Action anime has had its fair share of adrenaline-pumped fight scenes where protagonists duke it out against the worst of threats, but most of them come from heroes who are often students, warriors, or even defenders willing to go against all odds. As such, characters with a certain flair for combat become awesome to watch as they often eliminate foes with brutal efficiency, never hesitating for a moment when it comes to landing the killing blow. Among these anime characters, those who aremercenariesare often at the top of their game.
Unlike other typical anime characters,mercenariesin anime tend to be ruthless but also the best in their jobs. Often taking the form of specially-trained fighters and even combatants, action anime with a mercenary character in them are bound to have awesome action scenes. However, just who might be the most iconic mercenaries in anime history?
Thepost-wartime world ofGangstacreated the city of Ergastulum as the new abode of the persecuted Twilights, children of soldiers who once used the drug Cerebret to attain enhanced combat capabilities. In the anime,Nicolas Brownand his partner Worick Arcangelo work odd jobs as The Handymen in the city, where a chance encounter with the prostitute Alex puts them squarely at the center of a four-way conflict between powers who want to increase their stake in the city.
Thankfully, Nicolas being a Twilight allows him to contend with the worst the city has to offer. Although deaf, Nico’s skill with the katana combined with Cerebret allows him to outpace some of the city’s best fighters. While consuming Cerebret provides Nicolas with incredibly enhanced physiology on top of speed and reflexes, his nature as a Twilight forces dependence on the drug on top of having a remarkably reduced lifespan.
Amongthe four members of the Lagoon Company inBlack Lagoon,Revyis perhaps the most recognizable for her iconic tattoo, modified twin Beretta 92Fs, and a penchant for the ultra-violent. While the realm of anime hasn’t had its shortages of gun-toting female characters, Revy’s skill in the criminal underground ofBlack Lagoonis said to be precisely why Lagoon Company has its current reputation.
Although Revy isn’t the smartest in the quartet, she has the most combat experience. As such, her role in the sea-faring mercenary troupe has always focused on protecting the team or taking out targets. Revy pairs her sarcasm with a penchant for brute force, with her aggressive and competitive nature reflected in how she can choose to either skillfully or brutally engage in fights. Very few can hold their ground against Revy, especially when she’s overtaken by the Whitman Fever berserk mode.
Despitethe premise ofFull Metal Panic!as a slice-of-life romance, it’s only through the efforts ofSosuke Sagaraand Mithril PMC that viewers have any semblance of a rom-com to witness. In the story, Sosuke is a mercenary assigned to protect Kaname Chidori, a girl who’s considered a Whispered due to the information in her subconscious that other nefarious parties covet. Sosuke’s age makes him an ideal bodyguard for Chidori, although his upbringing in war-torn environments ruined opportunities for him to learn proper social interactions.
As a result, Sosuke has immense paranoia and often reacts with force to the simplest suspicions. Due to his upbringing as a KGB child soldier and eventually a guerilla fighter, Sosuke can adjust to almost any combat situation. Sosuke’s skill in adaptation is reflected in his skill as an Arm Slave pilot, as he’s shown capabilities of using rudimentary AS such as the Rk-91 Savage and the M9E Gernsback to more complex machines such as the ARX-7 Arbalest and the ARX-8 Laevatein.
The firstFatefans would hear ofKiritsugu Emiyawas from his adopted son Shiro, who wanted to follow in his ideals of becoming a hero to others. Unbeknownst to theFateprotagonist, his adoptive father had quite a dark past as the go-to person of the Mage’s Association for killing high-risk targets. Much of Kiritsugu’s skillset could be seen inFate/Zero, where he’s also assigned asthe Master of Saberin the Fourth Holy Grail War. It’s also here where Kiritsugu reveals a brooding and pragmatic attitude to his mission, opting for shocking displays of mercilessness to finish his work with as little risk as possible.
From the perspective of the Mage’s Association, Kiritsugu’s lack of Magecraft training makes him an average Mage at best. However, where Kiritsugu lacks in skill he more than makes up for his combat training, as the Association also considers him a specialist for his anti-mage work. Kiritsugu combines weapons knowledge and military tactics to formulate plans of killing mages efficiently, be it through ruining Magic Circuits, bypassing Bounded Fields, and even outwitting other users of Mystic Codes to incapacitate them.
The Claymores in theClaymoreseries serve as the Organization’s first and last line of defense against the monstrous Yoma. Among such warriors isClare,who has become one of the most talented Claymoresafter starting the series as the weakest of her generation. As warriors infused with Yoma flesh, Clare and her fellow “silver-eyed witches” have advanced physiology with enhanced durability and incredible regeneration. Moreover, their capability of sensing Yoma is possible by manipulating Yoki or Yoma energy.
Unlike her comrades, Clare took Claymores flesh and is therefore only a quarter Yoma. However, this also paved the way for more remarkable control over Yoki. Among Clare’s moveset is transforming her limbs via awakening to improve her combat prowess, and heighted Yoki sensing to near-predict enemy moves. Clare also possesses remarkable adaptability, allowing her to replicate techniques of other talented Claymore such as Yoki-empowering her sword arm for quick strikes (Quicksword) or more precise fast slashes (Windcutter).
WhileGundamstories often showcase the heroic actions of its protagonists in desperate situations during wartime,Mikazuki AugusofMobile Suit: Iron-Blood Orphansshows a more horrific reality in some conflicts: child soldiers. After they staged a coup against their original employers,Mikazuki and other youngstersformed their own private security company named Tekkadan. Their primary mission involves protecting aristocrat Kudelia Aina Bernstein in her Mars independence efforts.
Although many children among Tekkadan can pilot Mobile Workers, only Mikazuki shows an aptitude to pilot the dormant Gundam Barbatos. Having survived the lethal Alaya-Vijnaya System surgery to pilot Mobile Suits, Mikazuki possesses incredible spatial awareness and aptitude for Mobile Suit operations. Unfortunately, exerting himself to fully showcase Barbatos’ full potential would eventually cost him certain bodily functions outside the Gundam - indicating just one of many tragic things to befall the child soldiers in this harsh reality.
The only thing known aboutYatoat the start of theNoragami: Stray Godseries is his desire to be elevated from the status of minor deity, which he plans to do by amassing so much wealth to become the God of Fortune. Throughout the series, Yato agrees to do odd jobs for people in exchange for five yen. Life changes for him when he’s saved from a car accident by passerby Hiyori Iki, an event that unfortunately knocks her soul off her body.
Now dedicated to helping Hiyori regain control over her body,events slowly rekindle Yato with his missing past. Despite much of their adventures involving errands, Yato has proven to be a skilled mercenary. Such is Yato’s affinity with weapons that his shinki or divine servants uniquely take the form of armaments, each possessing unique abilities. These shinki will become instrumental in Yato’s missions, as some include fighting monsters from the malignant Far Shore.
Considered as one of anime’s most tragic characters,GutsofBerserkpossesses enough indomitable will to outlast even life’s toughest challenges. Trained to become a mercenary at a young age, Guts demonstrates extreme martial prowess and can overcome almost any physical pain. Once finding a family in the Band of the Falcon, the betrayal of his best friend Griffith in pursuit of his ambitions once again makes Guts into a traveling mercenary. This alone demonstrates Guts’ combat potential, giventhe brutal status of theBerserkworld.
Contrasting Guts’ skill in combat is his bloodlust, reflected in the Beast of Darkness he always contends with. Such is his inner trauma and wrath that the Berserker Armor took this spiritual hound as its visual basis, with the gear allowing Guts to override his pain and take his body past exceedingly dangerous limits. For fights up close, Guts has the Dragon Slayer greatsword with special steel sharp enough to cleave through physical and astral threats. Replacing his torn arm is a Mechanical Arm that can be outfitted with various gear such as a cannon and a repeating crossbow.
Combining supersonic speed with shinobi training can result in one of the most powerful assassins in the world, which unfortunately for the world ofOne Punch Manturned out to be the villainSpeed-o’-Sound Sonic. Considered both a villain and an anti-hero, Sonic is regularly hired by various individuals and occasionally fights Saitama and Geros through bouts of supersonic speed. Raised in the Ninja Village, Sonic’s prodigious nature and ninjutsu allow him to outpace and eliminate monsters and aliens with ease.
While his depiction in the anime is usually humorous, Sonic is not to be trifled with. Despite numerous defeats against Saitama,Sonic’s persistent trainingallowed him to devise moves that are usually instantly fatal against opponents. For instance, his Shadows Burial special moves allow him to create not just mere afterimages, but afterimages that move at supersonic speeds. Had it not been for Saitama’s own brutal strength, Sonic would’ve been able to kill him without him realizing it.
Seen inJujutsu Kaisenas the cold-blooded and hyper-efficient Sorcerer Killer,Toji Fushigurois feared not simply for his ability to contend with Sorcerers but because he can fight prodigious curse users while having no curse of his own. Born into the Zenin Clan who values powerful curse techniques, Toji’s lack of Cursed Energy made him an abused outcast. Such was his built-up resentment against his clan and the Jujutsu World that Toji had taken up a liking to killing Sorcerers, reveling in the idea of meeting a challenge such as Gojo Satoru and delighting even against tough foes.
While Toji doesn’t haveany trace of Cursed Energy, his Heavenly Restriction also provided him with the pinnacle of human physiology and senses to the point of seeing and interacting with Sorcerer abilities. Thanks to his Inventory Curse, Toji can use various ordinary human weapons to eliminate his targets. This fact makes Toji so frightening inJujutsu Kaisen, as Gojo can use the likes of handguns and blades against perceived ludicrous abilities with barely any scratches.
