Aside from the destructive power and inward insight, the animation of flames is itself thrilling, badass, and fun to watch unfold in any scene. Few powers are as visually engrossing as a conflagration gone wild. From beautiful flames to dark fires of a dark past, here are the best anime fire users and flame characters of all time, including what makes each one unique and so compelling to watch.
13. Recca Hanabishi (Flame of Recca)
Recca Hanabishi is the flame master of the classic anime series Flame of Recca. He’s a self-taught and self-proclaimed ninja who comes from a ninja clan. He mastered different flame weapons that represent the styles of different flame-masters-turned-flame-dragons. He uses his fire abilities in battle and even combines Saiha (blade) and Homura (whip) flame dragons to form a unique weapon that’s similar to chains and sickles. His undying determination deserves praise and he’s definitely earned the title of a true flame master.
12. Shoto Todoroki (My Hero Academia)
In My Hero Academia, Shoto Todoroki has a peculiar Quirk that combines two opposite elements: ice and fire. He inherited both of his parents’ Quirks, but during the earlier episodes of the series he refuses to use any of his fire powers because he despises his father (from whom he inherited his flame side). His embracing of his ice side is reflected in his cold attitude towards others, but as he comes to accept his fire side, we also see him warm up to his friends and care for his companions.
11. Hibana (Fire Force)
Princess Hibana is the captain of Special Fire Force Company 5, who was once the villain of the first season in the Fire Force anime series. She’s a third-generation pyrokinetic who was orphaned. As someone who has no family, Hibana cares for other orphans like a big sister. She gives them warmth through her smiles, and she even shows them her ability to control fire in beautiful ways. She can also take her ability to the next level by using it to fight—and it gets to the point where she thinks of herself as a devil. The warmth she once gave to others becomes a heat that can force one to beg for mercy.
10. Mereoleona Vermillion (Black Clover)
Mereoleona Vermillion is the firstborn child in the House of Vermillion. Yet despite her noble background, she’s known as a beastly woman who only cares about strength and power. She left home after a duel with her younger brother and spent her years cultivating her mana in isolation. As a member of a powerful family known for the element of fire, she’s like an active volcano. She shows how dangerous she is as an opponent through her actions rather than her background as a Vermillion.
9. Marco (One Piece)
Marco was a member and commander of the first division of the Whitebeard Pirates. He owns the power of the Phoenix, a mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit that he mastered to utilize its potential. He can turn into a Phoenix and use its fire element to heal himself during fights, which earns him the name “Flames of Resurrection.” He can also use his healing flames to heal others—so he becomes a village doctor at Whitebeard’s hometown after the Whitebeard Pirates disband.
8. Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)
Natsu Dragneel is a dragon slayer wizard from the Fairy Tail guild. He was raised by Igneel and inherited the fire dragon’s magic. As he develops his fire techniques, his fighting style also evolves to become more aggressive, and he always goes in for a direct hit. Natsu isn’t fond of thinking ahead or planning how to fight an opponent. Instead, he attacks head-on—often with his fire dragon’s roar that blasts enemies with immense power and brute force.
7. Bakugo Katsuki (My Hero Academia)
Bakugo Katsuki is one of the many students at U.A. High School. He’s known for his Explosion Quirk, which was praised by pro heroes starting from the second episode of the My Hero Academia anime. He has an explosive temper and stubborn personality—to the point that even when a villain took over his body, he was able to resist and fight back and survive the encounter. Bakugo’s Quirk is a perfect representation of his personality, who’s always bursting like an explosion whenever he sees something he dislikes.
6. Sabo (One Piece)
Sabo is one of Luffy’s sworn brothers and a member of the Revolutionary Army led by Dragon. He inherited Ace’s will and powers by eating the Devil Fruit that once belonged to Ace: the Mera Mera no Mi. He was strong even before he absorbed the Devil Fruit’s power, but afterward became fearsome. The way he uses fire to make barriers is his way of warning enemies to not step any further, but also shows how protective he is as a big brother to Luffy.
5. Ace (One Piece)
Portgas D. Ace (more famously known as Fire Fist Ace) was a sworn brother to Luffy, a commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and the biological son of Gol D. Roger. He has the power of fire granted by the Mera Mera no Mi Devil Fruit. This adventurous lad literally ignited a war the day he was captured by the one whom he was hunting: Blackbeard, a former crewmate who murdered one of their own.
4. Uchiha Itachi (Naruto Shippuden)
Uchiha Itachi was one of the strongest fighters in the Uchiha Clan and a member of a military force that was under direct orders of the Hokage. Due to shadowy reasons, Itachi slaughtered his entire clan and left only his younger brother Sasuke as the sole survivor. Itachi later developed an unfathomable fire technique called Amaterasu, a jet-black fire that can’t be put out and burns everything it touches. The black flames of Amaterasu are a stark mirror to the dark past within him, which he keeps hidden up until his death.
3. Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto (Bleach)
The leader of the Shinigami of Soul Society, Captain Yamamoto was a badass old man with thousands of years of battle experience and prowess. His hand-to-hand combat capabilities alone were powerful enough to defeat menacing enemies. He was known as the most powerful Shinigami, with a Zanpakuto (soul slayer weapon) that holds the flames of destruction within. This led to the traitor Aizen formulating a plan to use Yamamoto’s power against himself, which is the only way the powerful swordsman’s could die.
2. Escanor (Seven Deadly Sins)
Escanor is a member of the Seven Deadly Sins who holds the title of Lion’s Sin of Pride. His power is called Sunshine, which gets stronger as the sun reaches its peak at noon. The Sunshine ability was formerly owned by Mael, one of the Archangels. His flames boast the power to burn and defeat demons—including high-ranking demons—which is reflective of his prideful personality in which he sees all his opponents as inferior beings.
1. Kyojuro Rengoku (Demon Slayer)
Kyojuro Rengoku was the Flame Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. He impressively mastered the Fire Breathing Technique on his own by reading only three volumes of the Fire Breathing Manual. His flame ability complements his charisma that truly sets even his fellow Demon Slayer’s heart ablaze, making him one of the best characters in the Demon Slayer anime series. Read next: The best animes about demons and hell
