BOOOM!!! That’s the sound of strength and determination, and a frequent fixture in anime shows, which continue to be a popular source of entertainment for teenagers across the US. Between “Hunter x Hunter”, “Demon Slayer” and “My Hero Academia”, it can be tough to choose which characters are the favorite – which deserve recognition. And so, these are the unsung heroes of the anime world.

#5 Roronoa Zoro 

Number 5 of top five anime characters of all time has to be Roronoa Zoro, also known as pirate hunter Zoro, from “One Piece”. Zoro has a serious and stern personality, but also, he can be goofy once in a while, which endears him to viewers. Zoro’s dream is to become the greatest swordsman in the world, and in fact, he has a unique sword style: he uses a three-sword style, and is the only character in anime who uses three swords. Zoro works out a lot so he can become strong, and eventually become the greatest swordsman in the world; he demonstrates that with hard work comes success. 

A silly fact about Zoro is that he always gets lost, no matter his destination. Viewers find this character to be relatable and fun, and so he earns a spot on the list. 

#4 Power

In fourth place is Power from “Chainsaw Man”. Power has multiple personalities that include being childish, rude, unkept, and a self-motivated person. Power is a blood fiend/blood devil that has taken over the body of a woman: as a devil, she makes contracts with humans (in exchange for a price), heals by consuming blood, takes over human bodies, and such. As a blood devil, she is able to manipulate the blood in her body to make weapons, such as a hammer and spear, which are useful in battle. Power is a part of the Public Safety Devil Hunters which specialize in hunting down devils. Even though she is a devil, she is an exception for now. 

Power is in fourth place because of her extraordinary characteristics and abilities, even though she does seem like an untidy and disrespectful character. Despite her flaws, she makes a good protagonist, showing courage to go save her cat Meowy even if it means sacrificing a teammate, and sometimes having the courage to fight devils. Power is an enjoyable character, although audiences will agree she still needs to work on her flaws a bit.

#3 Monkey D Luffy

Third place could be no other character than Monkey D Luffy from “One Piece”. Luffy’s dream, since he was a little boy, has been to find the One Piece and become the Pirate King. He ate the Gomu Gomu No Mi devil fruit, which gave him the abilities of rubber human with the option to stretch his physical form; but once a person eats a devil fruit, they lose their abilities to swim, which might thwart his chances of being the Pirate King. 

Luffy’s personality is childlike and he gets distracted easily. He likes to goof off and party with his friends, but he also can be serious if anyone or anything gets in his way of his dream. Viewers will be touched by the way he will sacrifice himself to help out his crew and friends. One example that shows how far Luffy will go for his friends involves Nico Robin, a character who gave up against the Marines when they captured her by using childhood traumas. Luffy was not going to let her leave his crew: when she was taken to Enies Lobby, a Marines headquarters, he broke her out, demonstrating the lengths he will go for a friend. 

Also, Luffy has numerous forms that viewers will find impressive: Gear Second, Gear Third, Gear Fourth (Tankman, including a Stuffed Version), and Gear Fourth (Snakeman). There are articles galore ranking these forms, and rumors suggesting he has a Gear Fifth with ties to a devil form (not to Gomu Gomu No Mi, but rather the Hito Hito No Mi model).

#2 Kakashi Hatake

In second place is Kakashi Hatake, also known as the “Copy Ninja”, from the Naruto series. This character also has multiple personalities, ranging from being a cold, relaxed person with a bored attitude, to being more of a serious person. Kakashi has numerous abilities, including Chidori, Rassengan, Lightning Clone, Waterfall Release, and more. Kakashi has a sharingan eye which allows him to see his enemies’ movements in battle, and complete certain maneuvers, such as the Mangekyo Sharingan, Kamui, and the Perfect Susanoo. Kakashi Hatake takes on missions by himself or with his team (Team 7), and his tasks range from tackling low level challenges to fighting powerful foes to protecting people and battling in wars. Audiences will find the character and the plot very engaging and versatile.

Kakashi Hatake takes second place because of his chill personality and strong abilities. Even though he dealt with a lot when he was young, including experiencing the death of his teammates, fighting in a ninja war, and being conscripted into the Anbu Black Ops at 13, Kakashi has gained leadership as the sixth hokage in Naruto Shippuden, he has shown great progression through the highs and lows of his life. Audiences will root for him while he does his best on missions, and will have fun reading his Icha Icha book. 

#1 Goku

First place of the top five anime characters of all time is obviously Goku from Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and  Dragon Ball Super. Goku is one of the last full-blooded Saiyans, which is impressive on its own. Goku’s personality can be both childlike and goofy, or really serious when his friends or loved ones are in danger. After the Tournament of Power, Goku realizes there are more powerful beings out there, and he begins to train with Whis, who is an angel also mentoring Lord Beerus, the God of Destruction.

Besides the training, Goku has a total of 21 forms, though the most used ones include Kaio-Ken, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan 4, Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-Ken, Ultra Instinct, Perfected Ultra Instinct, and True Ultra Instinct (using his emotions). He is clearly a master, and few other characters come close to matching his abilities.

Also, Goku has saved Earth seven times and saved all the universes with the help of Freeza (one of Goku’s oldest enemies) and Android 17 (who was a villain, and then became an ally). Goku’s goal is to become the strongest being in the universe, and audiences will cheer him on as he looks to protect his friends and loved ones.