The 16 Most Feared Anime Characters Of All Time, Ranked
- 13,188 VOTES
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- Naruto
- Studio Pierrot
Madara is a legend in the world of Naruto, and for good reason. He was one of the founders of Konoha, and one of the most powerful ninja in its history. His mangekyo sharingan is an exquisitely powerful tool that allows him to perform a wide range of ninjutsu and genjutsu, but it's not just his family heirloom that makes him strong - it's also his ability to throw down in a physical fight. Overall, he's considered a great for a reason.
That's why when it's discovered that he managed to be revived at full strength, people start freaking out. And when Madara rips through the battle field like a hurricane, defeating hundreds of members of the Shinobi Alliance with barely any effort, they're even more afraid.
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- 21,772 VOTES
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- Hellsing
- Gonzo
Alucard is a vampire who hunts his fellow vampires with help from an organization called Hellsing. Why would someone like him want to get rid of vampires? Because it gives him the opportunity to take as many lives as he wants, that's why. He's one of the most powerful vampires in existence, and he knows it. He flaunts his power in battle, often seeking to humiliate and weaken his opponents before finally destroying them.
He's practically immortal, has telepathic powers, super strength, blood manipulation powers, and more, making him virtually impossible to anyone, even another vampire, to defeat. If Sir Integra Hellsing weren't there to rein him in at least a little, there's no telling what he'd do.
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- 3475 VOTES
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Being dubbed as the King of Curses is already enough to put fear in people's hearts - and Sukuna never lets that title loses its weight. He has been responsible for thousands of deaths consisting of Jujutsu Sorcerers, normal civilians, and fellow Cursed Spirits. The amount of cursed energy Sukuna possesses seems to have little to no limit, as well as extreme control over said power and overwhelming physical abilities.
Sukuna is so feared, in fact, that when protagonist Yuji consumes one of his fingers and becomes a vessel for the spirit, it sends his entire life into a spiral and sets himself up for a lifetime of fighting. Sukuna still demolished multiple of his enemies while in this state - and that was at his absolute weakest!
- 41,739 VOTES
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Yujiro Hanma is considered the most powerful man in the world. He's an elite mercenary and a brutal fighter, strong enough to defeat just about anyone who dares to challenge him. His son Baki wants desperately to surpass him, but he knows that he has a long road ahead of him.
The reason he wants to surpass him isn't just because his dad is impressive, though - it's also because his dad is a frighteningly brutal man who took his own wife's life when she tried to protect Baki from Yujiro's wrath. Baki's feelings about his dad range from awe and respect to hatred and terror. While the rest of the world may not feel quite so personally bound to him, Baki is far from the only person who sees Yujiro that way.
- 51,612 VOTES
Ainz Ooal Gown - 'Overlord'
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- Overlord
- Madhouse
As the leader of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and the leader of a guild named for himself, Ainz Ooal Gown commands respect and loyalty from his subordinates and terror from his enemies. Not only is he a gigantic robe-wearing skeleton, he's an extremely powerful gigantic robe-wearing skeleton.
With thousands of difficult spells under his belt, he's considered the strongest magic caster in the world. He demonstrates that with feats like taking out 70,000 opponents with a single spell. You do not want to be on this guy's bad side, that's for sure.
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- 61,866 VOTES
Meruem & The Royal Guards - 'Hunter x Hunter'
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- Hunter x Hunter
- Madhouse
Not everyone in the world of Hunter x Hunter has actually heard of Meruem and the Royal Guards, but everyone who has is straight-up terrified. In fact, the mere presence of one of the Guard's En (aura extending long distances from their body) is enough to trigger a total nervous breakdown in an elite Hunter named Knov.
They're so powerful that the only way to defeat any of them is through incredible feats like using up all of your future strength for a single transformation and ending the fight as a withered husk (Gon vs. Pitou) or self-destructing by setting off a poisonous bomb (Netero vs. Meruem). Scary doesn't even begin to describe them.
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- 71,444 VOTES
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- One Piece
- Toei Animation
As a member of the Four Yonko and a reputation for being the "Strongest Creature" around, Kaido is a beast among beasts. The guy is so wildly tough that he can't even eliminate himself - something he occasionally tries out for fun.
His Devil Fruit lets him turn into a massive fire breathing dragon, which gives him yet another massive power boost - something that shouldn't be possible for someone who is already at max power. Combine his stupendous strength with an aggressive personality, you definitely don't want to find yourself on the wrong end of his massive iron club.
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- 81,488 VOTES
Acnologia - 'Fairy Tail'
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- Fairy Tail
- Satelight, A-1 Pictures
After bathing the blood of the dragons he slew and using so much Dragon Slayer Magic that it shouldn't be physically possible, Acnologia mastered the technique and became a top tier Dragon Slayer who could transform into a dragon at any moment. But his powers don't stop there: he can use time magic and healing magic, and he's so ridiculously strong that fighting him is nearly impossible.
Zeref claims that he's so strong that he could rule the world if he wanted to. Considering how strong Zeref is, that's saying something. Ultimately it takes most of the main cast, seven Dragon Slayers, and then Natsu with the power of all those Dragon Slayers to take him down.
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- 9788 VOTES
Nosferatu Zodd - 'Berserk'
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- Berserk
- OLM
Also known as Zodd the Immortal, this formidable Apostle is one of the most widely feared beings in the Berserk universe. This is a universe where one character has intestines for hair, so that's saying a lot. He's devoted his entire life to finding worthy opponents and often struggles to find anyone who can come close to matching his strength.
He's brutal with those who can't measure up, largely out of frustration - but when he finds someone worth his time, he'll respect the heck out of them. Well... respect them and show them his true form, a bull with wings that looks like it crawled straight out of a hell pit.
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- 101,053 VOTES
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- Rurouni Kenshin
- Studio Gallop, Studio Deen
You wouldn't know this to look at him, but Kenshin Himura is one of the most feared and respected swordsmen in his world. Once, he was called the Hitokiri Battosai, aka the Manslayer, because of his success as a guerilla mercenary. But while his reputation affords him some privileges, Kenshin no longer wants to be associated with it.
Instead, he embraces a pacifist's lifestyle, refusing to take any more lives unless he absolutely must. To accomplish this, he surrounds himself with people who have similar values, and alters his sword so that it has a reversed blade, making it much harder for him to annihilate others with it.
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- 111,359 VOTES
The Colossal Titan - 'Attack on Titan'
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- Attack on Titan
- Wit Studio, MAPPA
Ultimately, the Colossal Titan turned out to be a terrified, brainwashed teenager who had no idea what he was doing 90% of the time, but that didn't make him any less terrifying when he first showed up, or when the Survey Corps had to take him down during their ultimate showdown.
The Colossal Titan is a skinless beast who is over 60 meters (196.85 feet) tall. He's strong enough to destroy just about anything in his path, and he emits blasts of hot steam that burn anything that gets too close to him. He's a symbol of the destruction and pain that so many people experienced thanks to the Titans, and remains that way even as the Titans' origin story becomes increasingly complex.
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- 12836 VOTES
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- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
- David Production
Most of the villains in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure are pretty terrifying. Santana can fight with his rib cage and digest people by touching them, and he's just a minor villain at the beginning of the series. But while all of the villains are petrifying in their own right, the honor of most terrifying has to go to Dio Brando.
His reputation is such that his name is enough to get even the most powerful warriors quaking in their boots. It's hard to blame them, though - who wants to go up against a super-powered vampire who can stop time?
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- 13617 VOTES
Kenshiro - 'Fist of the North Star'
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- Fist of the North Star
- Toei Animation
If you hear someone say, with the confidence and physical swagger to back it up, that 'you are already dead,' chances are high that you're going to find them pretty terrifying. Kenshiro, the protagonist of the classic series Fist of the North Star, is the 64th successor of the Hokuto Shinken style, and is considered its most powerful successor to appear in 1,800 years.
He starts out strong but a bit naive, but he quickly develops the wits to survive in a hostile post-apocalyptic environment filled with nefarious people. He might be a hero, but he still strikes fear into the hearts of many.
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- 141,269 VOTES
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- Dragon Ball Z
- Toei Animation
Few things are scarier than a corrupt real-estate developer... except if they're also inclined to destroy entire planets and everybody on them. Frieza created such a powerful environment of fear that he had a whole planet full of Saiyans obeying his every command.
When he learned about the legend of the Super Saiyan and realized that they might actually pose a threat to him, he blew up the whole planet. He's utterly ruthless, and he isn't going to let petty things like morals get in his way. Even Vegeta, who rarely shows any emotions that aren't anger, is shaken by him.
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- 15528 VOTES
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- Fruits Basket
- TMS Entertainment
Pretty much any of the others could easily have Akito Sohma in a headlock within seconds - they aren't scary because they're strong. But the power they wield over their entire family makes them absolutely petrifying. Akito is a sort of living god who has a tight and toxic bond with each member of the cursed Zodiac.
Akito decides where they will live, what jobs they can have, where they go to school, who they speak to, and what relationships they're allowed. Any sign of disobedience and they become extremely violent. Stabbing people, throwing them out the window, and blinding them are among Akito's many acts - and no one can fight back, because of that deep, cursed, connection, and their feelings of terror.
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- 161,271 VOTES
King - 'One Punch Man'
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- One Punch Man
- Madhouse
Unlike most of the characters on this list, King isn't actually scary. But according to just about everyone in the world of One Punch Man except for maybe Saitama, he's the most terrifying hero around. Rated #1 of the S-Ranked heroes, he's gotten credit for many of Saitama's most impressive feats. Combine his apparent skills with his chiselled physique and frightening face, and you have a man who seems to be a threat to villains everywhere.
But as fans of the show know, he's not actually all that strong and can't defeat even a weak villain without help. He's not trying to fool anyone, he's just too embarrassed to admit the truth.
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