Best Old Man Characters in Anime

It is said that the older generation have the best stories to tell, and this goes the same for the oldest anime characters on our screens. Time and time again anime teaches us that there is more than meets the eye, and this is so true for old man characters in anime, some of the oldest characters in anime out there. Here is a list of the top elderly male characters, both good and evil, who are only too cool, the best old men anime characters!

Best Old Man Anime Characters

1. Yoshihiro Shimazu from Samurai Kings

This old man anime character is just badass! Argued to be the seventeenth head of the Shimazu clan, he is a ferocious warrior who earned the nickname, "Devil Shimazu" during Hideyoshi's attempt to invade Korea. Known as the Shimazu Demon, Yoshihiro’s age only speaks to his power and experience as a Samurai King warrior. He is always on the hunt for a fight and craves stronger opponents to battle against. He doesn’t really care much for the politics and reasoning behind wars and battles, but if there is a strong foe to be defeated, he will run into the fight openly.

2. Watari from Death Note

Watari is a famous inventor and the founder of Wammy's House, an orphanage for gifted children in Winchester, England. Using the fortune he made as an inventor, he built an orphanage that teaches children with special talents and sends them out into the world. Before the Task Force is formed, he is the only person known to have seen L and the only one capable of contacting L directly. He is a fairly plain looking old man with a long back trench coat when he is L’s handler, and a black tuxedo when working for the Japanese Task Force. He poses a father figure to many in the anime and is known to have a weakness for Earl Grey tea and his pet hate is dirty and unkept spaces.

3. Danzō Shimura from Naruto Shippuden

An elder of Konohagakure and founder of Root, Danzō appears as a frail, old man, who would normally walk with a cane. He has black, shaggy hair, and his right eye is bandaged, concealing a Sharingan underneath. In the anime he became famous as The Darkness of the Shinobi. It was often suspected that he would undermine his peers in the Konoha. He was honourable in the sense that he would only act in the best interest of the village, and was appointed the Sixth Hokage Candidate. He has strong values, is strategic and is incredibly loyal to his village.

4. King Piccolo from Dragon Ball

Sometimes referred to as Daiamo, King Piccolo is known as The Great Demon King. He is a Namekian who seeks to send the earth into disaster and mayhem, helping spawn armies of demons to turn the planet into a literal hell. His appearance is fairly odd, he is supposed to resemble a divine being, and is goblin like in looks. He has fangs and pointed ears, and green skin. His good persona or counterpart, Kami, is almost identical to him. King Piccolo later uses his special powers to reincarnate himself at Piccolo Jr, so he doesn’t technically stay an old man forever, but he is pretty evil for an older guy, making him interesting in a weird way!

5. Dr. Briefs from Dragon Ball

Dr. Briefs has a funny character and temperment to suit his funny name perfectly! He is eccentric in person and in appearance and is often known for his iconic and brilliant moustache. In the anime, he founded the Capsule Corporation and is the father of Tights and Bulma, and later becomes the grandfather of Trunks and Bulla. Thought to be one of the smartest men in the world, he has the wealth to prove it. In appearance he is of short stature and wears a lab coat, a large pair of spectacles and is often surrounded by his many beloved pets!

6. Hiruzen Sarutobi from Naruto

The Third Hokage of Konohagakure and a disciple of the village's two previous Hokage, Hiruzen is a powerful ninja, hailed as a "God of Shinobi". Though he was only ever directly the teacher of the Sannin, generations of Konoha shinobi benefited from his wisdom during his lifetime. Before him, Sarutobi’s family was one of the first families to settle in Kotonoha. It's fair to say he is definitely one of the most badass old men anime characters on this list, being able to wield immense power and always having a heavy advantage over his opponents. He well surpassed his superiors in training and was one of the strongest ninjas around, even in his old age.

7. Madara Uchiha from Naruto Shippuden

The legendary leader of the Uchiha clan, he founded Konohagakure alongside his childhood friend and rival, Hashirama Senju, with the intention of beginning an era of peace. He keeps a similar appearance in to his old age, sporting a long spiky hairstyle now turned silver, from its original black. Madara supposedly died when fighting with his co-founder on how to implement the peace, but actually rewrote his death and went into hiding. Originally a competitive and perfectionist character in the anime, we see Madara later become fixated on revenge and adopts a resentful persona. He is fascinating to watch, being such a strong and dark character in the anime.

8. Zeno Zoldyck from Hunter x Hunter

Zeno is by no means young, but he is still one of the most proficient and well-skilled assassins, as well as an efficient user of Nen. He distances himself emotionally in order to kill and sees it as his job, and this allows him to be level headed, merciless and wise in battle. His wit and quick thinking see him through many situations, and both his speed and agility are incredible and belong to someone more than half his age.

9. Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto from Bleach

This Gandalf like figure is pretty iconic and although he looks frail, he happens to be in the ultimate peak physical condition. The captain of the 1st Division in the Gotei 13 and also the Captain-Commander of the whole Gotei 13 in the anime, Yamamoto is without doubt one of the strongest captains of all time. He is the commander of the Shinigami which is in Soul Society. He is elderly in appearance, with battle scars across his body that shows the violence of his history. He appears as an elderly man with a bald head, visible wrinkles, hooked nose, and pronounced cheekbones. He has red eyes, long eyebrows, long mustache, and a hip-length white beard secured by a purple band crossing down it.

10. Walter C. Dornez from Hellsing

Walter is no ordinary butler who serves the Hellsing family. He is incredible powerful and deadly in battle. His past moniker was the Angel of Death. His microfilament wires cut off heads and limbs with complete ease, and he uses them deadly fast with high velocity. He is great to watch in battle, if you can keep up.

11. Furinji Hayato from Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple

A ruthless character, commonly referred to as the "Elder", also known as "The Invincible Superman" and a member of the Fūrinji Clan, the undefeated elder headmaster and the strongest master of the Ryōzanpaku Dojo. He is a dangerous man as he has no remorse or mercy, and his violent power makes him so much more frightening. Hayato is a towering fair-skinned man with blue-eyes and blonde hair. His hair reaches mid-back and also sports a chest-length beard, macho mustache, and strands forming a thick antenna-like shape hanging in front of his face. Despite his advanced age, he appears deceptively younger in both frame and facial features. He sports a largely muscular and well-defined built, has very few wrinkles, and not a single grey hair, making him good at concealing his true age.

12. Edward NewGate from One Piece

Known to never run from a battle, Edward Newgate, also known as Whitebeard, was one of the greatest known pirates in the world of One Piece. He was the Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the mightiest crews in the series. Covered in scars from a life steeped in violence, he appears as a huge, muscular figure with rippling muscles and is abnormally tall, his appearance striking fear in to the hearts of his opponents in the anime and manga.

13. Makarov Dreyar from Fairy Tail

A short, elderly man with a convulsed expression, there is way more to Makarov than meets the eye and he is definitely one of the most iconic and best old man characters in anime. Not only does he possess the power to transform into a giant, once even wrestling a dragon, he is one of the Ten Wizard Saints and the Guild Master of Fairy Tail. He is definitely an old guy to aspire to.

14. Lordgenome from Toppa Tengen Gurren Lagann

Lordgenome is possibly one of our oldest anime characters in the anime, clocking in at around 1000 years old. Only in anime! He is a fascinating character to observe, as well as being one of the darkest anime characters on our list. He has an impressive appearance for his age, with rippling muscles, dark skin and dramatic facial hair. He is an Immortal Spiral King that rules from Teppelin and possesses a strong disdain for humanity, as well as viewing those around him as pawns and dolls to discard whenever he sees fit.

15. Sugoroku Mutou from Yu-Gi-Oh Monsters

Once a gaming master, Sugorkou has a quirky and eccentric appearance and is the grandfather of the famous Yugi Mutou. He is the owner of the shop Kame Game, where he lives with his family and sells games to the population. He is a famous games master and won many different games during his time. He is a little bit out there, but his knowledge is priceless.

16. Isaac Netero from Hunter x Hunter

This sporty looking old man character looks to be in perfect form, yet prefers to keep his incredible strength hidden. The 12th Chairman of the Hunter Association and the Head of the Exam Commission, in his youth, he was extolled as the most powerful Nen user in the world, and is known to have retained incredible strength even in his old age. Netero holds power over who gets their Hunter’s license, thanks to his position as Chairman of the Hunter Committee. He is incredibly fast and agile, even though he appears to be a helpless and vulnerable old man on the outside.

17. King Bradley from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

One of the primary antagonists in the Fullmetal Alchemist series, he is one of the seven Homunculi in the anime. With a full head of thick hair and a toned body, he appears to be one of the youngest anime characters on our list here, but this is because King Bradley looks a lot younger than he actually is. He is shown to be calm, collected and decisive in the anime and he has a a thick black mustache, a blue tint to his right eye, and an eye patch over his left eye. Underneath his eye patch is "The Ultimate Eye", or his regular eye with the Ouroboros mark in place of the pupil and cornea.

18. Kiroumaru from the New World

A man of honour with a noble heart, it is pondered if he really can be considered an old man, due to appearing as a monster rat that can talk. Nevertheless, he is an elderly character who is one of the most honourable anime characters on our list and proves his nobility by has sacrificing his own life to save those in need in the anime. He is a fascinating and wonderful character to watch.

19. Master Roshi from Dragonball Z

This incredibly quirky old man anime character is known as the Immortal Turtle, an ancient, eccentric and liiiittle bit creepy old man in the anime Dragonball Z. Over three hundred years old at the start of the series, he provides various stories throughout the anime to explain his longevity. Roshi enjoys eating home delivered pizza, which serves as a tongue-in-cheek joke because Roshi lives so far out into the ocean. He also enjoys reading, watching TV, using the internet (mainly for adult sites), playing video games and taking afternoon naps. He is a pretty lecherous pervert who constantly watches Wide-Thigh Aerobics on television or looks at Dirty Magazines in his spare time. A martial arts master, he was the first to master the Kamehameha technique.

20. Charles zi Britannia from Code Geass

Charles zi Britannia’s character is that of the ominous ruler of the Holy Britannian Empire. He believes that only the strong survive and rules through this ideology. Constantly putting his empire under conflict and hardship, he seeks to weed out the weak and create an empire where only the strongest thrive. He is the 98th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, the father of Lelouch vi Britannia (and many others) and V.V.'s younger twin brother.

21. Raoh from Fist of the North Star

A deeply complex and overpowered character in the anime, Raoh was trained in the Hokuto Shinken style. His traumatic background and violent competitive nature made him power hungry and extremely ruthless, inflicting a slow and painful death on his foes on purpose so that they would live long enough to fear him and thus cement his own status as the strongest King of Fists. For all his nearly arrogant belief on his power, he could still offer praise to fighters who could match him, and was an honorable combatant. He is disgusted by those who would dare filth a proper match, and even went as far as snapping the neck of a violator at one point. Although his ambitions run deep, there is still compassion in his heart, as he was able to mourn others including those that he killed himself. Creating an army to overthrow his siblings from the throne, he becomes more powerful than anyone thought and thus is the most dangerous villain in Fist of the North Star.

22. Zodd the Immortal from Berserk

Another extremely badass old man anime character, Zodd is a transformed demon who is technically immortal, but his appearance is that of an old man. He is incredibly powerful despite his elderly appearance and he is always battling with the Skull Knight, while serving Griffith, despite their dispute of ideals.

23. Okina from Rurouni Kenshin

Described as 'a hoot' by fans alike, Kashiwazaki Nenji, or known by his associates as Okina, is an easy going elderly figure in the Oniwabanshu's ranks. With a gentle yet excitable spirit, Okina shows a love for life (and women) and even spirit for parties and celebrations when the chances arrive. He was considered the eventual successor to the Okashira, but he gave way to the younger Aoshi for the sake of the new age, which shows that he has a flexible way of thinking. Despite his gentle demeanor, he not without his hidden depths. In times of adverse and serious tone, he is stern and intense. Devoted to his comrades, he is with a great deal of loyalty and honor to them, and to those that deceive such noble traits of his find themselves subject to his ferocity and just fury. In the days of his prime, Okina was once infamously known as the most frightening figure of the Oniwabanshu, freely carrying out horrific tortures on adversaries and suspects; in situations when push comes to shove, he is not hesitant to return to such measures that earned his terrifying reputation.

24. Saizuchi from Rurouni Kenshin

A bit of an unruly character in the anime, Saizuchi is a bit of a baddie but that somehow makes him all the more memorable! He's definitely the opposite of a cute and kind elderly person you might expect to meet, an arrogant, condescending old man who believes in age elitism, believing he is superior to others due to his age, "experience in life", and intelligence. Kind of like the old person that pushes ahead of you in the queue then. He took care of Fuji and took advantage of his kindness to force hm to commit horrendous acts, and always belittled and treated Fuji poorly, frequently referring to him as a monster and constantly reminding Fuji of the debt he owed him. He proves that not all old folk are cute, innocent and welcoming and is an anime character we love to hate in the show!

25. Bang/Silver Fang from One Punch Man

Also known by his hero alias, Silver Fang, Bang is a professional hero, a martial arts master, and the creator and teacher of Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. He is the 3rd highest ranked S-Class hero of the Hero Association and is recognized as one of its most powerful heroes. His age allows him the knowledge and experience to wield such power, and the fact that he is an S-Class, rank 3 superhero in the Heroes Association. He becomes a dojo who spreads his knowledge of fighting and stays loyal to Saitama’s power.

26. Yoshimura from Tokyo Ghoul

An SSS-rated ghoul and the manager of the Anteiku café, he tries to assist ghouls who cannot hunt or kill human beings for themselves due to his love of both species. He, at one point, takes in Ken Kaneki, a human-ghoul hybrid, and shows him the way of living as a ghoul. While the rest of his species was being sought out and destroyed, he used cunning and knowledge to survive. He leads a band of ghouls and proves to be a born leader and protector in the anime. He is such a memorable character!

Getting to know the older generation in anime might be a little different from in real life. With rippling muscles, epic battle scars and with hundreds of years experience under their belt, these old male characters in anime are anything but ordinary, elderly and frail. They make us take a closer look at the older folk around us, to whom there may be more than meets the eye. 

These older characters may have so much knowledge and wisdom to share! Their backstories are interesting and so in-depth as well. If you liked this definitely also check out Best Black Guys in Anime, Best Anime Cat Boy Characters, Best Dark Anime Series and Heaviest Pokemon Characters in the Franchise! Also check out these Best OP MC anime shows for more overpowered characters!