Dark means evil – that’s what we all interpret whenever this word comes out. Most of it is agreeable as well but the whole statement isn’t necessarily true as anime verse is jammed with both types of characters regardless of the fact that they’re heroes or villains. Having dark powers is no shame in the community unless it comes to which side are you on and there are plenty of powerful darkness users in anime who give a glimpse of the terrifying aura the darkness beholds.

In the anime world, having control over the power of darkness is one of the most unique abilities a character can possess. With the power of darkness at their disposal, these iconic anime characters have had a huge impact on their respective series. Whether it’s to tackle the opponent or unleash lethal attacks, the incredible strength and versatility darkness grants are beyond anyone’s imagination.

And, in today’s article, we’ll take a look at some of the most powerful darkness users in anime who knows how to manipulate shadows and darkness. So, without any further ado let’s get started.

10. Hiei – Yu Yu Hakusho

Hiei is one hell of a fighter when it comes to unleashing the powers to their full extent. The powerhouse of Hiei’s unmatchable strength is the “Jagan Eye”. Also called, Evil Eye it is one of the most destructive and powerful eyes in anime which is the key to some of Hiei’s strongest abilities. Dragon of the Darkness Flame is one such powerful technique that is considered to be one of the most deadly abilities in the series.

When using this ability, Hiei can summon black flames from the depths of the spirit realm, which then take the form of a dragon and burns up anything in its way. While he’s able to slaughter his opponents with it, the technique severely damages his arm and causes him agonizing pain. Eventually, he wears bandages on his arm to suppress his Dragon of the Darkness Flame and practices to control the ability more effectively.

9. Celty Sturluson – Durarara!

Celty Sturluson, also known as The Black Rider or The Headless Rider, is an Irish fairy called a Dullahan who came to Japan looking for her stolen head. She doesn’t seem like a valuable asset but she does possess extraordinary abilities to make anyone go awe. Celty is capable of strong shadow manipulation to form objects ranging from gloves to chariots at her will.

She uses this ability to create weapons, notably her scythe, and bind her enemies. The good thing about Celty’s magic is that it isn’t limited to the amount of light and darkness in a given space, meaning it’s just as powerful any time of the day. Besides, her physical prowess is also impressive which makes her one of the best darkness users in anime.

8. Shikamaru Nara – Naruto

Although the Naruto franchise is packed with a great bunch of fighters, there are very less who win battles by setting up crafty traps and using strategy-based moves. Yes, we’re talking about Shikamaru who is known for his extremely high IQ which compensates for his lack of power. Being one of the smartest anime characters, he has outclassed many strong opponents just by observing his surroundings and executing his plans perfectly.

As a member of the Nara clan, Shikamaru has grown up practicing the Shadow Release Jutsu which allows him to manipulate his shadow into various shapes. This ability comes very handy in long-range attacks and crafty situations plus it can also immobilize the movement of others. There isn’t anything special about this technique, but Shikamaru makes it deadly with his effectiveness and precision.

7. Fumikage Tokoyami – My Hero Academia

Fumikage Tokoyami went to the U.A. High School to pursue his goal of becoming a pro hero and he has the potential as well. His quirk, Dark Shadow, allows him to manifest a sentient, shadowy being from his body that he can control and use in combat scenarios as well as for safety. His quirk has both offensive and defensive features which give him an advantage over his enemies.

However, this shadow does have its weaknesses as well. While in daylight, his Dark Shadow is more docile and is pretty much controllable, in complete darkness, Fumikage loses control over his Dark Shadow as it becomes extremely powerful, chaotic, and destructive making it difficult for him to give commands. But, he’s adapting to his powers quickly by taking extra measures around his comrades.

6. Pride – Fullmetal Alchemist

Pride is one of the deadliest children and darkness users in anime you can ever encounter. Although he inhabits the body of a child named Selim Bradley, Pride is actually the oldest and strongest Homunculus created by Father. He appears to be a sweet, polite little boy who shows respect for his elders but inevitably, he is a danger alert.

All of his generous act vanishes in the air when he takes the form of monstrous Pride, a living shadow with rows of sharp teeth. Just like his name, he sees himself as superior to humans, and torturing & enslaving them is a part of his own amusement. The more innocent his child form looks, the more amoral Pride is in real and he inexplicably enjoys his life as a kid.

5. Zeref Dragneel – Fairy Tail

Zeref Dragneel is considered to be the strongest and most evil mage that ever existed. Being the founder and former Emperor of the Alvarez Empire, he possesses extremely dangerous and powerful magic. He was able to master Black Magic and brought countless Demons to life. His magic power is so enormous that sometimes he cannot consciously control his own powers.

One of Zeraf’s Black magic art called “Ankhseram Black Magic” allows him to kill any living thing he desires. This magic seems to be uncontrollable at times, causing it to burst out randomly, killing anything within a certain radius around him. Zeref has countless spells and abilities like this which makes him not just a formidable opponent but also one of the best darkness users in anime.

4. Meliodas – Seven Deadly Sins

Meliodas is the son of the Demon King and also the Sin of Wrath who leads the strong group of “Seven Deadly Sins”. Like every other member of the Demon Clan, Meliodas also has the power to control darkness. His physical appearance doesn’t make him stand out as the strongest but in his demon form, Meliodas can even destroy an entire kingdom by himself and the Kingdom of Danafor is proof of it.

Meliodas can issue black flames called Hellfire and uses them to engulf his sword to carry out attacks. He can bring out darkness to create wings and he can even morph it into different shapes. His dark powers also enhance his strength and magical ability as well. All these abilities combined make him the strongest among the darkness users in anime.

3. Alucard – Hellsing

Alucard is the most powerful weapon of the Hellsing Organization, which works against vampires and other supernatural forces. He is an immortal vampire who can regenerate and manipulate blood and darkness. He possesses a variety of abilities like extrasensory perception, superhuman strength and speed, endurance, and invisibility. He can also walk through walls, absorb souls, perform hypnosis, and control the weather.

Alucard is an extremely formidable and deadly opponent who can cut down most supernatural enemies without releasing the seals that contain his true power. Talking about Alucard’s other abilities, his body is composed of an otherworldly black substance that he can manipulate into any form, thus offering him great versatility. He is invulnerable to any attack when he takes on the form of his signature reddish-black mist.

2. Yami Sukehiro – Black Clover

Black Clover is a series set around the concept of Grimoire and magic. If there’s magic then there definitely will be dark magic users as well and Yami Sukehiro ticks all the boxes. He serves as the first captain of the Clover Kingdom’s Black Bull squad of the Magic Knights. As a squad captain, Yami is very powerful and his preferred magic is Dark Magic.

Yami is a master magic swordsman, and he channels his Dark Magic via his katana. With his spell dimension slasher, he can escape any dimension he is trapped in. His dark magic allows him to bind his enemies using huge shadowy tentacles. With the help of Dark Magic, he can also nullify Light Magic and absorb any light spells cast toward him which makes Yami one of the extremely powerful darkness users in anime.

1. Blackbeard – One Piece

Marshall D. Teach aka Blackbeard is the only known character in One Piece verse wielding the power of two Devil Fruits – Yami Yami no Mi and the Gura Gura no Mi. While the Gura Gura no Mi allows him to generate earthquakes, the Yami Yami no Mi gives him the power to create and manipulate darkness, resembling black smoke. Simply put, he can turn anything into nothing!

He can turn into a black hole of smoke – sucking, absorbing, and trapping a target for an indefinite length of time. But its most terrifying ability is that it can nullify an opponent’s devil fruit ability if Blackbeard touches them. The only drawback of his devil fruit is that it does not grant him intangibility like other logia-type devil fruits still, he’s beyond reach and the full extent of his devil fruit powers is yet to be found out.

Which one of the following darkness users in anime is your favorite? Feel free to comment down your thoughts and make sure to recommend some other characters like the ones listed above, also don’t forget to share this article with your fellow otaku friends.

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