Occasionally, hardcore anime fans start to root deeply for anime sensei instead of protagonists. Surprisingly, till now we have witnessed many renowned anime where greatest mentors shine brighter alongside main cast.
Such characters shine for their dominance, wholesome goals, and deep sayings that keep their beloved students grounded. And throughout anime, they ensure to keep their students prepared to conquer the uphills of life.
Hate to admit it, but sometimes these badass anime characters steal the spotlight from the MCs to showcase greater goods. Today we will be witnessing some cool butt-kicking anime mentors that have shown equal or a little lesser influence despite having much shorter screen time than the main cast.
13: Master Roshi
Anime: Dragon Ball Z
Apart from his creepy or pervy behavior, Master Roshi is a well-known expert martial artist who has contributed much to upscale the human combat technique against dreadful threats towards Earth.
From his many teachings, Kamehameha Wave takes the top spot. Among his good things, Roshi sensei constantly pushes his students to unleash their utmost potential and always felt delighted to train those who travel to his doorstep.
Best Quote: “The path to true power is not an easy one. It requires hard work, dedication, and a never-ending desire to improve.”
12: Youjiro Hanma
Anime: Baki
Youjiro Hanma is well-reputed with the title of most overpowered antagonist. Despite being a negative and brutal character, many main characters from the series, look up to him and seek his guidance.
As a father, Youjiro’s role is not very praiseful as he prioritizes his personal pursuits over his family. However, as a mentor, Youjiro’s tall body, knowledge and experience in combat is unrivaled. Throughout anime, we have witnessed Youjiro giving many complex but thoughtful advices to his son Baki.
Best Quote: “Pain is a teacher. Embrace it, learn from it, and use it to become stronger.”
11: Jinpachi Ego
Anime: BlueLock
Jinpachi Ego is the general director and the only coach of the advanced soccer organization. Ego at first glance, appears like an intriguing and ambitious man, but beneath his ambition, he’s a self-serving egotistical maniac, who taught students to become more selfish to become a successful forward player.
Talking about being blunt, he never misses an opportunity to reveal the cold truths of soccer students in front of everyone.
He has no favorites, not even the series protagonist. As an extremely calculating and methodical personality, he has just one and only aims to produce an overwhelming soccer player from Japan who can lead Japan to win the world cup.
Best Quote: “You can’t become the greatest striker in the world unless you have the ego to match.”
10: Yami Sukehiro
Anime: Black Clover
As a captain, teacher, and mentor, Yami portrays a combination of unorthodox methods, unwavering determination, and unexpected wisdom.
Yami is ridiculously famous for his nonsense personality as he speaks in a straightforward manner, not hesitating to flash out the flaws of his subordinates.
Regardless of the fact that he cares for the members of Black Bulls and always seeks harsh ways to help them surpass their limits.
Best Quote: “When you’re at your lowest point, you’re open to the greatest change.”
9: Askeladd
Anime: Vinland Saga
In action anime series Vinland Saga, Askeladd is an intriguing and complex anti villain who serves as a mentor to the protagonist. Askeladd’s role as a mentor is hidden beneath layers like guidance and manipulation, shaping Thorfinn’s growth as a brutal fighter.
Askeladd’s notable characteristic is not being a charming fighter but his ability to manipulate his rivals. As Askeladd understands the importance of experience and challenges in shaping a fighter, he challenges Thorfinn’s beliefs and tests his resolve to scoop out a better version of himself.
Best Quote: “Humans are foolish creatures. They base their actions on their desires, yet they desire things they can’t obtain.”
8: Kisuke Urahara
Anime: Bleach
Kisuke Urahara is a pivotal character in the Bleach anime series, best known for his strategic thinking, intelligence, and enigmatic nature. As a mentor to Ichigo, Urahara plays a significant role in polishing Ichigo throughout his journey as a Soul Reaper.
To begin with, Ichigo has zero interest in becoming a Soul Reaper, and Urahara provides him with the means to become a Soul Reaper. Urahara’s mentorship goes beyond simple combat training. He helps Ichigo understand the complexities of the spiritual world, providing insights into the history, politics, and hierarchy of the Soul Society.
In conclusion, Kisuke Urahara is a mysterious and fabulous character who is often praised more than the protagonist for doing badass mentorship.
Best Quote: “Don’t think about what you’ve lost. Think about what you still have and how you can use it to your advantage.”
7: Kishibe
Anime: Chainsaw Man
From Greatest anime mentors, Kishibe has a very short screen time in Chainsaw Man’s first season, but the way he mentors careless Denji and Power fiend was terrifying. His first interaction with our main cast lets the audience be aware, he is an overpowered dull maniac.
Due to his immense strength and skill to hunt down its target, Kishibe helps both to become better hunters in no time. Even with such screen time, the audience has a clear-cut image of its calm and collective personality.
Best Quote: “You know, the devil hunters that devils are scared of are the ones with the most screws loose.”
6: Frieren
Anime: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Frieren is an almost thousand years old Elf who has defeated the demon King in the anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. On the contrary of her age, Frieren looks like a quirky teenager who always finds trouble awaking early in the morning.
Throughout her endlessly long journey, she has endured the loss of his beloved party members and taken their disciples under her wing. No wonder she also ranked as one of the saddest anime characters.
We can’t doubt a millennium-aged Hero party’s member mentorship, do we? Despite living so long there are thing Frieren don’t know about life. She can tell within a glance how strong her opponent is and what things should be done at the very moment.
Honestly, with Frieren on the battlefield, even a fearsome fight seems childish, this is why she’s undeniably one of the strongest and the greatest anime mentors.
5: Kakashi Hatake
Anime: Naruto
Kakashi Hatake is a well-known mentor and a supporting character from the Naruto anime. He possesses a wealth of Knowledge and combat experience, and the way the hide his emotions behind a mask give the vibes of being a badass anime mentor.
You can imagine the scale of his capabilities, as he is tasked to lead and mentor team 7, consisting of renowned anime characters like Naruto, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. His fame stems from his cool and enigmatic personality. The way he advises his underlying protect one another, fostering a sense of unity, feels wholesome and kind-hearted sensei.
Best Quote: “To know what is right and chose to ignore it, is the act of a coward.”
4: Saturo Gojo
Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen
How come the mentorship of the strongest of an anime wouldn’t be eligible to consider in the list of badass anime mentors? I don’t think the word badass or childish maniac is best suited other than Saturo Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen.
From being the strongest anime sensei, Gojo is highly regarded for his exceptional guidance and teaching qualities. He possesses a deep Jujutsu knowledge and is always ideal to identify characters with the best characteristics for a sorcerer.
To begin with, he was the one who proposed the idea to dismantle the cursed objects of Sakuna by eating them to Itadori Yuji.
Best Quote: “People with talent often have the wrong impression that things will go as they think.”
3: All Might
Anime: My Hero Academia
All Might, also known as Toshinori Yagi, is one of the main characters in My Hero Academia. All Might possess a unique Quirk called “One For All,” which grants him unrivaled speed and strength. While using his overwhelming power for peace and justice, All Might plays a vital role in shaping the protagonist, Izuku Midoriya.
All Might display the influence of a powerful mentor on his followers, physically and spiritually. In a crucial battle, All Might was about to reach his limits, sensing Izuku’s fear and helplessness, he reaches out to him and deliver a powerful message that skyrocketed the confidence of Izuku. “You can become a Hero.” These words by the mentor awaken Izuku’s hope and determination.
Best Quote: “Being a hero doesn’t mean you are invincible, it just means you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed.”
2: Levi Ackerman
Anime: Attack On Titan
Whenever there is talk about Attack on Titan, No one, literally no one can forget to mention the name of one of the greatest anime mentors “Levi”, who is regarded as humanity’s strongest soldier and has never lost a fight.
In the first place, Levi was the only reason that government agrees to set Eren free in the mentorship captain of the Survey Corps.
Levi was not considered such an op character until he chopped down the gigantic Beast Titan all alone. To be honest, this expressionless prodigy has saved Eren and the squad from the beginning. Though he failed to mentor Eran Yaeger ideally but his many teachings have helped Eren to reach the highest level.
Best Quote: “People who can’t throw something important away can never hope to change anything.”
1: Koro-Sensei
Anime: Assassination Classroom
Koro-sensei, a mysterious creature or an alien, threatens to destroy the planet unless the class of misfit students can assassinate him. Koro-sensei has been given a task to teach Japanese middle schoolers what’s on the syllabus and essential life lessons.
With bizarre physic, Koro-sensei is incredibly intelligent, witty, and possesses a great sense of humor. Despite his carefree nature, He understands the pros and cons of his students and tailors his teaching methods accordingly making him the best and the greatest among anime mentors.
Even being an anti-hero of the series, Koro-sensei leads Assassination Classroom anime to the most depressing ending anime fans have ever witnessed.
Best Quote: “The difference between the novice and the master is that the master has failed more times than the novice has tried.”
Conclusion:
With all being said, these are the proud contenders of the list of most badass and greatest anime mentors list who have carefully stolen the limelight from even the main characters.
