Why are fire-based skills seemingly more prominent in action-heavy/shounen anime with magic or supernatural elements? To be honest, I don’t know the answer. What I do know is that anime has mastered the art of animating breathtaking fire sequences. And I’m down for more searing (get it?) sakuga moments, which these anime characters have had time and time again.
20. Stiyl Magnus
Anime: A Certain Magical Index Hailing from the beloved A Certain Magical Index franchise, Stiyl Magnus has a character design similar to Gojou Sha from Gensoumaden Saiyuuki, which is a great thing. This 14-year-old dude is tall — like really tall. With a height of 6 feet and 7 inches, he can tower above most human characters in anime. Combine this with his short-tempered attitude and you wouldn’t want to approach him recklessly. Anyway, Stiyl is proficient in fire-based magic: Stiyl can manipulate heat to visually deceive his enemies, similar to how a mirage works. He can create a flame sword and a fire monster, both of which have a temperature of 3,000 degrees Celsius. But my favorite fire-based skill of his is when he burns people’s faces (you read that right) and precisely heals burns to mold an entirely new look for them. Watch out, dermatologists.
19. Mikoto Suoh
Anime: K-Project K Project, or simply K, seems all but forgotten these days. But I still remember when it was all the rage and Mikoto Suoh was a common profile picture. Even though this original series is out of the spotlight, Mikoto continues to be one of the most appealing fire users out there. Just like Stiyl, he’s tall and easily gets annoyed. And while he is a King, Mikoto doesn’t care much about his prestigious status. He loves sleeping too — but he’s still a wonderful leader of the Red Clan. And with his signature Red Aura, he can improve his offensive skills, burning daunting illusions and unleashing his Flame Slash attack with his left hand.
18. Mereoleona Vermillion
Anime: Black Clover First appearing in the 70th episode of the concluded Black Clover series, Mereoleona Vermillion is also just like my first two entries on this list: She’s tall and short-tempered. But don’t worry — I promise you, not all fire users in anime are like this trio. Anyway, Mereoleona is the first daughter of the House Vermillion. As a noble, her demeanor is quite a surprise. She’s far from your typical timid noblewoman in fiction, but she has a great deal of empathy. And on the battlefield, Mereoleona is a worthy ally. She can change the shape of her fire into that of a huge paw, and she can unleash huge fire spells such as Calidus Brachium, Calidus Brachium Barrage, and the blue-flamed Calidus Brachium Purgatory.
17. Sailor Mars
Anime: Sailor Moon Otherwise known as Rei Hino, Sailor Mars had long beautiful hair and purple eyes. When she wasn’t in her school uniform, she was in her traditional priestess attire. Sailor Mars is also short-tempered like my other picks. But you have to applaud her ambitious nature: She wants to be a singer and model, which is something you wouldn’t expect from a shrine maiden. And while she argues a lot with Sailor Moon, she still deeply respects Usagi Tsukino. Her Fire soul can easily wound her opponents, while Fire Soul Bird is a more potent and bigger version. Moreover, Sailor Mars has the Burning Mandala and the Mars Flame Sniper to precisely target enemies from afar.
16. Hiei
Anime: Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files Alongside Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball in the 1990s, we had this 112-episode supernatural shounen classic. Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files had four main guys, one of whom was Hiei. He’s one of those “small but terrible” characters. In short (get it?), this guy was only 4 feet and 10 inches in height. Yet he had the power to handily defeat monstrously-sized opponents. Hiei is also not as hot-headed as other fire users. As a demon, he doesn’t think that highly of humans, but he has a wonderful relationship with his buddies. One of the best things about Hiei, of course, is that he uses both Mortal Flame (the usual red fire) and Darkness Flame (black flames with demonic elements). If you survive his Fist of the Mortal Flame, the same may not be true against his Dragon of the Darkness Flame and Sword of the Darkness Flame.
15. Asakura Hao
Anime: Shaman King The Shaman King 2021 reboot seems great. And I’m sure that many fans of the 2001 adaptation (that’s 20 years ago) can’t wait to see a better and more faithful adaptation of the manga. And a prominent name in the series is Asakura Hao. He’s the main antagonist, and acknowledged as the strongest shaman. And when you learn he’s already been reborn twice (he was first born during the Heian period, which was from 794 to 1185), you can see why he earned the Shaman King title. His Furyoku level is honestly insane, amounting to 1,250,000. Asakura can harness all six elements thanks to his onmyodo and his Spirit of Fire, but his fire-enhanced combat skills and his Ring of Fire are enough to bring down most foes.
14. Muhammad Avdol
Anime: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is stacked with peculiar characters, one of whom is Muhammad Avdol from Stardust Crusaders. As his name implies, he hails from Egypt. Which makes him valuable in quickly learning the ways and customs of the area. He may seem serious all the time, but this highly strategic and duty-bound man does find joy in many ways. Now his Stand is called Magician’s Red. What sets his Stand apart is its bird-shaped head, sharp claws, and red (or bright orange) color. Magician’s Red excels in close combat due to its strength, speed, and dexterity. Avdol can freely control the Stand’s flames, manipulating its form and intensity — and non-Stand users won’t even see the fire. Lastly, his Stand can cast Life Detector, the constricting Red Bind, and the explosive Cross Fire Hurricane.
13. Katsuki Bakugou
Anime: My Hero Academia Not all fans of Boku no Hero Academia like Bakugou, or his prominence in the show. But I think he’s great. His unsurprisingly short-tempered nature is a fitting contrast to Izuku Midoriya. And as the deuteragonist of MHA, Bakugou is hard to ignore. With his shard red eyes, he strives to be the strongest in his class. His passion to win is so great that he can motivate his classmates to do their best as well. Thankfully, Bakugou has changed for the better after many seasons. What hasn’t changed is his destructive prowess: Bakugou’s Quirk is Explosion. The sweat on his palms contains nitroglycerin, which he can then ignite to cause, well, explosions. His forearms will hurt with continued use, but he’s extensively trained himself to ensure his enemy goes down before he succumbs to the pain.
12. Rin Okumura
Anime: Blue Exorcist Satan is Rin Okumura’s dad. His half-brothers include everyone from Beelzebub to Lucifer and Azazel, but he’s still a kind-hearted guy on the right side of morality. Given that his father is the god of demons, it’s no wonder Rin is a character with fire-based abilities. Yet his fire is special: His Flames of Satan are blue — not red. Granted, Rin had a hard time accepting what he inherited. But he has since achieved better control of his blue flames. Combined with the Kurikara sword, Rin can manipulate his Flames of Satan to cast techniques such as Satan Bomb Campfire, and Flame Emitting Meditation, to cause explosions and unimaginably large fires.
11. Maki Oze
Anime: Fire Force This 19-year-old is a Second Generation fire soldier, and he’s a part of perhaps the most fire-obsessed anime in recent history. Fire Force has a ton of cool character designs. And I’m just one member of the legions of fans who love Maki’s feminine-yet-muscular physique. Despite her power and physical appearance, Maki’s one of the most endearing allies one could have. Plus, she has a cute sentient fireball called Sputter. But if she has to fight, her enemies stand no chance. Maki can easily fight two Third Generations at the same time — she’ll just stamp out their fire attacks and convert them into her own deadly and massive fireball. Furthermore, she’s fantastic in defense, since she can reflect incoming offensive flames and weaken their impact by changing their shape.
10. Shana
Anime: Shakugan No Shana Shana dazzled viewers for three gripping seasons with her beauty, fighting skills, love of melon bread, and her tsundere personality toward Yuuji Sakai. I remember the joy of seeing her long dark hair turn into a fiery red whenever she activates her power — a terrific visual design. As a Flame Haze, Shana is known (and feared) all across the Crimson Realm. Shana has vanquished many mighty Crimson Denizens in her time, which grants her all sorts of abilities: Guren no Sōyoku gives her wings engulfed in flames to fly and dodge attacks. Hien causes flame waves, while Danzai unleashes a ceaseless wave of fire to break through defenses. And if all else fails, there’s always Tenpai Josai. This skill can summon Alastor, the God of the Crimson Realm, but the power can be too much and cost Shana her life (thankfully, she survived her first use).
9. Recca Hanabishi
Anime: Flame Of Recca Flame of Recca isn’t as relevant today like Dragon Ball. But it was a huge hit back in the 1990s. Recca Hanabishi had a similar vibe to Yuusuke Urameshi of Yu Yu Hakusho, and he also turned out to be an appealing MC of another battle shonen series. As the successor of the Hokage (no, this isn’t Naruto), Recca is a fire-wielding ninja. At first, only meager-sized flames appear when he rubs his fingers. But as Recca engages in more fights, his flame becomes more powerful and sizable. And the coolest part about his ability is that the Karyu are contained in his flame. These Karyu are dragon spirits that represent eight of his former clan leaders. Thus, the flames of Recca vary in shape, form, and abilities depending on who he summons — and he can summon more than one dragon at a time.
8. Tsunayoshi Sawada
Anime: Katekyo Hitman Reborn Bleach and Naruto were way more popular back in the day. But the 203-episode Katekyo Hitman Reborn had its fair share of love from shonen fans. Tsunayoshi Sawada has a look in his eyes that undoubtedly proves he’s a kindhearted soul. He crafted his own attack skill called X-Burner that generates a huge blast of Sky Flames. Its variations such as XX-Burner and Condensed X-Burner are even more impressive. His punches can be coated in Sky Flames, and his Zero Point Breakthrough: Revised skill allows him to gather his enemy’s fire to increase his own fiery potential in combat. While Tsunayoshi may have been an apprehensive and supposedly unlucky teenager at first, he’s since developed into a dependable and formidable MC.
7. Itachi Uchiha
Anime: Naruto Yes, Sasuke was also excellent in utilizing all his fire-based techniques. But I’d argue that his older brother Itachi Uchiha deserves this spot more. He was always on everybody’s mind: Itachi was that fearsome man who murdered everyone in his clan except for his younger brother. Then he became part of the powerful Akatsuki organization. He was exemplary in taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, fuinjutsu, genjutsu, and dojutsu. His nature transformations included other elements, but fire was his best element. It didn’t take long for Itachi to learn the Great Fireball Technique — and he often covered his shuriken in flames for more damage. Aside from all his incredible fire abilities, Itachi was one of the most iconic individuals in all of Naruto, someone whose lifelong mission (and preferred strategies) proved he was a complex and well-written character — not a mere mindless mass murderer.
6. Natsu Dragneel
Anime: Fairy Tail With more than 300 episodes across 10 years, Fairy Tail was one of the most successful new titles in the competitive world of shounen anime. At the center of the franchise is Natsu Dragneel, a pink-haired guy who happens to be one of five Dragon Slayers. He often quarrels with the rest of his guildmates in Fairy Tail, but he won’t let his buddies down no matter what. Given his status, Natsu is proficient in Dragon Slayer Magic: He can unleash fire from many parts of his body, and he’s immune to many kinds of fire — he literally eats explosions as if they were nothing. His emotional state is also relevant to this power. The more enraged Natsu feels, the stronger his fire becomes. And from Fire Dragon’s Roar and Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade to Fire Dragon King’s Brilliant Flame, Natsu has a plethora of ultra-powerful fire attacks at his disposal.
5. Hikaru Shidou
Anime: Magic Knight Rayearth Magic Knight Rayearth is one of the best anime in history that features a female MC. In fact, it has three — but the clear central figure is none other than Hikaru Shidou. With her short red hair and red eyes (and short stature), Hikari looked as if she was born to harness the fire element. Add in her courage, might, and a strong belief that things will get better no matter what. And no one can deny that Hikaru had the biggest heart among them. Since she has fire magic, the feisty 14-year-old can cast her favorite Honoo no Yaa, which is also known as Flame Arrow. But her strongest attack is Akai Inazuma that calls forth red lightning that then forms into a ball or orb that she can hurl against her foes. You wouldn’t want to play dodgeball against her.
4. Roy Mustang
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Whether it’s the 2003 series or 2009 anime adaptation, Fullmetal Alchemist has always given Roy Mustang his much-deserved spotlight. His demeanor commands a certain degree of respect and authority, which is fitting since he dreams of leading Amestris. Roy is adept in biological alchemy to physical transmutation. But it’s his fighting style imbued with flame alchemy that earned him his heroic legacy during the Ishvalan War of Extermination. His unique pair of gloves allow him to ignite a spark using his fingers. Then, he uses transmutation circles to adjust oxygen levels in the atmosphere however he pleases. Roy can create a specific path for his flash fire, starting from his location to his target. Thus, he can keep attacking enemies with his flames while ensuring that none of his allies are accidentally hit. And depending on which hand he uses, he can unleash small but precise fire attacks or huge explosions.
3. Shinra Kusakabe
Anime: Fire Force When he was a child, Shinra Kusakabe’s brother and mother perished in a fire. He hasn’t fully recovered from that horrendous event, which is why he has his signature big grin when he’s feeling anxious. But instead of drowning in sorrow and understandably being traumatized by fire, Shinra became part of Special Fire Force Company 8 — vowing to be strong enough to be a hero to everyone. And as a Third Generation Ability User, Shinra is phenomenal. Shinra can use the flames bursting from his feet to propel himself. He can accelerate his movement on the ground, reach elevated areas with ease, and make it hard for enemies to predict where he’s going. Combined with his superb physical combat skills, his ignition ability becomes all the more awe-inspiring.
2. Portgas D. Ace
Anime: One Piece Don’t worry fellow One Piece fans, I did not forget about Portgas D. Ace. As the sworn brothers of Luffy and Sabo, he’s brimming with charisma and potential — and he’s been wreaking havoc since his debut in Episode 90. With his tall stature and tattoos (and how he’s been mostly topless since he got Whitebeard’s tattoo), you’d think violence was always the first option on his mind. In truth, Portgas was a courteous, affable, and quick-witted lad who still knew how to have fun and be reckless once in a while. And it was the Mera Mera no Mi Devil Fruit that gave Portgas all his spectacular fire powers: He could build walls of fire to defend himself, or attack with everything from fire bullets to fireballs and fire cannons. Furthermore, his Fire Fist Ace alone had the power to raze cities. And even without eating a Devil Fruit, he was unfathomably strong and enduring, because of his spartan training in Mount Colubo.
1. Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryuusai
Anime: Bleach Don’t let his appearance fool you. This old man is one of the most devastating characters in all of Bleach. As the Captain-Commander of Gotei 13, Yamamoto deserves a ton of respect, which many Shinigami willingly give. He’s a man of justice. And expects everyone in Soul Society to adhere to the law. If you even attempt to disobey the rules, Yamamoto will berate you until you correct yourself. He possesses the terrifyingly powerful Ryujin Jakka, the best fire-type Zanpakuto anyone could ever wield. Yamamoto can point the blade anywhere and cause massive waves of fire that turn everything into ash. The fire can even reach the sky, engulfing the clouds and covering entire towns. And I haven’t even mentioned his Bankai, which puts all of his fire power into the blade. The weapon becomes so deadly that its target ceases to exist upon contact. And finally, he has Zanka no Tachi, Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisijin (that’s a mouthful) allowing him to bring back all those he killed with his flames, giving him a massive undead army. So he’s really a one-man fiery army all by himself — yet he’s also capable of unleashing his own fearsome army in an instant.
