Old men inanimeare often among the strongest and most legendary characters. This trope is so iconic that even people who don’t watch a lot of anime instinctively know never to underestimate the old guy. The years of experience accumulated over the character’s long life make every fight with them even more interesting.
Due to in-universe rules, some older men might be in their prime while others may have become a bit rusty. Still, both sides have their own charm to them. Even the rusty guys appear to be unbelievably strong, so seeing them mention how much stronger they were in their prime just makes the characters even more epic.
8Gran Torino
My Hero Academia
Gran Torino was never counted in any official hero ranking because he wasn’t interested in doing hero work, and he only got his license so that he could use his quirk freely. Gran Torino in his prime would undoubtedly rank among the top five heroes.
Even as a short old man, Gran Torino is strong and very fast, and was able to take out one of the white Nomus with relative ease. He may appear senile and weak at first glance, but he’s the last character you want to underestimate.
7Wilhelm Van Astrea
Re:Zero − Starting Life In Another World
Wilhelm was the husband of Theresa Van Astrea, the former great Sword Saint who was killed by the White Whale. Ever since then, Wilhelm harbored intense hatred and the desire for revenge against the White Whale. He may look like a retired soldier, but he still moves and fights like amaster swordsman.
He dealt the most damage to the White Whale and even took out one of its eyes. Even when he’s this old, Wilhelm shows no signs of weakness or slowing down. He is also surprisingly durable, considering he was swallowed up by the White Whale but managed to slice his way out of it.
6Housen
Gintama
Housen was the first major antagonist of Gintama. Despite being introduced so early, he remained as one of the strongest characters in the entire anime. Housen is also one of the very few characters who was able to go up against Umibozu in his younger days.
As an old man, Housen was able to fight Kamui on even footing and beat down Gintoki with relative ease. He secluded himself in Yoshiwara and avoided battles for many years, but despite this, Housen was an incredibly ferocious and scary old man.
5Silver Fang
One Punch Man
Silver Fang is one of the top threestrongest S-rank heroes in One Punch Man. Despite his age, he is an incredibly strong man with martial arts skills that even the most powerful aliens struggle to fight against. Silver Fang also uses his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist to evade attacks and swiftly dispatch opponents.
Even after taking a direct attack from one of Boros' subordinates, Silver Fang comes out of it unscathed and simply stretches his arm out and returns to the fight. This proves that he’s not just strong but also extremely durable for his age.
4Isaac Netero
Hunter X Hunter
Netero is the chairman of the Hunter association, the strongest human in the Hunter X Hunter world, and is known to have lived for over a hundred years thanks to his Nen mastery. Unlike most other older characters, Netero is a mischievous and morally grey individual who has always looked for a worthy opponent.
Since Netero stopped engaging in serious battles, he became weaker over time. However, it only took him a few days of meditation and training to get most of his edge back. He was also the only human who directly damaged Meruem, showing how incredibly strong he truly is.
3Jiraiya
Naruto
Jiraiya is one of the three legendary Ninjas of the Leaf Village. He was the teacher of both Minato and Naruto. Many characters in the Naruto universe feared Jiraiya and didn’t want to fight him directly. It took theleader of the Akatsuki, Pain, to take Jiraiya down.
Jiraiya had one of the most diverse arsenals of Jutsu in Naruto. Even when incomplete, Jiraiya’s sage mode was formidable enough to take down several Pain bodies, all of that with zero prior intel on Pain himself, so he was smart enough to unravel Pain’s identity and indirectly contribute to his eventual defeat.
2Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto
Bleach
Yamamoto is the leader of the Gotei 13 of Bleach. He is several thousand years old, with the ability to turn anything into Ash with just the release of his Shikai. Notably, the captains of Gotei 13 felt the incredible pressure coming from Yamamoto.
Even someone like Aizen was afraid of Yamamoto, so while Yamamoto isn’t the strongest old man in the history of anime, he’s certainly the most terrifying one. Yamamoto also has a very commanding presence that demands respect from everyone, and thanks to an extremely long life, he isn’t just strong but is also highly intellectual.
1Master Roshi
Dragon Ball
Master Roshi is likely the most iconic old man and Sensei in anime history. Many of the other elderly characters came into existence thanks to the influence Master Roshi had on the anime industry. Naturally, Master Roshi is also the strongest old character in anime. Even during Dragon Ball, his Kamehameha was strong enough to destroy the moon.
While he may not have the personality of a dignified warrior, his strength is undeniable. Master Roshi also shaped Goku into the warrior he is today. Not to mention his contributions in the Tournament of Power. Master Roshi only appears weak now because the other Dragon Ball characters are just absurdly strong.
