A weapon can change the tide of battle, and this is even more true in anime where weapons go way beyond the limits of reality and especially practicality. There are endless possibilities as to where anime will take its weapons, and many have practically become a trademark for the industry.
Fans take less of an issue with having to shut their brains off when it comes to anything anime, as it just comes with the territory. And when it comes to anime weapons, style trumps over practicality almost every time. There are some weapons that are a little harder to forgive than others, but so long as the weapon in question brings enough destruction, anything goes.
10 Sailor Moon: Tuxedo Mask Is A Little Too Into His Pretty Boy Image
It might make sense from a marketing perspective to have a handsome male character throwing roses everywhere, but aside from the novelty of aesthetics, there's nothing special about Sailor Moon's Tuxedo Mask. The idea of using the roses in battle is clever, but when they fall short as a weapon, it's sad and disappointing.
Granted, Tuxedo Mask’s roses do manage to cut pretty deeply, the overall damage is so small he appears to be more of a liability than a fighter. While the magical girls do all the heavy lifting, Tuxedo Mask seems pretty complacent with being just eye candy.
9 Naruto: Temari's Giant Fan Is More Of A Hindrance After Battle
Throughout Naruto, many ninjas carry weapons with them to use in battle, but one is a little more over the top than the rest. Temari’s giant fan is a beauty to look at, and it packs a powerful punch when infused with her chakra. Aside from the practicality of always having a shield and weapon at the ready, it’s pretty inconvenient.
Anime characters need to start realizing that size does matter, and when you carry a huge weapon, that becomes a big burden. Smaller fans would’ve been just fine.
8 Berserk: Guts' Dragonslayer Is Daunting To Look At, But Way Too Heavy
Granted, Guts’ does have a lot of muscle to help him carry the Dragonslayer, but just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. That muscle could be saved for other attacks, and putting that aside, the heavy weight of the giant sword would certainly slow him down.
In the wild battles that happen in Berserk, Guts should spare as much strength and endurance as he can. To be fair though, the Dragonslayer has magical capabilities, which come in handy when fighting against supernatural threats.
7 Ga-Rei Zero: A Motorcycle Is All Natsuki Needs To Kill Monsters
The series Ga-Rei Zero takes place in an alternate Japan that has a problem with some deadly monsters. Agents from the SDCD are assigned to exorcise these supernatural beasts with their own mystical powers. One of them, Natsuki Kasuga, does so with nothing but a motorcycle.
With magical text written along the tires, Natsuki fights the monsters utilizing tire marks as a barrier and using the motorcycle itself to attack. With the momentum of the engine’s high speed, she lifts and swings the bike around to hit her targets with ease. As cool as that is, one has to wonder how much energy that drains.
6 Trigun: Wolfwood Is Rewarded With The Heavy Burden Of The Cross Punisher
In Trigun, Wolfwood is given the Cross Punisher by the cult the Eye of Michael, meaning that he is recognized as the strongest in the order. As high prestige as that is, it doesn’t change how much of a burden the weapon is.
The machine gun/rocket launcher is a cool idea in theory and it does cause a great deal of damage to his enemies, but even the characters surrounding Wolfwood comment on how heavy it is. Woolford acknowledges the heavy weight, but justifies it by saying "That's because it's so full of mercy."
5 Hellsing: Seras Won't Go Anywhere Without The Harkonnen
Although it stands at a whopping 2.37 meters, Seras refuses to wield any weapon in Hellsing other than the Harkonnen, which was a gift from manufacturer Walter C Dornez. The extremely long sniper is capable of destroying just about anything save for a tank, but the drawback is the incredible weight that comes with it.
Sera is a human turned vampire, giving her the superpowered strength she needs to carry the Harkonnen, but even without the issue of a literal heavy burden, there's still the issue of space. Sera herself comments often on how difficult the weapon is to fit into most spaces, but regardless she refuses to throw it away.
4 Fairy Tail: A Transforming Panther Lily Needs A Transforming Weapon
The Bustermarm from Fairy Tail is a unique weapon due to its transforming ability. At first, it may appear to be only a thin handle with an oversized cat design as the sword’s guard. The weapon is already large in size before the blade magically comes out, but when it’s in its full form, the sword becomes about four times the wielder's height. While the weapon is a perfect match for Panther Lily, the Bustermarm is still a ridiculous weapon. Just attempting to balance the hilt would bring trouble to any swordsman.
3 Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Spear Of Longinus Is Called So For Obvious Reasons
When bloodthirsty giants aren’t enough, the heroes of Evangelion use giant weapons, one of them being the Spear of Longinus. Originally, the spear causes a catastrophic event, killing millions across the globe. The deadly impact doesn’t change much when scientists try to experiment on it, but finally one person manages to use the weapon for the good of mankind.
Rei Ayanami is given multiple missions to handle the Longinus, one in which she succeeds in killing an Angel. As successful as this battle was, the weapon is a double-edged sword. The Spear of Longinus was never meant to protect humanity, therefore keeping it out in the open in any capacity proves to be harmful to humanity’s survival. Also, that thing is ridiculously huge.
2 Hunter X Hunter: Morel Thinks He Looks Smokin' With His Oversized Pipe
Although it helps to channel Morel’s smoke attack in Hunter X Hunter, the giant pipe is a bit much. The aesthetic of it is daunting at first glance, but looking upon it further it’s almost comical.
Probably the most inconvenient part of this weapon is that unlike other giant weapons like Temari’s and Panther Lily’s, there’s no way to latch it onto anything for hands-free carrying. Across his adventures, Morel is always seen carrying the pipe by hand or over his shoulder, which is surely a tiresome task.
1 Bleach: Suì-Fēng Feels A Sting With Her Zanpakuto's Final Form
Suì-Fēng, the second division captain of Soul Society, has always been known for her stealth. In its original Shikai form, her Zanpakuto Suzumebachi is the perfect fit for her fighting style with its lightweight and unshakable latch on her arm. Throughout Bleach, Suì-Fēng wins her battle with speed, but the final Bankai form of Suzumebachi replaces all that speed with a powerful bang.
The weapon continues to latch onto her right arm but expands into a missile launcher connected to a small piece of armor to protect Suì-Fēng’s right upper body. In this form, Suì-Fēng is unable to move and has to hit her target. Throwing all those stealthy skills out the window.