When we think about anime, we often envision strong male or female heroes with immense power and a burning desire to conquer the world.
However, anime is renowned for its rich storytelling and complex backgrounds.
In these narratives, we often encounter a couple of wise old men who pave the way for the protagonist’s journey or set ambitious goals for them.
Today, let’s compile a list of these remarkable old men in anime who, through their strength, determination, and ability to set goals, inspire countless heroes.
Before we delve into the list, I’d like to give an honorable mention to some other notable characters who won’t be included:
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Top 10+ Badass Anime old men
14. Uncle Iroh
Uncle Iroh from “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is a prime example of a badass old man in animation.
He combines profound wisdom with incredible firebending skills, earning him the title “Dragon of the West.”
He was the first firebender to learn the lightning bending.
In a legendary showdown against his brother, Fire Lord Ozai, Iroh’s prowess shines.
Yet, his true strength lies in his mentorship, guiding Prince Zuko toward redemption and teaching crucial life lessons.
Iroh’s transformation from a warrior to a peaceful sage is evident in his journey, making him a beloved character whose age is no obstacle to his badassery in both combat and wisdom.
13. Hiko Seijuro XIII
Hiko Seijuro XIII, a character from the renowned anime series “Rurouni Kenshin,” perfectly embodies the archetype of the formidable elderly figure in the world of anime.
His reputation as a remarkable warrior is well-founded, primarily due to his exceptional proficiency in the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu sword style.
As the mentor to Kenshin Himura, the series’ central character, Hiko imparts invaluable life lessons, fostering discipline and a profound sense of duty in his protege.
Underneath his seemingly gruff exterior, Hiko genuinely cares for Kenshin’s personal growth, serving as a somewhat reluctant yet highly effective mentor.
Hiko Seijuro XIII is not just a formidable figure in his own right; he symbolizes a pivotal element of Kenshin’s journey and the enduring legacy of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu style.
His presence and guidance have a profound and lasting impact on the series, making him an iconic character within “Rurouni Kenshin” and in the wider realm of anime.
12. Joseph Joestar
The quick-witted and resourceful protagonist of “Stardust Crusaders” and “Battle Tendency.”
As Joseph Joestar ages throughout the series, he retains his sense of humor and resourcefulness.
Joseph is a master of the Ripple (Hamon), a mystical martial art that allows him to manipulate energy for various purposes.
He has used this skill to defeat formidable foes and overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Joseph’s resilience shines in his ability to outsmart opponents and devise creative strategies, often catching his enemies off guard.
His sharp wit and knack for unconventional tactics make him an entertaining character to watch.
Despite his advancing age, Joseph remains a vital and vibrant character in the series, continuously proving that experience and wisdom can be just as powerful as raw strength.
His legacy as a legendary Joestar and his impact on the “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” series solidify his status as a true badass old man in the world of anime.
11. Genkai
Genkai possesses incredible spiritual energy and serves as a mentor to Yusuke Urameshi, the series’ protagonist.
She is not a man but no man can stand against her.
Her combat abilities are awe-inspiring, and she has mastered numerous powerful techniques, including the Spirit Wave.
Her strict and sometimes harsh teaching methods aim to bring out the best in her disciples.
Genkai’s true age is likely 70+ (she was 20+ when she created the Reiko Hadoken).
Genkai’s appearance as The Masked Fighter slightly resembles Master Roshi’s appearance as Jackie Chun in Dragon Ball, except Genkai helps Yusuke, whereas Master Roshi is trying to defeat his student.
10. Sarutobi Hiruzen
The first one on our list is the 3 Hokage and the teacher of the 3 legendary Sannin Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He was someone whom the 2nd Hokage has deemed to be the most worthy candidate after him Sarutobi was called a genius as he had created many jutsus and was a devil in his young life.
He died at the hands of Orochimaru using his death reaper jutsu but was able to seal Orochimarus’s hand so that he couldn’t use ninjutsu, and he did so while fighting the reanimated 1st and 2nd Hokage.
He was someone who had taken care of Naruto from his birth and if he had not been there to teach Jiraiya the pervy sage then we also wouldn’t have gotten Naruto and Minato.
9. Yoshimura
Yoshimura stands as one of Tokyo Ghoul’s mightiest ghouls.
His enduring life and strength are a testament to his exceptional abilities.
As an SSS-Rank ghoul and the manager of Anteiku and someone who was able to keep all of them under him.
Yoshimura’s leadership and control over his Kagune and Kakuja are unmatched.
He earned the title of the One-Eyed Owl, a notorious enemy of the CCG due to their role in his wife’s demise.
8. Zeno Zoldyck
Zeno Zoldyck, the grandfather of Killua and the head of the infamous Zoldyck family of assassins is renowned worldwide.
A master of Nen, stealth, and agility, Zeno’s skills are those of a seasoned assassin.
His ability to quickly deduce Chrollo’s Nen abilities made him a formidable figure in the Phantom Troupe’s eyes.
He had known Netero from the time he was born and Zeno’s father accompanied Netero on his journey to the dark continent.
Zeno is a transmuter type nen user but he can use other nen types also.
He is also a very intelligent and skilled person in a fight he was able to deduct the ability of Chrollo Nen ability within seconds which made the leader of the phantom troupe vary of him.
7. Mushen Roshi
In Dragon Ball, Muten Roshi, or Master Roshi, played a pivotal role in shaping Goku’s journey into a martial artist.
During his younger days, he was one of Dragon Ball’s mightiest characters and the creator of the Kamehameha technique.
Despite his pervy tendencies, he remained one of the strongest humans in a world where aliens and Saiyans had yet to be introduced.
In the anime, Dragon Ball Z Muten Roshi has been powered down alot but in the actual Dragon Ball which took Goku as a kid Master Roshi played a huge role in him becoming a master martial artist, and at that time, he was one of the strongest characters in dragon ball.
Muten roshi was the person who invented Ka-Me-Ha-Me-Ha the favorite move of Goku.
6. Whitebeard
The captain of the whitebeard Edward Newgate was a devil in the world of one piece.
His height was equal to 2 floor building and the most powerful ability that he had came from his devil fruit the earthquake fruit which allowed him to cause quakes anytime anywhere quake in the middle of the sea can cause many tsunamis, volcanic eruptions so you should never mess with him.
He was also regarded as “the strongest man in the world.”
Whitebeard was able to fight with admiral lieutenants of the world government Blackbeard at the same time and even upon his death, no one was able to get him to his knees.
He had fought with The pirate king Gol D Roger and Roger thought of him as his rival Whitebeard also made the new generation of pirates want to find the treasure of One Piece when he declared on his deathbed that One Piece was real.
5. Makarov
The guild master of Fairy Tail and a father-like figure to the whole guild members of Fairy Tail Makarov is a character who is jolly and loving character who is always annoyed by his members causing trouble for him but when someone hurts his family his nature takes a complete 180 where he will completely destroy his opponent to ashes.
His magic allows him to increase or decrease the size of his body and to make him like a giant using it also being the guild master of Fairy Tail he has command over the Fairy Law which is magic only the guild masters can use which uses the first guilds master body as a source and cause a Nuke like explosion which only hurts those whom the user deems dangerous and not the guild mates.
4. Yamamoto
The Head captain of the Gotei 13 Genryusai Yamamoto is the strongest soul reaper of the soul society whose powers could never be matched by any other shinigami and a person who has ruled over soul society for thousands of years and not even once anyone could take his positions.
He is someone who has Kenpachi, Byakuga, Soi Fon, and all other captains under him who do as he orders.
Yamamotot was able to defeat Yhwach son of the soul king.
His zanpakuto gives him command over flames and in his bankai he is completely engulfed in flames and the souls of people who died got resurrected and come under Yamamoto’s command so he is a king who could control the dead.
3. Netero
Isaac Netero is the strongest hunter shown to us in the series of Hunter x Hunter and one could make me change my mind towards his as being one of the strongest old men in the anime community.
Netero is a person who has come back alive from the dark continent and had fought with the king of ants Meruem which resulted in his death in a way.
Netero nen ability are said to be the strongest among all the hunters even the grandfather of Killua Zeno Zoldyk accepts that he is no match for Netero.
He was also the leader of the Hunter assossiation .
2. Bang
Bang also known by the name of Silver Fang is a character from One Punch man and is the rank 3 S- Rank Hunter after Bang and Tatsumaki.
He is a martial artist who mastered the style rock smashing water stream fists who only masters physical attacks but even then being the 3rd rank of the hero assossiation tells us how powerful he is.
He was the teacher of Garou the hero hunter and one of the very few characters who knew about the power of Saitama.
1. Hagoromo The Sage Of Six Path
Hagoromo also known as the sage of the six paths is an extremely influential character in the world of Naruto as being the person who spread Chakra throughout the world through ninshu.
He sealed Kaguya his mother with his brother if they didn’t the world would have stayed under the infinite Tsukoyomi.
He was the first character in the series to awaken his rinnegan and also the only person to stay alive in his chakra form even after many decades even after his bodily death.
He became the Jinchuriki of the ten tails and he was the reason the whole story of Indra and Ashura even started which caused this whole Madara vs Hashirama, Naruto Vs Itachi.
These remarkable old men in anime prove that age is no barrier to being extraordinary. They inspire and set the stage for the heroes who follow in their footsteps.