7 Best Brawlers in Shonen Anime, Ranked

Overall, one of the best anime archetypes that the shonen genre has introduced is the brawler. Basically, the brawler can be defined as someone who simply loves to fight, with the general pursuit of strength central to the entire journey. To be even more specific, a brawler is someone who essentially lives for battle and enjoys violence.

Throughout the Shonen genre, there have been many characters that fit into this category, although there are only a few that stand above the rest as the strongest and most iconic. These are some of the best brawlers in shonen anime, although it's really up to the fans to decide who can take the top spot.

7

Baki just wants to surpass his father

Anime: Baki Hanma

Baki serves as the main character in one of the most over-the-top anime of all time. In this series dedicated entirely to combat, Baki has the unique goal of defeating his father after he murders his mother, the man who holds the title of the world's strongest being, Yujiro Hanma. From the beginning of the series, Baki has had to fight his way to the top to eventually get to his father's level, which just goes to show how integral fighting is to this story as it is the main aspect that defines the main character.

6

Kashimo was reincarnated only to fight the strongest

Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen

Kashimo is one of the most interesting characters in Jujutsu Kaisen. Kashimo, known as the strongest wizard in the Edo period, became incredibly bored with his life because his strength was so far above everyone else's, leading him to make a deal to be reincarnated after many centuries just so he could fight Sukuna, the man known as the strongest wizard of all time. His nature as a brawler is seen through his Cursed Technique, Mythical Beast Amber, which makes him much stronger but covers his body with electric Cursed Energy that tears it apart, meaning it is a one time only technique.

5

Zoro's goal is to become the world's greatest swordsman

Anime: One Piece

Zoro has always been the resident stoic warrior for straw hat pirates, and he personifies the brawler mentality better than anyone. From the beginning, his goal has been to become the world's greatest swordsman, a title he can only call his own after defeating legendary swordsmen such as Dracule Mihawk. Because of this, Zoro has honed his Haki to be some of the most potent in the series, to the point where he is now one of One Piece's strongest characters. Fighting exceptionally powerful opponents and growing exponentially in strength, Zoro has become a fierce warrior.

4

Can a guy almost kill a god through Taijutsu alone

Anime: Naruto

Throughout his life, Might Guy was always mocked for his lack of fancy jutsu abilities, leading him to rely solely on his Taijutsu, or hand-to-hand, skills alone. But the fruits of this labor paid off in his battle against Madara's strongest form, where he proved his unmatched power with the Eight Gates against the strongest character in all of Naruto series. In this fight, Guy single-handedly brought Madara close to death several times, proving to be a brawler who perfected his own path to power. In this fight, which many call the best of the series, Kakashi realized that Guy had surpassed him and Madara himself recognized Guy as the strongest.

3

Kenpachi only lives to fight

Anime: Whiten

When one thinks of a brawler in anime, chances are they can immediately visualize Kenpachi Zaraki from Whiten before anyone else. The reason for this is that Kenpachi lives for battle, which can be seen by his eyepatch that he wears, which dampens his power slightly so that he doesn't end fights too quickly. Even then, most enemies are far too weak to deal with him. Kenpachi's fighting spirit is perfectly reflected in his Bankai, which allows him to release massive waves of spiritual energy that can topple entire buildings, which together with his natural strength and exceptional swordsmanship make him the quintessential brawler.

2

Garou have the incredible power to adapt

Anime: One Punch Man

While Saitama himself only ever wants to fight someone strong enough to fight him, Garou personifies the brawler's mindset much better. Ever since his introduction, Garou has battled some of the strongest foes in the series, and while many of those fights nearly killed him, his adaptability allows him to come back even stronger. Additionally, he often comes back with his enemies' techniques as part of his own arsenal. The peak of Garou's power was shown with his Cosmic Garou state, which was unlocked after his monsterization reached its peak, finally spawning an enemy strong enough to fight with Saitama.

1

Vegeta is the strongest brawler ever

Anime: Dragon Ball

There are few anime franchises, if any, that place as much focus on fighting and the pursuit of strength as Dragon Ballwhere Vegeta himself is a shining example of this. Unlike his rival, who focuses more on fighting ability and technique, Vegeta is all about strength and offense in his fighting style, trying to do as much damage as he can through sheer, overwhelming force. Although he has always been this way, his latest state, Ultra Ego, is the perfect example of his brawler mindset, as it casts aside all techniques and invites damage, as it grows stronger the more it is required.