Elemental powers are common throughout anime. From characters with unstoppable water powers to ones who strike their foes down with lightning, the possibilities are endless for what kind of natural forces could become a superpower. Earth seems to be the most underutilized of the four main elements in anime. However, several strong characters can still manipulate the ground they walk on.

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Sand abilities are a powerful subgroup of Earth manipulation skills. Characters who can master and control sand seem few and far between, but all of them stand out from the rest for their creative utilization of this unorthodox element.

10 Users Of The Sand Card Can Manipulate Sand (Cardcaptor Sakura)

The Sand card from Cardcaptor Sakura.

Of all the cards in Cardcaptor Sakura, the Sand card is one of the most unique. When it manifests a physical form, it can turn into a calm blow of sand that moves like a snake. The card grants the user the ability to manipulate sand. It can also transform into other types of dirt if necessary. Since it's a Clow card, it can also predict the future.

Sakura and Syaoran captured the card with Water and Freeze cards to immobilize it. The Sand card would have accepted either of them as its new master, but the kindhearted magical girl Sakura allowed Syaoran to keep it.

9 Ajeel Raml Is The Desert King (Fairy Tail)

Ajeel Raml from Fairy Tail.

Ajeel is one of the strongest Sand Magic users in Fairy Tail. He's so adept at it that others have dubbed him the "Desert King" He has an entire roster of abilities that prove just how versatile sand can be. He can turn himself into sand, make armies of sand monsters, instantly manifest a sand pit, and even create a large enough sandstorm to wipe out an entire town.

Ajeel can also make weapons with sand. With his Raml Sayf, he can make it rain sand blades down on his opponents. With Raml Fa'as, he manifests a dual sand ax that's sharp enough to cut off someone's limbs.

8 Sunshine Can Shapeshift With Sand (Kinnikuman)

Sunshine from Kinnikuman.

Sunshine from Kinnikuman is the Leader of the Devil Knights. He can manipulate sand and even use it to shapeshift. However, he can't transform into anything he wants without an extensive amount of research first. He needs to study any object he wants to shapeshift into so he can perfectly emulate it. He can also use his sand powers to merge with other Devil Knights and become the General Devil.

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Sunshine is a giant chojin whose body is golden because of his sand. He can mix up his appearance whenever he wants or turn his torso into different shapes, such as a pyramid.

7 Snatch Is The Sand Hero (My Hero Academia)

The Sand Hero: Snatch grimacing in My Hero Academia.

Snatch is the Sand Hero in My Hero Academia. His quirk, Sandstorm, allows him to turn half of his body into sand. He could also manipulate the sand telepathically and increase the amount he exerts as he goes. He can also use sands to build physical structures, from lions to shields.

Interestingly, Tomura Shigaraki's Decay doesn't have much of an effect on Snatch since he can turn into millions of tiny grains of sand. Dabi's blue flames also didn't affect Snatch since sand is fireproof.

6 Crocodile's Devil Fruit Gave Him Sand Powers (One Piece)

Crocodile in One Piece.

After eating the Suna Suna no Mi, One Piece's Crocodile gained the ability to control and manipulate sand. He worked hard to master this power and can turn into sand within a second's notice. It's almost second nature to him.

His sand powers make him a formidable opponent in every terrain, but he's unbeatable in the desert. He can manifest massive sandstorms, create weapons, and even generate quicksand if he's near water. Sometimes, his sandstorms grow out of control, and even he can't stop them if they get to that point.

5 Ganju Shiba Can Turn Things Into Sand (Bleach)ganju shiba in bleach

Ganju Shiba from Bleach has an arsenal of strengths up his sleeve, from practical fighting skills to his impressive sand powers. When he uses his hand to create the trembling current of the Shiba Clan, he activates his ability to turn what he touches into sand.

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Ganju often uses this ability as a quick escape by turning the walls into sand. Ganju can also use it offensively, like when he trapped Ichigo's Zangetsu. After activating his Renkan Seppa San, he can transform a large area into sand.

4 Sandman Controls Crows & Turns Into Sand (The Haunted House)

Sandman from Shinbi Apartment.

Sandman from The Haunted House looks like a ghost with a crow's head. With glowing red eyes and a menacing red cape, Sandman is certainly more terrifying than most other anime villains. He looks like a typical plague doctor.

Not only can he control crows, but he can also shapeshift into sand. His sand is also magical and, like his mythological namesake, grants him the ability to enchant children into a lifelong slumber. Rather than giving them a lifetime of pleasant dreams, however, he gifts the kids nightmares.

3 Scorpio Is A Celestial Spirit Who Uses Sand Magic (Fairy Tail)

Lucy fights alongside Scorpio

Scorpio from Fairy Tail is a celestial spirit who uses sand magic. He has a few powerful abilities, but many pale in comparison to his Sand Buster. After Scorpio is summoned, he gets down on his hands and knees into a scorpion-like post, then points his stinger at the enemy. Then, he generates a huge sand tornado and sends it directly to his target.

Even if someone isn't directly targeted by Scorpio's Sand Buster, they'll still feel its impact. He can also shoot sand spears out of his stinger and create a sand wall as a shield.

2 Iggy's Stand Is Bound To Sand (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

Iggy being carried through the air by his stand, The Fool, as Jotaro Kujo watches from the ground.

In Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, even the animals have Stand powers. Iggy is a Boston Terrier who was picked up off the rough streets of New York to join the Joestar group on their journey through Egypt. His Stand, The Fool, was perfect for the country's vast deserts since it's bound to sand.

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With his Stand, Iggy manipulates sand to protect himself by making shields, traps, or wings to fly away from the danger. Towards the end of part three, it was revealed that Iggy's sand could shapeshift into anything when he tried to turn his sand into a replica of DIO to fool Vanilla Ice.

1 Gaara's Signature Ninjutsu Is Sand Manipulation (Naruto)

Naruto 10 Things You Didn't Know About Gaara

Since he's Shukaku's jinchuriki, Gaara has become a master of sand manipulation. When he debuted in Naruto, his ninjutsu was more powerful than anything else previously seen at that point. Gaara walks around with a giant gourd of sand on his back. He infused the sand with his chakra so he could have greater control over it.

Gaara's Shield of Sand is the ultimate defensive ability powered by his mother's willpower. If someone breaks into it, he can quickly make armor of sand to protect himself. Gaara can also make Sand Clones. He's proven a strong close-combat fighter, but his ninjutsu works best from further away, so his opponents barely see him coming.

NEXT: The 14 Best Anime Characters With Water Powers