29+ BEST Old Man Characters We All Love!!

Updated October 29, 2022 by Ernie

Old men play an important role in any anime. They are usually the ones who train our MCs and take them to the level they are. Ofc, some of them are evil as well. You just hate them. 

I don’t know why, but most old characters in anime are HUGE PERVERTS!!! I know it doesn’t make any sense. 

Anyways, let’s take a look at some of the most prolific old man characters we’ve seen in anime.

You should also take a look at this: Anime Characters Who Are GAMERS!

 

BEST OLD MAN CHARACTERS IN ANIME

 

30. Master Roshi (Dragon Ball)

INFORMATION
Title	Dragon Ball
Genre	Adventure, Comedy, Martial Arts, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Toei Animation
Premiered	1986
Episode Count	153
Duration	24 min

How can we not include this Jiji on this list? I mean, it’s just not possible. He’s been with us since the Dragon Ball OG days. 

Master Roshi is one of the main supporting characters in Dragon Ball. He is a brilliant martial artist and also the teacher of our favorite GOKU and KRILLIN! He is also the one who invented the infamous Kamehameha! His Ki control is literally on the next level. On the surface, he looks pretty weak. However, his battle IQ and instincts are on par with most of the newer characters in DBS.

Well! His perverted nature does sometimes get him into trouble. 

 

29. Yoshihiro Shimazu 

INFORMATION
Title	Sengoku Basara
Genre	Action, Historical, Martial Arts, Samurai
Type	TV
Studio	Production I.G
Premiered	2009
Episode Count	12
Duration	23 min.

The next character on this list is Yoshihiro Shimazu. He is also known as the Shimazu Demon and is the leader of the Shimazu Clan. Being reckoned as the Samurai King Warrior, he is insanely strong. Age is just a number for him. Tbh! He just got stronger with age. 

His personality might be a bit messed up as he doesn’t care what happens to people around him. He is not interested in politics or wars, he just wants to fight strong opponents. In this regard, he is quite similar to Goku! 

 

28. Watari (Death Note)

INFORMATION
Title	Death Note
Genre	Psychological, Shounen, Supernatural
Type	TV
Studio	Madhouse
Premiered	2006
Episode Count	37
Duration	23 min.

Watari from Death Note is the next old man on this list. Watari’s character is pretty unique in the sense that even though his character is quite significant, peeps just tend to forget him. 

He serves as L’s handler and is also the logistics supplier to the Japanese Task Force. Besides this, he is also Wammy House’s founder, which has produced some of the world’s best detectives over the recent years. 

About his appearance! He can be seen wearing a tuxedo when he’s dealing with the Japanese Task Force and a rather simple long black coat when working as L’s Handler.

 

27. King Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

INFORMATION
Title	Dragon Ball
Genre	Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts
Type	TV
Studio	Toei Animation
Premiered	1986
Episode Count	153
Duration	24 min

King Piccolo is the next character to feature on this list. Reckoned as the Great Demon King, King Piccolo is one of the primary antagonists in OG Dragon Ball. Technically, he is an old Namekian who wants to spawn an army of demons to wreak havoc on Earth. Pretty messed up, right? 

Let’s just talk about his appearance! For a guy who is reckoned as the DEMON KING, his appearance doesn’t really give you that vibe. I mean, he is somewhat scary! He resembles a goblin, has pointy ears, and is green in colour. 

King Piccolo doesn’t remain an old man his entire life. He uses his abilities to reincarnate himself as Piccolo Junior later on in the series. 

 

26.Danzo Shimura (Naruto)

INFORMATION
Title	Naruto
Genre	Action, Adventure, Martial Arts, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Pierrot
Premiered	2002
Episode Count	220
Duration	23 min.

How can we forget this guy? He is perhaps the most hated anime character of all time. 

Danzo Shimura is one of the antagonists in Naruto and is also known as the Darkness of the Shinobi. He is basically responsible for the Uchiha Clan’s massacre and some other messed up stuff that took place in the Naruto series. He is the founder of the Root and also served as Hokage for some time. 

His loyalty towards Konoha is definitely something worth mentioning. Danzo always placed Konoha above everything else and Peeps really respect him for that. He always remained calm and planned things out before executing them. 

 

25. Dr. Briefs (Dragon Ball)

INFORMATION
Title	Dragon Ball
Genre	Adventure, Comedy, Martial Arts, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Toei Animation
Premiered	1986
Episode Count	153
Duration	24 min

Another Old Man from Dragon Ball. Being on the oldest anime, it does make sense. 

Dr. Briefs is a scientist and is also the founder of the Capsule Corps. He is also reckoned as the richest man in the world. As I guess y’all already know, he is our BULMA’s father. His inventions might be a bit crazy, but he is definitely one of the smartest characters in Dragon Ball. 

 

24.Hiruzen Sarutobi (Naruto)

INFORMATION
Title	Naruto
Genre	Action, Adventure, Martial Arts, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Pierrot
Premiered	2002
Episode Count	220
Duration	23 min.

Ahhhhh! Hiruzen is one of my favorite characters in Naruto. I mean, he is soo COOOL!!

Hiruzen Sarutobi is a member of the Sautobi clan, who were one of the first ones to settle in Konoha. Hiruzan went on to become the 3rd Hokage and was trained by the 2nd Hokage, Tobirama Senju. 

His skills as a Shinobi were unrivalled. He is one of the only few Ninjas who are capable of utilizing all the 4 elements. He is also the one who trained Tsunae, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya. 

According to some people, he was even stronger than Hashirama in his prime. 

 

23.Madara Uchiha (Naruto)

INFORMATION
Title	Naruto
Genre	Action, Adventure, Martial Arts, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Pierrot
Premiered	2002
Episode Count	220
Duration	23 min.

Madara Uchiha is one of the strongest characters in Naruto and is also one of the primary antagonists. He was the co-founder of Konoha Village besides Hashirama. Both of them were best friends, however, their ideologies in establishing peace were somewhat different which led to an all-out battle between the two of them and Madara was killed. 

However, Madara utilized a forbidden Jutsu to manipulate his fate and somehow managed to survive. He is an extremely manipulative person and is a perfectionist. He is also reckoned as the Ghost of the Uchiha. He single-handedly fought an entire army of skilled shinobi and won. 

 

22.Zeno Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter)

INFORMATION
Title	Hunter X Hunter
Genre	Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Madhouse
Premiered	2011
Episode Count	148
Duration	23 min.

Zeno Zoldyck is the next character to feature on this list. Zeno is one of the strongest Nen users, and it would be insulting to call him weak just because he’s old. 

His assassination skills are absolutely monstrous. I don’t think so there’s any other character in Hunter x Hunter who even comes close to him in this regard. It’s quite apparent from his name that he is a member of the Zoldyck family. 

Zeno is a really cool and calm individual. His insane skills allow him to remain calm and level-headed on the battlefield. Being an assassin, he can be merciless at times as well. But, that is part of his job.

 

21.Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto (Bleach)

INFORMATION
Title	Bleach
Genre	Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Pierrot
Premiered	2004
Episode Count	366
Duration	24 min

Yamamato is the most badass character I’ve ever seen. Being the strongest captain and the commander of the Gotei 13, he definitely packs a punch. Judging from his physique, you can’t even guess how old he is. He has battle scars all over his body. 

On the surface, he is a cool and calm individual. However, you wouldn’t want to experience his rage. He hates it when people act on their own and break rules. It is said that if he fully unleashes his Bankai, he can demolish the whole soul society. He is also recognized as the founder of the Gotei 13.

 

20. Walter C. Dornez (Hellsing Ultimate)

INFORMATION
Title	Hellsing Ultimate
Genre	Action, Horror, Military, Seinen, Supernatural, Vampire
Type	OVA
Studio	Madhouse, Satellite, Graphinica
Premiered	2006
Episode Count	10
Duration	49 min

Walter C.Dornez is the next character to feature on this list. Walter C.Dornez is the butler of Hellsing Family. However, he is unlike ordinary friendly butlers. Walter is HELLA strong and has insane reflexes. 

If you ever encounter him in a fight, I’d suggest you run away. His microfilaments would just cut off your head and limbs before you even know it. 

It can get a bit difficult to keep up with his fights sometimes as they are too FAST PACED!!!!

 

19. Furinji Hayato (Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple)

INFORMATION
Title	Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple
Genre	Action, Comedy, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	TMS Entertainment
Premiered	2006
Episode Count	50
Duration	25

Furinji Hayato is a name feared by everyone. He is an expert martial artist and is known as The Invincible Superman. He is also recognized as the strongest master of the Ryozonpaku Dojo. 

In his youth, he was an absolute BEAST!! Even now, no one dares to challenge him. Hayato is totally merciless. He doesn’t care if it’s children, women, or old people. He’ll destroy anyone who comes in his way. 

 

18. Edward Newgate (One Piece)

INFORMATION
Title	One Piece
Genre	Actio, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Toei Animation
Premiered	1999
Episode Count	On-Going
Duration	24 min

Edward Newgate AKA White Beard is the strongest pirate to ever live. He was one of four emperors who ruled over the New World. He is even considered as one of the strongest pirates during Gol D Roger’s time. Possessing the powers of the Gura Gura no Mi, Edward Newgate was a Monster. 

He had scars all over his chest and none on his back as he had never shown his back to anyone in battle. Despite his deteriorating health, he never runs away from battle. 

He had no interest in One Piece. He considered his crew his family and would do anything to protect them. 

 

17. Makarov Dreyar (Fairy Tail)

INFORMATION
Title	Fairy Tail
Genre	Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	A-1 Pictures, Bridge
Premiered	2014
Episode Count	102
Duration	24 min

Makaraz Dreyar, the guild master of our fav Fairy Tail, is the next character on this list. Makarov is the perfect example of “Appearances are often deceptive”. Most people tend to underestimate him because of his age and short stature. However, he is definitely not the person you should look down upon. 

Being one of the 10 Wizard Saints, Makarov is insanely strong. He has the ability to transform into a giant to fight. He even fought a dragon once using this ability. He is prolly the coolest old man on this list. 

 

16. Lordgenome (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)

INFORMATION
Title	Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Genre	Action, Adventure, Comedy, Mecha, Sci-Fi
Type	TV
Studio	Gainax
Premiered	2007
Episode Count	27
Duration	24 min

Lordgenome is unlike your typical old man on this list. He’s been ruling over the Earth for over 1000 years and is known as the Spiral King. He’s definitely not someone I’d include in a list of top 10 good characters lol!

Despite being an antagonist, Lordgenome plays an important role in the end to save our heroes. 

His personality might be a bit messed up. He sees others as tools and throws them away after using them. His hatred for humanity is on another level.

 

15. Sugoroku Matou (Yu-Gi-Oh)

INFORMATION
Title	Yu-Gi-Oh
Genre	Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Toei Animation
Premiered	1998
Episode Count	27
Duration	24 min

Sugoroku Matou is the next character on this list. Being a former gaming master, Sugoroku has some insane amount of knowledge. He is the grandfather of our MC, Yugi Matou, and runs a roadside gaming shop, Kane Game.

He lives in that shop as well alongside his family. He was the one who recovered the infamous Millennium Puzzle from the Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh. His gaming skills are something definitely something worth mentioning as well. 

 

14. Isaac Netero (Hunter X Hunter)

INFORMATION
Title	Hunter X Hunter
Genre	Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Madhouse
Premiered	2011
Episode Count	148
Duration	23 min.

Is it possible to exclude Netero? I mean, is it even possible? If you ask me, NAH!!!

Isaac Netero is the Chairman of the Hunter Committee and was regarded as the Greatest Nen User in his prime. I’m not saying that he has lost his charm, he can still take on any opponent without any fear. He is just too HUMBLE!!

Netero’s insane reflexes and agility are his main strengths. Just like any other old man, people tend to underestimate him and it is usually the last mistake they make. Ohhh! I forgot to mention, he is a martial artist as well and has dedicated his entire life to it. 

In case you want to watch Hunter X Hunter, here is the watch order: Hunter X Hunter Watch Order Guide!

 

13. King Bradley (Fullmetal Alchemist)

INFORMATION
Title	Full Metal Alchemist
Genre	Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Bones
Premiered	2003
Episode Count	51
Duration	24 min

King Bradley from Fullmetal Alchemist is the next character on this list. He is one of the most badass antagonists I’ve ever seen. He serves as the  Fuhrer of the Amestris State Military and is CRAZY strong. Under the eye patch, hides the mysterious Ultimate Eye, which allows him to accurately predict his opponents moves. 

Seeing him, you cannot judge that he’s over 60. His swordsmanship skills are unrivalled. He is also recognized as the Sin of Wrath and is an homunculus. For most people, him being the sin of wrath and a homunculus was the biggest plot twist. 

 

12. Kiroumaru (The New World)

INFORMATION
Title	Shin Sekai New World
Genre	Drama, Horror, Mystery, Psychological
Type	TV
Studio	A-1 Pictures
Premiered	2012
Episode Count	25
Duration	23 min

Kiroumaru is not exactly an old man. He is basically an old rat, who sacrificed his entire life for his race. He is recognized as the Supreme Commander of the Giants Hornet Colony. 

He is one of the most honorable and selfless characters I’ve ever seen. 

He’d do anything to protect his race from humanity. However, in the end, he died an honorable death saving a human. I have nothing but respect for this character. 

 

11. Charles vi Brittania (Code Geass)

INFORMATION
Title	Code Geass; Lelouch of the Rebellion
Genre	Action, Drama, Shounen, Mecha
Type	TV
Studio	Sunrise
Premiered	2006
Episode Count	25
Duration	24 min

Next old man on this list is Charles Vi Brittania. He is the ruler of the vast Britannian Empire. However, his ideology is not one of a good leader. He believes that only the strong deserve to live in this world. 

His only purpose in life is to eliminate the weak and create a perfect world. And for this, he can do anything. He is also the biological father of our MC, Lelouch Brittania. Just like Lelouch, he possessed a Geass which allowed him to alter anyone’s memories. Later in the series, he lost this ability and was granted immortality in exchange.

 

10. Raoh (Fist of North Star)

INFORMATION
Title	Fist of the North Star
Genre	Action, Drama, Martial Arts
Type	TV
Studio	Toei Animation
Premiered	1984
Episode Count	109
Duration	25 min

Raoh is the primary antagonist in Fist of the North Star. He is the elder brother of Kenshiro and Toki. He was trained in the Hokuto Shinden style by the it’s masterRyuken. 

Road did become a fierce fighter but his fighting style became deadly, much to the fear of his master. So, the Hokuto Shinken was passed down to Kenshiro instead. This angered Raoh and killed Ryuken and raised an army. He is recognized as one of the strongest characters in Fist of North Star. He is extremely arrogant and wants people to acknowledge his power at all costs. He even kept those alive who were dying just so they’d fear him. 

 

9. Zodd the Immortal (Berserk)

INFORMATION
Title	Berserk
Genre	Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Type	TV
Studio	Millepensee, GEMBA
Premiered	2016
Episode Count	12
Duration	24 min

Zodd the immortal is the next character on this list. He is an extremely strong swordsman who serves Griffith. He is basically an immortal demon. He has this long ass going on with the Skull Knight which keeps him going. 

Even though he serves Griffith, their ideals are entirely different. He is merciless to the point that he doesn’t even spare children and women, and has slaughtered thousands of people on this battlefield. However, his thirst for battle is still not quenched. He keeps looking for the “Ultimate One” whom he can fight equally.

 

8. Hiko Seijuro (Rurouni Kenshin)

 

INFORMATION
Title	Rurouni Kenshin
Genre	Action, Adventure, Comedy, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Gallop, Studio Deen
Premiered	1996
Episode Count	94
Duration	25 min

Master and adoptive father of our MC Rurouni Kenshin, Hiko Siejuro is the next character on this list. He was the one who saved Kenshin from some bandits and then taught him the way of the sword. He is like a father to Kenshin.

Hiko is extremely strong and humble. He doesn’t like showing off his strength and keeps a low profile. He even masks his insane speed and agility by wearing Hiten Matsuragi Master’s heavy cloak. 

 

7. Silver Fang/ Bang (One Punch Man)

INFORMATION
Title	One Punch Man
Genre	Action, Comedy, Parody, Seinen
Type	TV
Studio	Madhouse
Premiered	2015
Episode Count	12
Duration	24 min

Silver Fang AKA Bang is the next character on this list. Being one of the S-Rank Heroes, Bang is insanely strong. He is a martial artist and utilizes the Rock-Smashing Water Stream Fist style. 

Despite his age, he is one of the strongest characters in OPM. He is one of the only few characters who know about Saitama’s true power and respects him. He runs a Dojo and even tried to trick Saitama into becoming his disciple. 

He remains cool and calm under most situations. He is the type of person who analyzes the condition first and then formulates a strategy.

 

6. Yoshimura (Tokyo Ghoul)

INFORMATION
Title	Tokyo Ghoul
Genre	Action, Fantasy, Gore, Horror
Type	TV
Studio	Pierrot
Premiered	2014
Episode Count	12
Duration	24 min

Yoshimura AKA the One Eyed Ghoul is one of the strongest characters in Tokyo Ghoul. You won’t see many old ghouls as most of them are usually hunted down by Investigators. 

Yoshimura runs a cafe named Anteiku Cafe. On the surface, it is a normal cafe. In reality, it is a secret society for helping powerless ghouls who cannot survive on their own. Yoshimura’s One Eyed Ghoul identity is just a facade to save his daughter, who is the real One-Eyed Ghoul. 

He was also the one who took Kaneki in when he turned into a ghoul and helped him. 

 

5. Silver Rayleigh (One Piece)

INFORMATION
Title	One Piece
Genre	Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Toei Animation
Premiered	1999
Episode Count	On Going
Duration	24 min

Silver Rayleigh or the  Dark King is prolly the most badass old man I’ve seen. He is recognized as one of the strongest characters in One Piece. The interesting thing here is that unlike other characters, he is not a devil fruit user. 

His strength is because of his mastery over Haki. He is even the one who taught Luffy the basics of Haki. Ohhh! I forgot to mention one thing. Rayleigh was the right hand man of Pirate King Gol D Roger and the Vice Commander of Roger Pirates. 

 

4. Zeus (Record of Ragnarok)

INFORMATION
Title	Record of Ragnarok
Genre	Action, Drama, Seinen
Type	ONA
Studio	Grahininca
Premiered	2021
Episode Count	12
Duration	24 min

The Supreme Deity Zeus is the next character on this list. Zeus represented the Gods in the second round. 

Zeus is basically the Leader of Gods and also the Chairman of God’s council. He is regarded as the strongest God and is basically a MONSTER!! On the surface, he seems pretty mature and calculated. However, in reality, he’s a sadist who is obsessed with fighting and crushing his opponents. 

I’d avoid getting near him. 

 

3. Gakuganji (Jujutsu Kaisen)

INFORMATION
Title	Jujutsu Kaisen
Genre	Action, Award winning, Fantasy, Seinen
Type	TV
Studio	MAPPA
Premiered	2020
Episode Count	24
Duration	23 min

Gakuganji is a grade-1 sorcerer and is the principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High School. He is extremely skilled and experienced. His cursed technique might not be that special. But, his experience gives him an upper hand in battle 

Most people tend to underestimate him but he always proves them wrong. Well! Like other Jujutsu higher-ups, he is against Itadori being kept alive. He REALLY HATES Gojo Saturo as well. 

 

2. Jiraiya (Naruto)

INFORMATION
Title	Naruto
Genre	Action, Adventure, Martial Arts, Shounen
Type	TV
Studio	Pierrot
Premiered	2002
Episode Count	220
Duration	23 min.

How can we forget our favorite Jiraiya Sensei? Jiraiya is one of the Legendary Sanin and is regarded as one of the strongest characters in the Naruto Verse. 

He was the Hero of the 2nd Great Ninja War and is also the one who taught Naruto the Rasengan. Jiraiya’s perverted nature gets him into trouble sometimes and he even sacrifices Naruto’s training just to peek at girls. 

His loyalty towards Konoha is something worth mentioning. He even threatened Tsunade that if she ever betrayed Konoha, he’d kill her with his own hands, even though he loves her.

 

1. Joseph Joestar (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)

INFORMATION
Title	Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders
Genre	Action, Adventure, Shounen, Drama
Type	TV
Studio	David Production
Premiered	2014
Episode Count	24
Duration	24 min

Joseph Joestar is the protagonist of the 2nd Part of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Battle Tendency. Well! In this part, he wasn’t an old man. He was a young fellow. However, in the next parts, he serves as a supporting character, and ofc he got old as time passed by. 

Joseph is an extremely skilled Hamon user and is also a stand user. His stand is named Purple Hermit. He cares a lot about his family and would do anything to protect them. 

 

Conclusion

This concludes the list fellas. I would’ve loved to add even more characters. But, for the time being, you gotta make do with these!!

Sayonara! Peace!

Here are some recomms for you: Best SHOUNEN Anime!