Swords are cool. Swordfighters? Just as cool. After all, an exceptional blade requires someone worthy enough to wield it. And these swordsmen (or swordswomen) are some of the greatest! Whether they have some inner, innate abilities that allow or assist in their swordsmanship, special, grueling training regimens they’d gone through, or are just simply bad-ss with a blade, there’s no matching the skills these fierce warriors have.
Not only are the swords versatile, such as being katanas, a prosthetic, larger than life, or even sentient, so are their wielders. Ronin and mercenaries, assassins and shinigami, these swordfighters aren’t just skilled, but have intense backstories to how they came to be the greatest. From demonic powers to specialized weapons, skills as sharp as the swords they carry, and wills stronger than their steel, these anime swordfighters aren’t just skilled, but nigh unbeatable.
5) Akame from Azame to Kill!
Once forcibly trained to be an assassin along with her sister for the Empire, Akame eventually defected to the rebel group, the Night Raid, to overthrow the corrupt monarchy. Teigu, mysterious and extremely powerful relics that may appear as equipment, weapons, or even living creatures, are special arms that only the strongest of warriors are able to wield. Akame’s sword, Murasame, is one such Teigu. As a long katana-type, Murasame is a cursed blade that could kill a person with a single cut via a poisonous curse that spreads throughout the victim’s body and killing them within seconds by stopping their heart.
Formerly used by Gozuki, Akame’s mentor and father figure within the Empire who personally trained Akame, Akame acquired it after defeating Gozuki. Even as an adept swordswoman, Akame herself must be cautious when wielding such a blade. Even cleaning Murasame is a dangerous task. As it’s hinted that Akame is the only possible user who manages to activate Murasame’s Trump Card, the sword itself even sees Akame as its true wielder.
Azame to Kill! can be streamed on HIDIVE or Hulu where available.
4) Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach
As the Shinigami wield Zanpakutō in order to defeat Hollows, send spirits to the afterlife, or travel through the Three Worlds, Ichigo’s own Zanpakutō, of course, has its own unique qualities. Named Zangetsu, this specific weapon holds its own manifested spirit as well as Ichigo’s inner Hollow and Quincy powers. And as its wielder, Ichigo goes through much training and many trials throughout the series, learning to not only control the blade, but his own inner abilities.
Bleach can be streamed on Disney+ or Hulu where available.
3) Afro from Afro Samurai
Afro (yes, that’s his name) had to learn the way of the sword and learn to kill from a very young age after witnessing his father, Rokutaro, the former Number 1 swordsman marked with a headband, be decapitated before his very eyes by the former Number 2 now newly Number 1, Justice. Eventually gaining the Number 2 headband, Afro became an incredibly skilled swordsman, coming up against any opponents who dare challenge him with any manner of tactics, from underhanded ambushes to weapons like guns and RPGs. Able to slice through bullets and motivated by revenge and the resolve to become Number 1, Afro is not a swordsman to trifle with.
Afro Samurai can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
2) hyakkimaru from Dororo
Born as a sacrifice for his father’s benefit, Hyakkimaru was abandoned without eyes, nose, ears, limbs, and skin. Fortunately, a man named Jukai adopted him, raised him, gave him his prostheses like arms with swords attached, and trained him in sword fighting. As an added bonus, although Hyakkimaru had much taken from him, he, in turn, gained superhuman senses. So, on his journey to kill all 12 demons and regain his body parts, not only does Hyakkimaru excel in sword fighting, but all without actual limbs and the most vital senses.
Dororo can be streamed on Prime Video, Hulu, and HIDIVE.
1) Guts from Berserk
There may be many a giant sword throughout different anime series, but Guts’s giant sword, the Dragon Slayer, is one of the most iconic and recognizable within the wider anime community, to the point of having been pretty thoroughly meme’d with people trying to draw and photo-edit it to be as ridiculously big in comparison to the wielder as possible. And with its wielder who can actually lift the thing, let alone swing it, Guts as a swordsman is nigh unstoppable. He’s even shown incredible feats of grit, tactical growth, and battle IQ against fellow Berserk characters like Serpico, who demonstrate a far more conventional proficiency with the blade. This goes before even mentioning his numerous bouts against Griffith and otherworldly enemies like Grunbeld, or how his immense and surprisingly acrobatic skills go unhinged when donning the Berserker Armor.
Constantly facing a wide range of opponents from hoards of human militia to ungodly intimidating demons, only someone with both physical fortitude and a will stronger than the steel his blade is forged with could ever dream of overcoming such a hellscape, let alone survive it. As such, Guts is someone who isn’t even afraid to hack off his own arm to defend those he cares about. But even early on, it’s quickly confirmed in Berserk canon that, giant sword or not, Guts is an absolute master swordsman, and his skills often take a backseat to the spectacle of his relentless style.
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