15 Manliest Anime For Manly Men

Gender is more fluid in these modern times, but some things never change. There are still some that want to be manly men, or at least enjoy watching men drip with masculinity.

You know, smoke cigars, grow an untamed forest of chest hair, do push-ups just for fun sort of manly men. However, every aspiring manly man needs a manly anime they can get behind.

Best Manly Anime

What Makes an Anime “Manly”?

Manly anime characters are easy to define. They are gruff natured, hard bodied, and the type to strangle a man to death with a sword stuck in his gut.

However, manly anime overall is a little more difficult to define.

If nothing else, a manly anime is a home for manly anime characters, if not led by them.

In these manly anime recommendations, you will find:

• Action-driven stories
• Strong male characters that look like you could break a board on their face and their body
• Emotions limited to a singular tear rolling down a grime-stained cheek at the loss of a comrade or a lover
• No moe

There may be a lecher or two as a main character on this list of manly anime, but objectifying women is not part of our criteria on defining manly anime.

Fist of the North Star

Everything about Fist of the North Star is the pinnacle of manliness, from Kenshiro the main character to the story of revenge and betrayal that it tells.

You would be hard pressed to find an episode without an epic fist fight as the post-apocalyptic wasteland is full of conflict. Not only that, but even the villains are manly in one way or another, even the minor ones. No one wants to see Kenshiro beat up on weaklings.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

While things in Jojo can, obviously, take a turn for the bizarre, even the most female member of the Joestar family is manlier than the average male anime protagonist.

In the earlier seasons of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, it really is peak manly anime. The main characters are gentlemen, or lovable scoundrels, or the strong silent types. However, as Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure goes on, well, it stays somewhat manly, but there is definitely more of a shift to the weird side of anime.

Baki the Grappler

There are a lot of martial arts anime out there, and most of them are fairly manly. However, just as many are sillier comedies that are not exactly peak manliness.

Not Baki, though.

This martial arts anime goes full-on man mode. It is ultra violent and you can practically feel each hit vibrating from the screen. Plus, there are no soft, spongy bodies here, every character is built from flesh made steel.

Berserk

Berserk is all about the struggle.

It starts off forging the bonds of brotherhood on the battlefield between a group of mercenaries, then takes a turn off the deep end in one of the most shocking first season conclusions in anime ever.

From then on, the series is about something different. It is about what a man will sacrifice in order to get his vengeance. Body? Mind? Friends? Soul? The world?

Toppa Tengen Gurren Lagann

If you need manly inspiration, Gurren Lagann is the anime to watch.

While it may take that to such an extreme that it seems almost like a parody, there is no series that makes you want to proudly beat your chest quite as much as Gurren Lagann does.

Some might even shed a few manly tears during it too, but to be fair, a certain episode is particularly devastating to even the most hardened heart.

Golgo 13

Golgo 13, the titular character, is a man for hire. As such, he is also a man of a certain classic cool with a face as hard to read as a brick.

Armed with an assault rifle, a pair of slick shades, and a necessary trench coat, he gets any and every job done with bloody precision.

If you need a really gritty, bleak anime with no sort of fluff in sight, this hard-boiled action series is the way to go.

Dragon Ball Z

Though they are prone the occasional tongue-lashing by their spouses, Dragon Ball Z is all about manly men fighting.

Even when not fighting, the the Dragon Ball franchise is just gearing up for the next big conflict and the characters are training to become stronger.

Though DBZ has shown its age, it has inspired so many people with its fights and its manly characters that fight with honor and perseverance.

Desert Punk

Desert Punk is one of your more standard action comedy anime. However, if you aren’t interested in cute girls doing cute things, this is a show for you.

It follows a bounty hunter in the post-apocalypse where he does jobs by day and sluts it up hitting on women by night. What could be a better life?

While not as gritty as some other entries, the main character is one of those classic representations of manliness.

Cromartie High School

Who says comedy can’t be manly? In the same vein as Nichijou, Cromartie High School is parody and gag comedy that eschews the enduring popularity of moe for manliness.

As it follows a school of thugs, there is fighting a-plenty and none of the students are weak, unmanly sort of men. It is testosterone parody in its finest and only form.

Rainbow

Due to some of the graphic subject matter, Rainbow may be more of the pinnacle of brotherhood rather than manliness, but it certainly has an array of manly characters too.

Rainbow follows a group of men who bond during their imprisonment, but also use each other as a pillar of stability to survive inside and learn to survive in the world outside.

Bobobo-Bo-Bo-Bobo

Is Bobobo ridiculous? Certainly. However, one of the major jokes in Bobobo is manliness taken to the extreme.

While it is meant to parody the manly ideal ingrained in some anime characters, a parody is still something steeped in truth. In that respect, Bobobo could be the manliest anime of all time.

Shigurui

In Shigurui, two main characters literally give everything they have for their goal. Despite having physical disabilities manifested from their desire, they never give in and never give up. To never give up even when you reasonably should is a distinctly manly affliction.

That said, Shigurui is a pretty vicious anime. Watching two maimed samurai fight each other isn’t a happy affair, and discovering how they got there certainly isn’t bloodless either.

Hajime no Ippo

As an anime about boxing, the subject matter itself is already pretty manly. Hajime no Ippo, literally translated to “Fighting Spirit,” is all about being scrappy and channeling that fiery fighting spirit towards your obstacles.

Hajime no Ippo is not just about making it through fights with a bit of anime protagonist-level luck, the series is about training hard and thinking about your opponent just as much as it is about hitting them.

Sengoku Basara

Sengoku Basara is essentially what everyone thinks the age of the samurai was, even though it definitely was not the same level of anime over-the-top. However, if you want really good flashy fights between men of varying degrees of honor and nobility, you’ll find nothing better.

Sengoku Basara does a great job of making the famous names of the Warring States period seem larger than life like real immortal heroes.

Redline

A manly man should be able to appreciate how much effort went into the animation of this movie.

However, the real reason to watch Redline is not for the glorious, beautifully animated pompadour, but for the surprisingly intense racing action.

Redline is none of that boring, low-budget Speed Racer stuff, Redline is pure high octane speed action that feels like it is about to rip right through the screen.

You got a manlier anime that you think needs to be here? Let manly men know in our comments section below.