consequences that make him weak in character and ultimately weak in mind.
3 Strong: Beerus, God of Destruction, From Dragon Ball Super
Don't let his cat-like personality and behavior fool you, Beerus is no joke in DBZ. He's the god of destruction and definitely stands up to that title. He's arguably the most feared god out of all the universes, and it's his sole job to take care of Earth. His job is to create and maintain balance by destroying other planets, but he does so with no one else's judgment but his own.
He shows no remorse for his actions and doesn't care much what he destroys in the process of creating new planets.
Beerus is essentially the Thanos of the DBZ world and has, at his disposal, the ability to destroy an entire solar system with a snap of his fingers... So to speak.
2 Weak: Queen Beryl From Sailor Moon
Everyone hates Queen Beryl and we might have been slightly biased when putting together this list simply because she's a terrible person. She rules over the Dark Kingdom and is the leader of the Negaverse, and her sole goal in life is to destroy Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts and take Tuxedo Mask for herself. It was, after all, their love that inspired her to destroy the Moon Kingdom in the first place.
While she's not considered to be a full-on god and instead is marked as some kind of humanoid, she resembles one in every other way. Her jealousy is what tainted her heart, and in turn set out on a path of eternal destruction. While she commands the Negaverse, that's where her power begins and ends. She's relatively weak other than this. After all, jealously induces rage, but it's not a power.
1 Strong: Momo From Ballad of a Shinigami
In case you hadn't figured it out already, Momo is a Shinigami or death god. Her strength is in her character because she differs so greatly from other shinigami in the traditional Japanese definition. Rather than cause pain, she seeks to take it away, leading people to the other side after death. She embodies what we're used to seeing with a death god or "reaper" and carries a scythe as her weapon. However, she is not menacing or malicious.
Her mission is to help people, both living and dead, to make peace with the idea of death and whom or what they have lost.
In the anime, she's seen crying an awful lot and claims it's because the dead no longer can. It's because she defies the laws of traditional shinigami and takes it upon herself to commit her life to compassion that to us, she is strong.