There’s something about armor that just makes anime characters seem cooler. Whether it’s the badassery that comes with having a complete and utter disregard for anyone or anything, or the way that it can add an extra layer of protection to a character’s persona, armor is always a plus in my book. So without further ado, here are 33 of the coolest anime characters with armor!
Like at least put on a bullet-proof vest or something!
Well some characters in anime do heed that warning.
And I wanna go over a handful of those characters that had the common sense to bring some protection with them, as we rank some of the best anime characters with armor.
33. Maesaka Ryuuji
Anime: Darwin’s Game
I want to start the list off with the modern armor set: a bullet-proof vest and a helmet.
Even though this guy was the only one who did not have a combat ability, he was still a force to be reckoned with. And yes, knowing who to trust and getting information about your opponent is really useful on the battlefield… but do you want to know what’s even more useful?
Not dying instantly from a single bullet wound in a world where all of your enemies have superpowers.
32. Feitan Pohtoh
Anime: Hunter x Hunter (2011)
This character seemed so cool from the very first moment he graced the screen.
And for a while it seemed like we would have to go to the manga to see him fight, but then something happened.
While facing a Chimera Ant, the madlad suddenly dawns a heat-proof armor set and just blasts his enemy with the power of a thousand suns. The man really had to flex on us like that, huh?
31. Rak Wraithraiser
Anime: Tower of God
I loved this silly alligator man so much.
Although at first he seemed like quite the tough customer, because of his giant stature, crimson red armor, and deadly spear… but he soon became more of a goof character.
And I usually don’t like it when they dumb down characters. And yet I just could not get enough of Rak!
The alligator dude was pure comedic gold. And I would honestly be his turtle any day of the week.
30. Uzu Sanageyama
Anime: Kill la Kill
I don’t know whether his Goku uniform would be considered armor or just a mech, because of its size, but I just really have to talk about this guy.
So, his uniform grants him the ability to predict his opponent’s movements by looking at subtle hints their body is giving off. Cool.
He gets defeated and realizes that he relies on his eyes too much. Okay? So he just gouges them out!
My dude, have you never heard of a blindfold? His Goku uniform does look pretty sick though, not gonna lie.
29. Beldia
Anime: KonoSuba
This man literally is just a suit or armor. So he definitely qualifies for our list.
KonoSuba has a gift at creating the most hilarious villains ever. But I honestly felt for Beldia. He tried his best!
I mean, if someone blasted my castle day after day without ever even trying to fight me, I would be pretty pissed myself. It’s like getting kited for all eternity.
And when he finally gets his sweet revenge, not only do the protagonists do a great job of annoying him even more, but they also happen to hard counter him. Talk about unlucky.
28. Masrur
Anime: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
What I would give for Masrur to get his own spinoff.
Not only is the dude an absolute beef-cake, he also just looks and acts like the ultimate warrior!
Just look at that shining golden armor and biceps that could crush a watermelon… Plus, he gets paired up with Morgiana, the objective best girl.
The dude just has everything needed to become the ultimate main protagonist, but the anime gods won’t let him have his way.
27. Estarossa
Anime: The Seven Deadly Sins
This man definitely confuses me, as he wears armor but only for his hands and his feet, and protects his vitals with a V neck.
I guess that should have been the first warning sign that this guy is not as simple or as sane as he seems.
Because out of all the 10 commandments, he definitely stuck out as the one guy you had to keep your eye on. And low and behold, a few chapters later all hell breaks loose.
26. Bishamon
Anime: Noragami
I had such a love/hate relationship with this character initially.
On the one hand, she keeps trying to kill our best boys and is so hell-bent on revenge that she ignores everything else.
But on the other hand, she has a pretty sweet armor set, is generally a badass, and obviously cares for her Shinki a lot.
Luckily, by the end of the show, I could fully enjoy this character and her tsundere badassery.
25. Charlotte Roselei
Anime: Black Clover
Charlotte, on the other hand, grew on me instantly.
Rarely do you see a tsundere of such calibre that trying to say anything nice to her hunky husbando leads her to either immediately run away or insult him.
And when she’s not balling over our samurai boy, she’s either being an amazing warrior, or a great leader.
Honestly, she was the only person aside from Yami that seemed like a real captain. A person who truly cared for their underlings and their wellbeing.
24. Mumen Rider
Anime: One Punch Man
I can confidently say that Mumen Rider was my favorite character in One Punch Man, and in my top 10 favorite characters in all of anime.
The dude just never failed to make me crack up.
In a world full of superheroes capable of destroying buildings at the bare minimum, Mumen was just a good, brave boy with a helmet and some protective armor. Turns out, armor doesn’t do much when someone can chuck you across the city with a single hand.
I still loved him though. He did his best.
23. Tenya Iida
Anime: My Hero Academia
Every good anime that has anything to do with high school needs a good class rep character.
And boy does Iida fit the bill perfectly.
The man is caring to a fault, follows the rules to the tee, and without a doubt has the best uniform of any student or professional hero.
This is not up for debate, next to bunny ear Deku and edgelord Bakugo, Iida’s slick white armor set is by far the best one.
Also, if anyone aside from Mustard even remembers to fire a gun, guess who isn’t going to die?
22. Bulat
Anime: Akame ga Kill!
Bulat is the manliest man to have ever manned and should be treated as such.
Despite his giant physique, Elvis haircut, and armor set usually drenched in blood, he’s the nicest character in the show.
He makes it a point to always protect his comrades and is probably the sole reason for Tatsumi ever fitting in. In fact, he’s so nice, wholesome, powerful, and cool that he’s both the waifu and the husbando of the show!
21. Krusty
Anime: Log Horizon
Krusty is another top tier dude, as he’s an excellent leader, knows his way both in politics and with the ladies, can and will one-shot an entire army, and has enough charisma to completely take over any scene.
And his getup is just straight fire.
I mean, the dude looks like he was ripped straight out of Darksiders or something.
His name, on the other hand, might be turning some heads… especially if he ever takes on a last name that sounds like the word “socks”.
20. Ira Gamagori
Anime: Kill la Kill
Gamagori seemed at first like a typical bad guy who just likes doing things by the book. But boy did he have more to offer than just that.
There was something so comical about his adherence to the rules, absolutely badass armor, and his menacing aura when you take into account his childish outbursts and his impeccable taste in best girls.
Gamagori and Mako was just the ultimate power couple that I will ship until the day I die.
He also has quite the kink, but this is a safe space so we won’t dog him over it.
19. Erza Scarlett
Anime: Fairy Tail
Erza’s power was one of the more interesting ones in the series, as she would equip an armor set or outfit based on the stats they would give her and her win condition.
So if she needed to tank some damage, she would dawn a heavy armor set. While if speed was a key factor in the battle, she would wear something a bit lighter and fan service-er.
But hey, you don’t hear me complaining!
18. Madara Uchiha
Anime: Naruto: Shippuden
Madara was one of the few people in this entire show who realized that kunai can’t go through metal, and I appreciate him for it.
Even though he was ironically the last person who would ever need protection in this show.
I mean, the dude just destroyed an entire army without even breaking a sweet. And may I remind you this army had nine tail chakra cloaks, multiple tailed beasts, and all of the Kage on its side?
Nevertheless, he’s setting a good example for the youths!
17. Darkness
Anime: KonoSuba
If you like your waifus freaky, you have undoubtedly had the pleasure of bumping into Darkness.
Although she’s a knight and has the best tank stats in the show, she just loves to make it weird for everyone else.
Because every time you try to knock her out, she gets right back up, a bit hornier than she was before the blow. And that’s checkmate!
What do you do to a person who only gets hornier the more you try to beat them up? In fact, her weirdness factor is her only offensive ability!
16. Vegeta
Anime: Dragon Ball Z
The Saiyan tsundere has been an iconic character for quite some time now. And his armor is arguably just as iconic.
Not only do the shoulder pads make you look like a wide boy, but the underarmor is bringing onesies back!
Although I do have to point out that the armor cracks like a porcelain vase whenever the battle truly gets serious… but hey, at least it’s kind of fashionable!
15. Alphonse Elric
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Alphonse doesn’t really wear that armor, but rather literally has become one with the armor. But it still counts.
And although he’s in that state because of a tragedy, the whole ordeal did buff him quite a lot.
Since he has none of that weak flesh that we humans have, he can get punched, stabbed, torched, whatever, and come out unphased.
It even enhanced his strength as well. So every blow does quite a bit of damage.
I mean, there’s that one weakness known as the blood seal, but let’s not think about that part.
14. Sinbad
Anime: Magi: Adventure of Sinbad
Most of the time Sinbad just strolls around with his chest bare and a lady under each arm.
However, since he’s like the Jesus of this world and has multiple Djinns, he has quite the arsenal of equips to chose from.
By far my favorite has been Baal. Because not only does it give him this sick reptile-esque armor, but it also gives him a tail and the power to blow up multiple mountains at once.
I don’t know why the tail is relevant, but his entire aesthetic and power level is just perfect.
13. Alicetaria February
Anime: Re;Creators
Out of all the Created, Alicetaria was definitely one of the more troubling ones.
Since in her show she was the symbol of justice, she kind of just trusted her gut and tried to do what was right. Even when everything pointed to it being a bad idea.
And that mentality can be tricky when you can kill a bear with your hands, have armor that tanks would have trouble with, and a flying horse of all things.
Luckily, she does come to her senses later on. Or else this show would have had quite the interesting climax.
12. Shalltear Bloodfallen
Anime: Overlord
Slight spoilers ahead.
When I realized that Ainz would be facing off against Shalltear, I was already extremely hyped.
But when he comes to the battlefield only to find Shalltear in full crimson armor, I just knew that the ensuing battle was going to be one of the highlights in the show.
And I dare say that I was not wrong.
Not only do we finally see someone put Ainz on the ropes, but we also see our vampire queen going all out. And man, the rest of the world really stands no chance against her.
11. Naotsugu
Anime: Log Horizon
Naotsugu is your typical happy-go-lucky tank main that just makes all the tilt go away.
He’s literally always in a good mood, and is not afraid to taunt entire swarms of enemies if it means getting that sick wombo-combo.
Calling the man a beef cake would be an understatement. It’s quite rare to see him in any serious danger, even when he’s on the front lines.
The only chink in his armor is the fact that he has no helmet. So Akatsuki has a clear target whenever panties are mentioned.
10. Naofumi Iwatani
Anime: The Rising of the Shield Hero
Defensive stats are all Naofumi has to offer, at least initially.
So it stands to reason that his gear is pretty decked out in that department.
And at first glance it might not seem so as it’s not your usual full-body suit of armor. But he still has some solid resistances, and a fashionable look might I add.
I mean, at least he can thank those little biting monsters, unlike a certain someone that I know.
9. Reiner Braun
Anime: Attack on Titan
Spoilers ahead.
Now this one might be a little cheating, as he isn’t wearing protective clothing or anything. But he is literally called the Armor Titan.
And man has this dude taken me on a journey.
From being forgettable, to being a bro, to being a Judas, to being depressed, to being badass, he has had quite the few tone shifts during the series.
And I love it. I think that we all do. As characters are finally getting fleshed out further than “titans bad, wall good”.
8. Issei Hyoudou
Anime: Highschool DxD
I think that we can all agree that Issei is just the luckiest anime dude on earth.
I mean, he has beautiful women fawning over him, usually while half naked, he gets this badass crimson red armor, and he really gets to learn about strategy.
He gets both chess and chest.
I mean sure, his life is in mortal danger from time to time. But I think we could all look over that part if it meant having the life that he has.
7. Ryoutarou Tsuboi
Anime: Sword Art Online
Whenever abridged Kirito told Klein to come back when he’s a main character, I felt that.
But seriously, he was way more likable than most of the characters that got screen time. Plus he was somewhat of a big shot, being a guild leader and such.
His traditional Japanese armor and aesthetic were just badass. And his friendly personality was infectious in a way.
What I’m saying is that I want to see more Klein, and I want it now!
6. Saber
Anime: Fate Series
I don’t know which Fate series to put down because Saber is just always badass, even when it’s not technically Saber.
What I do know, is that she has some fancy armor, amazing skills with the sword, and a love for food equal to any male shounen protagonist.
She also makes for a way better and more kawaii “Arthur” mythos than the original.
I bet her best friend didn’t even sleep with her husband! That joke was for you Arthurian lovers out there.
5. Guts
Anime: Berserk
Since Berserk is not afraid to get realistic when it comes to the dangers of battle, it’s honestly a blessing that Guts doesn’t go with the usual shounen logic of “a shirt and some jeans offer plenty protection”. Because he would have died ten times over already.
Even with the armor, he’s gotten pretty close a handful of times.
However, no amount of heavy metal, cool capes, or hidden weapons will ever protect the heart. So he has taken quite the L on that front.
4. Askeladd
Anime: Vinland Saga
Askeladd was probably the best twist protagonist ever.
He looks like some average warrior dude, and yet he has more layers than a swamp onion.
The man is a master at the sword, and I truly do mean a master.
In fact, I doubt whether his armor ever even got grazed.
I feel like he wears it just because it’s easier to clean blood off of metal than out of wool.
I also can’t help but wonder why his armor has abs. Are you flexing that hard? Or are you overcompensating for something?
3. Goblin Slayer
Anime: Goblin Slayer
You can say what you will when it comes to the Goblin Slayer’s preferences in farming, being that he only goes for goblins.
But you cannot tell me that my man does not look terrifying.
He looks like a mix between a modern soldier and a classic suit of armor, with just a hint of bloodlust.
And at first it seemed like overkill, as goblins aren’t usually that strong in RPGs. But that first episode really put into perspective how, um, tricky they can be.
So maybe a full suit of armor is the way to go.
2. Escanor
Anime: The Seven Deadly Sins
When Escanor is rocking his full set of golden armor, the man is just dripping power and confidence.
As if a giant beefy Pringles-looking dude with an axe wasn’t terrifying enough, he now also has a miniature tank strapped to his body. And will throw a literal sun at you.
The second he stepped up to the plate, I could just hear “hail to the king” playing somewhere in the back of my mind. Because it perfectly described the one-sided slaughter that I was watching.
1. Naruto
Anime: Naruto: Shippuden
We’ve seen quite a few armor sets on this list, from heavy weight down to more practical and subtle pieces of protective wear.
But Naruto sports the strongest armor of them all. An armor so powerful that it made the Rinnegan useless, and made both Sasuke and Obito weak, the future Kazekage soft, and a literal demon fox, a friend.
That’s right ladies and gentlemen. We’re talking about plot armor.
Because honestly, it beat every other armor set on this list.
