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Anime characters who can manipulate time are an all-time classic of the medium, and it makes sense: whether it's Dio and Jotaro doing it in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or the likes of Hit and Guldo in Dragon Ball, this is an ability that can make a massive impact in battle. Time manipulation is also capable of giving characters an edge in combat that is very different from most in anime, and that makes it quite fun to see.
It is also worth pointing out that anime characters who can manipulate time can come in all shapes and forms. For example, some can stop time, some can skip time, others can turn it back, and so on, with many of them, in no particular order, being shown on this list.
Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers for the series these characters are involved in.
Jotaro, Dio, and other anime characters who can manipulate time
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1) Jotaro Kujo and DIO (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure part 3: Stardust Crusaders)
It makes sense to put Jotaro and DIO together on this list since they have the exact same time-stop abilities, they use the same cry to activate them, and their Stands are connected thematically. These two are also the most iconic characters in JoJo's and arguably the most iconic anime characters who can stop time.
DIO's time-stop abilities were already established from the moment his Stand, The World, was introduced, with author Hirohiko Araki slowly giving hints that it could do that. On the other hand, Jotaro's Stand, Star Platinum, evolved during his fight with DIO and eventually learned to stop time, which, even to this very day, is one of the most controversial twists in anime and manga history.
2) Baraggan Louisenbairn (Bleach)
Baraggan was the former ruler of Hueco Mundo, the land of the Hollows in Bleach, until Aizen came along and took over, leading the number 2 Espada to hold a grudge against the former Shinigami. However, while he lost his position as king, there is a very good reason why he was ruling Hueco Mundo, and his ability to age everything is the key to that.
Simply put, Baraggan can age anything and everyone close to him. This was shown during his battle with Gotei 13 Captain Soi Fong, when some of her fingers were aged to the point of being mere bones. This was such an overpowered ability that it made Baraggan one of the deadliest enemies to fight in Bleach and definitely one of the best anime characters who can manipulate time.
3) Hit (Dragon Ball Super)
Dragon Ball Super had such an underwhelming start that it was difficult for long-term fans to buy into the project. However, when it comes to the initial arcs of the series, Hit was definitely a breath of fresh air and seemed like one of the coolest and most interesting characters in this new anime.
He is not only the strongest character in Universe 6 and a legendary assassin, but he also has the ability to time-skip for a fraction of a second. Compared to other anime characters who can manipulate time, this may not seem like a lot, but Dragon Ball fights happen at such a breakneck speed that this gives Hit a monumental difference in combat.
4) Eri (My Hero Academia)
Anime characters who can manipulate time vary a lot since that very concept (time manipulation) can be done in a lot of different ways. In that regard, Eri from My Hero Academia could be one of the most interesting cases on this list because her Quirk is a very peculiar way of doing time manipulation.
Basically, Eri can turn back the time on a person or an object's state. This was shown with Mirio Togata, as she managed to make him go back to a point where he had his powers back, or do that to heal Deku during his battle with Overhaul. That Quirk can also be used to hurt people, as she could return people to a moment where they weren't even born, although it is worth pointing out that Eri, being a little girl, has no control over her abilities.
5) Itachi Uchiha (Naruto)
Itachi Uchiha is not the first name that comes to mind when discussing anime characters who can manipulate time, but his Tsukuyomi technique was exactly that. While this is more of an illusion than time manipulation, the victim in question could be tortured for what would feel like several days.
This is shown in the series when Itachi uses the technique to torture the likes of Kakashi and his brother, Sasuke. While the actual time that happened in real life was perhaps a couple of minutes at most, both Sasuke and Kakashi lived that time frame as if it were days, which goes to show the level of Itachi's powers.
6) Diavolo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure part 5: Golden Wind)
If there is a manga author who likes anime characters who can manipulate time, that is JoJo's creator, Hirohiko Araki. The man has created multiple characters with time manipulation abilities, ranging from villains like DIO to heroes like Jotaro, as mentioned earlier, but Diavolo, the main antagonist in the fifth part, Golden Wind, could be the most interesting case.
Diavolo's Stand, King Crimson, has the ability to skip time, and there was an era before the anime adaptation where a lot of fans didn't understand how it worked. Simply put, King Crimson could progress five seconds into the future while being the only one aware of everything that happened in that time frame, much like skipping a certain amount of time on a YouTube video but actually retaining the information.
7) Guldo (Dragon Ball Z)
There is an argument to be made that Guldo is the first one to ever do it when it comes to anime characters who can manipulate time. He was part of the Ginyu Force and made his debut in the Namek saga in Dragon Ball Z, like the rest of his team, and quickly made an impression by being able to manipulate time.
Guldo could take some breath and be able to stop time as long as he held the air, which served him well during his battle with Gohan and Krillin in Namek. However, Guldo was a lot weaker than those two and his partners in the Ginyu Force, which is why he wasn't able to take them down, and Vegeta ultimately took his life when he let his guard down.
8) Dimaria Yesta (Fairy Tail)
The great thing about Fairy Tail is that it has a lot of characters with very different abilities, and Dimaria Yestar could have one of the most interesting abilities. She was chosen by the god Chronos, so it makes sense that she is one of those anime characters who can manipulate time.
She is a powerful war maiden and was chosen by Chronos to be his vessel, which grants her the ability to control time. This power is shown through the God Soul, and she uses this ability on several occasions during her time in the series, which a lot of fans have argued wasn't enough to prove her worth.
9) Yhwach (Bleach)
Bleach's Thousand-Year Blood War arc anime adaptation by Studio Pierrot has given Yhwach a lot of exposure to more anime fans, but they haven't seen the full extent of his abilities. Tite Kubo's final antagonist for his biggest series has an ability that can be considered time manipulation and one of the most powerful in all of anime, known as the Almighty.
When it comes to anime characters who can manipulate time with ease, very few can do it like Yhwach with the Almighty. Basically, this ability grants him the possibility of witnessing every potential future and altering it in any way he sees fit, which he does in several moments in the final arc, including his final battle with Ichigo Kurosaki to break the latter's true bankai.
10) Julius Novachrono (Black Clover)
When it comes to this topic, Julius is one of the best examples of a time manipulator. Black Clover has a lot of interesting characters and crazy abilities, but this magic knight captain is a unique case because he managed to learn and master this ability instead of being born with it, which, in return, makes him very powerful.
Most characters on this list can only do one type of time manipulation, but Julius can do a bit of everything. He can slow down time, accelerate it, store it, stop it, and even reverse it, which goes to show the level of mastery he has with this concept and how that even allowed him to escape death in some moments of the series.
Final thoughts
Anime characters who can manipulate time are something that the medium has seen in many different ways and will continue to see in the coming years. It is a very interesting ability that shows different sides of what time is and how it can be used, which is why it has such an appeal in the fandom.
