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Top Five Swordsman In Anime

The Best Blade Wielders

By AwakenedPublished 4 years ago 7 min read
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There's nothing like a good swordsman in anime. Swords just have this certain entertainment to them. It is flat out fun to watch a character slash at high speeds especially if they are facing off against another fellow swordsman. So right now I'm gonna give my five favorite swordsmen in anime. This is obviously my list so do not take it to heart and also this has nothing to do with power or pitting them against each other in the order of strongest or weakest (although I think I just got a good idea.) So the way this will work is I will list the character, the anime they are from, and any cool tidbits about there sword or sword style if I can find any.

NOTE: I'm limiting myself to one swordsman per series.

5. Sasuke Uchiha

Anime: Naruto Shippuden

Me being the big Sasuke fan I am I wanted to put him higher on this list for sure but chose not to for two major reasons. One when Sasuke is first introduced in pre-Shippuden Naruto he does not use a sword some will argue it's cause he was a kid and to that, I argue Kakashi is shown using a small sword in flashbacks as a kid so it's not like it's unheard of I’m sure there were kids using swords in Naruto so for that fact and Sasuke not using a sword in his arsenal his entire shinobi life I feel like he can't be higher. The second reason is as you'll see later on the list is I like swordsman based on their need for their blade and how connected to it they are in battle. That being said if Sasuke just decided to stop using his I am more than confident that he would be fine as he has plenty of other means to turn to in combat.

Sword Name: Chokuto

Sasuke uses a sword named the chokuto, one of the first kinds of swords ever made in Japanese history. Seeing how early on it was made I'm sure you can imagine that it isn't too complicated of a blade. The chokuto is a one-sided straight sword that can be used for stabbing or slashing but it is best for stabbing and piercing enemies. Sasuke can use this sword in combination with his abilities sometimes even to make his abilities even better such as using his blade to amplify lightning jutsus and going later in the series to teleport with it.

4. Guts

Anime: Berzerk

At four we have the great Guts. I know for a fact that Guts does not get as much praise as he should because of how many botched adaptations he has in anime form. Now Guts is typically not what I really like to see in a swordsman. I personally prefer a lot of quick cuts and pretty techniques but Guts is a pure powerhouse and the way he uses his sword shows it.

Sword Name: Dragon Slayer

Like I said Guts is not really my kind of swordsman and his sword really is not my style but Guts saves it for me. It's been a while since I’ve read the Berzerk manga so I completely forgot about this great quote,

It was too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was a heap of raw iron.

Even when I read this now it brings a smile to my face because it fits perfectly for everything Guts represents. I plan on doing a full breakdown of why Guts is one of my favorite fictional characters in the future because I like him so much, that being said I can not put him any higher just because raw power is not what I like in swordsman.

3. Hiei

Anime: Yu Yu Hakusho

From this point on numbers, two and three are pretty much interchangeable. So here we have Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho and a lot like Sasuke I was uneasy about placing him on the list because Hiei is so powerful and has so many options without his sword but it was easier in Hiei's case because he is referred to as a "master swordsman" in Yu Yu Hakusho which is also why he landed higher than Sasuke. So while trying to research Hiei's sword I found this interesting thing that I never knew or heard of about Hiei's sword. So I was going to go on to talk about Hiei never doing anything too flashy with his sword but turns out one of the most iconic Hiei moments involves his sword. So now I bet you're questioning my credibility but there is an explanation for this. In the English dub of the show during the dark tournament arc, Hiei uses an attack known in the English dub of the show as "Dragon of the Darkness Flame". This attack he uses only his arms which then leaves them badly burned but in the original Japanese and manga this technique is known as "Sword of the Darkness Flame" and as you can imagine he does use his sword.

Sword Name: Katana

A katana is a curved Japanese sword that is known for its dominance in close quarters combat when in the hands of a great wielder. Hiei uses his katana to cut through opponents with blinding speed and to shoot dark flames.

2. Afro

Anime: Afro Samurai

Now if this was a list based purely of my own personal favorites Afro would for sure take the top spot. He fits everything I look for when it comes to the fun swordsman, cold, calculated, and always ready for the next fight. Afro Samurai isn't the most popular anime so I will give a quick rundown. There is tell of a tow legendary headbands referred to as the number one and the number two. Owning one of these makes you the first or second warrior in the world and naturally who doesn’t wanna be the best most powerful in the. So many people are after the number one headband but to challenge the number one you need the number two and that’s where Afro comes in. See everyone wants the number one but since you need the number two to get the number any and everybody is after Afro because as it stands he is the number two owner. Afro basically never gets any real downtime and because of this, we get to see him in action and utilizing his skills in all different types of scenarios. From head to head bouts with a fellow swordsman to facing off against androids the strength ten times that of a normal human Afro solidified a spot on this list.

Sword Name: Unknown

Its never really specified what kind of sword Afro uses but the two most common swords used by samurai were tachi's and katana’s so it’s safe to assume that based on this and the look of it's one of these.

1. Rurouni Kenshin

Anime: Rurouni Kenshin

If you didn't expect the one and only Rurouni Kenshin to take the number one spot then let me put you on game real quick. So Kenshin is not my favorite character on this list but certainly one I enjoy seeing on the screen most besides Sasuke which kinda seems like a weird thing to so let me explain. So a lot of popular in swordsman in anime have really drab and dark stories and in turn, it weighs heavy on them as a character. Dont believe me? Well, let’s backtrack through this list, shall we? Sasuke at number five had his entire family murdered by his brother, Guts uh.......if you wanna know all about the sad life of Guts just please read the manga, Hiei had a pretty rough life until he ran into Yusuke and friends, and Afro who was no older than ten years old at the time SAW HIS FATHER DECAPTITARED RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM AND CAUGHT THE HEAD, so it’s safe to say the life of an anime swordsman can get tough. That said Kenshin’s story ain’t all sunshine and rainbows but nonetheless he has good downtime and slice of life moments that I really come to appreciate.

NOW the good stuff.

Sword Name: Reverse Blade Sword

You read right! Kenshin's blade is actually made in reverse and this is easily why I have Kenshin ahead of the rest. A sword battle is a dangerous thing because every single encounter should be seen as life and death. So the fact the Kenshin uses a reverse blade sword is incredible. He does this because he doesn’t wanna and he is successful (for the most part) is this goal. Having the skill and talent as a swordsman to come into every single fight with an outright disadvantage and somehow come out on top is a feat I can not and will not put any lower than one.

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About the Creator

Awakened

I talk about anime if you're looking that welcome !

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