20 Best Anime Dragons of All Time

Dragons are a staple of anime, which is why Best anime dragons are so iconic. Few mythical creatures have touched as many imaginations as the dragon, and this is evident in the realm of anime. Dragons have always had a place in anime since the beginning of the medium, and while they were relegated to pure fantasy in the past, even that has changed in recent years.

With so many anime incorporating dragons in such a wide range of roles, it’s easy to see that anime has expanded the definition of dragon. Anime dragons can act as many things in a story; They can be powerful destroyers, wise mentors on a hero’s journey, or distant godly beings to fulfill wishes. Their role in the plot is always memorable, and some dragons even rank among the best characters in anime history.

20

Ryukyu is always right with her limited screentime

Character from Bones’ My Hero Academia

Ryuko Tatsuma, better known as the dragon hero Ryukyu, is one of the top 10 heroes in Japan in Bones. My hero academia And the hero Ochako and Tsuyu end up interning for. As her name would imply, Ryukyu’s Quirk lets her turn into a giant dragon, and she uses her dragon form both for combat and for transporting fellow heroes into battle.

While Ryukyu was never a main character in My hero academiaBetween the great designs of her human and dragon forms and how often she manages to fight, Ryukyu has a lot to make itself one of My hero academias most endearing side characters. My hero academia Always knows how to get the most out of his minor characters, and Ryukyu is undoubtedly one of the best examples of this.

19

Tohru is a troubled romantic in a modern world

Character from Kyoto Animation’s Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid

Missing Kobayashi’s dragon service sees an overworked office worker named Kabayashi who one day finds himself with a dragon named Tohru. Transforming into a human woman (albeit one with horns and a tail), Tohru offers her services as a maid to Kobayashi.

Unfortunately for Kobayashi though, Tohru is often more trouble than she’s worth, as her mischievous personality often leads the duo into misadventures. Kobayashi may be one of anime’s most unconventional dragons by most appearancesBut she also ranks among the best for how much fun she is to watch. The mighty dragon is rarely a servant in anime, making Tohru quite a rare specimen.

18

Bahamut rains destruction on all

Character from MAPPA’s Rage Of Bahamut

Adapted from a popular mobile game of the same name, Storm of Bahamut Follow three heroes on a quest to prevent the resurrection of the all-powerful Bahamut. Bahamut is a common figure in fantasy, due in large part to the massive dragon’s inclusion in fantasy staples like Dungeons & Dragons And financial fantasy, Where it is sometimes a force for good.

Unfortunately for the world of Mystarsia, Storm of Bahamut Great dragon is a world-ending threat. In terms of raw power, few anime dragons can match Storm of Bahamuts titular threat. Having an anime named after a dragon always sets expectations high for the titular monster, and Storm of Bahamut Certainly does not disappoint in this regard.

17

Masotan is a dragon unlike any other

Characters from Bones’ Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan

Perhaps one of the most unique anime dragons of all time, Dragon pilot Masotan is a combination fighter jet and precious dragon. Along with his pilot Hisone, Masotan serves Japan’s Air Force as an Organically Transformed Flyer, or OTF. Dragon Riders are a staple of imagination, but few riders manage their dragons from the inside like Hisone does.

This fun series with a unique premise was criminally underrated upon release. The dragon designs are a lot of fun and lean more towards cute than scary. Dragon pilot Masotan may not be the most intimidating dragonBut he is among the sweetest.

16

Imperialdramon is still one of the best Digimon to come out of the anime

Character from Toei Animation Digimon Adventure 02

Imperialdramon is the final form of the DNA digivolution of Veemon and Wormmon, the two main Digimon of Digimon Adventure 02. Imperialdramon switches between a Dragon Mode and a Bipedal Fighter Mode, both of which have powerful laser attacks as their primary combat method, and it can even combine with Omnimon to form Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, the founder of the Royal Knights and one of the strongest. Digimon in the franchise.

Between an interesting shape-shifting gimmick, great character design in every form, and writing that consistently sells it as an imposing and powerful character, Imperialdramon is one of the best Mega Digimon in the whole Digimon AnimeAnd the build-up to his debut was worth the wait. The original Digimon Adventure is the most iconic entry in the anime, but thanks to Imperialdramon, 02 is also quite iconic in its own right.

15

War Greymon grows into an awesome Dragon Digimon

Character from Toei Animation’s Digimon Adventure

Although some may associate War Greymon more with dinosaurs due to his evolutionary line, Digimon Adventure War Greymon is a dragon through and through. The most iconic version of ​​the digital dragon is easily his partnership with Tea in the original Digimon Adventure Series.

What makes this iteration of War Greymon so compelling is his growth into a dragon, as fans get to see Agumon grow in power as his bond with Tai grows stronger. War Greymon may lose rank for not being immediately recognizable as a dragon, but he’s still one of anime’s best dragons for his character growth.

14

Dragonite is the original Dragon Pokemon

Character from OLM, Inc. s pokemon

Dragonite is a relatively new addition to Ash Ketchum’s team, but the species has a long history in the Pokemon Anime. The orange goofball quickly became one of Ash’s strongest Pokemon, and remains a memorable character who steals every scene.

Thanks to his warm personality and considerable power, Dragonite cemented his place as a fan favorite. Dragonite may not be the wisest anime dragon; It does not talk or give advice to the young trainer. however, It is one of the smartest dragon-type Pokémon, with many Pokédex entries describing its “human-like intelligence.”

13

Ryūkotsusei wields incredible power and immeasurable evil

Character from Sunrise’s Inuyasha

For the events of InuyashaRyūkotsusei was a great demon that terrorized the earth. Inuyasha’s father, Toga, fought and defeated the dragon, sealing him away. Inuyasha’s arch enemy, Naraku, helps Ryūkotsusei come back to life centuries later, and the dragon engages Inuyasha in a fierce battle.

Ryūkotsusei is useless, ruthless and cruel. He only cares about destruction and is constantly looking for worthy opponents to fight. He believes himself invincible, and considers everyone to be beneath him. As far as anime dragons go, Ryūkotsusei is one of the most memorable, a villain whose imposing and terrifying appearance lives up to his reputation.

12

Kaido wields unimaginable draconic power

Character from Toi Animation’s One Piece

When Kaido, famous as One Piece Strongest creature, ate the fish-fish fruit, he turned into an azure dragon. As a human-dragon hybrid, he becomes massive, with thick and durable blue scales covering his entire body. In this new form, he breathes fire, creates clouds that allow him to move through the air, emits sharp blades by blowing and shout with his roar.

Over time, he gains control over his draconic abilities, until he can access them without needing to transform. Kaido’s dragon form is so powerful that he beat Luffy within an inch of his life More than once.

11

Hyōrinmaru is the ultimate ice dragon

Character from Studio Pierrot’s Bleach

Hyōrinmaru is the manifested spirit of Tōshirō Hitsugaya’s Zanpakutō, one of the most likable characters in the bleach Anime. When Hitsugaya was a child, Hyōrinmaru often appeared as a serpentine ice dragon in his dreams. During The Thousand-year blood warHitsugaya loses his bankai and the ability to communicate with Hyōrinmaru. Once he recovers it, Hyōrinmaru returns to him.

Anime dragons are usually depicted as larger-than-life and imposing, but Hyōrinmaru definitely looks fierce and more menacing than others of its kind. Thanks to his wings, thick legs and overall muscular frame, Hyōrinmaru blows other anime dragons out of the water.

10

Igneel is the fatherly dragon that everyone wants them to have

Character from JCStaff’s fairy tale

Known as the Fire Dragon King, Igneel is the foster father of Natsu Dragneel. He is a loving, protective father figure, even after leaving Natsu. After Acnologia’s Dragon Slaying Magic leaves him badly wounded, he seals his soul inside Natsu to recover.

Igneel goes through a complex and compelling journey. He starts as an arrogant dragon, indifferent to people. Through Natsu, he grows to care for humans, to the point where Igneel becomes “the dragon who loves humans more than any other.” Igneel is the perfect ally acting as a loving mentor and guide to the story’s protagonist.

9

Blue Dragon is careful about who can wield his awesome power

Character from Studio Pierrot’s Blue Dragon

Based on the 2006 video game, Blue Dragon Tells the story of Shu, a young boy who gains the power to turn his shadow into a monster. As a Shadow Wilder, Shu’s monster is the indomitable Blue Dragon. At first, their relationship is hostile, with the beast refusing to obey Shu’s commands. They eventually learn to work together, but Blue Dragon remains critical of Shu.

Blue Dragon is arrogant, selfish, cold, and sometimes cruel, although he cares about Shu’s well-being. Blue Dragon has truly incredible power, which often comes in clutch during the darkest moments of the series.

8

Fredrika is a predator in form unlike any other

Character from Bones’ Chaika: The Coffin Princess

Fredrika makes sporadic appearances throughout Chaika: The Coffin Princess. She does not have a consistent form, instead taking several different ones. During the war, she assumed the form of a white-horned dragon and kept bringing it back when it was time to fight.

Fredrika is intelligent, but still very much a predator who enjoys stalking her prey, especially during battle. Anime dragons are mostly terrible, even when they are allies. The dragon figure commands respect, so it makes sense that they often act as brave warriors in battle or fearsome enemies. Able to destroy entire armies.

7

Fallin’s chimera form is a sight to behold

Character from Studio Trigger’s Taste in Dungeon

Near the end of the first half of Studio Trigger’s Taste in the dungeonLoyas and his party managed to bring Pauline back to life, but her troubles did not end. Thistle the lunatic magician, the dungeon master, needed a replacement for the red dragon that Laios killed, so he brainwashed Falin into being his servant and fused her with the red dragon’s remains to create a vicious chimera that nearly slaughtered Laios, Shuro and Kabru S parties, one hand.

Although not a lot of screentime in season 1, Chimera Falin’s focus episode in Taste in the dungeon Did a great job of selling her as a menacing and tragic figureAll of which was wrapped around an incredibly creative character design. Taste in the dungeon Season 2 is currently in development, and hopefully, it will give Chimera Fallin much more time to make an impression on people.

6

Acnologia is the genocidal dragon of modern anime

Character from JCStaff’s fairy tale

Described as a catastrophically powerful dragon slayer, Acnologia is the ruthless antagonist of Fairy tale. He bathed in the blood of the snakes he killed, he let him turn into a snake at will. Although he begins with a close relationship with dragons, he grows to hate them after one kills his family.

Bloodthirsty and violent in every form, Acnologia is a terrifying being. He holds nothing but contempt for humans and dragons alike and won’t stop until he kills every last dragon. As far as anime dragons go, Acnologia may be the meanest and most willful of them all.

5

Nuova Shenron is easily the best of the Shadow Dragons

Character from Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball GT

Nuova Shenron is the four star dragon of Dragon Ball GTs shadow dragons, born from King Piccolo’s wish to regain his youth. Nuova Shenron fights with various fire-based attacks, and unlike the other shadow dragons, he has a sense of honor and kindness, something implied to be because he was created from the negative energy of a selfish wish, and he He even tried to help Goku defeat Goku Shenron near the end of the series.

In addition to having a cool design and fighting style, Nuova Shenron stands out for being the shadow dragon with the most fleshed out personality beyond his evilNot to mention being the first to be a genuine challenge to Goku. The Shadow Dragon saga isn’t the best Dragon Ball history, but Nuova Shenron’s short time during it was a definite highlight.

4

Blue-eyed White Dragon is one of the ultimate duel monsters

Characters from Gallup’s Yu-Gi-Oh!

The mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon is indisputably one of Yu-Gi-Oh Most iconic monsters, and that’s for good reason. Blue-Eyes is not only closely tied to fan-favorite character Kaiba, it also plays a pivotal role in more than a few battles throughout the series. More than just a one-trick pony, Blue-Eyes’ ability to iterate and evolve makes it an interesting dragon.

From the almighty Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to the visually impressive Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, Few anime dragons have as many incredible variants as Blue-Eyes does, immediately marking it as one of the best anime.

3

Haku is still one of Studio Ghibli’s most iconic characters

Character from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away

Widely considered one of the best movies of all time, Spirited Away Centers on Chihiro, a ten-year-old girl who enters the world of Kami. When Yubaba magically turns her parents into pigs, Chihiro must find a way to free her parents and return home.

One of the most memorable characters in the movie is Haku. First appearing as a young boy, he is actually a lost river spirit in the form of a white dragon. Haku is, without a doubt, one of the most famous anime dragons in historyInstantly recognizable and crucial to the story.

2

Yubel is one of Yu-Gi-Oh! s most tragic villains

Characters from Gallup’s Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Before Yu-Gi-Oh! GXYubel’s was a villain, they were the lovers of Jaden Yuki’s past life who took a demonic transformation to protect them from the light of destruction. Yubel’s transformation is referred to as becoming a “dragon,” and this is best shown with their Terror Incarnate and Final Nightmare forms, both of which resemble demonic dragons with multiple heads.

At first, Yuval comes across as little more than a twisted sadist with an increasingly demonic plan to match, but after the full extent of their backstory is revealed, Jubel becomes one of the most tragic and sympathetic individuals in the world Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise. The writing led to them becoming allies in season 4 as they rebuilt their relationship with Jaden, and whether as a hero or a villain, they always managed to be one of the best characters in the series.

1

Shenron is the ultimate anime dragon

Character from Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball

The most iconic anime dragon, Shenron is the mythical being summoned by the Dragon Balls. Shenron is a magnificent, serpentine green dragon who is able to grant three wishes to those who collect all seven Dragon Balls. Shenron may be one of the most intelligent characters in Dragon BallBut he is also a truly neutral being, granting every wish in his power without caring if it is “good” or “bad.”

Although he maintains his stoic personality during most appearances, he shows some desperation, especially with frivolous wishes. This comes together to make Shenron the Best anime dragon of all times.