Top 5 Anime Gunslingers

Last time was swords. This time we crank it up a notch and pack some heat.

Time for the

Top 5 Anime Gunslingers

#5 - Beyond the Grave (Gungrave)

Any man--dead or undead--who can shoot straight by crossing his arms gets his due from us. The late Brandon Heat--resurrected as "Beyond the Grave" can do just that on his quest for revenge.

Our vote for best gun battle in this zombie gangster shoot-em-up is Grave's duel with Bunji in episode 24--"Last Bullet." That poor kitty at the end still makes us teary eyed.

#4 - Revy (Black Lagoon)

Revy may be the prettiest mercenary of the Black Lagoon crew, but she's also the most homicidal. (We blame it on a bad childhood.)

Miss "Two Hands" is just as ambidextrous as Mr. Grave above, but she looks better in a tank top.

#3 - Yusuke Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho)

Yusuke's "gun" is actually his special Reigun attack, in which he points his right index finger and shoots focused spirit aura at underworld criminals.

We wish we could get the same results. But usually all we get is funny looks and other fingers pointed back at us.

#2 - Gene Starwind (Outlaw Star)

Gene is basically the anime Han Solo who pals around with a spaz catgirl, assassin, and babe bio-android instead of a wookie.

Like Captain Solo, Gene is deadly with his pistol--a magic Caster gun that blows away Tao priests and other supernatural baddies. If Han Solo had that kind of blaster, Empire Strikes Back would have ended much better--no more Vader going all "talk to the hand" over the banquet table at Cloud City. Do some more tinkering, George Lucas!

#1 - Vash the Stampede (Trigun)

Was there any doubt?

Also known as "The Humanoid Typhoon," and "The $60,000,000,000 Man" for the bounty on his head, Vash usually makes his entrance as a hapless donut hogging goof.

But when trouble fires up, our spiky haired hero dives in head first with aim that cannot miss (unless he wants to) and a back-up cybernetic hand/machine gun to boot.

Of course, all Vash really wants is "love and peace!" Too bad every place he goes winds up a pile of rubble.

There's a lesson there. Are you listening, NRA?