20 Best Anime Dragons of All Time

Dragons are a staple of anime, which is why the best anime dragons are so iconic. Few mythical creatures have touched as many imaginations as the dragon, and that’s abundantly clear in the realm of anime. Dragons have always had a place in anime since the medium’s very beginnings, and though they were relegated to pure fantasy in the past, even that has changed in recent years.

With so many anime incorporating dragons in such a wide array of roles, it’s easy to see that anime has expanded the definition of dragon. Anime dragons can act as many things in a story; they may be powerful destroyers, wise mentors on a hero’s journey, or distant godlike beings to fulfill wishes. Their role in the plot is always memorable, and some dragons even rank among the best characters in anime history.

20 Ryukyu Always Makes Due With Her Limited Screentime

Character From Bones’ My Hero Academia

Ryuko Tatsuma, better known as the Dragoon Hero Ryukyu, is one of the top 10 heroes in Japan in Bones’ My Hero Academia and the hero Ochaco and Tsuyu end up interning for. As her name would imply, Ryukyu’s Quirk lets her turn into a giant dragon, and she uses her dragon form both for combat and for transporting fellow heroes in battle.

While Ryukyu has never been a major character in My Hero Academia, between the great designs of her human and dragon forms and how often she manages to put up a fight, Ryukyu has done a lot to make herself one of My Hero Academia‘s most endearing side characters. My Hero Academia always knows how to get the most out of its minor characters, and Ryukyu is undoubtedly one of the best examples of that.

19 Tohru Is A Troublesome Romantic In A Modern World

Character From Kyoto Animation’s Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid sees an overworked office worker named Kobayashi who one day finds herself employing a dragon named Tohru. Transforming herself into a human woman (albeit one with horns and a tail), Tohru offers her services as a maid to Kobayashi.

Unfortunately for Kobayashi though, Tohru is often more trouble than she’s worth, as her mischievous personality often leads the duo into misadventures. Kobayashi might be one of anime’s most unconventional dragons by most appearances, but she also ranks among the best for how much fun she is to watch. The mighty dragon is rarely a servant in anime, making Tohru quite a rare specimen.

18 Bahamut Rains Destruction Upon All

Character From MAPPA’s Rage Of Bahamut

Adapted from a popular mobile game of the same name, Rage of Bahamut follows three heroes on a quest to prevent the resurrection of the all-powerful Bahamut. Bahamut is a common figure in fantasy, due in large part to the massive dragon’s inclusion in fantasy staples like Dungeons & Dragons and Final Fantasy, where it is sometimes a force for good.

Unfortunately,
Rage of Bahamut’s
streaming home is Funimation, which is shutting down in April 2024. It remains to be seen whether the series will be transferred to Crunchyroll in the wake of Funimation’s closure.

Unfortunately for the world of Mistarcia, Rage of Bahamut’s big dragon is a world-ending threat. In terms of raw power, few anime dragons can match Rage of Bahamut‘s titular menace. Having an anime be named after a dragon always sets expectations high for the titular monster, and Rage of Bahamut certainly doesn’t disappoint in that regard.

17 Masotan Is a Dragon Unlike Any Other

Character From Bones’ Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan

Perhaps one of the most unique anime dragons of all time, Dragon Pilot’s Masotan is a combination fighter jet and adorable dragon. Alongside his pilot Hisone, Masotan serves Japan’s Air Force as an Organic Transformed Flyer, or OTF. Dragon riders are a staple of fantasy, but few riders steer their dragons from inside like Hisone does.

This fun series with a unique premise was criminally underrated upon release. The dragon designs are a lot of fun and lean more toward cute than scary. Dragon Pilot’s Masotan might not be the most intimidating dragon, but he ranks among the sweetest.

16 Imperialdramon Is Still One Of The Best Digimon To Come Out Of The Anime

Character From Toei Animation’s Digimon Adventure 02

Imperialdramon is the final form of the DNA Digivolution of Veemon and Wormmon, the two main Digimon of Digimon Adventure 02. Imperialdramon switches between a dragon mode and a bipedal Fighter Mode, both of which have powerful laser attacks as their primary method of combat, and it can even combine with Omnimon to form Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, the founder of the Royal Knights and one of the strongest Digimon in the franchise.

Between an interesting form-changing gimmick, a great character design in every form, and writing that always sells it as an imposing and powerful character, Imperialdramon is one of the best Mega Digimon in the entire Digimon anime, and the build-up to its debut was plenty worth the wait. The original Digimon Adventure is the most iconic entry in the anime, but thanks to Imperialdramon, 02 is plenty iconic on its own, as well.

15 War Greymon Grows Into an Awesome Dragon Digimon

Character From Toei Animation’s Digimon Adventure

Though some might associate War Greymon more with dinosaurs due to its evolutionary line, Digimon Adventure’s War Greymon is a dragon through and through. The most iconic version of this digital dragon is easily his partnership with Tai in the original Digimon Adventure series.

What makes that iteration of War Greymon so compelling is his growth into a dragon, as fans get to see Agumon grow in power as his bond with Tai grows stronger. War Greymon might lose rank for not being immediately recognizable as a dragon, but he’s still one of anime’s best dragons for his character growth.

14 Dragonite Is The Original Dragon Pokémon

Character From OLM, Inc.’s Pokémon

Dragonite is a relatively new addition to Ash Ketchum’s team, but the species has had a long history in the Pokémon anime. The orange goofball quickly became one of Ash’s strongest Pokémon, and it remains a memorable character who steals every scene.

Thanks to its warm personality and considerable power, Dragonite cemented its place as a fan favorite. Dragonite might not be the wisest anime dragon; it doesn’t talk or offer advice to the young Trainer. However, it is one of the smartest dragon-type Pokémon, with many Pokédex entries describing its “human-like intelligence.”

13 Ryūkotsusei Wields Incredible Power and Immeasurable Evil

Character From Sunrise’s Inuyasha

Before the events of Inuyasha, Ryūkotsusei was a great demon who terrified the land. Inuyasha’s father, Tōga, fought and defeated the dragon, sealing him away. Inuyasha’s arch-enemy, Naraku, helps Ryūkotsusei come back to life centuries later, and the dragon engages Inuyasha in a fierce battle.

Ryūkotsusei is vain, cruel, and ruthless. He only cares about destruction and constantly looks for worthy opponents to fight. He believes himself invincible, and considers everyone to be beneath him. As far as anime dragons go, Ryūkotsusei is one of the most memorable, a villain whose imposing and terrifying appearance lives up to its reputation.

12 Kaido Wields Unimaginable Draconic Power

Character From Toei Animation’s One Piece

When Kaido, renowned as One Piece’s strongest creature, ate the Fish-Fish Fruit, he transformed into a Azure Dragon. As a human-dragon hybrid, he becomes massive, with thick and durable blue scales covering his entire body. In this new form, he breathes fire, creates clouds that allow him to move through the air, releases sharp blades by blowing, and calls lightning with his roar.

Over time, he achieves control over his draconic abilities, until he can access them without needing to transform. Kaido’s dragon form is so powerful that he’s beaten Luffy within an inch of his life more than once.

11 Hyōrinmaru Is The Ultimate Ice Dragon

Character From Studio Pierrot’s Bleach

Hyōrinmaru is the manifested spirit of Tōshirō Hitsugaya’s Zanpakutō, one of the most likable characters in the Bleach anime. When Hitsugaya was a child, Hyōrinmaru frequently appeared as a serpentine ice dragon in his dreams. During The Thousand-Year Blood War, Hitsugaya loses his Bankai and the ability to communicate with Hyōrinmaru. Once he recovers it, Hyōrinmaru returns to him.

Anime dragons are usually depicted as larger-than-life and imposing, but Hyōrinmaru definitely looks mightier and more menacing than others of its kind. Thanks to its wings, thick legs, and overall muscular frame, Hyōrinmaru blows other anime dragons out of the water.

10 Igneel Is The Fatherly Dragon That Everyone Wishes They Had

Character From J.C.Staff’s Fairy Tail

Known as the Fire Dragon King, Igneel is the foster father of Natsu Dragneel. He is a loving, protective father figure, even after leaving Natsu. After Acnologia’s Dragon Slaying Magic leaves him badly wounded, he seals his soul inside Natsu to recuperate.

Igneel goes through a complex and compelling journey. He starts as an arrogant dragon, indifferent to human beings. Through Natsu, he grows to care for humans, to the point where Igneel becomes “the dragon who loved humans more than any other.” Igneel is the perfect ally acting as a loving mentor and guide to the story’s protagonist.

9 Blue Dragon Is Careful About Who May Wield Its Awesome Power

Character From Studio Pierrot’s Blue Dragon

Based on the 2006 video game, Blue Dragon tells the story of Shu, a young boy who receives the power to turn his shadow into a monster. As a Shadow Wielder, Shu’s monster is the indomitable Blue Dragon. At first, their relationship is hostile, with the beast unwilling to obey Shu’s commands. They eventually learn to work together, but Blue Dragon remains critical of Shu.

Blue Dragon is arrogant, selfish, cold, and sometimes cruel, although he does care about Shu’s well-being. Blue Dragon wields truly incredible power, which often comes in clutch during the series’ darkest moments.

8 Fredrika Is A Shape-Changing Predator Unlike Any Other

Character From Bones’ Chaika: The Coffin Princess

Fredrika makes sporadic appearances throughout Chaika: The Coffin Princess. She does not have a consistent form, instead taking several different ones. During the war, she adopted the form of a white-horned dragon and kept bringing it back whenever it was time to fight.

Fredrika is intelligent, but still very much a predator who enjoys stalking her prey, especially during battle. Anime dragons are mostly fearsome, even when they’re allies. This dragon figure commands respect, so it makes sense that they often act as brave warriors in battle or fearsome enemies capable of destroying entire armies.

7 Falin’s Chimera Form Is A Sight To Behold

Character From Studio Trigger’s Delicious In Dungeon

Near the end of the first half of Studio Trigger’s Delicious in Dungeon, Laios and his party succeeded in bringing Falin back to life, but her troubles didn’t end there. Thistle the Lunatic Magician, the dungeon lord, needed a replacement for the red dragon Laios killed, so he brainwashed Falin into being his servant and fused her with the red dragon’s remains to create a vicious chimera that nearly slaughtered Laios, Shuro, and Kabru’s parties, singlehandedly.

While not having a lot of screentime in season 1, chimera Falin’s focus episode in Delicious in Dungeon did a great job of selling her as a menacing and tragic figure, all of which was wrapped around an incredibly creative character design. Delicious in Dungeon season 2 is currently in development, and hopefully, it will give chimera Falin plenty more time to make an impression on people.

6 Acnologia Is The Genocidal Dragon Of Modern Anime

Character From J.C.Staff’s Fairy Tail

Described as a catastrophically powerful Dragon Slayer, Acnologia is the ruthless antagonist of Fairy Tail. He bathed in the blood of the dragons he killed, allowing him to transform into a dragon at will. Although he begins by having a close relationship with dragons, he grows to resent them after one murders his family.

Bloodthirsty and violent in either form, Acnologia is a terrifying being. He holds nothing but contempt for humans and dragons alike and won’t stop until he kills every last dragon. As far as anime dragons go, Acnologia might be the evilest and vilest of all.

5 Nuova Shenron Is Easily The Best Of The Shadow Dragons

Character From Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball GT

Nuova Shenron is the Four Star Dragon of Dragon Ball GT‘s Shadow Dragons, born from King Piccolo’s wish to regain his youth. Nuova Shenron fights with a variety of fire-based attacks, and unlike the other Shadow Dragons, he has a sense of honor and kindness, something implied to be because he was created from the negative energy of a selfish wish, and he even tried to help Goku defeat Omega Shenron near the end of the series, as well.

In addition to having a cool design and fighting style, Nuova Shenron stands out for being the Shadow Dragon with the most fleshed-out personality beyond being evil, not to mention being the first one to be a genuine challenge to Goku. The Shadow Dragon saga wasn’t the best Dragon Ball story, but Nuova Shenron’s brief time during it was a definite highlight.

4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon Is One Of The Ultimate Duel Monsters

Character From Gallop’s Yu-Gi-Oh!

The powerful Blue-Eyes White Dragon is indisputably one of Yu-Gi-Oh’s most iconic monsters, and that’s for good reason. Not only is Blue-Eyes closely tied to fan-favorite character Kaiba, it also plays a pivotal role in more than a few battles throughout the series. More than just a one-trick pony though, Blue-Eyes’ ability to iterate and evolve makes it an interesting dragon.

From the almighty Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to the visually impressive Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, few anime dragons have as many incredible variants as Blue-Eyes does, instantly marking it as one of anime’s very best.

3 Haku Is Still One Of Studio Ghibli’s Most Iconic Characters

Character From Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away

Widely considered one of the best movies of all time, Spirited Away centers on Chihiro, a ten-year-old girl who enters the world of Kami. When Yubaba magically turns her parents into pigs, Chihiro must find a way to free her parents and return home.

One of the most memorable characters in the movie is Haku. First appearing as a young boy, he is actually a lost river spirit in the form of a white dragon. Haku is, without a doubt, one of the most famous anime dragons in history, instantly recognizable and crucial to the story.

2 Yubel Is One Of Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Most Tragic Villains

Character From Gallop’s Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Before Yu-Gi-Oh! GX‘s Yubel was a villain, they were the lover of Jaden Yuki’s past life who took on a demonic transformation to protect them from the Light of Destruction. Yubel’s transformation is referred to as them becoming a “dragon,” and that best shows itself with their Terror Incarnate and Ultimate Nightmare forms, both of which resemble demonic dragons with multiple heads.

At first, Yubel comes off as little more than a twisted sadist with an increasingly demonic design to match, but after the full extent of their backstory is revealed, Yubel becomes one of the most tragic and sympathetic characters in the entire Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. That writing led to them becoming an ally in season 4 as they rebuilt their relationship with Jaden, and whether it’s as a hero or a villain, they always managed to be one of the best characters in the series.

1 Shenron Is The Ultimate Anime Dragon

Character From Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball

The most iconic anime dragon, Shenron is the mythical being summoned by the Dragon Balls. Shenron is a magnificent, serpentine green dragon capable of granting three wishes to those who gather all seven Dragon Balls. Shenron might be one of the most intelligent characters in Dragon Ball, but he’s also a truly neutral being, granting any wish within his power without caring if it’s “good” or “bad.”

Although he maintains his stoic personality during most appearances, he does show some degree of desperation, particularly with frivolous wishes. This comes together to make Shenron the best anime dragon of all time.