Summary
Anime often creates entire worlds with their own rules, societies, and religions. These religions sometimes have their own gods, beings of incredible power that are much more prominent in their respective worlds, and sometimes come down from the heavens and interact with their people on a regular basis. Gods in anime are often responsible for the stories that the main character experiences.
Whether characters are blessed by a god or summoned from another world to aid them in a quest, gods are a main factor in many anime. However, Gods are not always benevolent and can be quite sinister in their dealings. For every heroic deity, there is an evil god who strikes terror in everyone in their presence or by mentioning their name. Gods vary in power and roles, but fear is a constant phenomenon when dealing with some of the more violent and morally gray gods. Here are some of the most terrifying gods in anime, ranked.
Studio Ghibliisn’t particularly known for gruesome or terrifying designs, which is why in the beloved classicSpirited Away, No Face was such a shock. No Face first appeared early on in the animated film when Chihiro was aboard the train and sat next to the transparent spirit.
While the spirit seemed non-threatening at first, that would change and escalate the longer the film went on. By the final minutes ofSpirited Away, No Face was a monstrous mass of aggression and hunger, devouring anything in its path with no rhyme or reason for its actions. Its translucent black body added to its frightful presence, leaving memorable impressions on all viewers.
Freya is one of the most powerful gods inDanmachi, or"Is It Wrong to Pick up Girls in a Dungeon?". Early in the series, Freya takes a backseat as a looming antagonist with her hooks in Belle Cranel, but it’s slowly revealed that she has a significant investment in Bell’s success and wants to watch him fall. Freya’s true personality is quite sadistic and borderline insane as she finds pleasure in the struggle and misfortune of heroes. Driving her to the point of intoxication, the only thing more frightening than Freya’s sadistic nature is when she grows enraged and becomes a cold and ruthless deity.
Madoka Magicais a diamond in the rough among anime. Its outward appearance leads viewers to believe it is a lighthearted series that lures fans into expecting an easygoing story to enjoy. In reality,Madoka Magicais a dark and heartwrenching anime that holds a lot of weight in the magical girl genre.
Madoka Kaname falls on the list as one of the most terrifying gods in anime, as she is the most powerful being in her universe and also all of anime. Madoka serves as the Law of Cycles and, as such, can openly rewrite reality at will. With her power being near endless, she possesses a frightening amount of power that can end everything and begin it anew in the blink of an eye.
Dragon Ball’s long history has created countless terrifying creatures and antagonists throughout the years. Goku and his allies have fought some of the universe’s most dangerous and ruthless beings and barely grasped victory with their lives. One of the most recent introductions isthe God of destruction, an unimaginably powerful being in charge of destroying entire universes.
Beerus is the current God of destruction in Goku and Vageta’s universe. While his surface-level personality is somewhat disarming, it can change at the drop of a hat into a more villainous and ruthless egomaniac with the power to annihilate words with the flick of his finger.
Record of Ragnarokis filled to the brim with powerful and menacing gods who possess ultimate power. In the series, gods go head-to-head against legendary mortals who have achieved immortality by being forever remembered throughout history. Among the long list of dangerous individuals in Record of Ragnarok, one of the most unnerving gods was Thor. As one of the most polarizing versions of the God of thunder,Record of Ragnarok’s Thor barely spoke a word and only appeared on the battlefield to claim victory. Ruthless and unforgiving, Thor decimated his opponent and barely broke a sweat while doing so.
Truth is a mysterious entity inFullmetal Alchemist.While it is not directly regarded as a deity, it is of divine power and is the foundation of the most powerful tool in the world, Alchemy. It is revealed that Truth is sentient and appears when an Alchemist attemptshuman transmutation.
It acts independently and decides what is of equivalent value regarding the relationship between the alchemist and the life they seek to create. Truth seems to live outside the laws of physics, and its true power and origin are still unknown, but much like the abyss, it is a terrifying thing to stare into.
AsNaruto’s original story slowly came to an end, a new world was discovered and a new story was started. Kaguya Otsutsuki is an ancient being descended from the supposed gods of the role and is an immensely powerful being, and serves as the origin of Chakra on Earth.
Having more power than the ten tails, Kaguya is a force of nature that is unmatched by the elders of the Otsutsuki Clan. At the same time, being the source of the Sharingan and possessing the purest form of the eye technique in Naruto, Kaguya is one of the most terrifying gods in anime.
Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation
Orsted is considered one ofJobless Incarnation’s most powerful and menacing gods. First appearing in the finale of season 1 ofJobless Incarnation, Orsted is portrayed as an older man with incredible strength, skill, and magical power. Orsted goes after Rudeus after learning of his connection with the man-faced God and succeeds in killing him with his bare hands, barely affected by some of Rudeus' most potent spells.
Orsted is known as the Dragon God, a powerful human hybrid descendant of the first Dragon God and the Human God. His cold demeanor and unmatched ability make him the most terrifying God who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.
