Summary
- Gamers in anime showcase diverse skills across different game genres.
- Fictional gamers exhibit extraordinary abilities like playing multiple games at once.
- Some characters excel in specific game types, showcasing unique talents and strategies.
What constitutes a good gamer is hard to define since all games are different. The skills needed in an FPS aren't necessarily the same as what's needed in an arcade fighter. Is the best gamer the person with the highest APM? Or the player who's able to complete any puzzle? In real life, professional gamers will typically focus on one type of game, but in fiction, that's not always the case.
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In anime, anything is truly possible. While there are characters who specialize in one specific type of game, there are others who are incredibly proficient in a variety of them. Not only that, but they're often capable of incredible feats, such as playing multiple games at once or winning despite overwhelming handicaps. While those things aren't necessary to be the best, they certainly do help.
8 Hirotaka Nifuji
The Otaku Male Lead
Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for an Otaku
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2018 - 2018-00-00
- Directors
- Yoshimasa Hiraike
- Writers
- Fujita
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Number of Episodes
- 11
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.93
- Seasons
- 1
- Based On
- Manga
Unlike many of the other characters on this list, Hirotaka is a relatively normal gamer. He doesn't have any special powers or secret abilities that allow him to excel in each game. What he does have is an extreme devotion to video games. His love of gaming started when he was young, which has resulted in years of experience now that he's an adult. He's an incredible gamer purely through time and effort.
Although his favorite genres are FPS and fighting games, Hirotaka is proficient in pretty much all types of games. Unfortunately, Wotakoi is mostly focused on romance and comedy, so there aren't very many moments for him to flex his skills. The only thing that's certain is that he's leagues above the other characters and that the author considers his gaming skill to be 53,000/10, even if it's just a joke.
7 Keima Katsuragi
The King Of Conquest
The World God Only Knows
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2010 - 2013
- Seasons
- 3
- Studio
- Manglobe
- Number of Episodes
- 36
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.64 (Season 1)
- Creator
- Tamiki Wakaki
Despit his nickname as "The King of Conquest," Keima Katsuragi's specialty isn't in RTS or kingdom-building games. The name actually refers to his proficiency in dating sims and visual novels, where he's able to "capture" any character. Keima has incredible analytical skills that allow him to predict and choose the correct options for any given scenario based on certain context clues. His skill has earned him widespread internet fame.
Keima is also great at multitasking, and he plays multiple games at once to keep himself entertained. He can play up to eight games at once while understanding what happens on each screen. Due to the sheer number of games he's completed, he's able to excel at any type of game. However, it's clear that his real talent lies in dating games, which is what keeps him from being higher on the list.
6 Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya
The Original Anime Gamer
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Sword Art Online
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2012 - 2020-00-00
- Seasons
- 4
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Number of Episodes
- 96
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.21 (Season 1)
- Creator
- Reki Kawahara
Video game anime have been around for a while, but it wasn't until the release of Sword Art Online that they really became mainstream. Upon the anime's debut in 2012, Kirito became the face of the genre, and despite becoming a meme in pop culture, his abilities are actually quite impressive. The biggest testament to his skill is his survival in the death game that claimed almost 4,000 lives.
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His survival is even more impressive considering his status as a solo player. As a game, Sword Art Online puts a heavy emphasis on teamwork and group play, but Kirito was able to defeat bosses by himself with just a little extra information and his own skills. In fact, his reaction time was so high that he was able to unlock the unique Duel Blade skill, making him the game's designated hero.
5 King
The Strongest Gamer In The World
One Punch Man
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget endThe world of One Punch Man is full of superheroes who defend Earth from various threats, but despite being one of the few S-rank heroes, King's real strength is in video games. Not only has he won multiple tournaments in the past, but he's still capable of easily defeating opponents who are at the level of a professional gamer. His specialty is in traditional fighting games, but he's known to excel at a variety of other games as well.
King's gaming prowess is said to be on par with Saitama's sheer power, which means he's at the highest level a person can attain. Examples of his skills include beating Saitama in a fighting game using only two fingers and beating a martial artist using enhanced VR technology with just a controller. When it comes to video games, he's actually the strongest man on earth.
4 Shiroe
The Villain In Glasses
Log Horizon
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2013 - 2021
- Seasons
- 3
- Studio
- Satelight, Studio Deen
- Number of Episodes
- 62
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.90 (Season 1)
- Creator
- Mamare Touno
MMOs generally don't require much mechanical skill, and most of the difficulty is found in managing skill cooldowns and learning boss patterns. In some of the more intense games, it can be difficult to manage a single character while also coordinating with a team. In Log Horizon, Shiroe is known as one of the best strategists and raiders because of his ability to manage his entire team while actively analyzing the fight.
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In the show, dungeon raids often require at least twenty people, and Shiroe is capable of keeping track of every single member's HP, MP, and skill cooldowns simultaneously, which allows him to effectively coordinate attacks. This alone makes him an incredible gamer, but he's even more impactful now that he's living in a game world.
3 Rakuro "Sunraku" Hizutome
Lover Of Trash Games
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
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- C2C
- Number of Episodes
- 50
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.09 (Season 2)
Similar to Sword Art Online, Shangri-La Frontier takes place inside an advanced VR game where the player's consciousness is put into a virtual body. Sunraku is an incredibly skilled player who prefers high-risk, high-reward playstyles that allow him to fight aggressively. In the show, this has allowed him to do amazing things like beat area bosses at level one with no armor. He's able to do this because of his incredible perception skills, which he uses to read and predict enemy movements.
Aside from his skill as a player, Sunraku is a great gamer due to his overwhelming patience and tenacity. As a lover of trash games, he often plays games with low ratings to see if he can beat them. Most gamers will agree that playing poorly optimized, unbalanced games can be frustrating. However, Sunraku relishes overcoming unfair rules and game mechanics.
2 Tsukihito Amanuma
The Arcade's Child Prodigy
Yu Yu Hakusho
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1992 - 1994-00-00
- Seasons
- 4
- Studio
- Pierrot
- Number of Episodes
- 112
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.46
- Creator
- Yoshihiro Togashi
Despite being just 11-years-old, Tsukihito Amanuma is hands down the best gamer in the world of Yu Yu Hakusho. Spending all his time in the arcade, he became an expert on all the games available. Combined with his high intellect, there's almost no one who can beat him. He's known as Game Master in the show because of his power to bring games to life, allowing him to use his skills in the real world.
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Tsukihito is able to flex his gaming ability during his duel against Yusuke's group. In the trivia game, he's able to answer questions before they appear because he's memorized the game's question patterns that are randomly chosen. He only loses when he realizes his powers will actually cause someone to die, which is difficult for someone who is eleven. His lack of concentration led to his loss and subsequent death.
1 Sora And Shiro (Blank)
The Ultimate Sibling Duo
No Game, No Life
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2014 - 2014
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Madhouse
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.05
- Creator
- Yuu Kamiya
Sora and Shiro are step-siblings who work together under the username "Blank." Their ability as gamers hinges on their individual strengths and ability to work together. Sora is the face of the duo, and his ability to read his opponents keeps him one step ahead. Shiro has the intellect of a supercomputer, and her ability to process information allows her to do complicated computations in her head.
Together, the two are able to accomplish amazing things in gaming, like defeating 1200 people in an MMO using only four characters, consistently beating cheaters, and even beating the god of gaming in chess. Their abilities allow them to do impossible things like learn an entire language in under an hour and memorize all possible chess plays. Their biggest weakness, however, is being separated as their codependence puts them into a catatonic state.
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