Despite their age, these old men are tremendously powerful and should not be underestimated.
Anime features a plethora of characters who, despite possessing superhuman abilities, have physical appearances that do not reflect their exceptional abilities. This is a recurring theme in the shonen genre of anime, and it adds a layer of excitement to a character and their actions.
The powerful old men of anime are a good archetype for this popular theme. In most cases, they are seen to have unusual quirks and distinct personalities, but when it comes to business, not many can stand in their way. They are individuals who appear unremarkable at first glance but leave a lasting impression after displaying their incredible strength. Following this popular archetype, here are some absurdly powerful old men from the anime franchise.
10/10
Housen – Gintama
Gintama is a shonen comedy anime about aliens and samurai. At its best, it has compelling stories and powerful enemies, including Housen.
Housen was a former division chief of the Harusame Space Pirates, one of the most powerful alien gangs in the world, and the King of Yato, an alien tribe noted for their strength and instinct for combat. He was one of the galaxy’s strongest beings, with invulnerability and swift recovery.
9/10
Hiruzen Sarutobi – Naruto
Sarutobi was a shinobi who served as the third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, a position often held by the greatest ninja in the village, ruling and defending the area. He was far more skilled in fighting when he was younger, but even as he matured, he was able to hold his own against some of the strongest characters in the Naruto series.
This powerful ninja was famed for being able to replicate any talent he came across and for inventing completely new methods of his own. He possessed the power and perfect control of several elements, sometimes mixing two or more with astounding effects. In his final act, despite his advanced age, he seals away reborn copies of the first two Hokage and drives off the very powerful Orochimaru, effectively safeguarding the entire hamlet.
8/10
Bang – One-Punch Man
The universe of One-Punch Man is full of powerful individuals with distinct personalities. It is famous for its protagonist, who can defeat any challenge with no effort. However, it also has secondary characters with outstanding powers who keep the story intriguing by engaging in increasingly difficult conflicts. The anime is full of heroes and villains, each with their own set of ambitions, and Bang is no exception.
Bang is an S-class hero, which is a title given to people who are very strong and do better than other heroes. He is a very good martial artist, and many people think he is the best S-class hero based on his fighting skills alone. Even though he is old, he has a great body and a lot of physical strength, which he has shown many times, like when he is seen breaking up pieces of a meteor with his bare hands. He is one of the most powerful old men in anime.
7/10
Silvers Rayleigh – One Piece
Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King, was the Roger Pirates’ vice-captain. The anime has great worldbuilding and a diverse cast. Rayleigh is a key character in the story’s past and a close friend of the Pirate King. He’s strong despite his age. He’s one of the most powerful old men in anime.
Rayleigh can battle on equal footing with the world’s most powerful forces, as shown in the Sabaody Archipelago. He can swim between islands while fighting sea animals with his bare hands.
Source: HAYTHEM Braa
6/10
Makarov Dreyar – Fairy Tail
In the Fairy Tail anime series, Makarov Dreyar is the eccentric Guild Master of the Fairy Tail Guild. This elderly guy of incredibly low stature is normally friendly and genuinely cares about the members of his guild. However, if he feels the need to correct things, he is not afraid to use violent force. He is also a member of the Ten Wizard Saints, an honor bestowed upon the continent’s most powerful wizards.
His most well-known skill is Giant, which allows him to extend himself to the size of an island. Despite his frequent use of Giant, Fairy Law, a Legendary Magic that targets beings the user thinks to be adversaries and inflicts life-threatening damage on them, is his most powerful magic.
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5/10
Zeno Zoldyck – Hunter x Hunter
Zeno Zoldyck, the grandfather of Killia Zoldyck, a more important character in the Hunter x Hunter anime, is one of the Zoldyck family’s most skilled assassins. Despite the nature of his job, he takes pride in preventing unnecessary casualties and has a laid-back disposition.
He is an incredibly competent nen user who has cornered some of the series’ most powerful characters. His most common and powerful use of nen manifests as a golden dragon with numerous devastating skills. The dragon functions as an extension of his body, which he can direct towards his targets in a variety of shapes, each with a stunning amount of force.
4/10
Isaac Netero – Hunter x Hunter
Netero is the second Hunter x Hunter character on this list, and he is much more powerful than his predecessor. In addition, he was the chairman of the Hunter Association, a group in charge of licensing some of the world’s most powerful people.
The former Hunter Association chairman was previously regarded as the world’s most powerful nen user. Despite his advanced age, he was still capable of incredible speeds and held a plethora of exceptional abilities. His most powerful technique was the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, a nen talent that allowed him to unleash devastatingly powerful attacks on his target despite his incredible speed.
3/10
Whitebeard – One Piece
Edward Newgate, the captain and founder of the renowned Whitebeard Pirates, was regarded as one of the best pirates of his period. He was one of the few who could equal the Pirate King in battle, which won him even greater fame. Despite his age and relative weakness in comparison to his younger self, he managed to launch a full-fledged assault on the Marine headquarters in Marineford.
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Whitebeard has formidable armament haki as well as incredible physical power. He was thought to have the ability to destroy the globe by generating tsunamis and earthquakes with his destructive devil fruit powers. Even before his death, he was widely regarded as the world’s strongest man. He is one of anime’s most powerful old men.
2/10
Muten Roshi – Dragon Ball
Muten Roshi, also known as Master Roshi, is a recurrent character in the Dragon Ball franchise. Despite his strange and wicked personality, he served as Goku’s mentor in his early years. He even inspired Goku’s signature move, the Kamehameha, which he is still remembered for today.
Despite his advanced age and some questionable behavior, Master Roshi is still regarded as one of the world’s strongest people. He is naturally short, but in his full-powered form, he is capable of completing his usual skills with increased effectiveness, as demonstrated by his usage of Maximum Power Kamehameha to destroy the moon.
1/10
Yamamoto Genryusai – Bleach
This Commander of the Gotei 13 is very strong and can do anything. People say that no Shinigami could fight as well as he did for more than a thousand years. Yamamoto himself said this was the case. He is one of the strongest swordsmen in the soul society, and his Bankai was said to be powerful enough to destroy the whole society.
Yamamoto has a great body and a lot of strength, but those are just a few of his many impressive skills. He has such strong spiritual power that he can choke an opponent just by looking at them. Due to his unmatched skill with a sword, he can also cut through huge buildings and people with uncanny accuracy. Yamamoto’s Zanpakuto is also the most impressive one in the soul society, because it can burn anything that touches it.
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