Alright anime nerds, let’s get down and a little bit controversial. The question of who is the most powerful character in anime is one with many potential answers. Some people are purists who consider Saitama the strongest character in anime and thus the most powerful, while others are more interested in boons like intellect or interdimensional warping, which might tip the scale in another’s favor.
The debate has sparked fights the likes of which have cratered the face of the internet like one of Goku’s patented Kamehamehas on Namek but here, we, the Board of Unofficial Anime Super de duper nerds (trademark pending), have narrowed it down and decided that pitting 4 of the most hotly debated anime characters against our most powerful in question, One Punch’s Saitama, is the only way to draw a conclusion.
Round #1: Saitama vs. Yhwach
So you have a guy who is essentially the father of all powerful guys. The main antagonist of Bleach, Yhwach is the progenitor of the Quincies (a family of humans that are aware of and use spiritual energy), and boasts a range of terrifying abilities such as country-displacing telekinesis and a predisposition to alter fate however he sees fit.
The part where he presents a problem for our champion, Saitama, is in his precognition and his subsequent manipulation of reality. The man will literally see himself being punched by Saitama and will make it so that the punch never connects, or if it does, Saitama’s strength will be rendered useless in that moment.
It’s a tricky ability that has granted Yhwach multiple boons in his campaign against Bleach’s Soul Reapers. Against Saitama, even with Saitama’s broken power and supposedly unlimited abilities, it would come down to a war of contrition as Yhwach fought to continually rewrite reality around Saitama’s sheer, raw strength.
With this particular encounter, the battle would be a lot more about the tenacity of the players to determine the most powerful between them, rather than just the brawn. Seeing Saitama on the ropes against an enemy that can literally see what’s coming, no matter how much Saitama might try to hide, would put new and interesting pressure on the character. It’s fascinating to consider what might make Saitama cave to that pressure or when Yhwach would give up the ghost and leave the world alone.
Round #2: Saitama vs. Satoru Gojo
There’s always that one dude who sits at the back of the class balancing pencils on his upper lip but you know full well that he’ll beat your butt at every test no matter how hard the material and he could absolutely destroy you no matter how big your muscles if you end up ticking him off. For Jujutsu Kaisen, that’s Satoru Gojo. He is a teacher of Jujutsu sorcery and Itadori’s mentor, as well as the pride of the Gojo clan, being the first inheritor of the Six Eyes and the Limitless. The combination of these things makes him nearly unbeatable, and doesn’t he know it!
His abilities culminate in him essentially being able to erase matter, which could be particularly bad for our boy Saitama should he get caught in the icy blue gaze of those Six Eyes. However, should Saitama manage to land a punch on Gojo? Who knows…
Gojo has withstood severe beatdowns from demons, endured life or death situations that have only made him stronger, and has even taken multiple, continuous slashes from Sukuna’s Malevolent Shrine, only to instantly heal and show little to no pain. But could he withstand a single punch from our One Punch legend and come back hitting?
If he did, his superior intellect and mastery of the more terrifying jujutsu arts alongside his proficiency in straight-up martial combat would surely put him in strong stead to be the winner and take the title of most powerful anime character.
Round #3: Saitama vs. Monkey D.Luffy
Winding the fist back like Stretch Armstrong for the third of these fictional encounters is the lovable captain of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew, and watch out, Saitama! Luffy doesn’t pack a conventional punch!
The aspiring pirate king has been delighting anime nerds since time immemorial with his particularly styled up brand of cartoon antics and recently got a Fifth Gear upgrade to unlock his potential with the Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika. The new upgrade features the ability to warp reality into a ‘toon-like world’ based on Luffy’s imagination, and while the ability by no means makes its wielder invulnerable, it does reward a user who has the mind for pushing the bounds of innovation.
It could put Saitama on his toes. One of the more absurd showcases of this new ability is when Luffy is able to turn a lightning bolt into rubber, then he uses it like a giant slingshot to launch himself at his opponent. By the time Saitama would be able to comprehend the physics of that one, it’s BAM! Elimination, lack of education.
Of course, in terms of pure strength-based power, it’s no contest. Luffy’s abilities have obvious limitations and weaknesses, whereas Saitama’s limiters are off. While Luffy can change reality to benefit himself, Saitama can simply rely on his brawn, no matter what his surroundings change to accommodate. At the end of the day, even if Luffy can dodge in ways insane enough to make a contortionist jealous, if Saitama lands that all-important one punch…well, it’s all over. Isn’t it?
Round #4: Saitama vs. Zeno
Possibly the most talked about match-up in the epic debate of who is the most powerful anime character of all, it is a curiosity to think that Saitama could, in any way, compete with the stark omnipotent force that is Zeno.
This is why it’s so important to lay out the terms of a debate like this. Is Saitama physically the strongest anime character? Most likely. Is he the most powerful when placed opposite creatures like Zeno, who may have skipped leg day for several millennia, but can erase entire universes without a second thought simply because they’re bored? No. If this were taken as an official match in our tournament-style hypothetical, then Zeno would yawn, and poor Saitama’s entire lineage would be wiped out all the way back to Feudal Japan.
The small alien male is known as the Omni-king in the Dragon Ball universe and suffers from chronic boredom as a result of being immortal and all-powerful. After gaining a companion in the form of his future self, the two Zenos then hold the Tournament of Power, wherein the losers of each match will see their universe erased. The two Zenos use the tournament a bit like The Voice, watching the unfolding martial talent and aiming to pass almighty judgement on the universe that fails to deliver the best fights they’ve ever seen. What would the two Zenos make of someone like Saitama if they didn’t directly have to go up against him in such an unfair power advantage?
Bonus Round: Saitama vs. Koneko Tojo
Okay. Okay. Hear me out. Let’s just suppose that Saitama really is the most powerful anime character of all. Let’s say he’s blown past the likes of Zeno and the others listed above. Let’s say he’s decimated anyone else who’s tried to stand in his way.
Enter Koneko Tojo from High School DxD. She is an unassuming student attending Kuoh Academy and enjoying her carefree high school days with the likes of the Occult Club. There is nothing particularly noteworthy about her at first glance. But Koneko has a secret, one that will end One Punch’s Saitama with a simple flex of retractable claws. Koneko Tojo is a nekomata, a girl who can take out cat-like qualities, including ears, a tail, and those deadly retractable claws.
It is a running gag in One Punch that Saitama, invulnerable to god like feats of strength designed to hurt him, experienced pain when he was scratched by a cat. Though Koneko doesn’t possess the more traditional means of being considered the most powerful anime character of all, she is in possession of Saitama’s greatest weakness, and as such, being able to take out the alleged most powerful anime character of all, shouldn’t she, therefore, logically, win that title? Eh? Eh?
Focus on Moving Forward
Anime encompasses such a vast and diverse set of shows and considerations that it’s hard to think of every possibility when trying to pin down something like the industry’s most powerful character. These match-ups are but a few of the possibilities, and special mentions should, of course, be given to Goku, Haruhi Suzumiya, Sung Jinwoo, and many other formidable characters that could take on Saitama using a range of incredibly inventive skills.
So, is there really a conclusion here? I’d say no, not really. Zeno might be the most theoretically powerful person in the multiverse, but someone with a mirror trap unique to their universe might be able to contain him in a pocket dimension, thus defeating him and taking the top spot of the most powerful anime character despite only being a regular, everyday middle school student. It’s entirely down to circumstances or the particulars of the stories provoking such comparisons.
Perhaps the important thing is not to compare yourself with everyone around you, not to lament at not being omnipotent like Zeno, but to celebrate the fact that you, like Saitama, can now do 100 one-handed push-ups. Good job buddy! Go get yourself a celebratory cookie!
