In anime, there is a common stereotype that special circumstances are needed in order to attain victory. Whether through meticulous preparations, a spectacular ability, or even the pervasive power of friendship, many characters survive in their respective universes using extraordinary means.

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However, others prefer a much simpler approach. By depending on muscles alone, they overpower enemies and prove themselves as forces to be reckoned with. Through identifying such juggernauts, we can better appreciate the instances where wits proved no match against raw brute strength and why a straightforward skillset is sometimes the best one.

10 Sloth Was The Lumbering Enforcer Of The Homunculus (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Sloth from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

As his hulking physique suggests, Sloth was physically the strongest homunculus in service of Father. Consequently, he was ordered to create a tunnel that stretched around the entire nation of Amestris in order to cast a transmutation circle.

Sloth's muscles also afford him an incredible amount of mobility since he can spring forward in deadly tackles. However, considering his poor reflexes, his attacks are easy to dodge if they are anticipated. Armstrong exploited Sloth's weakness in order to survive until reinforces came to support him.

9 Muscular Is As Athletic As His Name Suggests (My Hero Academia)

Muscular Fight with Deku

Muscular was a professional villain who butchered dozens of heroes. Given his notorious reputation and incredible quirk, he was assigned to the vanguard during the League's attack against the forest camp.

Engulfed in fibrous muscles, the villain's strength can be used for both offense and defense. By catching his opponents' attacks between strands of flesh, he can circumvent direct damage and constrict them in place for a retaliatory blow. Should Deku not have pushed One For All to its limits, he would not have survived their encounter.

8 Reiner Was A Juggernaut Who Punished Adversaries With Brutal Hits (Attack On Titan)

Reiner armored titan attack on titan

Reiner was physically the strongest of the nine titan shifters, as proven through his ability to hoist a pure titan over his shoulders and throw it from Utgard Castle. He capitalized on his superb power in battle, especially since his armor made him resilient against most attacks.

Physically strong enough to launch Eren's titan form hundreds of feet into the air and powerful enough to throw a tank with ease, Reiner uses his strength in order to compensate for his lack of finesse.

7 Vergo's Muscles Enabled Him To Fight Against Powerful Devil Fruit Users (One Piece)

Vergo from One Piece

Despite lacking a devil fruit and being outnumbered, Vergo performed extremely well during the events of Punk Hazard. He easily dominated post-time-skip Sanji and bludgeoned both Smoker and Trafalger Law to a pulp.

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Although Vergo's success can somewhat be attributed to his armament Haki, he has used it to battle some of the strongest pirates in the New World much better than his peers. In the end, Vergo's might was so incredible that it even garnered the respect of Donquixote Doflamingo himself.

6 Drole's Success Is Primarily Attributed To His Strength (Seven Deadly Sins)

seven-deadly-sins-ten-commandments-drole

As the king of giants and a member of the Ten Commandments, Drole's physical strength is the subject of legend. He was powerful enough to momentarily incapacitate Meliodas alongside Gloxinia and resilient enough to survive Escanor's Cruel Sun.

Although Drole's earth manipulation and steel hardening are both indispensable, he primarily relies on his own strength. This was how he managed to defeat Diane in battle despite being unarmed. Fortunately, he chose to appoint her as his successor instead of finishing her off.

5 Might Guy Almost Never Used Ninjutsu Or Genjutsu (Naruto)

Might Guy From Naruto

Might Guy was renowned across the world for his skill in taijutsu. He used it in order to stand against opponents as powerful as Kisame and Madara, defeating the former and seriously crippling the latter.

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Although Might Guy knows rudimentary ninjutsu (such as a turtle summoning technique), he almost exclusively relies on personal strength to succeed in battle. It requires him to train religiously, though he embraces the challenge with open arms and champions it as a way of life both for his students and himself.

4 Charon's Ignition Ability Enabled Him To Fight Like A Brawler (Fire Force)

charon cultist fire force

Charon's Ignition Ability allowed him to capture and deflect the fire hurled at him. It had such a high threshold that he even managed to shield himself from an attack that defaced the moon.

Consequently, the only way to harm Charon was through physical combat. However, considering his hulking frame and battle prowess, Shinra quickly discovered that attempting to brawl with him was ill-advised. Despite the man's incredible strength, he plays a subservient role to Haumea in the White-Clad.

3 Nnoitra Had Enormous Strength & The Durability To Match (Bleach)

Nnoitra bleach

Despite his sickly appearance, Nnoitra wielded tremendous strength and the thickest Hierro of the Espada. This allowed him to dominate many of his opponents, smothering them with a flurry of aggressive attacks. Nnoitra is so confident in his might that he relies on physical attacks even more than Yammy does, who occasionally resorts to ceros in dire situations.

The fifth Espada proved his strength when fighting shinigami captain Kenpachi Zaraki. He was one of the few opponents who made him remove his eyepatch, forcing him to unleash the full extent of his ability.

2 Uvogin Was Hailed As The Phantom Troupe's Powerhouse (Hunter X Hunter)

Uvogin of the Phantom Troupe in Hunter x Hunter.

Uvogin was the Phantom Troupe's strongest and most aggressive member. Both of these factors made him extremely relevant during the Yorknew arc, where he obliterated the Shadow Beasts and attracted Kurapika's attention as a viable first target.

As a Nen enhancer, he was powerful enough to collapse canyons and create massive craters in a single punch. Uvogin was even able to break Kurapika's arm despite the hero's superb defenses. However, Uvogin was ultimately captured and slain by the scarlet-eyed avenger, putting his reign of terror to a premature end.

1 Oliva Was The Strongest Man In America (Baki the Grappler)

Oliva Strongest Man Baki Hanma

Otherwise known as Mr. Unchained, Oliva was the strongest man in America. He preached the value of muscles in fighting and used them to overcome Guevara in spite of his underhanded tactics and initial aggressive lead.

Oliva was so powerful that his prison wardens allowed him to do whatever he wanted and even supplied him with luxuries beyond most people's wildest dreams. They knew and stated that, should Oliva decide to leave, not even the military would be able to stand in his way.

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