One of the most rewarding aspects of anime that’s helped make the entertainment medium so versatile is the endless ideas that it helps bring to life. There are a number of set genres that exist within the anime industry, but they can all be taken in many different directions. Some of the more popular anime are series that cater toward combat and showcase incredible martial artists.
Anime is full of extremely powerful individuals, but series can often subvert expectations with strong individuals who are higher up in the years. Lots of anime chronicle a hero’s growth and development into a legend, but there are also a wide variety of elderly anime characters who are still more than capable of defending themselves and taking care of business.
10 Gran Torino Is A Legendary Hero Who’s Tutored Some Of My Hero Academia’s Finest
One of the most satisfying aspects of My Hero Academia is how the anime establishes the many facets of its hero society. There’s a real infrastructure and hierarchy in place that caters to different generations of heroes. Gran Torino has a revered reputation since he’s the one who helped tutor the former Number One Pro Hero, All Might. Gran Torino proceeds to train Midoriya and in doing so proves that his martial arts skills haven’t declined at all with his old age. He has decades of experience and is still a respected member of hero society.
9 Master Roshi’s Old Fashioned Ways Still Make Him One Of Dragon Ball’s Strongest Humans
The Dragon Ball saga is one of the most popular anime of all time, and the continued adventures of Goku and company are still highly entertaining. Goku’s strength grows in unbelievable ways, but it’s important to remember that Goku wouldn’t be where he is today without Master Roshi’s help. Roshi is present in the original Dragon Ball, and he’s over 300 years old. Roshi’s age has led to him adopting a more reserved and secluded lifestyle, but he’s still no slouch. He helps out against Golden Frieza’s attack and plays a crucial role in the Tournament of Power.
8 InuYasha’s Sesshomaru Has Over 900 Years Of Experience In Battle
InuYasha was a pivotal anime during the early 2000s, and it’s recently regained relevance due to its sequel successor, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon. InuYasha is a satisfying blend of shonen and fantasy tropes, and several of the characters in the series are at least part demon.
Demons age much differently than humans, which is why Sesshomaru can be over 900 years old but still look relatively youthful. Alternatively, Inuyasha himself is also over 150 years old, but that’s nothing in comparison to his older brother. Sesshomaru acts in mysterious ways, but his strength and fighting ability are never in question.
7 Bleach’s Yamamato Establishes The Shinigami Academy With Thousands Of Years Of Supremacy
Bleach was one of the biggest shonen anime of its time, and it’s unfortunate that endless filler ultimately soured the series’ reputation. There is still lots to appreciate in Bleach, and some of the most interesting showdowns involve Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, an esteemed warrior who is over 2,100 years old. Yamamoto is the oldest captain of the Gotei 13 and the individual who’s initially responsible for founding the Shinigami Academy. Some in Yamamoto’s position would retire to a place of complacency, but Yamamoto fights to the end and is still one of the Gotei 13’s best fighters.
6 Joseph Joestar Grows Into An Elderly Ally Throughout JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is endlessly inventive, but one of the major ways in which it differentiates itself from other shonen series is that each new chapter in its saga focuses on a different member of the growing Joestar lineage. Joseph Joestar is the protagonist in Part 2’s Battle Tendency, but he grows out of his youth into old age throughout the events of Stardust Crusaders and Diamond is Unbreakable. Joseph Joestar is able to keep up with his ancestors, and his accomplishments as an elderly man mean even more since the audience has witnessed him mature to this point.
5 Jiraya Is Still A Valuable Asset During His Twilight Years In Naruto Shippuden
The Naruto saga continues to grow longer and more complex. Naruto covers a huge span of time, and the recent Boruto series even messes around with time travel. Before everything gets too intricate, Jiraya is considered one of the most powerful and knowledgeable individuals in the franchise.
Jiraya isn't just brilliant in battle, but he's trained some of the nation's very best, including Naruto. Naruto benefits from how it's able to show Jiraya's maturity, but his increasing age never pushes him to a place of irrelevance. Even his end by Pain is touching and speaks to the character's enduring strength.
4 Yu Yu Hakusho’s Genkai Is Proof That Wisdom Comes With Age
It’s a common trope in shonen anime that a sage and elderly mentor will help the protagonist grow as a warrior. Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the better shonen series to come out of the 1990s, and it finds ways to subvert certain genre archetypes. Genkai, an elderly woman, becomes the tutor to Yusuke Urameshi and Kazuma Kuwabara. Part of what makes Genkai such an interesting character is that she can revert to her youthful appearance, which helps better illustrate how much her strength has grown and the exciting life that she’s led. Yusuke would be nothing without Genkai.
3 Silver Fang Shows That Heroics Aren’t Only For The Young In One-Punch Man
One-Punch Man is a fascinating anime series that lovingly lampoons the staples of shonen and superhero storytelling, but also embraces them at the same time. There are dozens of eccentric heroes and villains in the series, some of which are hard to take seriously. Silver Fang is an S-Class Hero who has progressively risen through the ranks and become a reputable dojo master and leader of the Flowing Water Fist technique. Silver Fang is one of the first big heroes to be impressed by Saitama's superlative strength. His age never keeps him down.
2 The Mighty Whitebeard Highlights The Power Of Old Age & Experience In One Piece
Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate occupies the title of strongest man in the world for some time in One Piece. Whitebeard comes from a tragic past that's largely responsible for the meteoric rise that pushes him into a major threat and master of bounty. Whitebeard holds his own against the mighty Gol D. Roger and is invaluable to Luffy during his Marineford escapades. Whitebeard’s Tremor-Tremor Devil Fruit should not be underestimated and even though Whitebeard meets his end in his 70s, he still goes out on top and is a serious pirate in his later years.
1 Ranma ½’s Happosai Is The Ultimate Mentor & Obstacle To The Saotomes
Ranma ½ is an iconic ‘90s anime series that’s very much a product of its time in many areas, but it still showcases some phenomenal martial artists and creative battles. Ranma Saotome and his father, Genma, are students of the Anything Goes Martial Arts school, which happens to be founded by the elderly Happosai. Happosai is significant because his strength doesn’t decrease during his older years, but his lecherous tendencies often overwhelm him. It leaves him in a strange role where he’s often an obstacle more than he’s an ally.