One of the flashiest powers in anime is the ability to control fire. At its worst, it can create towering pillars of intense heat that burn everything to the ground. More importantly, the ability to manipulate flame is often a metaphor for a character's personality.
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 my picks for the best anime fire users and flame characters of all time, including what makes each one unique and so compelling to watch.
22. Stella Vermillion (Chivalry of a Failed Knight)
In Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Stella Vermillion is a Blazer of royal descent who's known as the Crimson Princess of the Vermillion Empire.
Her Device called "Lævateinn" is a golden broadsword that utilizes flame powers and techniques, and it grants her signature move—Dragon Breath—which is best for both offense and defense.
She's a strong female character. However, her mana and magic are so strong that they become her weaknesses: she can't control her own powers. Overcoming her weakness is what she's working hard for, unknown to many who think she's already at her best.
21. Hao Asakura (Shaman King)
Hao Asakura is the older twin brother of Yoh, who also happens to be the reincarnation of a great Shaman. Alongside his return to life, he also brought with him the Spirit of Fire (which he had in his previous life).
The Spirit of Fire is one of the Five Grand Elemental Spirits, the collective name for powerful spirits that are second only to the Great Spirit. It was the spirit guardian that granted Hao his fiery abilities.
Interestingly enough, while most Shamans need a specific medium to perform the Over Soul ability, Hao uses the very air as his medium to perform the Spirit of Fire's Over Soul.
20. Tsunayoshi Sawada (Reborn!)
Tsunayoshi Sawada, or simply Tsuna, is the 10th Boss of the Vongola Famiglia and a user of the Dying Will Flames of the Sky: Sky Flames.
However, Reborn (Tsuna's home tutor) needs to shoot him with Dying Will Bullets to remove his bodily limiters, which then allows him to enter his Dying Will Mode and access his Sky Flames.
With the help of his trainings and equipment, he managed to control his Sky Flames. Now, whenever he goes into his Dying Will Mode or Hyper Dying Will Mode, a Sky Flame appears on his forehead.
19. Recca Hanabishi (Flame of Recca)
Recca Hanabishi is the flame master in the classic anime series Flame of Recca. He's a self-taught and self-proclaimed ninja who comes from a ninja clan, and he's 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.
18. 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.
17. Endeavor (My Hero Academia)
Endeavor is the Hero Name of Enji Todoroki, father of the aforementioned Shoto Todoroki. Endeavor's Quirk, called Hellflame, allows him to create and manipulate majestic flames.
After All Might's retirement, Endeavor took his place as the Number 1 Hero. He's proven himself worthy of the title many times as he burns his enemies down, even if it almost costs him his life.
He's always seen flashing his blazing flames as part of his hero costume, as if he's always ready to set anything on fire. When it comes to fire characters in anime, few are more iconic than Endeavor.
16. Dabi (My Hero Academia)
Our last entry from the Todoroki family is Toya, more famously known by his villain name Dabi. His relationship with Shoto and Endeavor remained a mystery until he eventually revealed it himself (in the latter part of the series) as his trump card against the Heroes.
Like Shoto and Endeavor, Dabi has a Fire-type Quirk, but his fire is said to be even hotter than his father's flames.
Unfortunately, unlike Shoto (who gained an equally balanced mix of fire and ice Quirks), Dabi inherited his mother's ice resistance but none of his father's fire resistance. This makes him vulnerable to his own flames, so he burns himself whenever he uses his Quirk.
While Endeavor's bright flames represent his glory, pride, and power, Dabi's blue flames mirror his dark past full of sadness, hate, resentment, and murderous intent.
15. Hibana (Fire Force)
Princess Hibana is the captain of Special Fire Force Company 5, who was once the villain in the first season of 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 takes her ability to the next level when she uses 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.
14. 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 subsequent 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 can be as an opponent through her actions rather than her background as a Vermillion.
13. 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 fully mastered.
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.
12. 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 direct hits.
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.
11. Katsuki Bakugo (My Hero Academia)
Katsuki Bakugo 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 My Hero Academia.
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.
10. 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 it also shows how protective he is as a big brother to Luffy.
9. Portgas D. 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.
8. Gabimaru (Hell's Paradise)
In Hell's Paradise, Gabimaru is one of the death row convicts sent to the "other shore" to retrieve the mythical "elixir of immortality". He's a skilled ninja who was trained to be an efficient killer from a young age.
Apart from his superhuman agility and physical prowess, he can also perform ninja techniques (or ninjutsu). His signature move is his Ninja Art: Fire Monk, which encases his body in flames.
Gabimaru also uses this technique in conjunction with other Ninja Arts, creating different combination attacks. One example is his Ninja Art: Thunder Stones – Fire Monk Version, which involves igniting stones and launching them like fire bullets.
7. Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist)
As one of Satan's sons, Rin Okumura has access to his father's blue flames. This fire manifests, along with his demonic features, whenever he unsheathes his Kurikara sword (because his heart is sealed in it).
Despite being the devil's son, he's still a kind individual who takes after Shiro Fujimoto, the father figure who raised him. He uses his devil's flame to protect his friends and eliminate threats and enemies. When used with his sword, he can cut down almost anything.
6. Nezuko Kamado (Demon Slayer)
All demons gain Blood Demon Arts when they become powerful enough after consuming human flesh, but Nezuko Kamado is different.
She gets to use her Blood Demon Art even without taking a single bite of human flesh. Hers is a fire-based ability that allows her to ignite her blood, or make those splattered with her blood explode.
And during the Infinity Train Arc and Entertainment District Arc, she was shown using her fire in different ways. With her flames, she was able to cut the connection from Enmu's dream world and even nullified the poison from Gyutaro's sickles.
5. Shinra Kusakabe (Fire Force)
Even among all the flashy flame users in the Fire Force anime series, Shinra Kusakabe of Special Fire Force Company 8 has a unique pyrokinetic ability. Like other Third Generations, Shinra can generate intense flames, but not in his hands or mouth.
Instead, his Ignition Ability allows him to create flames in his feet, giving him the nickname "Devil's Footprint."
That doesn't seem very practical, right? But for Shinra, it gives him a speed boost, allowing him to fight with great mobility and even the ability to fly and float. His flames also give his kicks even greater impact.
And Shinra is more than just a Third Generation. He's also a Fourth Generation fire user with an Adolla Burst, so he can tap into the "other world" called Adolla using Adolla Link. This allows him to briefly enhance his overall abilities, granting him the speed of light.
4. Itachi Uchiha (Naruto Shippuden)
Itachi Uchiha 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 a special 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. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto (Bleach)
The leader of the Shinigami of Soul Society, Captain Genryūsai Shigekuni 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 Reaper sword) 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 could die.
2. Escanor (The 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 brilliant charisma that sets even his fellow Demon Slayers' hearts ablaze, making him one of the best characters in the Demon Slayer anime series.
