Highlights
- Martial artists in anime showcase incredible feats and accomplishments.
- The best martial artist characters have unique styles, training, and abilities that make them stand out.
- Their dedication and determination to protect others make them true legends in the world of anime.
Martial artists in anime and manga are usually depicted as brutal and blood-lusting brutes, who often defy (and lack) common sense. But some characters have truly reached the goal of what every martial artist seeks: to acquire unparalleled fighting skills.
Here is a list of ten characters who have embraced martial arts to the point where they have acquired Supreme Martial Abilities. From Shonen heroes to real-life, hard-working fighters, these martial artists are proof that the limits of what it means to be human can only be surpassed by those who never surrender.
10 Baki Hanma (Baki The Grappler)
Raised To Be The Best, Overshadowed By His Father
- Alternative name: Gurappurā Baki
- Author: Keisuke Itagaki
- Release date: 1991
- Number of volumes: 42
- Status: Ongoing (Third series)
- First appearance of character: Vol 1. Chapter 1. (First series)
Baki Hanma is a fine example of one of the most prolific martial arts fighters in the history of manga/anime. He was raised by a mother obsessed with turning him into the best martial artist and grew under the shadow of his father, Yuujirou Hanma: a monstrously powerful and undefeated brawler in the world of Baki the Grappler.
Throughout his career, Baki has learned hundreds of martial arts, from traditional training, to cage fighting, and most importantly, he has known defeat and grown from it. Every setback was an opportunity to rise again and keep learning, allowing him to reach a level that rivals that of his accomplished parent. You know what they say: nothing is thicker than blood.
9 Bang (One Punch Man)
Creator Of A Unique Style, Master Of A Monster
Bang, also known as Silver Fang, was one of the few S-Rank heroes in One Punch Man who reached the pinnacle of the Association without having special powers or undergoing transhumanism to empower his capabilities. He is purely an accomplished and dedicated martial artist, capable of destroying rocks with his powerful Flowing Water Fist fighting style.
During the Hero Hunter Arc, Bang abandons his dojo for the first time in decades and sets out on a mission to destroy his wayward disciple, who has abandoned the martial path and turned to evil. During his fight against Garou The Monster, Bang proved to have reached the pinnacle of martial arts, and the only disadvantage he has is the limitations of the human body.
8 Kenshiro (Fist Of The North Star)
You Are Already Dead — You Just Don’t Know It Yet
Breaking bones (and hearts) and traveling through a dystopian future comes Kenshiro from Fist of The North Star — a martial artist so powerful that he can cause his rivals to implode by beating them at the speed of light. Kenshiro’s martial prowess is due to him being the heir of the Hokuto Shinken, and advanced martial art based on hitting the acupoints of the human body to cause extreme damage.
Ken was shown to be more merciful in the past, but since his defeat at the hands of Shiro, he becomes ruthless and sets off on a journey through a devastated Earth in search of his beloved Yuria (Julia). This causes him to face and beat hundreds of rivals, but he also slowly becomes a protector of the weak, rescuing the orphan, Lin, and the thief, Bat. Ultimately, he evolves into something way beyond a martial artist: a symbol of a new beginning for a devastated and hopeless land.
7 Rock Lee (Naruto)
The Only True Martial Artist Of The Series
Greatly underestimated by his colleagues and by the audience, Rock Lee proved to be an accomplished and powerful martial artist when facing the most dangerous of enemies. Selfless to the core, he risked his own life by using the Primary Lotus several times throughout Naruto, mostly to protect the Hidden Village and his friends.
Rock Lee is arguably the best character of the series. Not having inherited any legacy or bloodline, and through sheer willpower, he has overcome the limits of humanity and solidified his technique to rival the strongest Shinobi. He has shown great character development and has grown past old grudges and petty rivalries. Contrary to 80% of the Naruto cast, Rock Lee is a true Martial Artist with supreme skills and hard-earned power. Even his master, Might Guy, has recognized him as his successor and a “true man.”
6 Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)
Space Cowboy, Bounty Hunter, And Martial Artist
Contrary to what you may think, Spike Spiegel is one of the most accomplished Martial Artists of the Galaxy. A character that is heavily inspired by Yūsaku Matsuda, a legend among Japanese actors and action movie superstars, Spike took most of his demeanor and appearance from Matsuda — though he is also compared with legends like Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee. Throughout Cowboy Bebop, you see Spike fighting barehanded or using improvised weapons. His fighting style and life philosophy is that of the Jeet Kune Do, clearly pointed out by the many references he makes during his speech and most of the moves he uses.
Having grown up in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods on Mars, Spike spent his early years learning how to survive by fighting, stealing, and even murdering. This led him to become part of the Red Dragon crime syndicate, which he saw as a new family. That is, until he fell in love with Julia, a woman who was also desired by his rival: Vicious. This led to a series of events that ended up with Spike faking his own death and leaving the Red Dragons for good. Even though he was a solid candidate to become the new leader of the organization, he threw it all aside for love.
5 Son Goku (Dragon Ball)
He Might Seem Brainless, But He’s A Martial Genius
Goku is one of the oldest characters in modern anime, and many fans have seen him grow from a little monkey-tailed runt in the original Dragon Ball into a god — literally — in Dragon Ball Super. For those who had the pleasure of following Goku’s misadventures, and enjoyed his times during the Martial Arts Tournaments, he has always been a symbol of the motto “no pain, no gain.” But his seemingly oblivious, good-natured, and sometimes goofy character hides an accomplished and inquisitive martial artist, capable of learning and adapting on the go, and a master of hand-to-hand combat.
Though Dragon Ball has always been a shonen with a high component of fantasy and flashy techniques, Goku is one of the few characters who prefers hand-to-hand techniques and pure physical prowess above killing techniques. This has been greatly discussed throughout the years: why does Goku wait so long to end the bad guys with his most powerful techniques? There’s a double answer to that. Firstly, because he doesn’t enjoy killing. Secondly, because he simply loves fighting strong opponents, no matter how evil they might be.
4 Ippo Makunouchi (Hajime No Ippo)
This Guy Has Some Real Skills
How does a timid, bullied, and hard-working teenager turn into a legend? The answer lies in the tales of Ippo Makunoichi and his journey to reach the pinnacle of boxing in Hajime No Ippo — a manga that has been alive for more than three decades, and one of the best series that narrates the adventures of a Martial Artist in the making. Throughout the series, Ippo learned from several masters, including the obnoxious but good-hearted Nakamura and the veteran Genji Kamogawa.
What best defines Ippo as an accomplished Martial Artist, however, is his ability to incorporate and modify advanced techniques like the Dempsey Roll or the Gazelle Uppercut, which were mostly self-taught. His iron-willed lust for victory surprised his trainers and rivals, and it made world-class fighters acknowledge him. Makunoichi Ippo is one of the best of the best, and if things keep rolling, fans still have many years to watch him grow into the ultimate featherweight champion he is destined to be.
3 Hayato Furinji (Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple)
Is This Guy God? Because He Definitely Looks Like It
When Kenichi met his future grandfather-in-law in Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, he never knew he was in the presence of the strongest man alive. Hayato Furinji looks as if God had grown tired of mortals’ shenanigans and descended to beat some sense into them. This character has reached the pinnacle of human physical condition, strength, and Martial Arts. Behind his calm nature and wisecracking demeanor hides a powerful and overwhelming master who has never known defeat.
Hayati, also known as “The Invincible Superman,” rarely takes action, and the few times he did are testimony of his might and martial prowess. According to Miu, he has never shown his true power, and since we only learn of his abilities throughout the series, we might never know how powerful this character truly is. We can only guess, since no one dares to cross his path.
2 Yuujirou Hanma (Baki The Grappler)
A Beast In The Shape Of A Man
Called ‘the strongest creature on Earth,’ ‘Monster,’ and ‘The Oger,’ Yuujirou Hanma is a powerful martial artist, mercenary, and assassin, and he is the main antagonist of the Baki series. This beast is capable of incredible feats of strength, having reached the top of the food chain in matters of physical and martial abilities.
Despite his impressive physical abilities, the thing that turns Yuujirou into such a powerful being is his intellectual abilities. He is able to master any technique with apparent ease since he possesses eidetic memory and an almost supernatural ability for kinesthetic response. He possesses vast and deep knowledge of the human body and is also depicted as a connoisseur with refined tastes. His powerful body and brain are fueled by a monstrous metabolism, and he often consumes huge amounts of food and alcohol by himself. He even ate an elephant whole!
1 Saitama (One Punch Man)
The Most Powerful Man On Earth — And Perhaps The Universe
The most underestimated hero in existence, Saitama, or “Caped Baldy,” is the strongest being in existence in One Punch Man. Capable of destroying anyone or anything with a single punch, Saitama grew tired of trying to be recognized as a hero. His monstrous power is so absurd that even the strongest heroes of One Punch Man refuse to acknowledge it as real.
But, how did Saitama’s power come to be? According to him, he only did “hellish training,” which ended up with him being completely bald and acquiring superhuman strength. Some theorize that he somehow made contact with a powerful and evil entity known as “God,” but Genos, his fateful disciple, believes that it is the result of him naturally and instinctively acquiring power to protect others from the Kaiju. Be it as it may, Saitama’s martial prowess is unparalleled, and he has yet to meet a rival worthy of going one-on-one with him.
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