Initially made to promote the trading card series, Yu☆Gi☆Oh! has claimed international fame all over the world partly due to its well done anime dub. With multiple seasons following the evolution of the card game following the changes to its rules, Yu☆Gi☆Oh! has gained one of the largest communities that still continue to play the card series to this day. But cards can be cumbersome to carry, collect and it’s entirely possible that some players have lost their prized decks as the years have gone by. The solution comes in the form of games. Despite the usual high price tag that can come with games, players are able to build virtual decks however they want using in game money. With the first in its series for PC, Yu☆Gi☆Oh!Online allows players from all over the world to pit their mettle against fellow players from the comfort of their own home without the cumbersome need to carry a physical deck. With the convenience it provides and the ability obtain some usually ultra rare cards, Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Online definitely earns it’s place on this list.

Dragon Ball is famous for reviving Krillin over and over and having planet destroying warriors. The whole show thrives on the high speed action and ramped up destruction caused by the saiyans and the other aliens. Is it any wonder that viewers want a chance to bash some skulls in or throw a spirit bomb at Vegeta? With the latest DBZ game XenoVerse, players can pick and choose any characters to pit against in a death match, and control one of them to boot. Light attacks, heavy attacks and even supers can be executed, and they vary from character to character. Of course, that means that the fighting is pretty much standard fare for the DBZ games in general. The feature that sets the XenoVerse apart from the rest is the Create Your Own Character. With this feature, players are able to create their own custom character with multiple customisable options like race, gender, size, shape or voice. This provides a unique spin on the series as it allows players to self insert themselves into a whole new character and personally pummel iconic characters of the series into pulp. Doesn’t it feel a thousand times more gratifying to beat up Goku yourself?

One Piece is one of the longest anime/manga series and is well known even by those who aren’t anime fans. It boasts a cast of characters that wreck the place with their signature moves, and it’s a definite that all fans have their favorites. However, it can be hard to translate the raw destruction that embodies the series while keeping the beloved story in place. The makers of OPPW came up with the brilliant solution of making a One Piece themed Dynasty Warriors game. The story is told in visually brilliant cut scenes that summarise the plot points of story arcs in a succinct manner while allowing the player to dish out in incredible attacks such as Red Hawk or Shishi Sonson. It’s incredibly hard to translate the OP series into game form, but they did it.

While Final Fantasy doesn’t live up to its title of being final, FF is a long running series that has reached its 15th iteration at the time of writing with fans all over the world. There are many who will claim their favorite game of the series, whether it be the heart stopping terror of Sephiroth or the simple Black Mage and White Mage. With such rampant popularity, it’s a small wonder that the game series has been adapted to anime format multiple times and has had a few movies to its name as well. Love it or hate it, FF is here to stay and will continue to be present for a long time. One of the mainstays of Final Fantasy is 7. Everyone remembers the signature fight of Cloud against Sephiroth and for many it's their first game in the series. With its classic turn based system, Final Fantsy 7 and its predecessors serve as an example to follow for many future turn based games as well as inducting many fans into RPGs in general. While each game has its own merits and flaws, Final Fantasy 7 is on this list because of how many people it drew into the series and the genre.

Taking place between the point where Aizen betrays soul society and when Ichigo leaves soul society, the game follows the story of soul society and its struggles against the mod souls and hollows left behind by Aizen to wreak havoc. While significantly outdated at the time of writing, it was a powerhouse visually at the time of release, and for the non-japanese gamers, that release came more than half a year later due to localisation issues. This visual ability is definitely important for gamers to fully enjoy the sheer scale and awe that the massive Bankais of the series evoke. Players can choose between multiple characters to fight in a fighting game format to wield their favorite zanpakuto in the hands of their owners. The sheer joy of shooting an ice dragon at a hollow cannot be emphasised enough. Much like the previous game, it's pretty standard fighting fare for bleach games like dashes, air dashes, guarding, slashing, dodging and special attacks. The difference is, it's standard fare done well. That, in combination with the ability to use Bankais places Bleach: Dark Souls heads and shoulders above the games of its generation. With the ability to utilise so many reiatsu attacks to cause collateral damage, why wouldn’t fans of the series enjoy this game?

The Tales Of Series is a long running one that boasts a large array of games that follow a similar combat and UI system with unrelated stories for the most part. Each game is named Tales of XXX, with examples like Tales of Abyss or Tales of Zestiria, with ToZ being the latest. The visuals of the game are very anime in nature, with a side scrolling 2d combat system (somewhat 3d in later iterations), that allows players to fight strategically in real time combat with a cast of characters. Most games give the ability to switch the controlled characters as well, allowing them to be used in a more tactical manner. An iconic game of the Tales of Series is Tales of Abyss, in which players follow the story of Luke Fon Fabre, the son of an esteemed noble. He seems to be amnesiac and totally clueless about the world in general, allowing the game to utilise exposition more naturally. Abyss also presents a slight deviation in tone for the series in general, going a more sci fi route over magic. In terms of gameplay, Abyss does it “the same but better”, choosing to improve on aspects of the gameplay rather than changing it drastically. The story of Abyss was so interesting that it sparked an entire anime about it, giving it an even wider appeal to audience over multiple mediums. With its engaging gameplay and story, Tales of Abyss definitely earns a place on the list.

Who can forget Pokemon? Well certainly nobody can remember all of the Pokemon beyond the original 151 because the cast of Pokemon has been expanding ever since the first generation. With multiple system changes since gen 1, like the physical special split in gen 4, Pokemon has never remained stagnant throughout the years and has managed to retain its fanbase throughout the years. The latest game(s) in the series is a remake of the gen 3 games, Ruby and Sapphire. This particular entry does something similar to what Soul Silver and Heart Gold achieved, the nostalgia of older generation games while retaining the more advanced systems of later generations. It is basically the best of both worlds. With some of the most fan favorite games remade to be on the 3DS, how can it not be popular?

One of the most popular anime fighting games to exist is the NUNS series that allows players to experience the story of Naruto from pre shippuden to the end of the manga itself whilst playing from the point of view of multiple characters like Naruto, Hidan, Itachi or even Shikamaru. With each sequel, the story continues ever onward to the conclusion of the manga and thus the cast of characters continues to expand more and more, allowing players to play even the most minor characters in the latest game in the series. As an adaptation of the anime, the game does a good job of sticking close to the source material with its beautiful cut scenes and visually gratifying jutsu that represent the original quite well. From Rasengan to Baika no Jutsu, players can execute any jutsu that the character can in the show. Any fan of the anime will certainly enjoy the game as well.

With After Story being ranked at #9 on myanimelist, it’s undeniable that Clannad as an anime is widely enjoyed by audiences everywhere. Boasting a sad story told in a romcom format, Clannad is able to evoke the emotions and tears of even the most stone hearted individual. The truly die hard fans will know that the anime Clannad is actually based on the visual novel of the same name. Clannad the visual novel follows the same story of the anime in a VN format, except the player is able to pursue the routes to their romantic conclusion. Basically put, if you enjoyed the anime, you’ll enjoy the VN.

A spin off of the notoriously difficult Shin Megami Tensei series, the Persona series has received anime adaptations that have reached high acclaim to the point that Persona 4 has an entire season of omakes for it. The anime closely follows its source material as well as it can within their limited time. Of the entire series, Persona 3 is particular popular amongst gamers and anime fans. The gameplay off the entire series stays mostly true to the formula, but Persona 3 presents a turn in the way the series is known to the general public. The Shin Megami Tensei games were well known to be inaccessible to the regular gamer because of its high difficulty, and Persona 1 and 2 were similarly presented as such. However, Persona 3’s updated graphics on the Playstation 2 provided an easier to follow presentation that allowed players to find the game easier to get into, despite retaining its previous difficulty. Persona 3 is not that much different from the other games, it just appears to be more “friendly” in general. By the time difficulty strikes, it's too late for players as they are already sucked in. This popularity carried over to the sequel, Persona 4 as well. With a 5th game being teased, Persona will continue to be a staple in the game and anime industry.

Anna Williams is the younger sister of Nina Williams. Both of the girls face intense sibling rivalry as a result of their father, Richard Williams who appears to favor Nina and taught her assassination techniques while neglecting Anna. It seems like Anna enters the tournament to get back at her sister. Unlike her more serious sister, Anna is more flirtatious. It may seem pretty silly of Anna to enter the tournament due to sibling rivalry, as they can just have a showdown at the comfort of their own homes. While Nina may seem to have the advantage of being skilled in assassination techniques, you have to give it to Anna for looking more fashionable with her trademark long, red silk dress which features a high slit that shows off her toned leg.

Asuka Kazama is a girl who speaks in a Kansai dialect and is known to break up fights in Osaka. She has a mysterious connection to Jin Kazama and her fighting style is Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts, which was taught by her father. Her reason for entering the King of Iron Fist Tournament is to find the Chinese guy who beat up her father’s students. A Japanese fighting game would not be complete without a Japanese female character. While Asuka Kazama has a brash attitude which may seem a little unfeminine, she has a strong sense of justice and is a really fun character who truly enjoys fighting. She has a cute and refreshing beauty with a similar fighting style to Jin Kazama, which makes her a great alternative for those who prefer to use a cute female character instead of a male character. Plus, she is a special one who can tame the Devil Jin!

Ling Xiaoyu is a bubbly girl who also has a crush on Jin Kazama. She is trained in Baguazhang and Piguaquan which are Chinese martial art styles, and it is ok if you do not know how to pronounce those names (neither do I). Her dream is to build an amusement park in China, which leads her into entering the tournament to win the cash prize that would enable her to realize her dreams. Besides that, she also owns a Panda that is skilled in martial arts! To some people, Ling Xiaoyu’s overly cheerful personality and childish dreams can come across as borderline annoying, but you can’t deny that she has that kawaii vibe going on! Her attack moves are actually pretty weak which places her out of the list of the strongest characters, but she is very agile and great at dodging attacks. Her acrobatic moves are also very entertaining to watch!

Julia Chang’s fighting style resembles that of Michelle Chang’s, as Julia is Michelle’s adopted daughter. She sports feathers on her head that is reminiscent of the Native American tribe. She has a strong interest in Archaeology, and she tries to find out more about Michelle’s ancestors, especially through the use of Michelle’s pendant. The sudden disappearance of many fighters leads other people from the tribe to suspect that the pendant has something to do with it, so Michelle goes to Japan but does not return. Julia suspects Heihachi, so she joins the tournament to discover the truth. Julia is very pretty and loves nature, so we figure she would be pretty popular among environmentalist. If there are many environmentalists who look like her, we bet that most of you would be ashamed of your unfriendly environmental ways and make an effort to go green. Her wrestling style-throws pack a punch, and she also has some awesome kick combos. Her seemingly same attacks actually have many variations to them, which makes her moves quite unpredictable to her opponents!

Unlike her jealous sister, Anna Williams, Nina is not so petty as to bother about things which do not matter much. In fact, she is pretty emotionless and indifferent about most things, as she is controlled by the creepy Ogre after the death of her father. Her signature color is purple which is usually reflected in her outfit. She initially joined the tournament to assassinate Heihachi Mishima. Nina Williams becomes a fan favorite due to her fighting style which incorporates lethal moves and chain throws. She can also perform pretty deadly combos, so her strength is somewhat on par with strong male characters. Nina is a femme fatale veteran who has appeared in every Tekken series. Even though she is aged above 40 from Tekken 3 and onwards, she still looks stunning and captivating!

Christie Monteiro is a Brazilian who is skilled in Capoeira, after being taught the martial art style by Eddy Gordo, who learned it from Christie’s grandfather, the Legendary Capoeira Master. After learning from Eddy Gordo for 2 years, Christie becomes quite the skilled fighter, but Eddy suddenly goes missing. Christie’s only clue is The King of Iron Fist 4 Tournament, so she joins it in order to search for Eddy! Christie Monteiro reminds us so much of Jennifer Lopez. As we love Jennifer Lopez, we automatically love Christie too. Her Capoeira fighting style is quirky and fun as it is reminiscent to dancing. You can just simply jam the buttons and watch how Christie dances and attacks her opponent, who is unable to foresee how she is going to attack next due to her deceptive dancing skills. She is very sexy and an easy character to use, which beginners will love!

Zafina’s seducing looks is due to her Middle Eastern roots. She has great spiritual power and is tasked to protect an imperial tomb since she was a child. She uses her spiritual ability to be an astrologist, but as her premonitions become more intense, she consults her guru. Her guru tells her about the two evil stars which will cause the tomb’s seal to be broken. Upon knowing that Kazuya and Jin will be joining the tournament, she also participates to destroy those two evil stars. Zafina may be a new addition to the Tekken series but we have our reasons to choose Zafina over some veteran female fighters. Zafina always has that bitch mode on even before the fight starts, as evident by her pre-fight taunts to her opponents. To be honest, we find that incredibly sexy, dominant, and attractive. Her lack of story arcs adds to her mystery, if you will. Plus, she is rocking that smoky eye look without looking like she has been punched in the eyes.

The Panda that is the pet of Ling Xiaoyu is also a capable fighter! And yes, Panda is a female, in case you never thought of that before. Panda learned advanced bear fighting from Heihachi Mishima so she would be able to act as a bodyguard for Ling Xiaoyu during the tournament. Besides being a bodyguard, Panda is also the best friend of Ling Xiaoyu. Instead of being a decorative pet panda that spends most of the time chewing bamboo shoots and looking cute, Panda makes herself useful by being trained in martial arts. Thus, Panda is a step above most of the pets out there. Since Panda is such a highly attractive bear, it is no surprise that Kuma has a crush on her. We don’t doubt that there are many other bears and humans who find her charming too. Sorry, Ling Xiaoyu, but your pet is way cuter than you.

Alisa Bosconovitch is an android created by Dr. Geppeto Bosconovitch. Alisa’s appearance is modeled after Dr. Bosconovitch’s daughter who had passed away. However, the android is also enhanced with fighting skills and mechanical devices meant for attacking. Alisa wears three lilies in her hair which symbolizes innocence, a primary characteristic of Alisa. Alisa is easily among the best-looking female characters due to her baby pink hair which complements her pretty green eyes. She stands out easily appearance-wise, due to her unique features. Alisa is also a very interesting character to use due to her mechanical devices. For instance, she can sprout chainsaws from where her arms should be! Besides short range attacks, she is also capable of long range attacks such as launching rockets, therefore, she is a very versatile fighter.

Lili, or Emilie De Rochefort, is the only daughter of the wealthy Mr. Rochefort, and she stays in an upscale mansion along with her father and a butler named Sebastian. Due to her lavish lifestyle, she seems to develop a selfish and arrogant attitude, but she is actually a nice girl underneath all the pomp. This daddy’s girl joins the tournament to deal with Mishima Zaibatsu, who is a problem to her father’s business. Befitting of her affluent background, she strives to look elegant and graceful in her moves, which seems to be Gymnastics-inspired. We think that she is the most awesome female character because it is highly likely that she develops her own fighting style. Her father, who does not like fighting, would have never sign her up for any martial art classes! Her rivalry with Asuka Kazama is cute to watch, but we have to say that we prefer Lili over Asuka, due to Lili’s cool demeanor unlike Asuka, who is rather hot-headed.

As a fan of Abe Miyuki's manga, when Hakkenden was adapted into an anime I was overly happy. I was afraid, though, as whenever a manga I like is adapted into an anime, there's always something somewhat disappointing. Well, it was not the case with Hakkenden. This story revolves around Shino Inuzuka and Sousuke Inukawa, who originally died when their village was turned to ashes, but managed to come back to life thanks to some circumstances. As Shino and Sousuke, grown up in an orphanage with Hamaji – a cute girl who shares with them the same tragic past where she lost everything – have a peony-shaped birthmark, their situation is bound to change. In fact, suddenly the Church shows up in front of them, forcing the two to find the mystical gems and the other six people sharing the same peony-shaped birthmark. Either they start searching, or their destiny will be a terrible one! I think it's difficult to express with words what I felt while watching Hakkenden. Maybe because it starts with the premises that all the eight characters have lost their life, but episode by episode there was a lingering feeling of loss. While Shino and Sousuke met the various characters, and heard their stories, themes like loneliness or violence popped up. At the same time there was hope, as to say that even when you have lost something, there's still a reason to keep on fighting. Anyway, Hakkenden is not all about sad themes, it has its own comedy part as well. That's why it made think about a lot of things, but, on the other hand, it gave me a very nice time. It gave me a right balance of emotions, and that's the reason why I keep on going back at it, whenever I feel like it.

I thought I was not a fan of mecha genre. I actually realized that as long as an anime is good, I don't really care about the genre. In fact, I loved Code Geass and Gundam 00. However, for this list, I wanted to mention this underrated anime, that totally stole my heart. For starters, I loved the art style. As soon as I started watching it, I realized just how amazing this story was. The protagonist is Haruto Tokishima, who lives a peaceful student life in space in a division called Module 77. His destiny changes when, as a result of an invasion by the Dorrsian Military Pact Federation, he is forced by some circumstances to become a Valvrave pilot. What Haruto didn't know, though, is that by becoming a Valvrave pilot actually he is giving up his human part. As the story is amazing per se, since it's about a bunch of kids fighting on the front line to defend their rights, and cooperating with each other, what struck me the most was Haruto's character. He is not your typical protagonist who runs towards danger. Even though he has lost his humanity by becoming something similar to a vampire, he just can't give up his human part. He struggles to remain sane; he needs to protect the girl he loves, and shoulders the responsibility to protect everyone else as well. This is a story about friendship, love and a story about how your biggest enemy can become your dearest friend. This anime doesn't take anything for granted. I think I will never forget the last episode; in fact, I found myself cheering for Haruto and L-eLf fighting together, knowing exactly how it would end. Haruto's character surprised me once again. He went as far as to make the greatest sacrifice, with the composure that he had saved everyone.

Shinsekai Yori is another little masterpiece that stole my heart. I'm very fond of it, and I watched it a lot of times, just to realize that it's always like the first time, since it keeps giving me the same strong emotions. This is a dystopic anime that takes place in a Japan 1000 years from now, and revolves around five children: Saki, Satoru, Shun, Maria and Mamoru. They live in a peaceful village, that is like a utopia, as the water is clear, it's full of nature, and people seem to get along very well. That utopia, though, is bound to come crashing down. In fact, due to some circumstances, the five of them discover about the outbreak of psychokinesis that can make people become monsters. Not only that; the sad truth about the bloody past that brought mankind to that point will be unveiled in front of their eyes! What I really liked about this anime was the way these five children managed to help each other, and have the upper hand against the system. It was distressing that whenever someone disappeared, no one could remember anything about them. However, the way Saki and Satoru, the survivors, managed to struggle until the end, never once forgetting about their friends, well, I found it just too beautiful. Their bond strengthened, in the name of the friends and lovers they had lost; their fight was long, but they found a way out of that “utopia” and discovered the truth. The way it ended, with the last episode giving you a hunch of a flip side that you probably already imagine, confirmed what I already knew: Shinsekai Yori is a masterpiece.

It's finally the time to talk about this anime that actually changed my life and, possibly, even the way I look at things. No, I'm not exaggerating. Natsume Yuujinchou is a non-conventional shoujo anime, revolving around ayakashi (spirits) and a boy who is able to see them: Takashi Natsume. He is an orphan, who changed family year after year, because every relative found him too strange to deal with. His strangeness – the fact that he can see the spirits – is actually a gift. In fact, the tables turn when he finds the Book of Friends, a book who belonged to his long gone grandmother, a woman who could see the spirits as well. When Natsume meets Madara, alias Nyanko-sensei, a powerful spirit trapped in the shape of a “maneki neko”, he will start a journey bound to give to all those spirits whose name is in that book, all their names back. Natsume Yuujinchou touched the deepest chords of my heart, and shook them so bad, making me become overly emotional in every episode. Being discarded by every close relative, Natsume developed a cold attitude towards others, intended to protect himself from being hurt. His life, though, will suddenly become full of friends, humans and spirits. There's a nostalgic feeling in every episode; all the spirits he will meet, will turn out to be simply lonely spirits who were waiting for someone to notice them, and help them. Natsume, who knows loneliness more than anyone else, will do his best. He will discover the joy and the happiness of friendship, and the warm feeling of having a home to go back to. Basically, for the first time in his life, he will feel truly loved. Words are not enough to describe it; I would recommend this anime to everyone, as it is a masterpiece in his genre.

Probably all of my friends would have guessed my 1st position, as I keep on talking about Kiseijuu every time I get the chance to do so. As a fan of the manga, I just couldn't avoid being overly happy discovering that the anime adaptation follows the manga word by word. The story revolves around Shinichi Izumi, a plain high school student with a normal life and a beautiful family. One night, though, his normal life becomes a mess: a parasite enters his body, and takes the place of his right hand. Shinichi is a very human protagonist; he reacts exactly like a normal person would, in a situation like that. He is scared to death, and he just wants to run away whenever his parasite – called Migi – announces him that there's another parasite nearby, as parasites are horrible creatures eating humans. What's more, he is scared that if someone should discover his secret, he'd become a guinea pig, as he is the only human being with a parasite who didn't subjugate his brain. This story has an escalation of dramatic turns of events, that kept me glued to the screen. Shinichi can't seem to understand Migi's way of acting, as he shows no mercy or emotions; while Migi can't understand why humans are so emotional. Well, what I really liked about this anime is that it gave me everything I was looking for into an anime: a good plot, a beautiful soundtrack, friendship, love, sex, struggles, and a bittersweet ending. It was just too good. I will never forget the way, towards the end, Migi, a parasite who, by definition, was supposed to be deprived of emotions, saved Shinichi. Nor I will forget the way Shinichi considered Migi a precious friend, and when he lost him, he cried very sad tears. So, yeah, I can say it: this is my absolute favorite anime.

Medea is the Summoned spirit of the Caster class in the Fifth Holy Grail War. History has proven that she has the propensity to betray others to the point of being labeled as a witch. Even Medea’s current status as a Summoned Spirit was not an original one, as she had previously betrayed her original master. Close to dissipating away, she met Souichirou Kuzuki, who agreed to help her unconditionally. It was there Medea starts to fall in love with him. Medea's countless betrayals can be attributed to the fact that everyone shunned away from her and saw her as a witch than of a normal person. As Kuzuki was the only person who has showed her genuine kindness, Medea instantly became loyal to him. The mutual trust and loyalty of Medea is so strong that she sacrificed herself to protect Kuzuki who then retaliated in order to avenge her. Not to mention her skills, Caster is also a highly proficient mage who has mastery over High Speed Divine Words - the ability to cast magic without Magic Circuits which allows her to cast numerous spells to a level that even Rin, the best mage in the city cannot compete with.

Illya is born as a homunculus - a magic infused body that is created with magic alone. She is technically not a human. Her creation is for the purpose of the Holy Grail War such that the Einzbern will finally have a victory in the war. As expected for a child created with a purpose, Illya was raised quite harshly. At her age, she is quite matured. Illya never truly had anyone she can call a friend due to her upbringing as well. Illya's abilities as a mage is insurmountable. Most of her body is entirely filled with Magic Circuits such that she may even control Berserker. Due to her young age, it is extremely commendable that Illya could live through the mental and physical stress and still turn out - well, normal. In one episode, she can create familiars by using only strands of her hair. Rin even commented that each familiar she summons is equivalent to a miniature mage. Her prowess as a mage at a tender mage is more than enough reason for her to rank 9th on this list.

Gilgamesh is an independent summoned spirit summoned by Kotomine. He would have been an Archer class and probably still is. The Independent Action Skill is predominant in the Archer class which allows free will without the need for a Master to supply mana. This, coupled with Gilgamesh status of being the birth giver of legends is more than enough to allow him to roam about freely throughout the Holy Grail War. For the first half of the series, Gilgamesh remains as an observer until he can put his plans into action. Gilgamesh would've been an overkill character if it weren't for his antagonistic nature. The only trait that makes Gilgamesh cool is his overwhelming power. The Gates of Babylon houses the weapons of all of the legendary figures. Essentially, all legends comes from Babylon making Gilgamesh, the holder of any and all weapons. As if that wasn't enough, Gilgamesh holds the badass of all weapons - Ea, the weapon that can completely and utterly wipe out the world. You know you're a badass if you can wipe the world clean with a single strike.

Hercules is the summoned spirit of the Berserker class in this Holy Grail War. A noble and heroic spirit, Hercules is the son of the god Zeus. His legend - Hercules and the Twelve Labours is his Noble Phantasm, being able to live 13 times before death. In addition, Hercules’ Olympian physique makes him a very powerful and flexible fighter as well. With the Mad Enhancement skill, Hercules is the strongest fighter in the War. His formidable aura kept most of the other Servants on their toes. What makes Hercules so appealing is his devotion to Illya. This hulking mass is enough to intimidate the strongest of foes but yet all this while, he cared for Illya. Unfortunately this was only seen near Hercules’ death where he tried to protect Illya to the end and even went mad in order to avenge her. Despite Mad Enhancement wiping all traces of sanity from him, Hercules still maintains his loyalty towards Illya. Talk about a gentle giant...

Kojiro Sasaki is the summoned spirit of the Assassin class. Ironically though, his Master is not an orthodox one and is none other than Caster. Due to the nature of the summoning, Kojiro was summoned. Kojiro, a person whose existence was argued by historians, is a samurai best known for the fight with Musashi. His technique, Tsubame Gaeshi was reputed to be so swift, it can cut down a swallow in mid flight. In the present day, Sasaki guards the temple gates and ensured that no one passes through the gates. Kojiro reminds you of the samurai of the old. He is elegant, well-poised and eloquent. Kojiro may have the least screen time but his fights are one of the most entertaining to watch. Kojiro's weapon is quite cumbersome, his sword is extremely long (something like Sephiroth's sword) and looks like it takes great effort and skill to wield. Yet, Kojiro wields it with so much proficiency he managed to hold the gate against Saber in a swordfight. An honourable samurai to the end, Kojiro knows when he is beaten when both him and his technique are defeated and allowed passage to the victor, Sable before dissipating.

Cu Chulain, also known as Lancer, is the summoned spirit of the Lancer class in this Fifth Holy Grail War. An Irish hero, he wields the cursed spear - Gae Bolg. Lancer’s spear is not only his weapon, but also his Noble Phantasm. This cursed spear has the ability to reverse causality. Once the spear is thrown, it had already hit the target. It takes an extreme amount of Luck to be able to overcome this Noble Phantasm. Lancer's Noble Phantasm has got to be one of the coolest in the arsenal of Noble Phantasm. It essentially holds the power to alter time. In the world of superpowers, time manipulation has always been an ultimate and incredible art. By reversing causality, Lancer may get out of a pinch or easily kill off his opponents. Due to the nature of the power, the enemies might not even know what hit them. A gentlemen as well, his final act was to save Rin from Shinji before burning himself up

Arthuria, or as she is originally known - King Arthur, was the King that liberated England. The courts of King Arthur are filled with knights of impressive character with each of them having made their mark in history as well. They are known as the Knights of the Round Table. To lead these impressive men, one must possess the charisma and skill to do so. King Arthur wields the legendary Excalibur, a sword that can only be wielded by the chosen one that will save England. This Noble Phantasm has an appropriate title to it - The Sword of Promised Victory. Arthuria led a tough life in order to save England, yet maintained the resolve and the tenacity to hold out. That is the characteristic of a brave knight. In addition to that, Arthuria holds the might Excalibur. A single swing from this mighty sword releases a ton of pure holy energy. It's effects are so strong that the sword is invincible. Known as Gradiatng Air, the hiding of the sword also means that opponents will have a hard time engaging in a sword fight with her.

The son of Kiritsugu, he is weak in magecraft and his only specialty is Projection and Strenghtening magic. He practices these forms every night in the hopes of being able to use them in battle. Despite being weak, he has an amazing resolve to save as many people as possible and fights to the ends of the world for his ideals. His latent ability is Avalon - the sheathe of Excalibur and whose power grants immortality and recovery. Emiya is certainty a unique individual. Firstly, he takes the basic forms of magecraft and excelled in it such that he created a new use for Projection magic. Not only is he able to create weapons, he is also able to infuse the history and time it takes such that any created weapon will have the same effect as the original. Next, the sheathe implanted in his body gave him his affinity with swords as well as his hastened healing. By practicing and failing so many times, he took Projection and Strengthening magic to a whole new level - Unlimited Blade Works.

A gifted mage, Rin hails from one of the top mage families, the Tohsaka household. Being very diligent and intelligent, she is a mage of exceptional qualities who is only second only to Illya. Following in the footsteps of her father, Rin carries the Tohsaka household name and is an extremely talented mage. Although Rin falls short of Illya, her magic reserves are still exceptional compared to normal mages. Rin's magic focus on lethality. Due to her expert manipulation of infusing magic into jewels, she is able to release concentrated magic firepower upon enemies. The concentration of the jewels she kept was enough to take five of Berserker's 13 lives. Rin is able to hold her own against Berserker as well as the martial arts expert, Kuzuki. All in all, Rin is not only talented in magic, but martial arts as well.

Towards the end, Archer is revealed to be Emiya from the future. After going through the journey of life, Emiya felt betrayed by his own ideals of helping as many people as he can. No matter how much Amiya strived not to, he will always have to sacrifice someone for the greater good. Jaded to the point of denial, Emiya entered this Holy Grail War to kill his original self such that he will not exist and thus, won't be betrayed by his own ideals. With the mastery of his Projection magic, Emiya turned out to be the powerful character he aspired to be in order to save others. Unfortunately, Emiya soon realised that this wasn't what he wished for in the beginning. The future Emiya is a pained individual who has tolerated most of his betrayed ideals up to this point in time. To be betrayed by others is one thing. Determination and perserverance will pull you through. To feel betrayed by yourself however is a whole new level as, what else can you believe in if even you yourself feels dejected? Despite all this however, there are moments in which Archer had plenty of opportunity to kill off his old self but he chose not to. Secretly, it could be due to the fact that Emiya still believes in his ideals and does not want to give up. That is why Archer could very well be the servant who seeks the biggest and highest purpose - self identity to better promote the world and to protect what is dear to him.

A tough space trucker who loves listening to heavy metal music and is never seen without her cat Zeroes, VT serves as yet another badass woman that can hold her own in a fight. Although VT does a 180 in terms of how she treats Spike once she finds out he’s a bounty hunter, she eventually changes her mind as she gets to know him as they work together to track down Spike’s target. VT is the widow of Ural Tipsichore, a bounty hunter many other bounty hunters consider to be legendary. However, VT hides this knowledge in order to win bets people place when trying to guess her real name. Even though she only appears briefly, VT is one of the many brief characters Spike encounters that leave their mark on him.

A captain to the elders that run the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, Mao Yenrai was a mentor to not only Spike, but Vicious as well. Not much is known about Mao before the series, but he is likely the one responsible for introducing Spike and Vicious into the Syndicate and setting their lives in motion. Mao ends up making a crucial decision to make peace with the White Tiger crime syndicate without the permission of his own, resulting in his death at the hands of Vicious and forcing Spike to pursue Vicious in the final episode. Although his role was brief, Mao’s connection to Spike’s past can’t be understated by any means.

The main antagonist of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Vincent was the only survivor of multiple experiments performed by the military to build an immunity toward nanomachines. In order to exact revenge, Vincent is determined to wipe out the human population on Mars using the very pathogen he was forced to endure, and which ultimately drove him insane. Vincent is recognized not only for being one of the strongest villains in the series, but also as being one of the few characters that can match Spike in close combat. Despite having only a brief role, Vincent certainly set himself apart from most of the other characters that made only a single appearance.

The main antagonist of the series, Vicious is exactly what his name implies. Despite the popularity of guns in the series, Vicious’ weapon of choice is the katana, which he wields effectively even against those who draw their guns on him Vicious and Spike were partners in the Red Dargin syndicate until Julia and Spike’s decision to leave the syndicate drove them apart. Vicious appears multiple times throughout the series as he believes he is the only one who can kill Spike, and this leads to their final duel in the finale. Vicious’ popularity lies in being the only antagonist to appear multiple times as well as his skill as a fighter.

As beautiful as she is mysterious, Julia seems to have connections to both Spike’s and Vicious’ pasts. Once the girlfriend of Vicious, Julia begins an affair with Spike that eventually leads to Spike offering to leave the syndicate in order to be with her. However, Vicious discovers their affair and threatens Julia that he will kill both her and Spike if she meets up with him, forcing Julia to choose to go into hiding in order to save both their lives. Julia appears mainly in flashbacks throughout the series, and only appears in the present day in the last 2 episodes due to a chance meeting with Faye, and in turn Spike. Unfortunately, due to Vicious’ attempt to take over the Syndicate, a chain of events is set off that eventually lead to Julia’s death. Definitely a unique character that most fans would have liked to have seen more of.

A dog that Spike brings aboard the Bebop after a failed bounty attempt, Ein is no ordinary dog. A “data dog”, Ein shows signs of intelligence far beyond any normal dog, such as answering the telephone or playing shogi. Although Ein takes a liking to Jet early on, it is Ed who really understands just how smart Ein is, leading to their special connection. It is because of this connection that Ein chooses to go with Ed when she leaves the crew. Ein’s intelligence in combination with his doggy-like humor leads to his popularity.

A former cop and the owner of the Bebop, Jet, or “Black Dog”, serves as the straight man of the crew as well as the foil to Spike. A jack of all trades, Jet is skilled with hand guns and in hand to hand combat, and is an excellent mechanic and pilot. Despite Jet’s stoic nature being the norm and being seen as the “dad” of the crew, he sees himself more as a renaissance man of sorts, collecting art and listening to jazz music (hence the name of the ship). Jet takes a lot of pride in the ship, having built a lot of the engines himself in order to make it more effective in his adventures. Although Jet may be overlooked sometimes in comparison to the rest of the crew, he’s still a very popular character in the series as a whole.

An incredibly prodigious hacker from Earth, “Radical Edward” is the crew’s (and show’s) comic relief. Despite being only 13, Ed’s hacking skills prove to be quite invaluable to the crew on their adventures. Ed’s mannerisms are certainly strange to say the least: walking barefoot everywhere as well as on her hands, easily distracted, having an extremely childish demeanor, and trailing off mid-sentence are just scratching the surface of her oddities. It is due to this behavior, however, that Ed is so popular, and her humor makes her one of the most popular characters on the show.

The female lead in the series, Faye Valentine proves to be a worthy fighter amongst the Bebop crew with her guns as well as being able to look after herself. Faye’s backstory is actually rather tragic, having being put into cryogenic freeze after a space shuttle accident set 50 years before the show begins. Due to her inability to trust other people, it is only after her 2nd encounter with Spike and Jet that she decides to join them on their adventures, and only because she believes she can profit from them. Faye certainly knows how to get whatever she wants, whether it’s through her looks, lying, cheating, etc. However, despite her many bad habits and unpredictable behavior, it is because of these traits as well as her skills that make people Faye one of the most popular characters in the show.

A natural badass to say the least, Spike Spiegel is without a doubt the most popular character in Cowboy Bebop. Spike was a member of the Red Dragon crime syndicate until he decided to leave and elope with his newfound love Julia. After faking his death so he could escape, however, Spike waits for Julia only for her to never show up for reasons Spike wouldn’t learn until later. After meeting Jet Black, who had just quit his job as a cop, Spike and Jet team up and decide to become bounty hunters, resulting in the meeting of all kinds of characters as well as different adventures. Spike is popular not only for his skill as a fighter, but his overall “cool” attitude. This attitude comes into play in his final moments, setting up for one of anime’s most defining moments. Definitely a badass to the end.

After 13 long years, Will (sucks at breaking 4th walls, by the way) returned to the city of Little Monica, a place of rich culture, music and arts. As soon as he arrived to the city, things have changed over the years — the town is a shadow of its former glory, an ugly town filled with degeneracy. After a brief sexual encounter with a girl named Miss Meow, Will reunites with his childhood friend Celia and her lusty sisters Tina and Mei, as everyone sets out to return the city to its former glory. Little Monica Monogatari is short and sweet with very kinky scenes despite its cutesy art style. Sex is evenly spaced out with a surprisingly decent story with that French-European mystery solving vibe. Actually, this hentai could very well work as a non-H anime with its interesting, yet short story.

Momose Ayumu is a very attractive young woman and is in love and living together with the typical nice guy Udai Kensuke. They’re a typical good couple and planning to get married soon, but things changed when Kensuke was assigned by his company to work far away for a month and forced them in a long distance relationship. Like any other long distance relationship, loneliness kicks in and sexual urges pile up. Ore wa Kanojo wo Shinjiteru is a story of Ayumu having an affair with someone who is more attractive and, well, assertive than nice guy Kensuke. In hentai, this kind of story is called Netorare or NTR — stories involving a man or a woman cheating on their significant other. NTR shows usually end in bloodshed or one character going for the noose, but OreKanojo had little story to go by and it ends with Ayumu liking the other guy’s colt magnum over Kensuke’s… let’s just say his BB gun.

Tendou Ryouta is the manager and boyfriend of pop idol Miyu, and knowing at how unpredictable show business is, Ryouta tries his best to keep Miyu from harm. He’s so protective of her, Ryouta is too focused on keeping Miyu’s career in check, instead of focusing on her feelings towards him. One day, Ryouta noticed Miyu is acting strange and it always happens when their producer is with her. Unfortunately, the producer has grown interested in Miyu and when Ryouta is away, the producer enters the dressing room and sexually harasses Miyu. Another NTR hentai in the list. The story is rather depressing, but one would argue that the one at fault here is Ryouta. While it’s admirable for him to protect Miyu from harm and not do anything that would ruin her career, he forgot what a guy should do to his partner — keep her sexually satisfied and happy. Miyu is a girl in need of sexual stimulation and while she resisted the producer’s advances, she gradually accepts and has grown to like them. It sucks for a guy to lose their girlfriend like this, but sometimes, they have nothing to blame but themselves.

Let’s start something that is out of the ordinary. Body Transfer is a story of a group of students swapping bodies, and got stuck in limbo after seeing a strange artifact delivered to the archaeology club. This artifact triggers the sexual desires of its victims and when they reach their highest sexual pleasure, they randomly switch bodies again. With their sexual desires in full throttle, the students going out on a full on orgy and endlessly swap bodies. This is basically Body Transfer’s main story with lots of plot holes in the end, but seriously, you got your priorities wrong if you watch hentai for the story. However, Body Transfer is interesting because there is no bizarre occult plot going on and it’s just a group of students with their uncontrollable sexual urges. They experiment with each other and sometimes it’s funny to see a girl stuck in a man’s body curiously making love to a girl, or a guy experiencing lesbian sex.

Due to a volcanic eruption on an island somewhere in Japan, Shiki Haruomi was forced to move out and is temporarily staying at a relative’s house. There he meets the three beautiful sisters, Natsumi, Akina, and Mafuyu Orifushi, and as a typical harem story goes, Haruomi’s life turns into a very kinky one. Kanojo x3 is one of the most lighthearted and funny hentai on this list. The story plays out like a harem anime with one guy getting to know each sister and eventually have sex with them. What makes the sexual encounters palpable and sweet, is the girls have distinct personalities and Haruomi has to put effort in winning over the girls like helping them out with their business, or simply, uh, show a goth girl who’s boss. Kanojo x Kanojo x Kanojo is a fun little experience that’s arguably one of the most accessible modern hentai out there.

Kuraki Suzuna is the daughter of the Kuraki Family with deep Shinto faith, and every few decades, the daughter of the Kuraki must perform a ritual rite that has been passed down the family for a thousand years. As the ceremony is fast approaching, the Kuraki family has given Suzuna her husband-to-be, Hayama Koichi, a handsome young man who somehow resembles the man Suzuna saw in her dreams. As Koichi settles in the family mansion, a strange spell envelops everyone, and releasing their sexual desires. Moonlight Lady is one of the most beautifully drawn hentai anime out there with impressive character designs and animations. Sex, while varied ranging from masturbation, lesbian, casual to orgy, are handled with care that watching Suzuna and Koichi make love is rather an entrancing experience. And it’s not bad the main guy Koichi is one hunky stud, and not some whiny dumb guy you often see in hentai these days.

Mizugi Kanojo is a collection of stories about couples doing very raunchy things together and as the title suggests, these stories involve lots of revealing swimsuits, water and the idea of “getting wet.” If you want a very lewd, raunchy and arousing experience, this hentai anime checks everything out. The stories are very straightforward that mainly involves the main couple Mizuho and her boyfriend Hiro, but along the way, they meet up with other couples from different stories. There’s nothing much to say about the plot because, again, stories in hentai are just, well, there, something like a backdrop for the kinkiness to happen.

You know, school is great. You spend half of your life studying and secure your future, but you and I know that school isn’t just about studying. We make friends, especially friends we share our intimacy with. But of course, sex isn’t part of any curriculum, so it’s best to study it behind closed doors. Stringendo+Accelerando Ultimatum Sera is a collection of stories of very horny people having lots of sex at school. The show features a few couples with different backgrounds or situations about how they got together and eventually gave in to animal instinct. Regardless at how kinky the show is, it’s still one of the few hentai anime where the girls are (mostly) the dominating ones in the relationship. Oh and the art and animation are great with detailed scenes and, uh, bodily fluids… Would have been great if there was an uncensored version… Dammit, Japan, and your weird censoring laws!

The first erotic game of all-female developer, Flower, didn’t sell too well, and with sales tanking, the company is on the brink of shutting down. The problem of the company lies within the crew’s inexperience with sex and have zero know-how to excite their target audience. Enter our hero Mochizuki Tomoya, a part-timer hired by the company, and with his experience in playing erotic games, he helps the crew at Flower to develop a game that will appeal to their audience by, well, showing them some inspirations. Each episode consist of Tomoya helping out one of the girls by performing erotic poses, gathering data by performing sexual acts, and eventually forgetting all their data gathering assignments and proceed to screw their brains out. And to make things more interesting, each girl has their own sexual preferences so you may end up favoring one girl over the other. Oh, and there’s a bit of scat here, so take note of that.

Kitano Jun is a erotic manga artist who is good at drawing every bit of lewd details of the human anatomy. He is living the dream after he marries his assistant-turned-fiance Miyuki. The day after their honeymoon, the chief editor of a manga publishing company, Sonoko Mifuji, arrived at their home and is given the task to create an anthology manga with a very tight deadline. With the help of his wife Miyuki, Jun will use all of his strength and bodily fluids to meet the deadline. Hyper Erection Mode activated! Darling is probably the funniest hentai on the list because it has everything — a funny story, funny characters, funny dialogue and funny sex. Jun has a deadline to meet and with so many stories to make, he takes inspirations from the things around him and turns them into a story for his manga. To make the sex scenes convincing, Miyuki helps him by cosplaying and acting out the scenes. The show has every type of fetish you can think of, and while there’s rape, tentacles, etc., they’re all in the spirit of fun. There’s nothing offensive about this show and with its funny story, and variety which puts Darling at number 1 on this list.

Zangief is a wrestler who hails from Russia. He is extremely proud of his country of origin and patriotism is the biggest motivator for him as a fighter; he is constantly trying to win glory for his homeland through combat. Tall, and extremely muscular, he has the fighting skills to back up his formidable appearance. He has even been known to wrestle bears in order to improve his combat abilities. His combat style is fitting to a wrestler - he hits hard, and uses powerful throws to take down his opponents. However, his extreme close-range strength comes at a cost - faster characters or characters with projectile abilities may have an easier time taking him down. Despite this, Zangief is not a character to be taken lightly - to find yourself on the receiving end of his Spinning Piledriver is to find yourself in great trouble indeed.

Hailing from India, Dhalsim is a peaceful man by nature, and avoids fighting unless absolutely necessary. He values the happiness and wellbeing of others, and this is his primary motivation when he does engage in battle. Keeping his mind in a state of calmness and serenity is extremely important to him - even when fighting, he is performing a form of meditation. In combat, he is best known for his ability to literally stretch his body, and his fire-based attacks. Dhalsim relies on long range attacks to claim victory in battle. His offensive is a combination of physical attacks made possible by his ability to contort and stretch his limbs, and fire attacks. The impressive reach of his attacks means that characters who fight at close range will have great difficulty getting a hit in - particularly if they are slow. However, Dhalsim himself lacks speed, so a faster character may be able to gain an advantage over him.

Sagat is a character from Thailand who made his first appearance in the series as a final boss. He is a Muay-Thai fighter, and has a history of participating in organized criminal activity. As a professional fighter he lives to fight and grow stronger. His muscles, eyepatch and scar give him an intimidating first impression, one he certainly lives up to in combat. Sagat is a character with a very powerful offensive stance, in keeping with his martial arts background. His crippling attacks do a considerable amount of damage to opponents on the other side of them. His Tiger Uppercut and Tiger Knee are especially formidable. However, as powerful as Sagat’s offense is, his defense leaves something to be desired - many of his attacks leave him vulnerable during them, and he has a large hit-box.

Cammy is a United Kingdom fighter, and in various games has been portrayed a both a member of the British military, as well as the criminal organization Shadaloo. She has a strong personality that is well suited to both roles - she may come across harsh at times, but in reality she just likes to get things done. She is an extremely tenacious and determined opponent in battle. Cammy fights at close range, depending heavily upon her speed to take down her opponents. When played correctly, many characters may find it hard to get a single hit in on her. Though her fighting style is considered close-range, she can hit her opponents from a variety of ranges and her adaptability is a great asset in combat - combined with her attack power, it makes her a quite challenging adversary.

Originally born to a well-to-do family in Spain, Vega is a handsome young man and skilled fighter. At one point, Vega was heavily involved with the crime syndicate Shadaloo. He is a sadistic egomaniac who is completely obsessed with his appearance, character flaws which make a great deal of sense when his tragic past is considered. Despite his mental instability, he proves to be a difficult opponent in combat. Vega’s fighting style has earned him the moniker, “Spanish Ninja.” It is a fierce combination of ninjitsu and tauromachy. He has through-the-roof speed, but extremely low defense. In order to be victorious in battle, he relies on getting in hits while avoiding damage almost entirely. As a result, effective counterattacks are one of the only reliable ways to take him down. Generally speaking, the speed and the range provided by his claws do a good job of keeping him just out of his opponents reach.

No list on top Street Fighter characters would be complete without the most notorious villain in the series - Akuma. He is a demonic, feared martial artist who hails from Japan, where his name literally translates to “devil”. He will never turn down a battle with a strong opponent, and will only unleash his full combat potential when fighting someone he deems deserving. Akuma fights in the original style of the “Shotokan” art - the same style that characters such as Ryu and Ken use. Akuma’s approach to this style is far more attack oriented than other characters - his high attack power combined with his attack combination ability lead to a rapid onslaught of powerful blows that are extremely difficult for even the most powerful fighters to overcome.

Guile is a family-oriented military man who hails from America. He is a proud member of the United States Air Force, and borrows his fighting style from a former superior officer whose death greatly impacted him. His time in the Air Force molded him into a well-trained soldier, and formidable opponent on the battlefield. It is often said that the best defense is a good offense, but Guile’s fighting style proves that the reverse can be true. In order the successfully fight with Guile, they player must be comfortable waiting, and taking their time - being able to calculate their opponents moves, and take advantage of opportunities and openings to secure victory. Though his defense and offense are strong regardless, Guile is truly at his best when in the hands of an experienced player who can take advantage of his full potential.

Ken is a dedicated fighter from America. He was sent off to Japan to learn martial arts at a young age by his father, who thought it would teach him discipline. After being trained in the Ansatsuken style, he returned home. As a fighter, he is motivated by his desire to move forward and constantly face stronger opponents. Ken takes two things extremely seriously: his combat training, and his family. However, that is an approach he follows with very little else - he is generally easy-going and even a bit boastful and arrogant. His fighting style has changed and evolved throughout the iteration of the series, but generally speaking, he has powerful combo attacks that hit hard and fast. His moveset is extremely similar to Ryu’s with a few distinct difference in how certain techniques are executed. Ken is one of the most powerful characters with the greatest potential, and at the same time is easy for novice players to fight with.

Chun-Li is a police officer that comes from China - in mandarin, her name means “beautiful spring”. She is a kind girl who is known for her discipline, determination, and eventually her combat prowess. Chun-Li had a strong sense of right and wrong, and will go to great lengths to make sure that justice is served. She was the first playable female character to appear in the game, and undisputably the most popular. Chun Li’s attacks don’t do serious damage in one hit - she relies on sheer volume of hits in order take her opponent’s health down. Her speed is by far her greatest signature advantage in combat. Her Hyakuretsukyaku is her signature move, an easily executed attack requiring one button that allows her to kick her opponent multiple times in rapid succession.

Ryu is a warrior from Japan who, like Ken, fights in the Ansatsuken style. He is a serious man of few words who places a high value on justice. He roams the world in search of ways to further master his chosen martial art, and he will pursue victory at almost any cost. Though he has introverted tendencies, he has a good heart and cares about others. Ryu is the best known character and protagonist of the Street Fighter franchise. Ryu is a powerful character to play as. His Hadouken and Shoryuken special attacks are some of the most well recognized in the game. Though he doesn’t have any base attributes that stand out, he is generally solid in every arena, and he doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses, either. Ryu is a generally well rounded character, and his exceptional knack for combos make him a force to be reckoned with.

When you are part of a common after school club, the first impression would be of a normal slice of life anime on club activities and their daily interactions. However Kokoro Connect is not just a simple slice of life anime. This is a story of a group of 5 friends who find themselves in various supernatural phenomenons that will test their friendship to the limits. Whether if it is a body switch or the temporary ability to read a random person's mind, the secrets that friends keep to themselves ought to be hidden for a reason. Through this trial, the true dispositions of each individual are revealed for all to see. Even amongst friends, the privacy of one's mind is the only thing that is kept away. We find ourselves unable to say certain things at times but we choose to keep them to ourselves. In this sad anime however, all barriers are broken down and the friendship that that is shared is threatened. What makes it particularly sad are the hidden secrets that one will, for the greater good, be turned against them. With no other outlet to explain themselves, some of the characters in this series will have us sympathizing with them.

Banri Tada is a newly enrolled student into law school. Due to an accident however, he had lost his memories prior to entering high school. Upon entering the school gate, Banri ran into another freshman, Mitsuo Yanagisawa who was having a hard time dealing with his overly attached girlfriend Koko. They soon became quick friends. Banri soon meets one of his childhood friends, Linda but unfortunately, due to his memory loss, he was unable to recall the relationship of him and Linda. The developing relationship between him and Koko soon conflict with the forgotten memories of Linda. When Banri lost his memories, he'd forgotten about that one eventful event that might have potentially changed his life. Now, as Banri enters high school, he begins another relationship. All this while, not knowing the past relationship he had with the childhood friend he met - Linda. As the story and revelations slowly comes to light, the current relationship he has could also be potentially threatened.

Japan - a country that lies on the edges of the Ring of Fire. Earthquakes are not uncommon in this country and this anime depicts a situation of what will be if an 8.0 earthquake hits Japan. Mirai and her brother must travel from the other end of Tokyo back to their home without the aid of transportation. Along the way, they will only be greeted with the sights of death and panic. Not all is bleak however; as they will meet other survivors who are still striving to survive. Follow the siblings as they start their long and arduous journey home. This sad anime is quite realistic and that is why it is quite hard to take in. For people that have gone through a severe earthquake, it can also be quite distressing to watch. This anime paints an authentic scenario in an earthquake such as the despair the people faced, encountering death and the constant worry for their loved ones. Throughout the anime, you will be cheering for the siblings as they travel back home while at the same time empathize with them in their dire situation.

Takari Toono and Akari Shinohara were two very close friends. While their relationship can't seem to get any sweeter, a transfer of Akari's family to another region forced them apart. Choosing to maintain a long distance relationship, they continued to communicate via mail. As the years passed, they grew more distant from each other. While still maintaining fragments of memories of each other and yearning to meet each other for one last time. Everyone knows that maintaining a long distance relationship is hard. Byousoku 5 Centimetre portrays not just how hard it is to maintain such a relationship, but also the anguish and frustration that comes with it. This sad anime also emphasizes highly on emotions. The sequence where both parties remembered each other was especially heartbreaking to watch. You are forced to see them yearning for each other but know that it never happened.

Self proclaimed mad scientist Okabe Rintarou is interested in the research of future gadgets. Alongside his assistants, Mayuri Shiina and Hashida Itaru they begin their creation of a new machine called the Phone Microwave. After a series of tests, they soon realise that the device has the capability of sending emails back to the past. Time however, is not a toy. They will soon realise that altering the past will have drastic effects on the future. Together with a newly joined team member, Makise Kurisu they seek to reverse the effects of manipulating time and put it back on its original path. How does it feel to continue living in reality alone despite being surrounded by the same friends and acquaintance that you have? In Steins; Gate, due to the tampering of time, Okabe is forced to alter time back to its original state. If he should fail, his friends' lives are at risk. Along the way, the developing relationship between Okabe and his lab assistant does not help as the whole timeline is not stable and he risks losing everything.

In the distant future, human-like androids known as Giftias were developed to serve society. They serve a variety of functions to society ranging from work to even human companions. Giftias act and function just like any human being such that it may even be hard to discern them apart. The only downside to this - Giftias are programmed with an expiry date and they last about 9 years before their memories and personality are completely wiped out from existence with no way to ever recover them. Coming from the viewpoint of one such Giftias, Isla have accepted her position and her short time in this world. Even though there is one person who actually loves her, Mizugaki Tsukasa. Memories and remembrance are the reminders of the events that have passed. Although they are no longer in the physical world, they still live on as impressions in our mind and are the last connection we have with them. That is why this anime is incredibly sorrowful to watch. It is already known that all Giftias has an expiry date and though it is unavoidable, it becomes extremely painful to watch as they continue their relationship while trying to ignore the inevitable..

When Otonashi woke up and found out that he was in an unfamiliar environment, he was confused. What mattered was not that fact that Otonashi has no bearings of his location but the fact that he was dead! Meeting the eccentric Yuri does not help him in this supposed afterlife as he was still clueless of the situation he was in. Agreeing to join SSS, Otonashi becomes part of a group that is intent on taking down the one being in this world that is equivalent to God - Tenshi. Strangely enough, he is oddly drawn to this enigmatic character. Whilst regaining his memories, he will soon learn the true nature of Tenshi and this mysterious high school that he is stuck in. While finding out his the meaning of his existence in this new world, Otonashi becomes quite attached to this new group of strangers that he may now call his friends and comrades in battle. The reason why they fight is not entirely clear. Their only objective is to rebel against the supposed God in the new world. Yet however, it was Otonashi who eventually realise that Tenshi was just about in the same position as them - lost and unsure. Watch until the end to find out the special woeful relationship between the two of them

Due to a tragic event that caused the demise of one of their friends, Jinta, Hisakwa, Tsurumi, Anjou and Atsumu have strayed apart since their childhood. Now living separate lives independently from each other, they soon enter high school. Due to an appearance of a ghost of the distant past, Jinta embarks to reconnect with his peers in an effort to bring everyone together again. The journey is not easy however as the conflicts that was buried in the past have surfaced again. The feelings of each other and the root cause of the accident are some of the hurdles the group have to overcome before they are able to reconcile. Despite being a short anime of only 11 episodes, this sad anime has managed to grip and tug at the heartstrings of many. Short and sweet is the best way to describe this anime. The overarching theme of this anime is friendship. This anime depicts how the bonds of friends can be so strong that they can even reach out from beyond the living to reconcile old differences.

Child prodigy Arima Kousei is renowned as an extremely gifted pianist. He holds a reputation for playing on point to any musical piece has earned him the title, the human metronome. Unfortunately, the passing of his mother has made him fear music such that Arima can longer hear the sounds he plays. Even as he enters high school, Arima cannot bear to touch another piano. Just as all hopes of him playing the piano again is extinguished, he met the carefree Kaori Miyazono, whose personality is reflective of her free spirited style of playing the violin. And it was then he decides to step into the world of music again. What makes Shigatsu particularly poignant is the use of music to express emotions. How the characters play their instruments is reflected by the mood such that it becomes easy to understand them. Since the theme of the anime is music, it shows how music carries the potential to alter someone's viewpoint of the world. The conclusion of the anime sums up the story very well and remains as the most emotional scene in the anime. Shigatsu is a very expressive anime and is able to convey the emotions of the anime directly to the viewers.

Tomoya Okazaki is an individual that had lost his drive to excel in anything. Preferring to be labelled as a delinquent and waste his life away, Tomoya meets the sickly and frail Nagisa Furukawa. A short exchange between the both of them ensured their eventual friendship. Tomoya learnt that her sickness is the reason why she did not attend school nor have friends. Reviving the drama club, he recruits other girls with their own share of problems. By listening to their problems and trying his best to aid them, Tomoya starts to realise that life was not as boring as he originally thought it was. At the same time, the relation between Tomoya and Nagisa continues to develop. After Stories is simply the continuation of Clannad - Season 2 if you will. In After Stories, it takes after the visual novel of the Nagisa's route. Here, the relationship of Tomoya and Nagisa is expanded. The drastic event that occurs during this series is the reason why Clannad is known as the anime of true love and romance. Clannad itself does not fall too short of expectation as well! It contains the arcs of the different heroines with each ending in a bittersweet fashion. All in all, Clannad remains as one of the saddest anime and it is a MUST watch if you're an anime lover.

She is a woman whose name is never mentioned. She has a pet cat named Chobi. They met one fateful, rainy day when She discovers Chobi abandoned outdoors. She decides to take him home and take care of Chobi. Chobi instantly adores her. She gave him a home, but soon, the cat develops a feeling of love for her. Can they really be something more than a pet and his owner? Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko, also known as She and Her Cat, is a short OVA cat anime that is told from the viewpoint of a stray cat named Chobi. Chobi does not care for the small stuff, but he does care for one thing: Her. There is a love here that is not perverse but rather, it is the love of a cat for his owner. What she means to him. What importance she has in his life. Even when Chobi's life continues on, he still has love for his owner that is only known by "She".

Based on a manga, Kuruneko follows the life of a woman who loves sake and her cats. She adores cats so much, she even goes to the pet store to watch the cats even when she has a cat at home. This is a woman who loves cats! Kuruneko is a cat anime with short episodes revolving around the life of a woman and her cats. The cats all have their own personalities, but that doesn't mean the woman loves them any less. She is always willing to open her home to a cat who needs one. This may be an anime about a woman and her pet cats, but when you watch it, you really have to ask, who is the real pet here? Perhaps this is what happens when you own a cat.

Nyanpire the Animation is an anime about a stray cat who, while lying on his death bed, is pitied by a vampire and given his blood. Nyanpire now has the gift of immortality, however at a price: Nyanpire must live the life of a vampire! One day, a girl named Misaki takes Nyanpire home to take care of, but what is going to happen to this cute little vampire cat whose favorite saying is, "Give me blood, Nya!" If you think vampires are hot, well check out this creature of the night! Nyanpire is one adorable kitten who just wants one thing: blood! And he is not shy about his lust for blood. This short cat anime will surely have you entranced by its adorable Nyanpire who will do anything to quench his thirst. Would you mind feeding this cute little cat?

One day, Sato Moe comes across a stray cat. He's round and cute, but he charms Moe so she ends up adopting him into her home. Moe named him Poyo due to his roundness. Poyo is starting to become an important part of the Sato family. Poyo, also known as Puffy in English, is one adorable cat that you will not want to miss! Poyopoyo Kansatsu Nikko is a cat anime tale about the adorable Sato Poyo, a strangely round cat who just wins everyone's hearts. Well, everyone but Moe's brother, Hide. Poyo is a good cat who doesn't cause trouble, except when he feels mischievous, and treats everyone with adoration, except Hide. Watch Poyopoyo Kansatsu Nikki for some cat anime cuteness! Poyo's roundness is sure to capture any cat lover's heart.

The Digital Camera Club has but two members. One of the members of the club is Nao, who also plays the part of the manager. However, Nao has no interest in shooting pictures in anything other than clouds and the sky until one day, when Nao comes across a cat on her favorite picture taking spot. This cat is special because it can manipulate the winds! Then there's the other member of the Digital Camera Club, Miki, who is also Nao's best friend. Taiki-sensei is the one who taught the cat its ability to manipulate wind. Then there's Ryoko, a girl who likes Taiki-sensei, Jun who aids the Digital Camera Club with finding a cat with the ability to fly, and Yukio who is a widow. The "Wind Handlers" have formed and now, a special event called the Wind Festival is about to commence. While a lot goes on in Fuujin Monogatari, the main focus is mainly on the cats! It is a cat anime after all. These cats have a peculiar power which allows them to manipulate the winds, which can give them the ability to fly. What would you do if cats could fly? Cats are very complex creatures that we humans may not always understand, but when they become so intelligent they can manipulate air, you know you just have to find out more. Watch Fuujin Monogatari to find out the tale of these wind manipulating cats and the "Wind Handlers" who, like you, just need to know more.

Amano Keita is as innocent as any other young boy his age. However, Keita's life changes when he comes across a strange capsule while venturing through the forest one day. Whisper emerges from the capsule after being imprisoned for 190 years after Keita sets him free. As a reward, Whisper decides to become Keita's guardian in the face of the supernatural. As it turns out, Whisper is a Yokai and he gives Keita a Yokai Watch to gives Keita the ability to interact with other Yokai. Using the Yokai Watch and with Whisper by his side, Keita will learn more about the Yokai as friends and the force that fixes all the problems the yokai create. Once a boring student, Keita is now living the life that no primary school student ever dreamt of. Yokai Watch is regarded as "the new Pokemon," but let us not get the two confused, shall we? Yokai Watch has been gaining in popularity since its first showing and the release of the Yokai Watch video game, but it's the cute cat yokai that just have us all over the place! Yes, there is a lot that goes on this anime, but when it comes to trouble, the cat yokai just cannot be beat. You will definitely want to give Yokai Watch a see.

Kousaka Junpei is allergic to cats, but his crush, Mizuno Kaede loves cats but doesn't know how to treat them properly. Unfortunately for Junpei, he accidentally breaks the head off of a cat shrine while attempting to kick a can into a trash can. As punishment, the cat deity has cursed Junpei, requiring him to perform 100 good deeds for cats in order to break the curse. With his crush on Kaede and the cats' less than pleasant requests, Junpei has a lot on his hands. To top it off, Junpei must keep the curse a secret or else it will get worse! Now, with a cat named Nyamusas, Junpei must work hard to break the curse or face the rest of his life as a cat. While the main character is most certainly not a cat, Junpei is one lucky bastard who finds himself suddenly surrounded by the cute felines. Nyan Koi! is one cat anime whose plot revolves around cats and their problems, with our main character, Junpei, as the cats' hapless servant. If they have problems, you bet Junpei will be there to resolve them. Although the cats can be, well, catty, they are all definitely full of personality! No two cats are the same, and Nyan Koi! is one cat anime that will show you just what type of personality lies behind the "nyaa".

Takashi Natsume is an odd boy who has a horrific secret, but it has nothing to do with girls, as is normal for boys his age. No, Natsume's secret is about yokai who have been chasing him for as long as he can remember. Natsume's deceased grandmother Reiko has left him the Yuujinchou, otherwise known as the "Book of Friends". Reiko had taken control of many spirits, placing their names within the Yuujinchou. Now, the yokai haunt Natsume in order to gain their freedom. Natsume doesn't have much good in his life; he merely wants some place to belong. The only solace that Natsume can find is in his self-proclaimed bodyguard, a feline spirit named Madara, who Natsume also refers to as Nyanko-sensei. Cat yokai appear to be quite the popular in anime, so the cat anime Natsume Yuujinchou just cannot be ignored. While Natsume may not know how to handle the yokai, he can count on our dear Nyanko-sensei to teach him the ropes and watch over him should things go wrong. How many of us would pass up a cat guardian like Madara? Many of us love having cats as companions, but what about a cat bodyguard? Cats are special creatures and Madara is no exception. Why else do you see so many Madara plushies? Natsume's Book of Friends is a cat anime worth checking out.

One day, a gray and white kitten bearing black stripes gets lost wandering away from her mother and siblings. Unsure of how to find home, the kitten is soon discovered by a mother and her little boy, Youhei. Kittens are not allowed in their housing complex, so even though they take the kitten home, they know they cannot keep her so they attempt to find her a new home. It has been a difficult task, but soon the kitten that they named "Chi" establishes a place in their lovely home. If you have ever enjoyed Hamtaro, you will be sure to enjoy Chi's Sweet Home, which is a cat anime about a kitten just trying to find her way back to her mom. Chi is a curious little kitten who just keeps getting distracted. How will Chi ever find her way back home? In the mean time, her new humans are not so bad. Chi may be a young kitten who wants to go back home to her mom and siblings, but maybe there is a new home awaiting Chi. What is a curious little kitten to do?

Neko Ongaeshi, otherwise known as The Cat Returns, is based on the novel by Hiiragi Aoi, Neko Danshaku. This anime movie follows a 17 year old girl named Haru who is not special in anyway. Haru can be quite dimwitted and she's not blessed with great beauty. Haru cannot even make choices regarding her own life, so she will often follow someone else's opinion rather than contemplating her own. Then one fateful day, Haru comes across a cat whom she saves without hesitation. The cat whom she saves is actually the Cat Prince which leads Haru to be trapped in the Kingdom of Cats. It is now up to Muta and Baron to save Haru from the Kingdom of Cats. By Studio Ghibli, Neko Ongaeshi is not an anime movie to be taken likely. It is sometimes viewed as a spin-off from Whisper of the Heart where Muta and Baron were first seen, but do not think they are the same anime movie! As a cat anime, The Cat Returns is set in a cat kingdom with cats playing a big part, character-wise, but it is our heroes who go out to save the girl, Haru that really stand out. While we do not want to spoil too much about the movie, we do want to say one thing: The Cat Returns truly deserves the top of our list of cat anime.

Right off the bat we’re going to hit you (not literally) with the red-clad ninja known as Ermac. He is a most compelling character due to his telekinetic powers, ability to teleport and traverse between realms. This fighter is a fusion of many souls that were lost during numerous Outworld wars throughout the years. He was created for the inclusion of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, amidst popular fan mythology. There was a rumor that was proven to be completely false about an error that happens in the first Mortal Kombat on the Sega Genesis /Megadrive. It was said that if you overplayed that version of the game, there would be a screen flaw and flash an alert with an error code reading “ERror MACro”. It was supposed to change Scorpion’s yellow on his outfit to red giving the illusion that Ermac was playable. Initially, Ermac was a red and black palette swap from Scorpion in UMK3. In later iterations he became more of a stand out from the other ninjas in the series. He now wears a hooded trench coat and has bandages hanging from his arms and legs. Between his supernatural look, his telekinetic powers, his ability to levitate and being a fusion of many souls, it’s hard not to put him on this list. He’s completely gnarly.

Making her way onto the list is our number one female fighter in the entire Mortal Kombat universe. Mileena was created in the flesh pits for Shao Kahn by Shang Tsung. She was cloned from Kitana but with Tarkatan physiology in particular, her mouth is lined with long sharp teeth. You could consider Mileena to be the evil half of Kitana. Conniving, ruthless and ever the opportunist, Mileena is one character you don’t want to take lightly. Her most well-known weapon is the sai blades that she implements into her fighting style. There was a time in Mortal Kombat Gold where she did use a longsword, but thankfully she has continued to use the sai blades ever since. Mileena made her video game debut in Mortal Kombat 2, sporting a tight magenta leotard. Very much reminiscent of her “sister” Kitana, except hers was blue. In future iterations of the game Mileena was seen wearing more revealing clothing. At one point she was wearing nothing but strategically placed bandages to accentuate her overall naughtiness. When it comes to her fighting style, she is a unique breed all to herself. Being half Edenian and half Tarkatan, she possesses great speed and agility while also showing impressive strength, proving that she is a lethal fighter.

Coming in at number eight is arguably the antagonistic poster boy for the original Mortal Kombat. When Goro was introduced he was the sub-boss before you had to deal with Shang Tsung. In some ways, it felt like you had beaten the game if you were able to defeat Goro. If you didn’t figure out a way to exploit him, he became a strenuous fight. His brute strength is tough to match; he uses fireballs that he shoots from his mouth and hand. Oh, and his surprising agility for a big guy. He has the ability to jump off-screen and crush you within seconds, seems fair right? A menacing figure, Goro, is a four-armed Shokan (half human, half dragon) warrior. He had been one of Shao Kahn’s favorite warriors due to his unprecedented domination of the Mortal Kombat tournament. He had won nine straight tournaments, remaining undefeated for 500 years. Having four arms and towering over every opponent, it was no wonder he was able to sustain such a winning streak. He was able to defeat Kung Lao, something Shang Tsung was not able to do in his younger form. Goro was the commander of the Outworld armies that crushed any opposition in their way to conquer other realms. Needless to say Goro is a beast, literally and figuratively.

When you talk about villains in the Mortal Kombat universe, without question Quan Chi is going to come to mind. He made his first video game appearance in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and then became a playable character for the first time in Mortal Kombat 4. He is a superb sorcerer and necromancer from the hell-inspired Netherrealm. There, he formed a powerful faction known as the Brotherhood of Shadow. Their main goal is to not only take over Earthrealm, but all of reality. Quan Chi is cunning and a skilled tactician. He’s always looking to make deals with people in order to further his purpose. His manipulative and deceptive nature was showcased during his impending feud with Sub-Zero and Scorpion. Quan Chi devised a plan to have Scorpion’s (Hanzo Hasashi) family and clan killed. Quan Chi proceeded with the plan and killed his family, posing as Sub-Zero (Bi-Han). Although a skilled fighter, he is best known for his sorcery and necromancy. Being able to reanimate the dead or create portals at will, to travel through. He has the ability to shapeshift and steal souls just like Shang Tsung, but he also can create illusions of himself. With that said, he is arguably one of the most skilled villains of all time.

Our number six selection was a struggling Hollywood actor and martial artist. Johnny Cage is one of the seven original fighters in the first Mortal Kombat. He’s one of the most recurring characters in the franchise and very popular among the fans. His quick-witted nature and sometimes air-headed decisions are some of the reasons that make him popular. Although Johnny Cage is a human, he is able to use superhuman abilities to his advantage. He uses a series of afterimage attacks that propel him towards his opponents with superior strength and speed. Whether he is using his shadow ball or shadow kick attacks, he is a force not to take lightly, despite his quirky antics. In Johnny’s video game debut, he was depicted from actor, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s character in the movie Bloodsport. Later on he adopts long black pants with blue accents and a chest tattoo with his name. Nothing speaks narcissism more than having your own name tattooed on your chest! The one thing that remained the same throughout the years is his trademark sunglasses. The reason he entered the Mortal Kombat tournament was to prove all the critics wrong that he wasn’t just some stuntman and he that he was a supremely talented martial artist. And boy he did ever prove that!

We’re now at the midway point and we have one of Earthrealm’s mightiest warriors, Liu Kang. This Chinese warrior became a Mortal Kombat Grand Champion on several occasions, defeating the likes of Goro and Shang Tsung. He was widely considered to be the Mortal Kombat mascot for many years. He is one of four characters who had a spinoff game based on them, when he was included in Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks game. Whichever timeline you follow, Liu meets a rather unfortunate demise. He becomes one of Quan Chi’s revenants and later becomes the emperor of Netherrealm. Liu Kang goes from being another Bruce Lee knock off character in the first entry of the series, to eventually becoming an intimidating undead revenant that sports a uniform made out of dragon scales, steel and leather. With glowing yellow veins and eyes, while still wearing his trademark red headband in Mortal Kombat X. Liu Kang generally associates himself with the element of fire and is seen using those projectiles in many of the games he’s in. He even has the ability to shapeshift into a magnificent Chinese dragon, during his Animality in Mortal Kombat 3. Regardless if you like him or hate him, he is most-deserving to be on this list, due to his heroic acts throughout the series.

The number four selection brings us the main antagonist throughout a good chunk of the Mortal Kombat series. Shao Kahn was a conqueror of realms and he led the Outworld invasion during their attack on Edenia and Earthrealm. As the former emperor of Outworld, he is considered to be the embodiment of evil. He made his videogame debut in 1993’s Mortal Kombat 2 as the final boss. He had remained a fixture as a boss or sub-boss throughout most of the series. Unlike most characters Shao Kahn has consistently looked similar from his inception till his death. His frightening warlord’s helmet with the skull on his face and his pure size and stature had always been a threat to the protagonists in the game. Whether he is clubbing you with his Wrath Hammer or simply ridiculing you, he’s one boss that you don’t want to mess with. He has made many people rage throughout the years, trying to defeat him without the means of exploits. Apart from his Wrath Hammer he also utilizes a Light Spear and Explosive Ball that he launches at his enemies. If that wasn’t enough, he uses his speed and physical prowess with an Uplifting Knee and Charging Spikes to further plant seeds of doubt in your mind. Without question, Shao Kahn is the villainous face among not only Outworld, but the entire Mortal Kombat universe.

Lord Raiden the Thunder God is our selection for the number three spot. He has been the main fixture for the forces of good in every sense of the series. Making his debut in 1992’s Mortal Kombat, he hasn’t changed a great deal (films aside). His iconic straw Chinese coolie hat and his glowing white eyes are paramount to his character. Because he is the God of Thunder, he has several supernatural abilities such as teleportation, the ability to fly, and of course control lightning. That to us makes him extremely captivating. Raiden is notorious for yelling out gibberish while using his Torpedo move. It’s had many people convinced over the years that he was yelling something in Japanese or English. The line was often misconstrued and therefore subject to many parodies. It was confirmed by Midway many years ago, that he was indeed just yelling gibberish. Raiden was instrumental in the aiding of Earthrealm’s warriors, most notably Liu Kang. With an ironic twist of fate, Raiden ended up accidently killing Liu in Mortal Kombat 9. It was a landmark moment in the series and it’s something still mired in controversy to this day. Despite that, this Thunder God is one of the coolest looking fighters in the series and his powers demand respect.

Kuai Liang or better known as Sub-Zero is the younger brother of Bi-Han, the original Sub-Zero. This particular Sub-Zero that we are talking about made his debut in Mortal Kombat 2 in 1993. The reason we chose this one over the original, is because he has elevated his style and characteristics throughout the series. Despite the fact that he wasn’t the original, he has carried the Sub-Zero moniker and colors for a greater period of time. In Mortal Kombat 9, he was altered and turned into a cyborg known as Cyber Sub-Zero. He retained most of his fighting abilities but his strength was enhanced through cybernetics. Kuai Liang has served in the Lin Kuei and is a descendant of Cryomancers, an Outworld race with the ability to generate and control ice powers. At first, both brothers seemed to be very similar but Kuai formed his own path, assisting Raiden and Earthrealm’s warriors against Shao Kahn. As Cyber Sub-Zero he is arguably the strongest of the cyborg ninjas. He was able to defeat his former Lin Kuei brethren Sektor and his older brother as an undead Netherrealm wraith, Noob Saibot. His biggest accomplishment was defeating both Shokan warriors Goro and Kintaro at the same time. We already know the credentials for Goro, so beating him AND Kintaro together is jaw-dropping.

The number one and two picks could be interchangeable, and we know a lot of online lists express that. There’s always Scorpion fans who clamor he is better than Sub-Zero and vice versa. It’s only natural since they’ve been rivals for a very long time and the fan bases facilitate that. Hanzo Hasashi is rated higher for us for numerous reasons. One of the reasons is because he has some of the most iconic lines in the entire Mortal Kombat series. “Come here!” or “Get over here!” Those lines are universally linked to that series and even if you’re not a big fan, chances are most will recognize it. Scorpion has been one of, if not the most compelling and popular characters in this game's universe. It started with his family and Shirai Ryu clan being slaughtered, to his resurrection and murdering of Bi-Han. To his seemingly everlasting rivalry with Sub-Zero and finally having the truth revealed that it was Quan Chi who manipulated him the entire time. I think a lot of people can connect emotionally with his motives from a family standpoint. He is the true anti-hero and it’s no wonder he has his face plastered all over Mortal Kombat collectables and apparel worldwide.

Let’s start with our list with something Bizarre. I say bizarre because this guy somehow winds up being alive every time when he is supposed to be dead. When everyone assumes he is dead, he just shows up again more improved and more mechanical implants attached to him. Stroheim is a minor antagonist who became an ally eventually. He is a Nazi Major turned Colonel who is proud of his country and his cybernetic state. Impulsive at times, he never forgets to do his duties and responsibilities bravely. Most of his body is already made out of mechanical prosthetics and each of it has its special uses. In Stroheim’s cybernetic state, he has an abdominal machine gun, ultraviolet shoulder cannons and can create radiation beam from his eye which he can also use to zoom in and out while looking at an object. He is also more durable and has a strength of tenfold.

Code Geass is one of those revenge animes but with Mechas mixed on it. The story is compelling and interesting like one of its characters Jeremiah known in the meme world Orange man. Gottwald, Jeremiah is an elite Knightmare Frame pilot who is intense, spontaneous and arrogant. He is from the Purist fraction and views loyalty at high regard. All went down for him though due to the popular Orange Incident that made him fall in disgrace. It is in season 2 when he finally attained his cyborg body. Even through him being a cyborg, the anime has not really touched upon this topic. But it is hinted that his robotic implants help him to gain the upper hand when it comes to fighting. One such mechanical modification that is important is his Geass Canceler. True to its name, it nullifies geass near him.

Adapted from the manga of the same name, Dimension W offers a futuristic sci-fi adventure. Meet Loser who dons a golden mask. Known to people as an art thief, he likes to announce his upcoming heist for the popularity of it. This guy however is not well known for his amazing stealing techniques as he always fail to do his criminal deeds hence the name Loser. But there is more to it than meets the eye, for all of these are purely a facade in order to achieve something. Before the start of the series, Loser was known as Julian Tyler Smith who is famous for being one of the top researchers of New Tesla. He was the one who studied and invented the well-known energy fields. Due to the unfortunate events that happened to Haruka Seameyer, Loser was caught up in Seameyer’s evil plot that caused him his face, arms, limbs and his wife. With the gruesome way his body has become, he covered his deformed face with a golden mask and replaced his arms and limbs with robotic machinery. Vowing for revenge he seeks numbers to attain his justice. He may be called a loser but everything he does and his intentions are just cool.

If you are thinking that Hellsing Ultimate may just be another vampire anime like many others then you are greatly mistaken. It may not be for the faint-hearted but to those who like something dark then this show is for you. Hellsing Ultimate delivers us gory action packed scenes, interesting story lines, and of course intriguing characters like Max, Montana aka “The Major”. The Major is a sadistic, psychopathic, and ruthless character. Being the supreme commander of the Millennium Organization, he wants nothing but to kill Alucard, to create wars for destruction and wishes more than nothing for the extinction of humanity. He will stop to nothing until he gets what he wants even if i means modifying himself as a cyborg. That right, The Major is a cyborg, the only known one in Hellsing Ultimate in fact. When he was at death’s door, the Doctor saved his life by making him into a cyborg, gaining his immortality with the use of mechanical prosthetics. Although a cyborg, his entire being is already consisted of mechanical parts and has almost nothing resembling of a humans’ even in the inside. Just as The Major said, the only human part about him now is his will and his capability to have emotions (if he even has one).

Don’t let the cute bear face fool you, as he actually gained his teddy bear appearance after committing suicide. Like many other characters in animes, Jinno seeks out revenge for the death of his master. Jinno started as an orphan taken in by Sword Master. He along with other orphans saw a beaten up Afro who later joined in the orphanage dojo. He regarded Afro as his brother until the battle at the bodhi tree took place where in the dojo was attacked by assassins and with Afro killing Sword Master. Badly wounded and stricken with grief, he jumped on a cliff hoping to die. He was eventually found by one of the Empty Seven and made him into a cyborg. Jinno’s head is mostly made out of robotic pieces which includes his life support. To cover it up, he uses a bear designed helmet thus gaining him the name “Kuma”. Now as a cyborg, Kuma being skilled as he is, is much more powerful due to the help of his cybernetic state. He has more strength, is very flexible and able to endure pain very well. In Afro Samurai: Resurrection, he even rebuilt his body after being injured badly. Oh, and did I mention he rides a motorcycle?

From the same mangaka of Ghost in the shell comes Appleseed. In a world where technology has greatly advanced, cyberization has become a possibility. During world war, Briareos was caught in an explosion and escaped from death due to cyberization. His partner and also standing as his lover is Deunan Knute whom he meets through her father’s SWAT unit. Both are currently working under ESWAT unit Briareos’ body is three quarters machine and mostly retains his vital organs excluding his reproductive system. Although most of his body are mechanical, he can still feel, eat and can die thorough aging. He has the capability to control other cyborgs and has the Hecatonchires system that only he has in the world of Appleseed. Having the Hecatonchires system, he is given the ability to control an aircraft entirely.

A strong sense of justice, selfless and benevolent are the top qualities of Shimamura, Joe. As his father is missing and his mother died, he was then taken in by a priest that became his foster father. But unbeknownst to him, the priest is affiliated with Black Ghost. Everything changed when he was accused of killing his foster father. He was taken in by the police but escaped soon after only to fall at the hands of Black Ghost. Joe since then has been used for experiments, making him into a cyborg. Joe usually acts as the leader of his group, among all of them, Joe’s ability as a cyborg overpowers them more. Just like the other cyborgs in this list, he is strong and robust. He predominantly can breathe underwater and run fast at the speed of Mach 5.

When thinking about cyborg anime characters, Kusanagi, Makoto usually pops out immediately in our heads. After all, this anime has greatly influenced Hollywood when it comes to cyberpunk genre. Just recently, news of getting a live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell bombarded the whole anime community. Kusanagi, Makoto’s past remains enigmatic. One thing is for sure, she has been modified to be a cyborg during her childhood years, changing it here and there to become how she is today. Same as The Major in this list, Makoto has a full on augmented artificial body prosthesis. She is a highly skilled hacker and an extremely powerful fighter, earning her place as the leader of section 9. Everything this feisty woman does, she does it with ease. She is sexy, intelligent, and kicks ass, only rightful to be on our list.

ONE PUNCH!!!~ Yes! One Punch Man, but we’re not here to talk about Saitama. Since this is a cyborg character list we’ll talk about Genos instead. Oh Genos the character who is overly protective of his sensei and gives off that ‘senpai notice me” vibes. At the tender age of 15, he was left to die after a cyborg started a wild rampage in their town thereby killing his family. Not wanting to die, he saw Dr. Stench and pleaded with him to transform him into a cyborg. Genos is a very serious guy who only strives to be best. He is dubbed as the demon cyborg and has been a Class S superhero. Despite this, he is very naive and impetuous as proven by Saitama. Geno’s cybernetic body is well designed for battle as almost every part of his body can turn into weapons. His artificial body helps him to move at great speed, gives him enhanced strength and he is quite durable. He still constantly modifies his body to make it even more powerful more than as it is.

SUUUUUUPER!!! As for our number 1, did you guess it right? Yup, it’s Franky! Franky is the shipwright for the Straw Hat Pirates and acts as the reliable “Big Brother” of the crew. He is strong-willed, flamboyant, stubborn, and quite an emotional man. He likes to do his wacky poses and of course we shouldn’t forget how funny he can be especially when One piece gets too serious! His cyberization started when he was run down by a train, nearly killing him. He used his high end skills to fix himself to recovery. Just like Genos, Franky’s body is made for battle. He is very sturdy and has weapons all over his body. But one unique aspect of his cyborg body is the small refrigerator located in his stomach. It carries drinks that he can consume to fuel his abilities. He may have the perks of being cyborg, but all things have their very own Achilles heel. In Franky’s case, his weakness is his back as he cannot reach over to do body modifications. Up until now, Franky still aims to make his body bigger, better and stronger.