Top 10 Most Iconic & Legendary Signature Moves In Anime
The most wonderful thing about anime is that a lot of small elements come together to make it a special experience for viewers across the globe, and some of the most memorable moments are defined by the iconic signature moves in anime. These ultimate techniques or attacks not only showcase a character’s power but also become symbols of the series itself.
Whether it’s a kid or an adult, these signature moves are imitated by individuals of every age group as they tend to influence their thoughts of becoming a protagonist themselves. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most iconic signature moves in anime history that continue to inspire fans worldwide.
10. Hinokami Kagura – Tanjiro Kamado
Out of all the Demon Slayer Nichirin swords, Yoriichi’s katana is considered to be the most lethal one as it’s the originator of all the Breathing Styles and forms, including Tanjiro Kamado’s signature attack Hinokami Kagura a.k.a “Dance of the Fire God”.
Hinokami Kagura is the alternative version of Sun Breathing and is sort of a dance form composed of twelve segments repeated throughout the night until dawn. With the help of this breathing technique, Tanjiro is able to bring out the incredible power of the sun to defeat higher-level demons.
9. Za Warudo – DIO
Za Warudo, also known as “The World” in the English translation, is an exceptionally powerful Stand wielded by DIO. As its name suggests, Za Warudo’s true power is to reign supreme over the entire world and whenever DIO is up against a powerful opponent he calls his stand by its name which sounds freaking awesome.
First featured in Stardust Crusaders, Za Warudo can stop time and punch people hard enough to blow them up. Its overwhelming physical might and near-unstoppable control over time undeniably make it one of the most dangerous Stands in the entire series.
8. United States Of Smash – All Might
All Might’s United States of Smash is one of the ultimate signature moves in anime and the first time he performs it is during the battle with his arch-nemesis All For One. It’s the most powerful technique in All Might’s vast arsenal and its impact is so powerful that it can easily leave a massive crater in the ground.
United States of Smash supposedly harnesses all of One For All quirk’s remaining power and concentrates it into All Might’s fist to deliver a spectacular move. As it drains a high amount of energy from the user, All Might can’t use it anymore due to his already weakened state.
7. Unlimited Void – Satoru Gojo
The honored one, Satoru Gojo is amongst the strongest characters in Jujutsu Kaisen and his unbreakable Domain Expansion speaks a lot about his calibre. By using his Limitless cursed technique, Gojo creates the “Unlimited Void” which is inescapable for a target.
Once activated it floods the target’s mind with infinite information, overwhelming them to the point where they’re completely immobilized. For an enemy inside the Unlimited Void, fate is already decided as its appearance guarantees a slow yet certain death.
6. Gomu Gomu no Pistol – One Piece
The first attack Luffy demonstrated in his journey to become the King of the Pirates came against Captain Alvida, which was “Gomu Gomu no Pistol”. Since then, Luffy has used it countless times and it has become one of his signature moves in anime.
Initially, Luffy struggled with his stretching ability but once he figured it out he began to throw devastating punches with oddly weird names. Throughout his adventures, Luffy evolved his signature attack by creating multiple variations that were as powerful as the previous one.
5. Serious Punch – Saitama
True to the series title, Saitama can destroy almost anything with just one punch even though he isn’t trying to. Serious Punch displays his overwhelming potential as it’s a much upgraded version of his normal punches and Saitama throws it only when his opponent overworks him.
Categorized as one of the dynamic signature moves in anime, Serious Punch holds a massive destructive force powerful enough to part the clouds and split the ocean entirely. However, Saitama rarely unleashes his punches at full strength yet he’s one of the formidable seinen protagonists in anime.
4. Getsuga Tensho – Ichigo Kurosaki
Getsuga Tensho is one of its kind amongst the signature moves in anime due to the fact that it’s performed by not one but two generations of the family – Ichigo and Isshin Kurosaki. In the Soul Society, it’s regarded as a high-octane Zanpakuto technique cause of its large-scale damage force and destruction capacity.
The Getsuga Tensho is even stronger in its Bankai state when its crescent-shaped slashes turn black and become powerful enough to blast a large hole in the Soul King Palace and knock someone as powerful as the Quincy King Yhwach several meters back.
3. Spirit Gun – Yusuke Urameshi
Yu Yu Hakusho established an influential change in the 90s era by introducing one of the best signature moves in anime, the Spirit Gun. A move that was previously a simple finger gun game became a symbol status of its likable protagonist Yusuke Urameshi.
Spirit Gun concentrates the spiritual or demonic energy into the user’s hand, allowing its user to release it through fingertips in the form of a blast. The Spirit Gun’s devastating power is derived from the Spirit Energy control of its user and it holds the potential to reduce anything to nothing.
2. Rasengan – Naruto
As a rookie ninja, Naruto didn’t have any special moves in his armory until Toad Sage Jiraiya taught him the symbolic jutsu technique, Rasengan. Being a technique created by the legendary Minato Namikaze, Rasengan was incredibly difficult to learn but Naruto overcame all the obstacles to make this ability his own.
He tried and failed multiple times while trying to make the spinning ball of chakra, and eventually mastered the technique. Because of how useful the Rasengan is once it’s been learned, many users end up inventing variants of Rasengan, for example, Naruto’s ultimate Rasenshuriken.
1. Kamehameha – Goku
Trying to impersonate Goku’s signature style as a kid or even as a grown-up, brings back memories and gives a nostalgic feeling to anyone who’s a diehard fan of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series. The “Kamehameha” is quite possibly the most well-known and fan-copied anime move of all time.
Originally invented by Master Roshi, one of the strongest old man in anime, this move was eventually passed on to Goku who practiced it to perfection after witnessing his mentor’s iconic ki blast. Since then, the Kamehameha has become the most widely used finishing attack in the Dragon Ball series.
Which one of the following signature moves in anime is your favorite? Feel free to comment down your thoughts and make sure to recommend some other iconic attacks like the ones listed above, also don’t forget to share this article with your fellow otaku friends.
We post daily anime and manga news articles, so make sure to follow us on Instagram. You can also check out our anime ranking page for more articles like this.