"The pen is mightier than the sword"
- Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1839)
We're betting poor Ed never watched himself a good anime show, or he'd be rethinking them words.
Here's our
Top 5 Anime Swordsmen
#5 - Saya (Blood+ TV Series)
Okay, SwordsWOMEN, too.
Don't let that cute schoolgirl outfit throw ya. Saya's a vampire-killing machine, along with her cello chuggin' bodyguard Hagi.
Musical instruments don't really keep the monsters down, unfortunately. And that's why every time Saya uses her sword, she cuts her hand and stains the blade with her own blood, which is lethal to monsters and such.
And to think, we almost faint after a paper cut.
#4 - InuYasha (InuYasha)
Sure, maybe everyone's favorite half-demon hero isn't the swiftest sword swinger out there. But we still have to give credit for InuYasha's honkin' huge sword Tetsusaiga--which used to be his wolf demon daddy's fang tooth.
That's a family heirloom we'd keep on the mantle. (Grandpa's false teeth just don't cut it.)
#3 - Goemon Ishikawa XIII (Lupin III)
Goemon's katana named Zantetsuken means "iron-cutting sword," but actually it can cut through pretty much anything--cars, bridges, helicopters, you name it.
Alas, these stupendous slicing feats always fall short in Goemon's eyes, given by his token phrase: "Once again I have cut a worthless object." Dude's gotta set some realistic expectations.
#2 - TIE: Jin and Mugen (Samurai Champloo)
Different methods; same results. Even though their sword styles couldn't be more different, the quiet elegant Jin (top) and brash breakdancing Mugen (bottom) always fight each other to a draw.
As long as Fuu (left) keeps getting kidnapped, they'll put aside their differences. But their final battle is both savage and hilarious.
#1 - Zoro (One Piece)
This guy's got a trio of swords and swings all three at once--the third with his mouth. Can't get more anime than that. And that's why Zoro is top of the A-list anime swashbucklers.
Give that swordsman a GPS and he'll be force to be reckoned with.
