Alucard, the immortal vampire from the Hellsing family, is a creation of Kouta Hirano and can be met in the Hellsing manga and anime series. Alucard (also formerly known as Count Dracula) is known for his ferocious and cruel fighting style, although he's the series' protagonist. To lessen the blow of his dark traits, Alucard was given dandy-like outfits and stylish guns. While it is fun to know that Alucard is basically immortal and unbeatable, later in the series, the character of Father Alexander Anderson was created to be a match in powers to the vicious vampire.

Saitama is the forever-bored superhero from the anime and manga series created by One and illustrated by Yusuke Murata, called One-Punch Man. He's a bald 25-year-old man who's fed up with fighting villains because he can defeat anyone with just one punch. Saitama became a hero 'just for the fun of it' and attributes this superhuman strength mainly to his exercise routine and healthy eating habits. While we all know that it is quite far-fetched (however much we'd like it to be true), Saitama is still an absolutely believable and even relatable character.

Guts is the protagonist of the medieval Europe-inspired dark fantasy manga by Kentaro Miura, called Berserk. Guts is a mercenary traveling from company to company and seeking to fulfill his calling. However, after one unlucky encounter, Guts loses his left forearm and right eye and seeks revenge on the wrongdoer. His story is that of a hero slowly turning into an anti-hero, and his character arc is so impressive with its embodiment of painful topics that Guts has become one of the most iconic manga and anime characters.

Spike Spiegel is a fictional character and the protagonist of the legendary 1998 anime series Cowboy Bebop, which just got a Netflix live-action remake. Spike is a former member of the criminal Red Dragon Syndicate that he left by faking his own death. Now he spends his days as a member of a bounty hunter crew aboard the spaceship Bebop. Spike's creator Shinichirō Watanabe said that the character's calm, collected, and secretive demeanor was inspired by real-life yakuza, so if you want a nice study of the criminal element, Spike Spiegel would be a good place to start.

Gintoki Sakata is a fictional character and the protagonist in the Gin Tama manga and anime series franchise created by Hideaki Sorachi. He's a former rebel samurai living in a fictionalized version of 1860s Japan after it was invaded and transformed by aliens. Before that, he fought the same aliens fiercely, but decided that there was no point in it and became a freelancer in Edo alongside his friends. A cool-as-cucumber killer, Gintoki is often mentioned as the fan-favorite character from the Gin Tama series.

Hyakkimaru is the protagonist of the 1967 manga created by Osamu Tezuka. The Dororo manga was adapted to an anime series twice, and the image that you see here is from the 2019 release. Now, about Hyakkimaru - due to his father making a pact with 48 demons, Hyakkimaru was born malformed, limbless, without any facial features or internal organs. Being such, he was set afloat in a river but found by one Dr. Jukai, who gave the boy prosthesis. Because of these prostheses and the healing magic of Dr. Jukai, Hyakkimaru became invincible and determined to avenge the malevolent demons.

Jotaro Kujo is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure third story arc. Jotaro is depicted as this rough delinquent with a noble heart, wishing for nothing else but to save his mother's life and avenge his bloodline's sworn enemy Dio Brando. Jotaro's character was highly influenced by Clint Eastwood's stoic persona with a bit of added heroism. The character was so well-written that Jotaro even became a synonym of the manga and anime series as a whole.

Yusuke Urameshi, a fourteen-year-old junior high school delinquent, is the protagonist of Yoshihiro Togashi's 1990 manga YuYu Hakusho, which later got adapted to an anime series. Although Yusuke starts his story as a no-good teenager, one selfless deed gets him killed, and because the Underworld doesn't have a place for him yet, he's sent back to continue his life on Earth as an Underworld detective. Later on, we learn that Yusuke is a descendant of the demon king Raize, but that doesn't interfere with his plan of opening a ramen stand and helping humans and demons cooperate.

Mugen is a fictional character from the 2004 anime series Samurai Champloo. Besides having the coolest premise of a fictionalized version of the Edo period of Japan, it included one of the most awesome hip-hop soundtracks created by Nujabes, Fat Jon, Force of Nature, and Shinji Tsuchida. But let's go back to Mugen - he's a vagrant outlaw from the Ryukyu Islands with a deep mistrust stemming from his harsh and solitary life since childhood. Immature and kinda silly, Mugen uses self-taught sword techniques to fight anyone that gets in his way on the quest to find the Sunflower Samurai together with his friends.

Vash The Stampede is the protagonist of Trigun, a manga created by Yasuhiro Nightow in 1995, which later got adapted into an anime series. Although the most-feared outlaw in the No Man's Land/Gunsmoke planet, Vash is not your regular kill-all action hero. He's actually known for his kind heart and sparing his enemies’ lives; a refreshing plot twist, if you'd ask us. His mixture of seriousness and goofiness hooked the fans quickly, and Vash The Stampede is often met in various coolest anime characters lists.

Shinya Kogami is the protagonist of the 2012 anime series called Psycho-Pass. Shinya is a police officer in a cyberpunk dystopia obsessed with killing a criminal mastermind responsible for one of his allies' death. Kogami was given a strong sense of individualism to oppose the series's general vibe and stand out in the dystopian setting. He's a well-written character with an enviably good psychological growth arc written into him that made Kogami into one of the coolest anime characters ever.

Kenshiro is the protagonist of the Fist Of The North Star manga created by Tetsuo Hara and Buronson, which later got adapted into an anime series. What makes Kenshiro an inherently cool character is the fact that his design was heavily based on Bruce Lee and the Mad Max film series. Kenshiro also has the ability to kill his enemies using their meridian points - a bloodless, stealthy end. Because of his undeniably boss characteristics, Kenshiro is often considered one of the anime series' strongest characters.

Shimazu Toyohisa, while a real-life samurai, is also a character in the historical Drifters manga and anime series. His character in the series is, of course, a bit fictionalized, but the real Toyohisa was also quite an impressive character too. Drifters portrays him as a chivalrous soul and a fearless and determined fighter. However, unaware of his huge battle talents, Shimazu is also quite humble with his achievements. And it's no wonder that Toyohisa Shimazu quickly became one of the coolest anime characters to this day.

Baki Hanma is a character in the Baki The Grappler manga and anime series by Keisuke Itagaki. Here, Baki Hanma is a teenager training and testing his combat skills with a variety of opponents in often deadly battles. His main goal is to defeat his ruthless and despicable father, who is known as the strongest creature on Earth. And while Baki's character arc might not be the strongest one, his honorable fighting and impeccable skills make him into one plenty marvelous persona.

Tokita Ohma, a professional gladiator fighter, is one of the characters in the Kengan Ashura manga and anime series created by Yabako Sandrovich and Daromeon. A fighter in his late 20s, Tokita is picked to be a representative fighter of a big-shot company. Haunted by his mysterious past, Tokita is an undefeated fighter that's hard to manage, and his true intentions of becoming a fighter-for-hire are slowly revealed throughout the series.

Domon Kasshu is the protagonist of the Mobile Fighter G Gundam 1994 anime series created by Sunrise studios. Being the protagonist of the series, Domon is the representative fighter of Neo Japan. Strong, short-tempered, yet determined, Domon is willing to do whatever it takes to complete the mission at hand. And although he might appear uncaring, his softer side is revealed with his feelings for Rein, whom he later marries. And boy, do we love ourselves a fearless yet loveable fighter!

Captain Harlock, an archetypal Romantic hero, is the protagonist of the Space Pirate Captain Harlock manga and anime series. As the name indicates, he's a space pirate fighting against totalitarian regimes all over the universe. He's a mix of opposites - both noble and taciturn, rebellious and compliant - a hero with a multilayered personality. Harlock first saw the light of day in 1977 when the original manga was created and has graced our screen in various adaptations throughout the decades.

Duke Togo, also known as Tadashi Togo and Togo Rodriguez, is the protagonist of a Japanese manga and anime series by Takao Saito. The manga series itself entered the pages of history books by snatching a Guinness world record for having the highest number of volumes for a single series. Now, back to Duke Togo - he's a professional assassin with no known history. He has a very quiet, withdrawn personality and accepts jobs from anyone who can hire him. Duke is a real cold-blooded killer with a flair for the ladies, an embodiment of coolness.

Gearless Joe (also known as Junk Dog, or just simply Joe) is a character from the boxing anime series called Megalobox produced by TMS Entertainment. He's a Megalo Boxer who fights fixed battles in an illegal underground ring, all the while longing for a real fight. Upon meeting the champion boxer Yuri, he decides to enter into a fight with him without wearing his robot braces, thus being dubbed 'Gearless Joe.' Joe's character was favorably met by the critics, who liked his goofy demeanor and entertaining fights. Together with the series development, Joe's character also developed some darker sides, making his persona a multilayered one.

Ryoma Nagare is one of the characters in the Getter Robo mecha manga and anime series. Ryoma is a hot-headed teen with the ability to control several robot machines. Besides that, he's also a proficient martial artist known for his flair for brutality. In the anime series, he's depicted somewhat less aggressive but is, nonetheless, one of the greatest fighters in history.