10 best anime characters like Ryomen Sukuna from Jujutsu Kaisen

Ryomen Sukuna is an incredibly powerful and ruthless antagonist in Jujutsu Kaisen. As a special-grade curse with immense strength and no regard for human life, he strikes fear into viewers and characters alike.

Fans of this type of overpowered, morally ambiguous character may be looking for more anime roles that capture a similar energy and vibe. This list will explore 10 of the best anime characters who share qualities with Ryomen Sukuna in terms of power levels, mysterious backstories, questionable morals, and more.

Some wield dark magic, others have dormant monster forms, but all of them capture that dangerous yet alluring spirit that has made Ryomen Sukuna such an iconic villain.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and is not ranked in any particular order.

Aizen, Madara Uchiha, and 8 anime characters like Ryomen Sukuna

1) Aizen from Bleach

The primary antagonist of Bleach for much of the series, Sosuke Aizen, is a Soul Reaper captain who hides immense strength behind a pleasant facade. Like Ryomen Sukuna, Aizen enjoys combat and views most others as inferior.

He has an extremely high level of spiritual energy and uses it to enhance his already formidable combat and tactical abilities. Aizen keeps his true motives mysterious for a long time while pretending to be an ally to the main characters.

This hidden danger and sudden betrayal are reminiscent of Sukuna's presence in protagonist Yuji's body in Jujutsu Kaisen. Those who found Sukuna's gradual revelations compelling will likely enjoy Aizen's character arc as well.

2) Meruem from Hunter x Hunter

The menacing chimera ant king, Meruem, shares Sukuna’s overwhelming strength and lack of regard for humans. Introduced as the primary villain of Hunter x Hunter’s Chimera Ant arc, Meruem’s combination of immense power and intelligence makes him a dangerous threat.

Like Ryomen Sukuna, Meruem enjoys battling and defeating powerful opponents to assert his dominance. However, like Sukuna, Meruem undergoes interesting character development that adds depth and nuance over time while still maintaining his fearsome and regal presence.

3) Pride from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

The embodiment of the deadly sin of pride, Pride strikes an imposing yet mysterious figure in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. As one of the seven homunculi created by Father, Pride is extremely powerful, often described as the most powerful of his siblings.

With the ability to manipulate and cut through anything with his shadow, Pride is an extremely dangerous fighter when antagonizing the protagonists. Like Ryomen Sukuna, Pride has an air of regal confidence and arrogance when confronting weaker opponents he views as inferior.

At the same time, Pride’s motives and origins are slowly developed to add more layers over time. Viewers who loved seeing Sukuna evolve from a mysterious cursed object into an ancient sorcerer in Jujutsu Kaisen’s first season will likely be drawn into Pride’s character arc as well.

4) Orochimaru from Naruto

The villainous ninja Orochimaru shares several key characteristics with Sukuna that should appeal to Jujutsu Kaisen fans. As one of the legendary Sannin ninjas originally from Konoha, along with Jiraiya and Tsunade, Orochimaru’s origins are shrouded in mystery that slowly gets revealed throughout Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.

Like Ryomen Sukuna, Orochimaru is extremely skilled in combat with various types of forbidden jutsu and remains a threatening antagonist for a long period of time. He experiments on himself and others in the pursuit of power and immortality with questionable methods and little regard for morals or ethics.

Overall, viewers who found Sukuna’s gradual backstory compelling or enjoyed his amoral personality will likely be drawn to the Orochimaru archetype.

5) Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter

Another iconic Hunter x Hunter villain, Hisoka, shares Ryomen Sukuna's delight in facing powerful opponents and the tendency to spare weak ones he has no interest in fighting.

With his deadly mix of illusion magic and excellent melee combat skills, Hisoka is extremely confident in his abilities and looks down on those he deems unworthy competitors. At times, while helping protagonists like Gon and Killua against mutual threats, Hisoka maintains his mysterious agenda and can never fully be considered an ally.

This ambiguity and hidden danger mirror Sukuna's presence, haunting Yuji in Jujutsu Kaisen, despite their mutual need for cooperation at times. Fans will likely find Hisoka strikes a very similar tone of duplicity behind great power.

6) Kars from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

The central antagonist for Part 2 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Battle Tendency, Kars shares a few key qualities with Sukuna beyond just the similarities of their unusual names.

As a nigh-immortal and extremely powerful Pillar Man threatening 1930s England and the Joestar family, Kars loves displaying his strength against weaker beings he views only as food or tools for his goals.

Like Ryomen Sukuna, Kars becomes an even bigger threat once he unleashes more of his potential powers in the latter half of his story arc, leading to a larger-than-life and fabulously flamboyant personality.

Fans who loved Sukuna’s arrogant displays of power and gradual reveals of his deepest secrets may find a kindred spirit in the Pillar Man Kars.

7) Garou from One Punch Man

The hero hunter Garou shares Ryomen Sukuna’s love of combat, immense demonic power, and gradual slide from human to monster in motivation.

Initially introduced as a major antagonist threatening the heroes of the Heroes Association in One Punch Man, Garou despises the hypocrisy of heroes and wants to be a monster who crushes their ideology.

However, through his struggles and evolution, gaining more monster-like mutations and transformations, Garou comes to better understand the humanity of some heroes rather than dismissing them as enemies.

This added depth and redemption arc, still anchored by vicious fighting, mirrors Sukuna’s presence, weighing down protagonist Yuji’s own humanity. Viewers who love Sukuna’s gradual revelations balancing raw power with internal conflict may similarly enjoy Garou's journey.

8) Yoshikage Kira from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Yoshikage Kira (Image via David Production)

Introduced as the main villain of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable, the serial killer Yoshikage Kira shares some core qualities with Sukuna beyond their statuses as major antagonists.

Kira loves living an inconspicuous life in public as he privately satisfies his dark urges to kill women gruesomely. The contrast between his unassuming civilian identity and the emergence of his deadly powers makes for compelling drama.

Like Ryomen Sukuna, Kira refuses to compromise his unique desires and is willing to kill anyone without pity to continue indulging his unusual appetites without interference.

This solid inner conviction, despite leading a double life, mirrors how Sukuna retains his sense of self even within Yuji’s body. Fans who love antagonists walking the line between humans and monsters may similarly relish Kira's character progression.

9) Madara Uchiha from Naruto

Madara Uchiha (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The legendary leader of the Uchiha clan, Madara Uchiha, shares several traits with Sukuna as a phenomenally powerful dark antagonist in Naruto. Madara has immense chakra and battle skills, allowing him to fight large groups of skilled ninjas singlehandedly.

Like Ryomen Sukuna, he craves to prove his strength against worthy opponents. Madara keeps his true motives and identity mysterious for much of the series, while viewers only know him as a mythical historical figure.

This reveals that the real mastermind behind the Akatsuki mirrors Sukuna's role as a formidable curse who gradually reveals his powers and intentions in Jujutsu Kaisen. With regal confidence, sinister powers, and a complex backstory, Madara captures a similar tone.

10) Hao Asakura from Shaman King

The immensely powerful shaman Hao Asakura bears similarities to Sukuna, the main antagonist in Shaman King. As the founder of the Asakura family line of shamans, Hao is an ancient figure who has been reincarnated in the present timeline, reminiscent of Sukuna's origins in ancient Japan.

Hao possesses tremendous spiritual and shamanic powers on top of his prodigious intellect, allowing him to easily defeat most opponents. This combination of magic-like abilities and cunning strategy echoes Ryomen Sukuna outwitting most sorcerers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ryomen Sukuna proves the appeal of immensely powerful antagonists who disrupt assumptions and reveal unexpected facets over time.

The anime characters explored in this list all share qualities with Sukuna, such as dangerous combat abilities, mysterious backgrounds, arrogant confidence, complex motivations balancing human and monster natures, and more.

Anime fans craving more arrogant, ruthless fighters, creepy villains with strange powers, talkative monsters, or moral ambiguity behind incredible strength will likely connect with many names on this list.