10 Strongest Anime Characters From the 2020s (So Far), Ranked

With the 2020s half over, the world of anime has had ample time to introduce new, unbelievably powerful heroes and villains. Similarly, anime continuing from past decades have had even more time to power up their characters to increasingly extreme heights. The result is that 2020s anime are home to many of the most powerful characters in the medium.

New action anime like Solo Leveling and Chainsaw Man have produced some of the strongest anime characters of the 2020s. Some of these characters rely purely on physical strength, while others have abilities that make them far more dangerous than any mere fighter. The most formidable among all these fighters may as well be gods, given how limitless their power seemingly is.

Tomura Shigaraki Has Become the Strongest of All Villains in My Hero Academia

Tomura Shigiaraki has been the main antagonist of My Hero Academia since it premiered in 2016. However, only in recent seasons has he become the most dangerous villain in the battle Shonen anime. This is thanks to Shigaraki’s acquisition of the immensely powerful All For One Quirk.

All For One gives Shigaraki the power to steal the Quirks of others, use multiple Quirks at once, and distribute Quirks he’s stolen among his allies. His strength and speed are beyond those of most Heroes and Villains, his body can adapt and regenerate in response to harm, and he can decay whoever or whatever he touches. Between the Quirks stolen by himself and by his master, All For One, Shigaraki’s total list of abilities is vast, and it’s thanks to this that he was able to defeat the world’s strongest Hero, Star and Stripe.

Frieren is Nearly Peerless Among Mages in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

The eponymous heroine of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End isn’t the type of protagonist to struggle against physical threats. From the start of the anime, Frieren is the second-strongest mage in the world, with the only mage superior to her being her mentor’s mentor, Serie. And, unlike Serie, Beyond Journey’s End has actually demonstrated just how unstoppable Frieren really is.

Over 1000-years-old, Frieren has mastered countless spells, many useless, but some with devastating power. Her aura is far greater than that of the Seven Sages of Destruction, she holds the distinction of having killed more demons than anyone else in history, and she played a key role in toppling the Demon King, alongside the rest of the Hero’s Party. Even First-Class mages such as Denken and Sense are wholly outclassed by Frieren, with the only physical challenge the elf has faced in the anime so far coming from a clone of herself.

Imu is the Ultimate Evil Luffy Will Have to Defeat at the End of One Piece

The main antagonist of One Piece, much about Imu remains a complete mystery. What anime fans do know is that they’re the true ruler of the World Government, the most likely final opponent that Monkey D. Luffy will have to defeat, and seemingly stronger than every Admiral and Yonko. Because of these factors, every new feat of power shown off by Luffy, Kizaru, Shanks, or any of the other strongest characters in One Piece serves to hype up Imu as a monster unlike any other.

Manga readers have gotten the chance to see more of what Imu is capable of than anime-only fans. Along with being seemingly immortal, Imu can grant and take away immortality and teleportation from his underlings, use Holy Knight Gunko as a vessel and power her up in the process, use all forms of Haki, take on the form of a giant, demonic being, and transform others into demons. Gear Fifth may have been described as Luffy’s peak, but it’s likely he’ll have to surpass himself once again if he’s to stand any chance against Imu.

Satoru Gojo is Defined By His Status as the Strongest Sorcerer in Jujutsu Kaisen

Besides being the most popular new anime character of the 2020s, Satoru Gojo is also among the strongest new Shonen heroes. And, while his strength isn’t the primary factor behind his popularity, it’s so integral to who he is as a person that it defines his arc. Gojo is the most powerful of all sorcerers in Jujutsu Kaisen, and the only sorcerer even comparable to him is the anime’s big bad, Sukuna.

Gojo fights with the power of Limitless and the Six Eyes, as well as the Cursed Technique, Infinity. These abilities are extremely complicated but, with Gojo being a genius, he has no trouble wielding them all to their fullest potential. His attack potency is massive, his defense is close-to-unbreakable, he can control space around him on an atomic level, and he can destroy his enemies simply by overloading them with information.

Sung Jinwoo Destroys Everyone and Everything in His Path in Solo Leveling

The entire plot of Solo Leveling revolves around the ever-growing power of its protagonist, Sung Jinwoo. The only hunter in his world capable of leveling up, Jinwoo starts out the anime pathetically weak but, two seasons in, he’s become the strongest S-Rank hunter, and it isn’t especially close. His physical strength and speed alone are absolutely terrifying, and they’re far from the only tool in his arsenal.

Jinwoo has collected many abilities as he’s leveled up, but his grandest are those of the Shadow Monarch. He can revive his slain enemies as shadow servants, he can increase the power of his shadow servants, and among his servants by the end of Season 2 are some of the most powerful monsters and warriors in the world of Solo Leveling. On top of all of this, Jinwoo is close to impossible to harm, thanks to all his many resistances, and his able to regenerate if he is harmed.

Gohan Has Potentially Become the Strongest of All the Z-Fighters in Dragon Ball Super

After spending all of the Dragon Ball Super television anime on the sidelines, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero finally gave Gohan the power-up fans have long wished for him to receive. During the battle against Cell Max, Gohan achieves his new Gohan Beast form. This transformation enables Gohan to easily destroy Cell Max, and to become an equal in power to Goku, Vegeta, and Broly.

By virtue of now being an equal to the other Saiyans, Gohan has become one of the strongest mortals in the Dragon Ball multiverse, only definitively being weaker than Black Frieza. This also positions Gohan as also being stronger than at least some of the Gods of Destruction, such as Belmod. Dragon Ball is infamous for how ridiculously powerful its characters are and, when it comes to physical strength alone, there are no anime characters this decade who stand above him.

Makima’s True Power Will Only Be Discovered By Anime-Only Fans in Chainsaw Man Season 2

Fans who’ve watched Chainsaw Man Season 1 and the recently released Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc are well aware that Makima is among the strongest characters in the series, but they haven’t yet learned where her power stems from, or how unstoppable she truly is. Makima is secretly the Control Devil, one of the Four Horsemen, and capable of controlling anyone she views as inferior to herself. Her powers aren’t purely mental, though, and she’s a massively destructive force all on her own.

With Devils gaining their strength from humanity’s fear of what they represent, and “control” being one of humanity’s greatest fears, Makima is a monster in combat, able to go toe-to-toe with Pochita. Thanks to her contract with Japan’s Prime Minister, Makima is also functionally unkillable, able to regenerate from any lethal attack, at the cost of one Japanese citizen’s life. Through unclear means, Makima is also capable of attacking with an invisible force, one capable of killing most opponents instantly, and of injuring Primal Devils.

Enrico Pucci Defeated Jolyne Kujoh and Jotaro Kojo at the End of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean

Enrico Pucci is the main antagonist of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, and he’s the first central villain in the series since Dio in Phantom Blood to not be defeated in the end by his Part’s lead Jojo. Not only that, but he defeats and kills both Stone Ocean’s star, Jolyne Kujoh, and her father, the most iconic Jojo hero of all, Jotaro Kujo. Pucci accomplishes this feat thanks to his over-powered Stand: Made in Heaven.

Made in Heaven is one of the most powerful Stands in all of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. The central ability of Made in Heaven is to accelerate time by manipulating the gravitational forces of the universe which, combined with Pucci’s own great speed, makes the pair nearly impossible to counter. Made in Heaven’s power is so grand that Pucci never even truly cared about its combat capabilities, just its potential to incite a universal reset.

Yhwach Stands Far Above Every Other Bleach Character in Strength

Yhwach is the main antagonist of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, and it’s an understatement to say that he’s more powerful than every character in the original Bleach. The king of the Quincy, Yhwach wields many powers, but all of them pale in comparison to his strongest ability: The Almighty. With this one skill, Yhwach can view all potential future timelines, and warp reality to select the one that best suits him.

On the off chance someone does manage to harm Yhwach, he can endlessly regenerate. He can empower and rip power away from others, increase his own combat capabilities, transmute matter, and absorb other people. Yhwach is also no slouch in direct combat, packing plenty of physical strength, and possessing a Spirit Weapon to fight with.

Rimiru Tempest Continues to Become Increasingly Overpowered as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Continues

Rimiru Tempest is one of the most powerful characters in all of anime, and those familiar with the Web Novels That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is adapted from should know that he’s only going to get stronger in the future. As a demon lord, there’s little that’s beyond his capabilities, and there are hardly any physical or mental attacks he isn’t immune to or capable of copying. And, because of all the powers he’s already copied, Rimiru possesses a number of abilities that would make him among the strongest anime characters all on their own.

By the time the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime comes to an end, Rimiru will be a god in all but name. In the Web Novel, Rimiru can freely manipulate space, time, and probability, and create what he wishes on a multiversal scale, while also achieving omniscience. Even compared to other infamous anime reality warpers, Rimiru will become a cut above the rest.