From Genkai to Master Roshi: 8 Old-Gen Characters Who Are Secretly OP, Ranked

Don’t let their age fool you. From Genkai to Master Roshi, many old-gen anime characters are even stronger than your favorite anime protagonist. Age is certainly just a number for them. In fact, some of them only kept growing stronger as they got older. And honestly, it’s always so cool when they’re introduced as these feeble figures, only to hit us with the truth later that they are secretly overpowered. Now, among the many, here are 8 of the strongest old-gen anime characters, ranked by their absolute strength.

8 Gran Torino Technically Never Lets His Age Catch Up to Him

Wasn’t he so adorable when Gran Torino was first introduced? His small height didn’t even make him look remotely threatening. But who knew Grandpa still had it in him? Not only did Gran Torino train All Might in the past, but even in the present, he was still capable of fighting alongside All Might against the League of Villains during the Kamino Incident. His Jet Quirk makes him almost impossible to track down. But still, compared to the other entries above him, Gran Torino’s powers are within human comprehension. Therefore, we had to rank him at the bottom.

7 Genkai’s Martial Arts Skills Are Perfect For a Spirit Detective

Anime’s most dangerous tournament, the Dark Tournament, also bears witness to Genkai’s strength even in her old age. Physically, she is considerably stronger than Gran Torino. She was also the one who trained the protagonist of Yu Yu Hakusho. Especially, Genkai’s matchup against Suzuki, one of the tournament’s most powerful fighters, earned her a place as high as 7th on the list. At one point in the anime, she could even attain her younger physical form, and during that time, Genkai flexed her strength a little too hard to ignore.

6 Jiraiya’s Sage Mode Makes Him Extremely Versatile in Combat

Sage Mode in Naruto is no joke. Only a handful of people have mastered it, but Jiraiya is one of the prominent names among them. Jiraiya was not only a good mentor to Naruto, but he also showcased his immense strength in multiple life-threatening scenarios. His fight against Pain’s Six Paths helped him earn the 6th place on the list. Even his summon, Gamabunta, further increases his personal strength points. Anyone would absolutely love to have a grandpa like Jiraiya, both as a protector and a mentor.

5 Bang Is the Most Technically Refined Old-Gen Martial Artist

Bang’s introduction in One Punch Man was a certified banger moment. He does look like an old geezer, but whenever he rips his clothes off, his muscular build is capable of humbling literally anyone. The man is tough as rock, and his martial arts skills are just on another level. During the Monster Association arc, Bang fought against extremely powerful monsters and defeated them all by himself. He even fought Garou in Season 2. His ability to redirect his opponent’s power against them is particularly broken, which allows him to secure a place in the top 5.

4 Rayleigh Boasts His Advanced Armament & Conqueror’s Haki

Despite being well past his prime, Silvers Rayleigh remains an absolute beast. The One Piece power system is already so broken, and when the user can wield both Advanced Armament and Conqueror’s Haki, it takes on a whole other level. His massive feats speak for themselves. The gramps even fought Kizaru during the Sabaody Archipelago arc and successfully stopped him! Also, when he went up against Blackbeard, Blackbeard chose to withdraw rather than fight him. This shows just how powerful Rayleigh is. There’s no doubt Rayleigh deserves the 4th spot on the list of strongest old-gen anime characters.

3 Isaac Netero Arguably Has the Most Devastating Finishing Move

Underneath his goofy personality and wise demeanor, Netero hides mountain-crushing powers. Netero is the Hunter x Hunter version of Saitama, as he kept punching 10,000 times every day until he achieved martial arts mastery. But he is way more than a conventional combat specialist. The gramps literally possesses arguably one of anime’s most devastating finishing moves, the Zero Hand. And that’s not all. Since it still wasn’t enough to kill Meruem, he even used the Poor Man’s Rose, which indirectly sealed the deal. Thus, he deserves to be in the top 3.

2 Yamamoto’s Bankai, Zanka no Tachi, Makes Him Untouchable

When it comes to raw power and destruction potential, not many anime characters would come close to Yamamoto’s level, let alone old-gen characters. His Bankai, Zanka no Tachi, can even concentrate the enormous heat of the sun, approaching 15,000,000°C, making physical contact with him essentially impossible. Like, imagine being so powerful that Yamamoto’s own existence threatened the Soul Society! Also, with over 2,000 years of combat experience, Yamamoto swiftly claims the 2nd spot on the list. His mustache also adds more aura points to him.

1 Master Roshi Inherently Possesses Enormous Destructive Power

Writing Master Roshi’s name next to the other characters mentioned above feels like an insult to him. He is in a league of his own. After all, Dragon Ball‘s power scaling goes all the way to galaxy and universe level. Also, let’s not forget that Master Roshi was the one who managed to decipher the fundamentals of Ultra Instinct before Goku did. The gramps might be extremely perverted in the storyline, but his strength is just on a whole other level. His Kamehameha has even been capable of destroying the Moon! And that’s just a fraction of a showcase of his true strength. Thus, Master Roshi is crowned the #1 spot.

So, what are your thoughts on the entries? Let us know in the comments.