Summary
Despite the massive amount of attention garneredby the first season of the anime,Tokyo Ghoulis best enjoyed through its manga, which is the only real way to experience the essence of what made it such a successful series in the first place. Sui Ishida’s dark fantasy action thriller takes place in a world where humans live alongside creatures known as ghouls, who resemble humans but are far stronger, more durable, and need to consume human flesh to survive.
The main story ofTokyo Ghouland its successor,Tokyo Ghoul:re, followed Ken Kaneki, a human who was turned into a half-ghoul by an operation that saved him from dying in a fatal accident. Hesubsequently struggled to accept his new identitywhile also being forced to confront the effects of the mutual hatred and cycle of violence that was prevalent between ghouls and humans. Naturally, the cast of the series featured some incredibly powerful ghoul characters, but who among them was the strongest?
Updated July 23, 2025 by Jerry Elengical:A whole decade after the premiere of its first anime adaptation, the Tokyo Ghoul franchise’s fandom continues to clamor for a remake that could do justice to Sui Ishida’s manga. On the face of it, the macabre, edgy tone of the series and its now-iconic first opening sequence allowed Pierrot’s adaptation to skyrocket to popularity at the time of its debut.
However, the rushed pacing and somewhat confusing changes that plagued the anime versions of Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul: re brought down the overall quality of the adaptation as a whole. Currently, many fans of the manga are hoping for Tokyo Ghoul to receive the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood treatment, and looking at the number of popular anime from the past that are now receiving remakes, there is reason to be optimistic.
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The foster father of Koutarou Amon, who once ran a Catholic orphanage, Donato Porpora was a Russian ghoul who played the role of a priest for afairly long part of his life in the manga, during which time he preyed on the children in his care. Armed with a potent koukaku kagune, Donato was exceedingly quick and possessed immense regenerative abilities.
His speed was so immense that he appeared to vanish into thin air at times, leaving his opponents confused and helpless before he struck them down. Donato was also extremely skilled with his kagune, and he could use it for both long and short-range attacks, detach pieces of it, or even create clones of himself in combat. To make matters worse, his keen intellect made him a threat to any ghoul he faced, and this also allowed him to gain special treatment during his time as a prisoner by acting as an advisor to the CCG.
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Formerly one of the CCG’s best investigators, Koutarou Amon possessed immense physical potential as a human, whichhe enhanced through strict training in the manga. After being turned into a one-eyed ghoul by Akihirou Kanou following the Owl Suppression Operation, Amon was reborn as an unstable clone of the Owl, developing an ukaku kagune and kakuja in the process.
He also developed an extremely high Rc cell count, which led to Kanou labeling him as a failure. Eventually, Amon was branded the “A-Owl” due to the similarities he bore to both Eto and Yoshimura. In battle, Amon’s formidable physical strength and skill with his former quinque Dojima 1/2 were a force to be reckoned with, and this was only compounded by his incredible regeneration.
A Chinese ghoul who was once part of the organization known as Chi Shie Lian, Tatara was one of the leaders of Aogiri Tree and worked closely with Eto Yoshimura, the One-Eyed Owl. Possessinga kagune and kakuja of an unknown type, Tatara had the unique ability of pseudo-pyrokinesis, where his kagune could produce flames at temperatures exceeding 4,000 degrees Celsius.
Needless to say, he was a threat to any ghoul that faced him, and his combat prowess was only enhanced by the heavily armored kakuja he could call upon when required. Tatara also possessed superhuman speed, strength, durability, and regeneration like most other ghouls, but he was on an entirely different level compared to the average member of his species. As part of Aogiri Tree, he was a huge thorn in the side of the CCG, and his ruthlessness came to define the organization.
As one of the few ghouls who was actually well-versed in a variety of fighting styles, Matasaka Kamishiro, better known as"Shachi,“was able to make full use of his superhuman strength as a ghoul, and took on some of the series' most fearsome ghouls and Ghoul Investigators. He was also aided by his potent bikaku kagune, which was far larger than usual, with its shape earning him the epithet of “Orca.”
Shachi also had an astute strategic mind, wherehe was able to quickly read his opponents' moves, pick up on weaknesses, and target them effectively. He was able to defeat Ken Kaneki early on in the story and even discovered Kishou Arima’s blind spot after a few exchanges. Unfortunately, this was not enough to overpower the CCG’s “White Reaper.”
In many respects,Norowas an anomaly among the cast ofTokyo Ghoul, as he seldom spoke and his actions were extremely unpredictable. That being said, his strength as a ghoul was unquestionable, both due to his powerful bikaku kagune and kakuja, as well as his terrifying regenerative powers.
This latter ability was what turnedhim from a fearsome combatant into a forceof nature that was nearly impossible to stop. He could heal practically any wound instantly and survived being bisected, shot in the head, and other forms of mutilation, without so much as a shred of fear. It took the efforts of multiple ghouls, Ghoul Investigators, and members of the Quinx Squad to finally take him out after a long, drawn-out battle, which speaks volumes of how truly terrifying he was.
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Make no mistake,Seidou Takizawaendured an incredible amount of suffering throughout the series, and his character arc was nearly as tragic as that ofTokyo Ghoul’sprotagonist. From a timid young Ghoul Investigator to a deranged one-eyed ghoul driven to the point of insanity by the experiments of Akihiro Kanou, Takizawa’s transformation was something extraordinary and a huge part of what made his character so memorable.
Having inherited the kakuhou of Yoshimura, the original “Owl,” Takizawa had a powerful ukaku kagune that could fire projectiles over long distances and anaccompanying bladed kakuja armorwhich allowed him to excel in short-range confrontations. His speed, regeneration, and hybrid vigor were also exemplary, which is why he was able to defeat many of the series' strongest ghouls.
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One of the most powerful ghouls in history,Yoshimurawas one of the few ghouls to fight Kishou Arima and survive. His ukaku kagune and kakuja reached unprecedented levels of strength in the many years he spent hunting down and cannibalizing other ghouls. While his kagune could fire projectiles of any size and density from all parts of his body, his kakuja formed two blades from his shoulders which he could use for melee attacks at short range.
In addition to this, Yoshimura was extremely fast despite his bulky frame, with his speedbeing seen as nearly equal to Arima’s, which was a feat in and of itself. His regeneration, durability, and pain tolerance were off the charts, as he routinely sustained major injuries but continued to fight without any visible impact on his mobility or strength. Lastly, his combat intelligence and fighting skills were enough to take on hordes of Ghoul Investigators at once, which he did to divert attention away from his daughter Eto, becoming known as the “Non-Killing Owl.”
Feared by the CCG and civilians alike as the notorious “One-Eyed Owl,“Eto Yoshimurainherited her father’s powerful kagune, and turned it into an even more potent weapon by mastering and expanding its abilities. Just like Yoshimura, Eto could use her ukaku kagune to fire projectiles, while her kakuja was ideal for short to mid-range combat scenarios. However, Eto could also extend her kagune to create appendages, which formed eyes, arms, legs, and even mouths that could talk.
Her command over her kagune was farbeyond that of an ordinary ghoul, and she was one of the few who remained sentient while using her kakuja, without any signs of mental deterioration. She could also detach pieces of her kagune and use it to manipulate, restrain, or implant it into targets. Eto often took on swarms of Ghoul Investigators at once without too much effort, and her regeneration as a one-eyed ghoul even allowed her to survive being bisected in half.
As with other failed-half ghouls from the Sunlit Garden,Kichimura Washuuhad augmented physical abilities and a shortened lifespan. He was later implanted with Rize Kamishiro’s powerful rinkaku kagune and became a one-eyed ghoul just like Kaneki. From initially manifesting one or two tentacles, his kagune expanded to four and eventually became a black mass that could extend over vast distances and produce piercing spikes to shred opponents.
Revealed at the very end of the series,his kakuja took on the form of body armorwith a flesh pattern, and he could create centipede-like tentacles with spikes and large eyes. Kichimura Washuu’s regeneration was also very impressive, as he survived being impaled through the abdomen, bombarded by firearms, and even ripped apart by a berserk Kaneki who was in his kakuja state. He could even recreate the clothes he wore, which was an ability that was practically unseen prior. Beyond all this, the most terrifying ability he wielded was his intellect, as he subtly manipulated the series' main cast and its most important incidents from the shadows.
Turned into a one-eyed ghoul by a surgery that implanted Rize Kamishiro’s rinkaku kagune into his body,Ken Kanekigrew into the most powerful ghoulin the series, after a journey rife with pain, immeasurable suffering, and perseverance. While his kagune and hybrid vigor were quite potent on their own, Kaneki’s repeated cannibalization of his opponents led to him developing a kakuja, which initially affected his mental stability whenever he activated it. In time, as his control over it became more refined, Kaneki could create limbs, mouths, and even form constructs such as cages from his kagune, after consuming the kakuja of Eto Yoshimura.
His initial kakuja featured centipede-like tentacles and a beaked mask, but this later gave way to versions that resembled body armor, until he took on his Dragon form. On being rescued from this state, his final kakuja consisted of several massive tentacles with blades that could be used for both offense and defense. Kaneki was also able to mimic the properties of other kagune types with his own, and occasionally even used it to replace severed limbs in combat. By the end of the series, he was able to regenerate from multiple fatal wounds and boasted endurance on a level that practically no other ghoul could match.
