We have all had those moments where we are watching an anime, but then having crushing reality set in.
“You can’t possibly wield that weapon effectively! It’s too damn big,” you might say to yourself, and you would be right.
Yes, anime is the realm of fiction and often times the plots themselves throw the suspension of disbelief that you would need for non-anime media right out the window in the first few minutes. However, there is just something about weapons being too large that can pull you out of it sometimes.
Certainly there the cool factor that goes along with a large badass being able to swing a badass and large weapon, but eventually you hit an event horizon where it’s just …too big, and you couldn’t possibly fit it inside a person.
Best Big Anime Weapons
Gutts’ Dragonslayer from Berserk
One of the more subtle unique aspects of Berserk is that it shows the protagonist working his way up to the large slab of iron that would become his signature weapon.
Gutts has always used a larger sword than most people in the series, as demonstrated during his time with the mercenary company , the Band of the Hawk. This was actually explained as being due to using proper adult swords while training as a young child, so he was used to fighting with a bigger blade.
However, as his blades grew bigger and wider to match his bigger, wider adult frame, they reach a zenith with the Dragonslayer.
Too big for a typical man to even carry, and basically just a dull slab of iron that Gutts uses it for everything from slaying demon horses to shielding his body from explosions.
And he does it one-handed, too.
Vash’s Angel Arm from Trigun
Although the Angel Arm gun is literally attached to his arm, that doesn’t mean it would work very well. If he didn’t become top heavy from having it on, a blast from it probably should have blown that gun right out of its socket.
However, Trigun shows and uses the Angel Arm sparsely. The first time it was summoned, it was forced upon Vash by his twin brother, and used to kick start his reputation as a wanted criminal by wiping a town off the map.
Of course, Vash isn’t the only one in Trigun with a gun that is too damn large. Wolfwood and his Cross Gun are equally as guilty of this as well.
Seras Victoria’s Harkonnen II from Hellsing Ultimate
The police and military have some pretty big powerful guns, and most everyone has trouble wielding them. However, the Harkonnen is more mobile artillery than any rifle you can find.
Of course, Seras can handle it due to her vampire status, but she still has to lay prone to fire it accurately at maximum distance. Her guns get even bigger still with the Harkonnen II
Sango’s Hiraikotsu from Inuyasha
Sango is a real badass, but there is no way she could toss this giant boomerang around. She uses it as a shield and to slay demons. However, with the sheer weight, it would be hard to make this baby fly, even if it is made from (presumably) lighter demon bone.
There are also a few other guilty culprits in Inuyasha, like the titular character himself and his Tessaiga. His half-demon status makes it more acceptable, but that sword gets pretty large.
Bankotsu is another one later in the series, although he is augmented by the sacred jewel. However, the real problem is that he used that sword when he was still human, and it was a blade so hefty that it took three other people to carry it after he was killed.
Almost Every Weapon from Bleach
If you like big weapons, then ho boy! Bleach is flush with them.
Several of the forms of Ichigo’s sword are somewhat ridiculously large, but the biggest culprit accused of crimes of overly unwieldy weapons is Ikkaku’s obscenely large Bankai that consists of multiple large blades.
Sanosuke’s Zanbato from Rurouni Kenshin
For a series that is often steeped in sword-wielding reality, it does threaten to ruin it at several points with Sanosuke’s Zanbato.
While the blade is an effective horse-slayer whose legend is plucked from reality, this bad boy wouldn’t have been wielded as effortlessly as Sanosuke uses it.
Mami’s Derringer from Madoka Magica
I guess when you sell your soul for a wish, you can be a little augmented. That said, Mami’s Derringer is just pure irony since a Derringer is a small, ladies-style gun.
Still, for as silly big as it is, there was nothing more badass than her just pounding away enemies with her many flintlocks only for her to pull out her biggest little pistol.
Zabuza’s Kubikiribouchou from Naruto
Zabuza pretty much looks so sickly that his giant sword should, you know, just crush him like a soda can.
However, since it was passed down through generations of great swordsmen, I guess it is too much of an honor not to use, right?
What is most impressive about his blade is the design which is best used to decapitate enemies.
Panther Lily’s Bustermarm from Fairy Tail
How this sword works on any level, I don’t even know.
However, I guess as an Edolas Magic Item it can be explained with your obligatory MAAAAGGGIC!, “It just works” definition that anime occasionally asks you to work with.
Either way, Busterman is not only large, but it doesn’t seem particularly heavy. The major key ability of it is that it can cut through earth with little force, which would make sense if it was heavy, but it doesn’t seem so in Panther Lily’s hands.
Soul’s Witch Hunter from Soul Eater
The thing about Soul Eater, especially in regard to Soul and Maka, is that the weapons start off kind of normal-sized. However, at some point, they get their shounen power ups and they get ridiculous in both power and size.
This is the case with Soul’s Witch Hunter form. Once they get their soul resonance down, the scythe goes from normal scythe-sized to over-the-top shounen anime-sized.
Lavi’s Hammer from D. Gray Man
To be fair, Lavi’s hammer isn’t always large.
Part of his Innocence power is that he can actually increase and decrease the size of it to fit his needs. Most of the time, when it is enlarged, he is already in the middle of slamming that bad boy down, so the logistics of this weapon? Well, they kind of check out.
Mihawk’s Yoru from One Piece
Mihawk’s sword is actually on the more manageable end of overly sized weapons, but it is still pretty bad.
Not only is it as long as him, but that hilt is about twice the width of his shoulders.
Yes, it looks very cool when he has it slung over his back, but that would be ridiculous to try and fight with effectively.
We feel like we are missing something… Do you know any more anime weapons that are too damn ridiculously overlarge that should have made the list?
