The superhero craze took over society for years with the boom of Marvel heroes in the 2000s, followed by the explosion of the MCU in the 2010s, to the rebirth of DC’s popularity through movies like The Suicide Squad and The Batman in the 2020s. But when discussing mediums that know how to do amazing superhero stories the best, anime has to be considered in the conversation. It’s commonly said that there’s a good anime for everything and that is the case with heroic endeavors. From galaxy-faring powerhouses to vigilantes with no initial powers but a strong force of will, here are the best superheroes in anime.
5 Astro Boy
The Mighty Atom
- Name: Atomu
- Series: Astro Boy
An old-school anime and manga character if you’ve ever seen one, Astro Boy is one of those fictional characters so ingrained into pop culture through time and rising popularity that even those who haven’t even heard of anime might recognize his name or his face.
Umataro Tenma, the previous director of the Science Ministry, made this hero known as Astro, as a form of robotic reincarnation of Tobio Tenma. Astro is a hero with a strong sense of justice and a natural pacifist who, despite being rejected and sold to a robot circus, frequently defends those who can’t defend themselves.
When looking at a list of Astro Boy’s abilities, the first thing that catches the eye is his ‘horsepower’. He’s always fitted with a one-hundred thousand horsepower engine, with some versions and variants of the character also having access to a one million horsepower upgrade. With jet-powered flight, blaster arms, and a willingness to use them for what’s right, Astro Boy is one of the best anime superheroes in the galaxy.
4 Deku
The Top U.A. Student
- Name: Izuku Midoriya
- Series: My Hero Academia
A great underdog tale, even by superhero story standards. Izuku Midoriya was a young man born into a society where almost everyone had great superhuman abilities. Almost everyone but him. This was heartbreaking, seeing as you would struggle to find a bigger superhero fanatic than him. He was obsessed with heroes and those who save the day, writing down notes and studying them daily.
He was bullied for years for being quirkless and wasting his time, but it all paid off once the world’s greatest superhero saw the potential in him after he tried to save one of his classmates from a horrible sludge villain. His ability, one of the most secretive and powerful quirks in history, was passed on to Deku to develop.
Deku isn’t one of the greatest anime superheroes just because of his powers. Though the strength, speed, bursts of energy, and multiple other secondary quirks are a lot to write home about. Deku’s one of the best because of his intense and compassionate spirit. Deku will stop at nothing to achieve his dream of becoming the world’s greatest hero, not just to honor All-Might, but to protect everyone.
3 Sailor Moon
The Girl From The Moon Kingdom
- Name: Usagi Tsukino
- Series: Sailor Moon
Another iconic old-school character that many are likely to recognize without having watched the series, but of a brighter and more feminine variety. Usagi Tsukino holds the prestigious title of the Sailor Guardian of Love and Justice, Sailor Moon, one of the greatest heroines of the 1990s and of anime fame in general.
Sailor Moon’s origins have her hail from the Moon Kingdom. She was later reborn on Earth and awoke as the head of the Sailor Senshi. Through various transformations, Sailor Moon uses her powers as a result of this to make all sorts of magic happen. These include Moon Prism Brooch, Crisis Moon Compact, Holy Grail, Eternal Moon Article, Cutie Moon Rod, Spiral Heart Moon Rod, Crystal Star, Cosmic Heart Compact, Moon Kaleidoscope, Eternal Tiare, Moon Stick, Tiaras, Holy Moon Chalice, Moon Power Tiare, and Silver Crystal.
Sailor Moon is capable of generating light, healing, and an array of powerful attacks that would put the best and brightest energy-manipulating heroes in anime and fiction to shame.
2 All-Might
The Symbol of Peace
- Name: Toshinori Yagi
- Series: My Hero Academia
The Superman of the My Hero Academia and the unequivocal number one hero of their society. Like Deku, the brave young hero who would inherit his power as well as carry on his will after he retired, All-Might was also born with no quirk. But you would not believe that if you saw how he used his strength to fight in his prime.
The Flame-Hero Endeavor, one of the most talented and dedicated superhumans in their world, could not compete with him at second place, All-Might’s number-one spot being largely uncontested for the entirety of his career. It took for his body to literally start failing him for anyone else in the superhero world to come even close to his level of ability.
All-Might’s charisma, unbeatable will, high energy, and ever-present smile are enough to make him one of the world’s greatest superheroes, but his powers are what seals the deal. The Symbol of Peace is able to make the earth below him quake and the surrounding air vibrate with his various brute force attacks, most of which end up being a humorously heroic combination of an American state and the word smash.
1 One Punch Man
The Caped Baldy
- Name: Saitama
- Series: One Punch Man
Imagine being so powerful that the main conflict of your story is the boredom and isolation you feel at the top and the classic shōnen desire to want to fight stronger is a sort of humorous existential crisis played for laughs. That’s the reality of One Punch Man, the man who trained himself so hard he became the world’s strongest.
According to the man himself, one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and running over six miles each and every day is all it takes to end up as powerful as he is. Naturally, a lot of people don’t believe him at all, with “the caped baldy” experiencing a great mixture of disbelief, adoration, praise, and resentment from other heroes in his universe for being so effortlessly strong to the point where he can’t even gain the thrill of battle. Most of his fights end with just one punch.
Being a unique concept for a great superhero, as well as being a quality gag character and a strong powerhouse makes One Punch Man the king of anime superheroes. A seemingly average man in terms of demeanor, Saitama always had dreams of being a hero and not only did he risk his life to save someone, but he put in the work to become the best. His greatness and lack of ability to have a proper fight as a result of this is his burden, the great anime hero suffering from success by nature.
