“A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage” ⚔️

Below is a list of anime swordsman that we discuss in our podcast regarding best anime swordsman. In the podcast we discuss what makes a great swordsman and why and then we dive into which anime characters we think are great swordsman. You can listen to the full podcast here if you are interested. 

Character: Hyakkimaru - (Ed's Choice) 

Anime: Dororo

Why

As the expression goes; to master the sword, you should treat it as an extension of your arm. Well, how about having the sword as your Arm, that’s the case of Hyakkimaru, he is one with his weapon due to the curse placed on him, his limbs are weapons almost like a Sasori type weapon from Naruto. No thrills, no talking, he gets straight to the action.

• Fighting style – Direct
• Swordsmanship = 7

Character: Guts - (Solo's Choice) 

Anime: Beserk

Why

A powerful character able to wield a 10 ft sword. Guts is no slouch and will certainly crush your skull or break your body bones if he landed a swing on you. 

• Fighting style – Hack & Slash  
• Swordsmanship = 6

Character: Mugen -  (Ed and Solo's Choice) 

Anime: Samurai Champloo 

Why

When I first saw this guy fight I was mesmerised. His flair, improvisation and unpredictability was great to see. I am a flair player on FIFA, he would be my go to character if there was a samurai game as you know he would have 5 star skill moves. He will be the one who starts with his arms and ends up stabbing you with his feet.

• Fighting style – Flair
• Swordsmanship = 9

Character: Levi Ackerman - (Ed and Solo's choice) 

Anime: Attack on Titan

Why

From his first intro he has always been that guy. 1000 titans no problem. Watch me! He is so efficient at taking down titans it’s comparable to a person just killing flies. Even so much so, the Titans which have retained their consciousness and are able to transform at will fear fighting Levi. He just exudes confidence in a world where a Titan comes, everyone is screaming their head off, he’s the one smiling saying come on!

• Fighting style – Acrobatic
• Swordsmanship = 7

Character: Afro Samurai - (Solo's Choice) 

Anime: Afro Samurai

Why 

Very direct, no thrills and cuts straight to the point. He is not one to mess around with his enemies. He is ruthless in his approach and given the opportunity will take the chance to behead his opponents. 

• Fighting style – Fierce Powerful Traditional
• Swordsmanship = 9   

Character: Thors - (Ed's Choice) 

Anime: Vinland Saga

Why

Now I was going to Askeladd also from the same anime, but I remembered how easily Thors defeated him in the beginning, it was a short but sweet battle, which showcased not only his sword skills but his smarts as a strategist. Thors always had the power and Askeladd knew this, so tried to use his primary skills to outsmart him. When you think of best swords strategist, Askelaad is up there, but, even he was defeated by Thors actually outsmarting him. That for me is a true warrior!

• Fighting style – Powerful Traditional
• Swordsmanship = 9

Character: Admiral Fujitora (Ed's Choice) 

Anime: One Piece

Why

The power he gets from the Zushi Zushi no Mi fruit is insane. The fruit essentially allows him to create and manipulate gravitational forces. Anything he cuts he can apply gravitational force to. Not only that, but he is also blind and he a swordsman. Cliché but still amazing none the less. Here is a man even without the devil fruit would be a world class swordsman.

• Fighting style – Sensory
• Swordsmanship = 9  

Ed and Solo's Number 1 Swordsman

Curious to know who our Number 1 picks where?! Then do have a listen to the podcast where we argue and discuss which character would win in a sword fight! 

Honorable Mentions 

• Yami Sukehiro from Black Clover

• Gintoki Sakata from Gintama

•   Kenpachi from Bleach 

So there you have it, those are the swordsman we chose, do you agree or disagree, let us know, you can leave a comment below or send us a direct message on our social media channels. We are on all the major ones but most active on Instagram. 

Thanks very much for reading and if interested do check out the full podcast here for all the arguments and jokes surrounding why we chose these anime swordsman.