Strongest Samurai Characters in Anime, Ranked

Samurai have long been celebrated in history and popular culture as symbols of honor, discipline and unparalleled fighting prowess. In the anime world, these noble warriors are often depicted as masters of the blade, embodying the spirit of sophisticated swordsmanship while navigating complex moral dilemmas and epic battles.

From legendary figures that represent tradition to modern interpretations that combine fantasy and realism, samurai characters captivate audiences with their unique abilities, rich backstories, and unwavering devotion to their code. In this piece, the goal is to rank the strongest of these samurai characters in anime and assess their abilities, influence, and impact on their respective narratives. Therefore, listed below are the strongest samurai characters that anime has produced so far.

7 Afro – Afro Samurai

Number two

• Age: N/A
• Sword fighting style: N/A

The vengeful and titular protagonist of the Afro samurai In the series, Afro is a highly skilled swordsman. At least skilled enough to earn a spot here, considering his sword fighting style is unknown. However, the series presents it as anything but unrefined. After witnessing his father, the then number one swordsman, beheaded by number two and his headband torn from his lifeless body, it is clear where Afro's descent into madness sword begins.

Afro is a man of few words but a vicious will for revenge. He is a cold-blooded killer who has little time for compassion. However, it is this viciousness that makes him a fearsome samurai. Able to develop new techniques through thought exercises alone, a method taught to him by his master, Afro is able to advance his swordsmanship many times over. This, along with his enhanced physical attributes such as speed, strength, agility, and durability, makes him one of the most feared and famous samurais in anime.

6 Jin – Samurai Champloo

The four-eyed samurai

• Age: 20
• Sword fighting style: Mujushin Kenjutsu

The calm and calm side of the swordsman couple of the trio of main characters in Samurai ChamplooJin, is the opposite of everything Mugen stands for both as a swordsman and as a human being. Although he is now a ronin who killed his master and fled to avoid punishment, Jin embodies sophisticated swordsmanship. Primarily calm, composed and confident, Jin is the ideal companion to the ruthless duo Mugen and Fuu, even under the most stressful conditions.

Trained by Enshiro Mariya, Jin is said to have been the famous master's best student and became the successor of the Mujushin Kenjutsu style after accidentally killing his master, who would kill him either way. As a swordsman, Jin is a very orthodox practitioner who, unlike Mugen, believes in refined and informed moves and variations, and is easily one of the strongest swordsmen in the series, even recognized by the legendary Kariya Kagetoki, undoubtedly the strongest samurai in the series like at the time of their meeting.

5 Mugen – Samurai Champloo

The rooster

• Age: 20
• Sword fighting style: Champloo Kendo

The more unpredictable the pair of swordsmen of the three main characters of the Samurai Champloo In the series, Mugen is in every way the anti-hero protagonist that Jin is not, although the latter is not without sins. Vulgar, lazy and lewd, Mugen tops off his undesirable personality with an absolute contempt for any kind of authority. All of these qualities are embodied in his swordsmanship; But it's his personality traits that make him such an impressive swordsman.

True to the origin of his name “Mugen”, which originally means “without restriction”, Mugen's sword style is without restrictions and with almost unlimited potential, as it is actually a self-taught style based on breakdancing and based on Mugen's unpredictability and spontaneous tendencies , making him a very unpredictable opponent. Additionally, Mugen can adopt parts of martial arts or sword styles into his own, making him one of the most versatile swordsmen in the anime.

4 Kenshin Himura – Rurouni Kenshin

Himura Battosai

• Age: 28
• Sword fighting style: Hitokiri Battosai

The infamous Himura Battosai Ronin of the Meiji Revolution, Kenshin Himura, is the titular protagonist of the Rurouni Kenshin series and one of the strongest swordsmen in the series, second only to his master Hiko Seijuro XIII. As a swordsman, Kenshin is the successor to the Hitokiri Battosai, the strongest sword fighting style in the series, which of course gives him an advantage over any opponent.

However, Kesnhin's talent with the sword and his cold-blooded determination to kill his opponent earned him his infamous reputation, so much so that his name alone gave his enemies goosebumps during the war. Despite his small stature, Kenshin possessed superhuman agility, speed and strength and was rightly feared throughout the Meiji era. However, his versatility in numerous fighting techniques outside of his sword fighting style is further proof of his strength, making him one of the most unpredictable swordsmen in the anime.

3 Gintoki Sakata – Gintama

The White Yaksha

• Age: 27
• Sword fighting style: Self-taught sword fighting style

The White Yaksha and founder of Yorozuya, Gintoki Sakata, is the main protagonist of the Gintama Series. He is arguably the strongest samurai in the series, but he is slightly worse due to his blinding rage, which clouds his judgment in battle whenever he falls into it. Gintoki took part in the Joui War and was nicknamed Shiroyasha in battle. The mere mention of his name caused fear and terror among his opponents.

As a human, Gintoki is extremely lazy and is often thought of as stupid and silly due to his apathetic and laid-back attitude. But beyond the lazy façade, Gintoki's skills as a swordsman are extensive due to his exploits in war. Even more surprising is that his sword style is self-taught and rough but not unrefined, implying a high degree of cohesion and variation. Although he prefers his sword style, he also has versatile weapon skills and can use almost any weapon, making him even the most versatile swordsman on this list.

2 Kamikaze – One Punch Man

Atomic Samurai

• Age: 37
• Sword fighting style: Atomic slash

Kamikaze, called Atomic Samurai, is one of the supporting characters of One Punch Man and one of his most powerful heroes. He is an S-Class Hero and Rank 4 Master Swordsman of the Council of Swordmasters. Kamikaze is typically arrogant, as expected from the series' S-Class heroes, and is also very sensitive to matters concerning his age and his students.

However, as a swordsman, kamikaze is really scary. He has superhuman strength befitting a hero of his stature, and his speed makes him particularly fearsome. He is the fastest of all S-Class heroes, especially when using the infamous Atomic Slash attack. It is known that it can easily travel faster than the speed of sound, cutting everything down to a single atom.

1 Roronoa Zoro – One Piece

Pirate hunter Zoro

• Age: 21
• Sword fighting style: Three Swords Style

Roronoa Zoro, known as Pirate Hunter Zoro, the right-hand man of the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and second in command to Luffy, is a descendant of the legendary samurai Shimotsuki Ryuma One piece Universe and is the creator of the Three Swords Style. Among the Straw Hats, Zoro is known as one of the monster trio, which includes himself, Luffy and Sanji. Zoro is one of the eleven super rookies with a bounty of over 100,000,000 bellies.

Zorro is typical for his strict and serious facial expression and is not allowed to show his feelings openly. However, he proudly displays his skills as a swordsman. With his enormous strength and speed, Zoro can lift buildings with relative ease, while also being fast enough to cut down his opponents and sheathe his sword without them reacting. In addition to the three-sword style, this all makes him a pretty fearsome opponent, even if he doesn't look it. His main goal is to become the strongest swordsman in the world, taking inspiration from the current strongest swordsman Dracule Mihawk, who is a swordsman but not a samurai.