The world of anime has a lot of characters that wield one or more weapons. Some of these weapons seem practical and easy to use. Then there are a few that might make some fans scratch their heads because it just doesn’t seem possible to even lift them. Either way, it can’t be denied that the characters look cool when using them.
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9 Iconic Anime Weapons That Would Be Useless In Real Life
Your favorite anime weaponry may look epic during on-screen battles but are potentially completely ineffective in a real-world application.
These characters have become pretty iconic for dual-wielding their weapons of choice. A few of them might use more than two weapons, and sometimes they’ll even use one, but dual-wielding is their main choice for combat. Let's take a look at the best anime dual-wielding characters.
Updated March 5, 2025 by Mark Sammut: A unique fighting style can set a character apart from the crowd, and dual-wielders have an edge since they are fairly uncommon. The best anime characters who dual-wield weapons are usually powerful, aggressive, and incredibly cool. Two more characters have been added, one from Shangri-La Frontier and the other from Ranma 1/2.
30 Special Mention: Annette And Her Dual Swords
Can Fight Up Close Or Far Away Thanks To Her Magic
Castlevania: Nocturne
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- September 28, 2023
- Showrunner
- Clive Bradley, Kevin Kolde
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
Technically, Castlevania: Nocturne is not an anime, just inspired by it.
Annette has a very unique fighting style thanks to her magic. Being a descendant of the god Ogun, Annette can control metal. When fighting, Annette uses her swords for both close and mid-range combat. Up close, she is able to hold her own against powerful enemies like Drolta. She is very proficient and moves with ease while wielding them.
If her enemies are out of her reach, Annette can throw her swords at them. Thanks to her powers, she can control them telepathically and attack from far away or have her swords come back to her.
29 Nyanta & His Dual Rapiers
A Feline Gentleman Needs An Elegant Yet Strong Weapon
Log Horizon
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2013 - 2021
- Studio
- Satelight, Studio Deen
- Number of Episodes
- 62
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator
- Mamare Touno
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
Having been part of Debauchery Tea Party, one of the most powerful guilds before disbanding, it only makes sense that Nyanta is a strong fighter. As a Swashbuckler, Nyanta uses two rapiers in combat and can do about nine strikes in two seconds. His strikes aren’t meant to be powerful but to weaken his opponents’ stats. The more he strikes, the weaker they become. Because he’s able to strike faster, he’s able to execute more combos than anyone else.
It’s thanks to this speed that he’s able to weaken his opponents to the point they can’t fight anymore. If this doesn’t make him sound like a fearsome opponent, he has an attack that interrupts anybody trying to cast spells. Nyanta might have the most strength, but he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve that make him a formidable fighter.
28 Soshiro Hoshina And His Custom Twin Swords
One Of The Best Swordsman In The Defense Force
Kaiju No. 8
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Japanese Title
- Kaijuu 8-gou
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Studio
- Production I.G
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.30
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Naoya Matsumoto
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Soshiro is the vice-captain of the Third Division and is known throughout the whole Defense Force for his swordsmanship. Though he struggles against larger kaiju, Soshiro is the best when it comes to killing small to mid-sized kaiju. Not even Gen Narumi, who is the best in the Force, is as proficient as Soshiro. Soichiro, Soshiro’s brother and captain of the Sixth Division, has said that Soshiro is the best warrior their family has ever produced. This shows his strength since the Hoshina Family has been fighting kaiju for generations.
Kaiju No. 8: 12 Strongest Defense Force Members, Ranked
The Defense Force in Kaiju No. 8 has quite a lot of Soldiers in it. But, which of them stands among the best of the best in Kaiju combat?
His attacks are swift and very precise. Sometimes his enemies don’t know when they’ve been hit. Even in the middle of a fight, Soshiro can create new forms of fighting depending on what he’s up against.
27 Claudia Enfield & Her Twin Swords, Pan-Dora
A Student Council President Needs Strong Weapons To Fight
The Asterisk War
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2015 - 2016
- Japanese Title
- Gakusen Toshi Asterisk
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Number of Episodes
- 24
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator(s)
- Yu Miyazaki
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
Being the student council president since middle school, it’s only fitting that Claudia has very powerful weapons by her side. Pan-Dora gives her the ability to see up to 300 seconds into the future. While this is a great ability to have, it comes at the cost of Claudia having nightmares of her experiencing a different death every time she sleeps. Despite this, Claudia still refers to Pan-Dora as her “little darling” and is the only student to ever use the weapon.
Claudia effortlessly wields these swords in combat with great confidence and skill. Being the second top-ranking fighter in the academy, very few can defeat her in battle and her skill is said to be equal to Ayato, the number one top-ranking student.
26 Shampoo & Her Twin Chuis (Maces)
Ranma 1/2
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Rumiko Takahashi
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
More often than not, dual-wielding anime characters prefer to stick to light weapons designed to promote speed and dexterity. Fortunately, Ranma ½ is not like most other shows, so Shampoo shows up to kill the gender-swapping protagonist with a pair of massive maces. She swings them around with reckless abandon, proving herself to be a powerhouse who could squash most martial artists without breaking a sweat.
Shampoo does not always rely on her weapons to get the job done, but she does generally prefer to have them by her side whenever she either wants to kill Ranma or sets her sights on one of his other love interests. Like all of this show's characters, Shampoo is a violent delight.
25 Kohaku & Her Twin Knives
Moving Quickly Requires Light Weapons
Dr. Stone
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- July 5, 2019
- Studio
- TMS Entertainment, 8PAN, Die4Studio
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Riichiro Inagaki
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix
Kohaku is a girl that excels in using her speed in combat so she needs weapons that won’t slow her down. These primitive-looking knives are perfect for her, and Kohaku is very skilled at using them. What she lacks in strength and technique, she makes up for with quick reflexes and great combat instincts.
Despite not having any formal training in using her knives, Kohaku can perform a lot of quick strikes when attacking. Anyone who fights against her will either have to be stronger, smarter, or quicker to win.
24 Asuma Sarutobi & His Chakra Blades
His Chakra Blades Could Cut Through Just About Anything
Naruto
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 2, 2002
- Studio
- Pierrot
- Number of Episodes
- 220
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Masashi Kishimoto
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube
Asuma was a well-known shinobi when he was alive, and it’s easy to see why. Not only was he observant of those around him, but he was a capable fighter with his chakra blades. He would infuse custom-made trench knives with his chakra, and this made his close-range combat all the more lethal. With these blades, he could cut through just about anything from wood to rocks and even metal.
Thanks to his skill with these blades, Asuma was one of the best fighters in close combat. Plus, he could also extend the blades several feet with his chakra and force his enemies to dodge his attacks even if they weren’t close to him.
23 Sally & Her Unique Daggers
Her Daggers Are Perfect For Her Fighting Style
BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2020 - 2023-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Silver Link
- Number of Episodes
- 24
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator
- Yuumikan
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
Sally is a girl who is quick on her feet and needs weapons that won’t slow her down. Thankfully, she has two unique daggers to help her out. She can slash through enemies quickly and has taken out several players or NPCs with little issue. Her daggers give a boost to her strength, dexterity, and intelligence.
She might not have the highest strength, defense, and HP, but Sally knows her strengths and weaknesses. She knows how to work well with her guild and her methods of doing things can be just as unorthodox as Maple’s.
22 Rakuro Hizutome & His Various Dual Weapons
Constantly Upgrading Dual Weapons While Taking Part In Awesome Fights
Shangri-La Frontier
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2023 - 2026-00-00
- Studio
- C2C
- Based On
- Novel & Manga
- Creator
- Katarina
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Another anime set in a game, Shangri-La Frontier follows Rakuro, a highly-talented gamer who is used to playing broken titles. However, he decided to take his expertise into a god game named Shangri-La Frontier, where he fairly quickly powers up and even ends up unlocking a rare quest. Now, Rakuro uses quite a few different weapons throughout his time in Shangri-La Frontier, and he is constantly looking to upgrade to something new. Except for a few early items that were discarded quickly, the protagonist mostly uses dual weapons, be they daggers, blades, or swords.
Shangri-La Frontier is filled to the brim with fantastic action sequences that are specifically designed to allow Rakurou to showcase his fast-paced fighting style that caters to dual weapons. Although taking creative liberties, the anime tries to present a somewhat realistic take on an MMORPG, including pushing Rakurou to maximize his skills and strategies.
21 Yukio Okumura & His Dragoon Handguns
His Skill With His Guns Makes Up For His Lack Of Blue Flames
Blue Exorcist
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2011 - 2011-00-00
- Directors
- Tensai Okamura, Koichi Hatsumi, Daisuke Yoshida
- Writers
- Ryōta Yamaguchi
- Japanese Title
- Ao no Exorcist
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures, Studio VOLN
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Kazue Kato
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
Having not received the same Blue Flames as his brother Rin, Yukio was trained at a young age to become an exorcist to protect him. He trained to become a Doctor and a Dragoon, becoming the youngest student to pass the exam at thirteen years old. With Dragoon being his offensive Meister, Yukio dual-wields handguns for mid and long-range combat.
Thanks to his flame resistance, Yukio can use guns and ammunition that would harm most wielders because of their magical properties. If that doesn’t make him sound deadly, he can keep up with those who specialize in close-range combat like Shura Kirigakure, who is known as a great swordswoman.