7 Strongest Samurai Characters In Anime, Ranked (2024)

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

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

7 Afro - Afro Samurai

Number Two

7 Strongest Samurai Characters In Anime, Ranked (2)
  • Age: N/A
  • Swordsmanship Style: N/A

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The vengeful and titular protagonist of the Afro Samurai series, Afro is a highly skilled swordsman. At least skilled enough to earn a placement here, given how his swordsmanship style is unknown. However, the series portrays it as far from unrefined. Having watched his father, the number one swordsman at the time, be beheaded by the number two and his headband snatched from his lifeless body, it’s obvious where Afro’s descent into the madness of the sword begins.

A man of very few words but a vicious will for vengeance, Afro is a cold-blooded killer with little time for compassion. However, it is this viciousness that makes him a terrifying samurai. Capable of creating new techniques purely from mind practice, a method taught to him by his master, Afro’s swordsmanship can evolve many times over. In tandem with his enhanced physical attributes like speed, strength, agility, and durability, this makes him one of anime’s most feared and famous samurais.

6 Jin - Samurai Champloo

The Four-Eyed Samurai

7 Strongest Samurai Characters In Anime, Ranked (3)
  • Age: 20
  • Swordsmanship Style: Mujushin Kenjutsu

The composed and calm side of the pair of swordsmen of the trio of central characters in Samurai Champloo, Jin, is the opposite of everything Mugen stands for as both a swordsman and a person. Even though he is now a ronin, who killed his master and fled to escape punishment, Jin embodies refined swordsmanship. Primarily calm, collected, and confident, Jin is the ideal companion to the reckless duo of Mugen and Fuu, even in the most stressful conditions.

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Trained by Enshiro Mariya, Jin is said to have been the best pupil of the famed master and became the successor of the Mujushin Kenjutsu style after accidentally killing his master, who was going to kill him either way. As a swordsman, Jin is a very orthodox practitioner believing in refined and grounded movements and variations, unlike Mugen, and is easily one of the strongest swordsmen in the series, even being acknowledged by the legendary Kariya Kagetoki, the undoubted strongest samurai in the series as at the time of their meeting.

5 Mugen - Samurai Champloo

The Rooster

7 Strongest Samurai Characters In Anime, Ranked (4)
  • Age: 20
  • Swordsmanship Style: Champloo Kendo

The more erratic of the swordsman pair of the three central characters of the Samurai Champloo series, Mugen is every bit the anti-hero protagonist that Jin is not, although the latter is not without his sins. Vulgar, lazy, and lewd, Mugen tops off his undesirable personality with an absolute despise for any sort of authority. All these traits are embodied within his swordsmanship; however, Mugen’s personality traits precisely make him such an impressive swordsman.

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True to the origin of his name ‘Mugen’, which originally means ‘without limitation’, Mugen’s sword style is without limitation and with near-infinite potential, as it’s a self-taught style based on breakdancing actually, and is reliant on Mugen’s erratic and spontaneous tendencies, making him a very unpredictable opponent. In addition, Mugen can adopt bits and pieces of martial arts or sword styles into his own, making him one of anime’s most versatile swordsmen.

4 Kenshin Himura - Rurouni Kenshin

Himura Battosai

  • Age: 28
  • Swordsmanship Style: Hitokiri Battosai

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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 of the Hitokiri Battosai, the strongest swordsmanship style in the series, naturally giving him the edge against any opponent.

However, Kesnhin’s talent with the sword, alongside a cold-blooded will to slay his opponent without fail, earned him his notorious reputation, so much so that his name alone sent chills around his enemies during the war. Possessing superhuman agility, speed, and strength despite his small stature, Kenshin was rightly feared throughout the Meiji Era. However, his versatility across numerous combat techniques outside his swordsmanship style is another testament to his strength, making him one of the most unpredictable swordsmen in anime.

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3 Gintoki Sakata - Gintama

The White Yaksha

7 Strongest Samurai Characters In Anime, Ranked (7)
  • Age: 27
  • Swordsmanship Style: Self-taught Swordsmanship Style

The White Yaksha and the founder of the Yorozuya, Gintoki Sakata, is the main protagonist of the Gintama series. He is arguably the strongest samurai in the series, but he slightly falls short due to his blinding rage, which clouds his judgment in battle whenever he falls into it. Having participated in the Joui War, Gintoki earned the nickname of the Shiroyasha in battle, striking fear into the hearts of his opponents at the mere mention of his name.

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As a person, Gintoki is extremely lazy and is often thought to be dumb and silly due to his apathetic and laid-back attitude. However, beyond the lazy facade, Gintoki’s skillset as a swordsman is very wide due to his exploits in the war. Even more surprising is that his sword style is self-taught and rough but not unrefined, implying a high level of cohesion and variation. While he prefers his sword style, he also has a versatile skill set with weapons, capable of using just about any weapon, making him even the most versatile swordsman on this list.

2 Kamikaze - One Punch Man

Atomic Samurai

7 Strongest Samurai Characters In Anime, Ranked (8)
  • Age: 37
  • Swordsmanship Style: Atomic Slash

Dubbed the Atomic Samurai, Kamikaze is one of the supporting characters of One Punch Man and one of its most powerful heroes. He is an S-Class hero and Rank 4 master swordsman of the Council of Swordmasters. Typically arrogant, as is expected of the S-Class heroes in the series, Kamikaze is also quite sensitive to matters that concern his age and his students.

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However, as a swordsman, Kamikaze is genuinely frightening. Possessing superhuman strength befitting a hero of his stature, his speed makes him distinctively terrifying, being the fastest of the S-Class heroes, specifically when using the infamous attack, Atomic Slash. He is known to be able to move faster than the speed of sound easily while being able to slash anything down to a singular atom.

1 Roronoa Zoro - One Piece

Pirate Hunter Zoro

7 Strongest Samurai Characters In Anime, Ranked (10)
  • Age: 21
  • Swordsmanship Style: Three Sword Style

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Infamously known as the Pirate Hunter Zoro, the right-hand man to the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and second-in-command to Luffy, Roronoa Zoro is a descendant of the legendary samurai, Shimotsuki Ryuma of the One Piece universe and is the creator of the Three Sword Style. Known among the Straw Hats 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.

Typically stern-faced and serious, Zoro is not to wear his emotions on his sleeve. However, he proudly showcases his skills as a swordsman. Possessing immense raw strength and speed, Zoro can lift buildings with relative ease while being fast enough to cut down his opponents and sheathe his sword without them reacting. In addition to the Three Sword Style, all of which makes him quite the terrifying opponent even when he does not look it. His main goal is to become the world’s strongest swordsman, drawing inspiration from the current strongest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, who is a swordsman but no samurai.

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