While many anime heroes pride themselves on honor, there are quite a few who aren't afraid of fighting dirty. And sometimes, it just gets the job done quicker. Most characters who fight dirty tend to resort to underhanded tricks, while some use all of their might to prove that their opponent is the undisputed loser.
Either way, these anime characters tend to throw morality aside for the sake of combat, using every possible means to defeat their opponents. They use all of the power at their disposal to beat their opponent to smithereens but walk away unscathed themselves.
10 Magma Uses Dirty Tricks To Defeat His Opponents
Magma from Dr. Stone has made fans question his true intentions multiple times throughout the anime. However, one thing is sure: This man enjoys fighting dirty. Considering how ripped this guy is, one wouldn't think that Magma would have to rely on such underhanded tactics to win a fight. Yet, Magma's tactics are so underhanded that it's rather unbecoming. In Dr. Stone, his tactics were childish, such as throwing rocks at his opponents when they weren't looking. For Magma, the ends justify the means.
9 Usopp's Tactics Are Unorthodox
Usopp from One Piece is known for being the weakest member of the Straw Hat Pirates. One of his go-to tactics for getting out of challenging situations is utilizing falsehood and deception to his advantage. Usopp carries around an impressive supply of makeshift weaponry that he uses to scare his opponents into backing down.
Usopp is such a good liar that he can make an inflatable hammer seem ominous if it means getting an opponent off his back. Though Usopp is the comic relief of One Piece, his methods certainly deserve some credit for being as unorthodox as possible.
8 Sousuke Is Far From Honorable
Sousuke Sagara from Full Metal Panic! grew up surrounded by guerilla warfare, informing his tactical style. And it certainly has some unsavory elements to it. Some of Sousuke's methods for defeating his opponents are downright sociopathic, such as when he kidnapped his opponent's brother.
There were also several incidents where he used weaponry that was much stronger than what was needed. Sousuke once pulled out guns during a martial arts fight, then proceeded to up the ante by pulling out a hand grenade when he was losing.
7 Karma Could Fight Honorably, But He Chooses Not To
Karma Akabane from Assassination Classroom is known for his cunning personality and borderline sadistic behavior. He's intelligent enough that he could be an honorable fighter, but he chooses not to be. Everybody picks up on Karma's mischievous demeanor at first glance. When Karma fights, he has no qualms about humiliating and tricking his opponent. He likes to push people to their limits.
On his first day with class 3-E, Karma tried to commit suicide by jumping off a mountain to test Koro-sensei. If Koro-sensei allowed Karma to fall, it would crush his reputation. Ultimately, Koro-sensei saved him, but Karma was still hiding a BB gun in an attempt to assassinate the teacher.
6 Kiritsugu Emiya Contradicts Himself
Kiritsugu Emiya from Fate/Zero has a very dualistic personality. One half of him is an avid believer in ethics and morality, yet his other half is willing to throw out his own beliefs to achieve the best possible outcome.
Given that Kiritsugu, in some capacity, does seem to value justice, his actions in Fate/Zero were quite shocking, to say the least. Manipulating others into killing themselves to ensure his success is certainly far from ethical, and that's not even among the worst things Kiritsugu has done.
5 Aoi Todo Hates Anything Boring
One of the most exciting and eccentric characters in Jujutsu Kaisen is Aoi Todo. When he was younger, he became jaded because his strength was far beyond anyone else his age. Jujutsu sorcery essentially saved Todo from his boredom. Of course, he's still a polarizing guy who has an unpredictable way of fighting.
When Todo met Megumi for the first time, he beat the poor guy to a pulp just because he believed the latter was too boring for him. Todo judges everything about other male sorcerers based on their taste in women. It could be said that Todo only fights dirty until his opponent proves their strength to him – in which case, he'll be on a level playing field with them and even mentor them, as he did for Yuji.
4 Inosuke Believes He's Always The Strongest Fighter, No Matter What
In Demon Slayer, much of Inosuke's behavior during combat stems from his underlying desire to always be the best. He tries to enter every situation he faces with the mindset that he's the strongest fighter. Whether or not this is true, Inosuke tends to severely overestimate his own power.
Additionally, Inosuke would prefer to be killed than surrender. He could be bleeding out, but he'll never admit that he was defeated. Throughout Demon Slayer, his strategy in battle revolves around provoking his opponents by spouting off remarks that are sure to get under their skin.
3 Zora Ideale Is Unpredictable
After his first appearance, Zora from Black Clover left a bad taste in many peoples' mouths. Initially coming off as a disrespectful prankster who relies on deceit, Zora practically advertises that he isn't one to be trusted. Though it is revealed that his behavior results from his background, Zora is still unpredictable nonetheless.
Any opponent who goes up against Zora better be prepared for his Trap Magic, which allows him to set numerous types of magical snares to capture his opponent. Sometimes, Zora even falls asleep mid-battle and leaves his teammates to deal with it, until he decides it's time to participate.
2 Joseph Joestar Is The Ultimate Prankster
Joseph Joestar from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure certainly underwent many changes as he grew up throughout the series. However, one thing never changed: he's still a dirty fighter. Joseph Joestar often uses his quick wit to turn a situation in his favor. He's clever and always finds a way to turn the tables.
Somehow, Joseph always has a backup plan that he seems to pull out of nowhere – much like the Tommy gun he used against Straizo. To this day, fans debate about where he suddenly whipped that thing out from. Joseph always tries to stay a few steps ahead of his opponent, and he's so resourceful that it's nearly impossible to beat him.
1 Bakugo Is Just Ruthless
Katsuki Bakugo from My Hero Academia is known for his ruthless personality. Many people mistakenly label him as a villain because of it. However, he's just determined to win, no matter what. Bakugo is certainly not underhanded, but he gives every battle everything he has.
Bakugo knows that he should never underestimate his opponent, and that's why he has to defeat them as soon as possible before they have a shot at getting one over on him. He also enjoys taunting his opponents to fire them up, much to the dismay of those on his side.