Swords have always played a huge role in Japanese tradition and culture, so it is only natural for them to be so widely featured in anime. The art of sword fighting is filled with intrigue and thrill which makes it a welcome treat for anime fans when an anime features a character that wields a sword as their main weapon of choice.
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Sword-wielding characters in general have a very powerful aura emanating from them that succeeds in making fans fall in love with them. The action scenes starring such characters are always a joy to experience. All it takes is one well-choreographed fight scene for these characters to reach mainstream attention, as evidenced by the most iconic sword-wielders in anime.
6Levi Ackerman
Levi Ackerman is one of the most integral characters in the widely popular seriesAttack on Titan.Levi is a member of the military organizationknown as the Survey Corps and is one of its best combatants. He is exceptionally skilled when it comes to fighting against the menacing Titans and is also the captain of the Levi squad.
Like all scouts, Levi uses vertical maneuvering equipment, which is a weapon built exclusively to kill Titans. Levi is an expert in using maneuvering gear and is capable of dealing fatal blows to his enemies with his blades. While not a swordsman in the traditional sense, Levi is still an exceptional fighter who fights with sharp and powerful blades.
5Asta
Asta is a loud and quirky fellowwho serves as the main protagonist of the popular shonen show,Black Clover. Asta is an orphan born without any magical abilities in a world where magic is everything. Fortunately for him, Asta is still able to become a member of the magic knight squad known as the Black Bulls after gaining access to his iconic five-clover grimoire and his Demon-Dweller Sword.
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The Demon-Dweller sword allows Asta to dispel all kinds of magic making him an extremely overpowered character. As the show progresses he also finds the Demon-Slasher Sword which allows him to cut through any magical barriers and shields. Thanks to his strong physique, Asta is able to wield both his swords with incredible speed and precision.
4Tanjiro Kamado
Tanjiro Kamado is the main character ofone of the best new shonen showsof this decade:Demon Slayer. Tanjiro was an ordinary boy thrust into taking on the role of a demon slayer in order to avenge his family and save his sister from being killed after she is turned into a demon. Tanjiro wields a katana called the Nichirin Blade which adopts a color depending upon the nature of its user.
Tanjiro’s blade has a unique black shade which symbolizes his unwavering determination and his will to protect others. Out of the many breathing styles presented in the show, Tanjiro mastered the water-breathing technique. While using this style, Tanjiro’s movements mimic the flow of water making him extremely agile and powerful.
3Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo Kurosaki is the protagonist ofthe popular shonen seriesBleach,who accidentally ends up becoming a Soul Reaper. As a Soul Reaper, Ichigo wields the iconic sword called Zangetsu to fight his enemies and destroy hollows. Zangetsu is a powerful sword with multiple forms. In its unreleased state, it appears as a simple katana, while in its released form it increases in size and turns sharper, in accordance with Ichigo’s will.
Zangetsu has an even more powerful form which can be seen when Ichigo uses the powerful Bankai technique, following which the sword turns a deep black shade and makes Ichigo immensely powerful in the process. Ichigo can use many strong moves with the aid of his sword, the most iconic of which is the Getsuga Tensho.
2Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke Uchiha is one the most popular characters hailing from the famous shonen showNaruto.Sasuke is a skilled shinobiwho is well-versed in the Fire and Lightning chakra natures and possesses incredible abilities thanks to his Sharingan and Mangekyo Sharingan. Though Sasuke’s eyes are quite iconic in their own right, they are not the only tools he relies on in battle. Sasuke also wields a katana called the Kusanagi which makes him even more versatile in his battle style.
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With the Kasunagi at his side,Sasuke has gone up against many foestaking them on in close combat. Sasuke also uses the Kasunagi to frequently channel his lightning nature in the form of his iconic move, the Chidori. This helps to cement his status as not only one of the most powerful characters in the show but also one of the most iconic anime sword-wielders of all time.
1Roronoa Zoro
Roronoa Zoro is a character from the long-running and hit shonen showOne Pieceand is one of the most iconic sword wielders in all of anime. He wields not one, not two, but three swords at a time while using his iconic Santoryu style. He is a skilled swordsman and a fierce fighter who has gone up against many foes.
He has also butted swords with the strongest swordsmanin the world, Dracule Mihawk, and though he was outmatched, he held his own for quite some time. The names of Zoro’s iconic swords include the Wado Ichimonji, the Sandai Kitetsu, and the Shusui. He has used other swords over the course of the show, but these have either been lost or destroyed.
