Highlights
-
Tokyo Ghoul
is best experienced through its manga, which captures the essence of the successful series. - The main story follows Ken Kaneki, a human turned half-ghoul, as he navigates the mutual hatred and violence between ghouls and humans.
- The series features powerful ghouls like Shachi, Noro, Takizawa, Yoshimura, Eto, Kichimura Washuu, and the protagonist Kaneki, who becomes the most powerful ghoul in the series.
Despite the massive amount of attention garnered by the first season of the anime, Tokyo Ghoul is best enjoyed through its manga, which is the only real way to experience the essence of what made it such a successful series in the first place. Sui Ishida’s dark fantasy action thriller takes place in a world where humans live alongside creatures known as ghouls, who resemble humans but are far stronger, more durable, and need to consume human flesh in order to survive.
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The main story of Tokyo Ghoul and its successor, Tokyo Ghoul:re, followed Ken Kaneki, a human who was turned into a half-ghoul by an operation which saved him from dying in a fatal accident. He subsequently struggled to accept his new identity while also being forced to confront the effects of the mutual hatred and cycle of violence that was prevalent between ghouls and humans. Naturally, the cast of the series featured some incredibly powerful ghoul characters, but who among them was the strongest?
7 Shachi / Matasaka Kamishiro
An Exceptional Martial Artist
As one of the few ghouls who was actually well-versed in a variety of fighting styles, Matasaka Kamishiro, better known as “Shachi,” was able to make full use of his superhuman strength as a ghoul, and took on some of the series’ most fearsome ghouls and Ghoul Investigators. He was also aided by his potent bikaku kagune, which was far larger than usual, with its shape earning him the epithet of “Orca.”
Shachi also had an astute strategic mind, where he was able to quickly read his opponents’ moves, pick up on weaknesses, and target them effectively. He was able to defeat Ken Kaneki early on in the story, and even discovered Kishou Arima’s blind spot after a few exchanges. Unfortunately, this was not enough to overpower the CCG’s “White Reaper.”
6 Noro
Abilities That Defied Explanation
In many respects, Noro was an anomaly among the cast of Tokyo Ghoul, as he seldom spoke and his actions were extremely unpredictable. That being said, his strength as a ghoul was unquestionable, both due to his powerful bikaku kagune and kakuja, as well as his terrifying regenerative powers.
This latter ability was what turned him from a fearsome combatant into a force of nature that was nearly impossible to stop. He could heal practically any wound instantly and survived being bisected, shot in the head, and other forms of mutilation, without so much as a shred of fear. It took the efforts of multiple ghouls, Ghoul Investigators, and members of the Quinx Squad to finally take him out after a long, drawn-out battle, which speaks volumes of how truly terrifying he was.
5 Seidou Takizawa
The Strongest Owl Clone
Make no mistake, Seidou Takizawa endured an incredible amount of suffering throughout the series, and his character arc was nearly as tragic as that of Tokyo Ghoul’s protagonist. From a timid young Ghoul Investigator to a deranged one-eyed ghoul driven to the point of insanity by the experiments of Akihiro Kanou, Takizawa’s transformation was something extraordinary and a huge part of what made his character so memorable.
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Having inherited the kakuhou of Yoshimura, the original “Owl,” Takizawa had a powerful ukaku kagune that could fire projectiles over long distances and an accompanying bladed kakuja armor which allowed him to excel in short-range confrontations. His speed, regeneration, and hybrid vigor were also exemplary, which is why he was able to defeat many of the series’ strongest ghouls.
4 Yoshimura
The Non-Killing Owl
One of the most powerful ghouls in history, Yoshimura was one of the few ghouls to fight Kishou Arima and survive. His ukaku kagune and kakuja reached unprecedented levels of strength in the many years he spent hunting down and cannibalizing other ghouls. While his kagune could fire projectiles of any size and density from all parts of his body, his kakuja formed two blades from his shoulders which he could use for melee attacks at short range.
In addition to this, Yoshimura was extremely fast despite his bulky frame, with his speed being seen as nearly equal to Arima’s, which was a feat in and of itself. His regeneration, durability, and pain tolerance were off the charts, as he routinely sustained major injuries but continued to fight without any visible impact on his mobility or strength. Lastly, his combat intelligence and fighting skills were enough to take on hordes of Ghoul Investigators at once, which he did to divert attention away from his daughter Eto, becoming known as the “Non-Killing Owl.”
3 Eto Yoshimura
The One-Eyed Owl
Feared by the CCG and civilians alike as the notorious “One-Eyed Owl,” Eto Yoshimura inherited her father’s powerful kagune, and turned it into an even more potent weapon by mastering and expanding its abilities. Just like Yoshimura, Eto could use her ukaku kagune to fire projectiles, while her kakuja was ideal for short to mid-range combat scenarios. However, Eto could also extend her kagune to create appendages, which formed eyes, arms, legs, and even mouths that could talk.
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Her command over her kagune was far beyond that of an ordinary ghoul, and she was one of the few who remained sentient while using her kakuja, without any signs of mental deterioration. She could also detach pieces of her kagune and use it to manipulate, restrain, or implant it into targets. Eto often took on swarms of Ghoul Investigators at once without too much effort, and her regeneration as a one-eyed ghoul even allowed her to survive being bisected in half.
2 Kichimura Washuu / Nimura Furuta
The Washuu King
As with other failed-half ghouls from the Sunlit Garden, Kichimura Washuu had augmented physical abilities and a shortened lifespan. He was later implanted with Rize Kamishiro’s powerful rinkaku kagune, and became a one-eyed ghoul just like Kaneki. From initially manifesting one or two tentacles, his kagune expanded to four, and eventually became a black mass that could extend over vast distances and produce piercing spikes to shred opponents.
Revealed at the very end of the series, his kakuja took on the form of body armor with a flesh pattern, and he could create centipede-like tentacles with spikes and large eyes. Kichimura Washuu’s regeneration was also very impressive, as he survived being impaled through the abdomen, bombarded by firearms, and even ripped apart by a berserk Kaneki who was in his kakuja state. He could even recreate the clothes he wore, which was an ability that was practically unseen prior. Beyond all this, the most terrifying ability he wielded was his intellect, as he subtly manipulated the series’ main cast and its most important incidents from the shadows.
1 Ken Kaneki / Haise Sasaki
The One-Eyed King
Turned into a one-eyed ghoul by a surgery that implanted Rize Kamishiro’s rinkaku kagune into his body, Ken Kaneki grew into the most powerful ghoul in the series, after a journey rife with pain, immeasurable suffering, and perseverance. While his kagune and hybrid vigor were quite potent on their own, Kaneki’s repeated cannibalization of his opponents led to him developing a kakuja, which initially affected his mental stability whenever he activated it. In time, as his control over it became more refined, Kaneki could create limbs, mouths, and even form constructs such as cages from his kagune, after consuming the kakuja of Eto Yoshimura.
His initial kakuja featured centipede-like tentacles and a beaked mask, but this later gave way to versions that resembled body armor, until he took on his Dragon form. On being rescued from this state, his final kakuja consisted of several massive tentacles with blades that could be used for both offense and defense. Kaneki was also able to mimic the properties of other kagune types with his own, and occasionally even used it to replace severed limbs in combat. By the end of the series, he was able to regenerate from multiple fatal wounds and boasted endurance on a level that practically no other ghoul could match.
Tokyo Ghoul
- Release Date
- July 4, 2014
- Creator
- Sui Ishida
- Seasons
- 2
- Studio
- Pierrot
- Number of Episodes
- 24