Action anime and manga feature heroes who fight the forces of evil to save the day, and the bad guys have terrifying powers of their own. Many anime heroes use swords or martial arts to take the fight to their foes, but others like to fight from a distance.

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A TV show doesn't have to be a Western to feature some crack shots, and action anime has plenty of gunslingers, archers, and snipers who can put a bead on a target to deadly effect. These top ten gunslingers never miss a shot, and their opponents better beware once they're in the crosshairs! Who are these elite gunslingers and archers?

10 Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Lieutenant Riz Hawkeye isn't an alchemist like Roy Mustang or Edward Elric, but she's a very useful soldier all the same. As the name suggests, she has killer aim and can place her crosshairs on any target, no matter how far or fast-moving it may be. She provides invaluable backup to Roy and the others, and Riza isn't afraid to tangle with homunculi, either. What is more, she learned to create total emotional detachment during combat, allowing her to pull the trigger without hesitation.

9 Daisuke Jigen (Lupin III)

jigen lupin III

Like Riza Hawkeye, Daisuke Jigen is a sidekick who sometimes gets some time in center stage. He's not always a dedicated sniper like Hawkeye, but once this grumpy, bearded man takes aim, someone is definitely going to drop. He favors revolvers and other pistols, and while he's not bloodthirsty or a thug, he's quick to draw those guns if someone is threatening him or the Lupin gang. Jigen's incredible aim got him and Lupin out of more than one tight spot before.

8 Usopp, the Sniper King (One Piece)

He's one of the Straw Hat pirates, and his phenomenal sense of aim and eyesight have made him the crew's top gunner without question. At first, Usopp is just a goofball, but he's a crack shot with a slingshot, and he can load all sorts of specialized ammo into it. Usopp is flexible, though, and he can also aim ship cannons quite well. Finally, he's a peerless sniper, and his nearly-superhuman eyesight is a natural match for this talent. It's little wonder he later gains the title of Sniper King!

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7 Watari (Death Note)

For the most part, the mysterious old man known as Watari is L's handler and assistant, much like Alfred is to Batman (this might not be a coincidence). Watari is cool and calm under fire, and during the car chase against Higuchi, Watari demonstrated some remarkable skill with a rifle. While on board a moving helicopter, Watari shot a tire in Higuchi's car to slow it down, then shot a pistol out of Higuchi's hand without killing him. That requires a steady hand for sure.

6 Mista (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Guido Mista aiming a gun in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Unlike some of the other marksmen on this list, Mista gets some help with his sharpshooting. He's a stand user and a member of the Passione gang, and his stand (Sex Pistols) takes the form of six little creatures who aim his bullets. They're numbered 1-7 (missing #4 due to superstition), and Mista can hit any target, anywhere. More than once, it looked like his opponents cornered him and were prepared to finish him. That is, until Mista fires a few well-angled shots that bring the bullets out of nowhere!

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5 Vash the Stampede (Trigun)

Like Usopp, Vash the Stampede doesn't look anything like the expert marksman he is. In fact, Vash is a superhuman, engineered being, but he does little to flaunt that fact, unlike some of his enemies. Rather, he'd rather journey his Wild West-inspired planet in peace, but he's not afraid to whip out that distinctive pistol to restore that very peace. Vash has a strict rule to not kill anyone, and some villains might see that as a waste of his potential. But if they get on his wrong side, they can expect to receive a few sharply-placed bullets very soon!

4 Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)

Spike Spiegel holding his gun in Cowboy Bebob

The heroic lead of the classic sci-fi anime Cowboy Bebop, Spike Spiegel is not to be underestimated. In fact, he's a flexible and creative man who cant get away with all sorts of morally ambiguous antics, much like Lupin III. While cruising around on his ship the Bebop, Mr. Spiegel can take aim with his pistol, engage in martial arts, and recover from nearly any injury. He's also quite a trickster, especially in casinos, and he might gamble you dry! He's a lovable rogue all the way.

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3 Kino (Kino's Journey - The Beautiful World)

Kino continues the trend of gunslingers who don't bring out their guns without good reason. For the most part, the young man known as Kino travels the world on his conscious motorcycle, more interested in exploring various mini-nations than fighting anyone. But as early as episode 2, Kino finds himself in a combat arena like ancient Rome's, and his extraordinary aim allows him to topple foes many times his size. He even assassinates a cruel king during combat with a masterful shot, and this throws the nation into disarray before he quietly slips away on that motorcycle.

2 Ryuken Ishida (Bleach)

ryuken ishida bleach

Now we take a break from all the gunslingers to explore the life of an archer. Once again, we get a character who isn't too eager for a fight, as he's actually the direct of a hospital in Karakura Town. He's the Last Quincy, but his son is more interested in adventures than he is. All the same, Ryuken resolved to help Uryu train, and a precisely-placed arrow to Uryu's heart awakened Uryu's Quincy powers once again. It takes a master marksman to pull of a shot like that, and Ryuken did it so casually.

1 Kota Hirano (High School of the Dead)

The list concludes with another sharpshooter, the high schooler Kota Hirano. He doesn't do much with pistols, but with a nice rifle, he can take down zombies with great skill. He even improvises a rifle in his high school once the zombies rise up, and with it, he takes out any undead walker in his way with precisely-aimed nail-bullets. Later, he's overjoyed to get his hands on actual firearms, and with them, he saves his friends' lives many times over. He's also quite knowledgable about firearms, and once practiced at a firing range in the United States during a visit there.

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