Many action shonen and seinen anime series feature characters who fight with legendary weapons, often swords or pistols. Not all series use magic; in some shonen adventures, a sword or rifle is enough to save the day, and for some heroes, one weapon simply isn't enough. They have two hands, so why not wield two weapons?
Wielding two swords at once is surprisingly common in the anime world, and some heroes actually have three or more, despite having only two hands, and many characters are also seen with two pistols at once to double their firepower. In fact, some anime heroes are toting an entire armory, and they can draw upon endless knives, swords, pistols or rifles to fight their enemies all day long. Who are these multi-weapon anime heroes?
10 Kirito Keeps Adding Awesome Swords To His Inventory (Sword Art Online)
This pseudo-isekai anime, Sword Art Online, takes place almost entirely within virtual game worlds where, sure enough, swords are the rule (Gun Gale Online is the exception). The hero, Kirito, is the best fighter in any game server, and he can wield more than one sword at a time. That makes him unusual, and gives him a serious advantage.
Ever since the Aincrad story arc, Kirito has been seen dual-wielding swords, and Dark Repulser and Eludicator were early favorites of his. He became renowned as the black swordsman, and no dungeon boss could stand up to him. Later, he even obtained Excalibur and an off-brand lightsaber.
9 Sesshomaru Had Two Very Different Swords (InuYasha)
InuYasha's powerful half-brother, Sesshomaru, is a resourceful character who skirts the line between hero and villain. At first, he sought to obtain the legendary Tetsusaiga, his father's legacy, but that sword was fated to be in InuYasha's. Instead, Sesshomaru was given the Tenseiga, a sword that heals rather than cuts. It stretches the definition of "weapon."
Sesshomaru was not happy with this, so he had a new sword forged out of an ogre's fang. This sword was named Tokijin, and once Sesshomaru dispelled the curse on it, he began wielding it as a true weapon. He doesn't usually dual-wield his swords like Kirito, but it's still an impressive arsenal.
8 Inosuke Hashibira Always Uses Two Jagged Nichirin Swords (Demon Slayer)
The brutish demon slayer known as Inosuke Hashibira invented his own breathing style, beast breathing, and this fighting style is based on dual-wielding swords. Inosuke's swords are jagged by design, and when he slashes them together, he can imitate the tusks of a wild boar.
Inosuke's speed, strength and instincts are all remarkable given his lack of formal training, and when his swords were broken, the Demon Slayer Corps promptly supplied him with two new ones. Then, Inosuke banged on them with a rock to make the edges nice and jagged.
7 Revy Is Known As Two-Hands (Black Lagoon)
Revy is comfortable using a variety of firearms, such as rifles or grenade launchers, but she is happiest when wielding two modified Baretta 92F pistols in combat. She earned the nickname Two-Hands for her ability to take down countless foes with these twin pistols, even when she's totally surrounded.
Revy has a short temper and is quick to point one of her weapons at anyone who annoys or threatens her, but she won't draw both unless an actual fight starts. Perhaps Revy thinks it's poor form to intimidate someone with both pistols at once.
6 Shunsui Kyoraku's Zanpakuto Is Two Swords In One (Bleach)
Strictly speaking, a zanpakuto spirit is is always a singular entity, such as Zangetsu, Zabimaru, Senbonzakura and many others. However, a few Soul Reapers in Bleach wield two swords at once, with both being the embodiment of their zanpakuto spirit. Captain Shunsui Kyoraku is one such character.
Katen Kyokotsu is the name of this unusual two-sword zanpakuto, and Shunsui can use its sealed form to great effect in battle. If things get serious, Shunsui can perform shikai or even bankai, and unleash a wide variety of whimsical (and deadly) effects.
5 Erza Scarlet Can Access A Massive Inventory With Her Spatial Magic (Fairy Tail)
Anime characters such as Kirito and Sesshomaru can carry two swords at once, but the wizard Erza Scarlet is another matter entirely. She wields spatial magic, and with it, Erza can access many suits of armor and weapons from a parallel dimension. This makes her incredibly flexible during battle.
Erza's fighting style is mainly based on her incredible endurance, but that's not all. She can use a wide variety of swords or even spears in battle, and some techniques, such as Heaven's Wheel, allow her to attack the enemy with dozens of swords at once. She once did this to destroy countless lacrima all over Magnolia.
4 Thorfinn Karlsefni Fights With Two Knives (Vinland Saga)
Swords aren't the only bladed weapons anime heroes can wield. Thorfinn relies on speed and agility rather than brute strength to survive in battle, and he can strike any foe's weak points with his twin daggers. He can topple men twice his size with remarkably little effort.
Thorfinn never gave his knives names or special decorations; he's not that sentimental. He simply stabs his way across northern Europe with them, and he can even take on powerful foes such as Thorkell, who is another dual-wielder - in this case, with axes.
3 Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye Always Has A Few Firearms On Hand (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye has deadly aim with a wide variety of firearms, usually sniper rifles and pistols. She cannot use alchemy, but at this rate, she doesn't need to, and Riza acts as Colonel Roy Mustang's assistant, bodyguard and voice of reason.
Hawkeye isn't afraid to draw two pistols at once, Revy-style, and she can riddle homunculi such as Gluttony with bullets in no time. If her magazines run dry, Riza can switch to a revolver or a rifle and keep up the barrage. She almost never carries just one firearm during a mission.
2 Roronoa Zoro Is Famed For His Three-Sword Style (One Piece)
Kirito and Shunsui Kyoraku look cool using two swords at once, but the Straw Hat pirate Roronoa Zoro has them both beat with his three-sword style. He has one katana per hand and the third held firmly between his teeth, though in some cases, he can wield just one or two if necessary.
Zoro can use a wide variety of high-speed techniques to slice apart his foes, and one of his greatest goals is to surpass the powerhouse Dracule Mihawk as the world's top swordsman. At this rate, he just might succeed.
1 Killer Bee Can Use Seven Swords At Once (Naruto)
The jinchuriki known as Killer Bee (or just B) is an enormously powerful fighter, and he can take on his foes either bare-handed or with a variety of swords. His primary fighting style is based on kenjutsu, and he can hold seven swords at once. Sasuke Uchiha could hardly believe his eyes when he first fought Bee.
Killer Bee later obtained the Samehada sword as well, and he declared it the newest addition to his arsenal. Now he has eight swords, with one of them being ravenous for chakra, and this establishes him as one of the world's greatest swordsmen.