Iconic instant kill moves in anime

Key things

• Anime techniques like Decay from My Hero Academia and Suzumebachi from Bleach ensure instant and intense battles.

• Scar's Deconstruction in Fullmetal Alchemist represents revenge and questions moral paths.

• Saitama's Punch in One Punch Man is a comedic take on an overpowered character in battle.

Anime battles can often be intense to the point of leaving the viewer in awe. However, some techniques in the anime are so powerful that they completely outclass the opponent. They can often become the reason for an anime's popularity by raising the stakes so high that they must be avoided at all costs.

Other times they can be so overpowered that it looks ridiculous, like in One-Punch Man. However, it should be remembered that not all instant kill techniques are played literally on the battlefield. Some are strategic instead, which, while ensuring instant death, can require a lot more intellect.

Spoilers for various anime below.

8

Decomposition

My Hero Academia

Shigaraki is the main villain of My Hero Academia and his Decay joke is easily one of the most devastating in the anime world. If Shigaraki touches anything, he can literally disintegrate it into dust.

Although this prank wasn't much of a threat at the start of the series, things quickly changed after Shigaraki's awakening. It then becomes a force to be reckoned with – so dangerous, in fact, that Shigaraki can touch the ground and disintegrate things in contact with the ground itself.

7

Suzumebachi

Bleach

In Bleach, the Suzumebachi Soi Fon is one of the deadliest weapons, providing an instant two-hit kill. The first hit will mark the target and the second will result in instant death. This makes the battle with Soi Fon extremely high intensity as there is no room for error. Even a small mistake can cost you everything.

The skill, precision and lethality required to use the Suzumebachi deserves its own praise, and Soi Fon wields it gracefully. Every time he uses Suzumebachi, it shows the determination and burden he carries as a protector. This makes all of her battles extremely dramatic, especially because of the bittersweet history she has.

6

Deconstruction

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

In Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Scar's Deconstruction ability is terrifying and powerful. Similar to how Shigaraki's prank works, Scar can touch something and break it down into atomic components.

Deconstruction is a testament to the revenge Scar seeks against the State Alchemists after what they did to the Ishvalans in the Ishval War. The viewer also sees Ishvalan's people in a new light, especially since the war was a mass genocide, which raises questions about whether Scar is continuing his journey correctly.

Nonetheless, the technique is a constant reminder of Scar's painful past, making him almost as dangerous as the Homunculi and a huge reason to watch the show.

5

Saitama's Punch

One-Punch Man

One-Punch Man has become somewhat of a cult classic because it doesn't take itself seriously all the time. Saitama, the protagonist, is just an average man with extremely extraordinary strength: the ability to defeat everything in his path with literally a single punch.

You don't care who wins the battle on this show, but rather when it happens. As Saitama faces his enemies, the hilarity and absurdity of the entire encounter becomes even more pronounced.

While we can't say it's a technique, Saitama's entire character is so powerful that almost anything he does with the intention of harm will achieve its goal.

4

Killer Queen

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is already one of the best anime shows, but Diamond is Unbreakable took it even further. Kira is the main antagonist this season, and his Stand, Killer Queen, is literally a bomb waiting to explode.

What makes this stand so dangerous is that Kira can use the timer to turn almost anything – even a simple household item – into a bomb. This makes Killer Queen a strategic weapon in a constant game of cat and mouse that keeps the audience on their toes until the next explosion. Kira's personality makes it worse: the juxtaposition of his need for a quiet, simple life with his mischievous tendencies makes him one of the best villains in anime.

3

Death Note

Death Note

You can't talk about instant death techniques without mentioning the Death Note. It's a bit like fate manipulation, but it's specific to death. Although the lines of how instant it is can be blurred, its use is what makes it so deadly.

Light Yagami is the owner of the Death Note, a book that originally belonged to Ryuk, a shinigami. Light can basically kill anyone just by writing their name in a book. If the cause of death is not given, the person will die within 41 seconds.

All the more somber is the intent and complexity with which the Light uses it, literally developing a divine complex.

2

True Death

Ruler

Ainz Ooal Gown in Overlord was once a human who got stuck in an online role-playing game and took his character's powers to become an undead sorcerer king. His ability, True Death, allows him to completely erase anything from existence, leaving no chance for resurrection or redemption.

This makes True Death an extremely overpowered technique, which begs the question of whether it should even be used at all. This also adds weight to Ainz's character as he struggles with the morality of his actions. Since Ainz retains his memory of being human, this increases the complexity of the burden of controlling this ability.

1

haha

Dragon Ball Super

Hakai is a technique used by the Gods of Destruction in Dragon Ball Super and is basically the ultimate form of destruction. It can be used by a deity to obliterate anything near them.

This makes the destroyer character all the more difficult to almost equate to an anti-hero narrative, especially due to the nature of their abilities. The high stakes involved here bring great gravitas to the concept of death, previously dulled by Shenron.