Superheroes come in all shapes, sizes, and of course powers! Comics aren’t the only medium that has superheroes though; anime is chock-full of superheroes that represent the force of good against the villains that aim to harm innocent civilians! For National Superhero Day, we’ll be showing off some of our favorite anime superheroes!
“A fictional figure having superhuman powers or greatly enhanced abilities, usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime” is what TheFreeDictionary.com defines as a superhero, so we’re showing off anime characters that made it their mission to live up to this definition.
My Hero Academia
We’re starting things off with the anime that inspired us to do this anime list. My Hero Academia is the new hit of the season where near everyone has a mutant-like power (Quirks) and the world is filled with heroes and villains. The main character, Deku, was born without a Quirk, but he still aims to be a Superhero like his idol, the #1 Hero All Might!
One Punch Man
Unless you’ve lived under a rock, you must have heard about One Punch Man. Unfortunately it’s not a Funimation title, but it’d be wrong to not showcase a show about all about heroes on Superhero Day! In a world riddled by monsters and criminals, heroes are commissioned to take on all that ails the world whether they be small-bit criminals that can be handled by low-ranking C-Rank Heroes or world-ending threats that only the S-Ranks can handle. But the newest and strongest of heroes, Saitama, is woefully ignored… Oh well.
009 Re:Cyborg
Superhero anime probably wouldn’t be a thing if it wasn’t for the classic series of Cyborg 009. Regular people were transformed into superpowered cyborgs that were designed to do evil. However, they fought back and became heroes that defended the Earth against all types of threats. Now in 009 Re:Cyborg, the heroes are back to stop a mysterious terroristic threat.
Tiger and Bunny
One other non-Funimation title that has to be mentioned is Tiger and Bunny which is a buddy-cop series that features professional superheroes (more like sponsored superheroes)! The heroes put on a good image for the camera and act the part of a true hero, but they show a more human side outside of that. Even though superheroes are super, they are still human and mortal. It’s an enjoyable and funny ride!
Dragon Ball Z
To finish the list is the anime that inspired many of us to fly, shoot lasers, and fight evil aliens. Not Superman (sorry for the bad joke), but Goku and the Z fighters in Dragon Ball Z. They continue to inspire many people to train hard and stand up to what’s wrong even today (and to yell at the top of their lungs).
Was your favorite superhero on our anime list? Tell us here! We hope you enjoyed the list!
