Dragons are a staple of television and storytelling in general, establishing themselves as iconic beasts that can destroy villages in seconds. Whether from Game of Thrones or Mulan, dragons have a critical cultural influence that elevates specific stories. Their iconic reputation also applies to anime, with this medium containing many popular and powerful dragons that elevate the story or simply add something entertaining.
However, with so many dragons in anime, this list will rank the ten best based on various categories. The ranking is based on many elements varying from power, prominence, role in the story, impact, design, characterization, iconicity, and fan opinion. Each series can only have one entry; otherwise, this list would only include a few anime. These dragons prove to capture one or more elements that make them stand out among the rest.
10 Shooting Star
'Record of Lodoss War' (1990)
Kicking off this list is Shooting Star from Record of Lodoss War, a high-fantasy anime based on a tabletop game. After years of peace, a mysterious witch disrupts the balance, prompting a party of six to venture out and defeat the cunning villain. Shooting Star isn't a significant part of the series, but it watches over one of the treasured artifacts in Flame Dragon Mountain, incinerating anyone who approaches.
Record of Lodoss War is one of the most underrated anime from the 1990s, wowing fans with its beautiful setting and captivating fantasy quest. However, Shooting Star is one of the best elements of the show, even if most fans haven't heard of him. He is a terrifying beast with an overwhelming presence and phenomenal design, providing the main cast with their most challenging task and making him an essential part of the story.
Record Of Lodoss War
- Release Date
- June 30, 1990
- Cast
- Takeshi Kusao, Yumi T?ma, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hideyuki Tanaka
- Creator
- Ryo Mizuno
- Seasons
- 1
9 Kanna Kamui
'Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid' (2017)
Many fans would dismiss Kanna Kamui as a dragon at a glance, and it's hard to argue against it. However, she is technically a dragon in a human form from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. As Kobayashi prepares for another uneventful workday, a dragon appears at her doorstep, offering to be her maid. Tohru maintains the house but attracts other dragons, including Kanna Kamui.
While Tohru is the main character, Kanna Kamui stole the show with her rambunctious pranks and wholesome personality. She is also an important part of the story, producing some of the best character development and funny moments. This anime has phenomenal animation, adding more epic dragon fights. However, her human design brings her down since she barely resembles a dragon.
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- Cast
- Y?ko Got?, Kaori Ishihara, Minami Takahashi, Mutsumi Tamura, Yuuki Kuwahara, Maria Naganawa, Yuuki Takada, Daisuke Ono, Yuichi Nakamura, Emiri Kato, Shinya Takahashi, Tomomi Mineuchi, Sachiko Okada, Hiro Shimono, Takayuki Sug?, Makoto Kaneko, Daisuke Takahashi, Hiroshi Yanaka, Kumiko Nakane, Takaaki Uchino, Hayato Fujii, Y? Shimamura, Jun Inoue, Sakiko Tamagawa, Haruka Chisuga, Tomokazu Sugita, Tomoko Naka, Rie Kawamura, Sumire Uesaka, Yu Miyazaki
- Creator
- Coolkyousinnjya
- Seasons
- 2
8 Ryukotsusei
'InuYasha' (2000)
Known as one of the original isekai anime, InuYasha is a grand adventure and a blend of action and romance. Finding herself in a new world, Kagome and Inuyasha team up to find the many pieces of the shattered jewel that will help her get back home. Previously sealed away by Inuyasha's father, Ryukotsusei escapes with the help of the main villain, who is now looking to challenge the titular character.
From his terrifying design to his overwhelming presence, Ryukotsusei is one of the coolest dragons on this list. Isekai anime is made to deliver an escapist fantasy, and Inuyasha is one of the best in the genre. However, no one would want Ryukotsusei in their fantasy, as the mighty dragon is one of the strongest characters in the show. His vain and arrogant personality adds more depth to him, making him a memorable villain.
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- Cast
- Ai Kobayashi, Kappei Yamaguchi, Satsuki Yukino, Koji Tsujitani, Ken Narita, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Taiki Matsuno, Kumiko Watanabe, Akiko Yajima, TARAKO, Houko Kuwashima, Kenichi Ogata, Cho, Noriko Hidaka, Yukana, Joji Yanami, Mamiko Noto, Hisako Kyoda, Izumi ?gami
- Creator
- Rumiko Takahashi
- Seasons
- 7
7 Bahamut
'Rage of Bahamut: Genesis' (2014)
This anime may not be the most popular, but Rage of Bahamut: Genesis is an underrated show with one of the coolest dragons. After years of peace with Bahamut sealed, a group of bounty hunters continue their work. However, after a war between deities emerges, the threat of Bahamut returns as everyone must team up in order to defeat the titular dragon and ensure his reign of terror doesn't happen.
While Rage of Bahamut: Genesis is probably the least-known anime on this list, Bahamut leaves a lasting impression. With his name in the title, fans know he has a prominent role in the story, but they won't grasp his presence until they watch the show themselves. Bahamut is a world-ending threat and the plot's driving force, making him an imposing and epic villain and one of the coolest dragons in anime.
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Rage of Bahamut: Genesis
- Release Date
- 2014 - 2013
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Hiroyuki Yoshino, Risa Shimizu, Eri Kitamura, Go Inoue, Miyuki Sawashiro, Ryuuzaburou Ootomo, Kenjiro Tsuda, Hiroaki Hirata, Megumi Han, Shouta Aoi, Yuuichirou Umehara, Showtaro Morikubo, Masakazu Morita, Hiroshi Iwasaki
- Seasons
- 2
6 Kaido
'One Piece' (1999)
Every anime fan has heard of One Piece, one of the most popular and well-known series that is still airing after 25 years. The story follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, aiming to find the titular treasure and become the King of the Pirates. However, Kaido is a rival for the title; as one of the emperors of the sea, he is a major villain of the series who ate a devil fruit, which allows him to turn into a dragon.
As one of the longest-running anime ever, it was only a matter of time until One Piece introduced a dragon into the series. While there are multiple, Kaido is the most substantial threat and has a bigger role in the story compared to Momonosuke. His dragon and hybrid designs are both incredible and powerful, making him a terrific villain and one of the strongest Emperors in One Piece. Kaido checks all the boxes of a good dragon in anime, establishing himself as an iconic draconic beast in pop culture.
5 Haku
'Spirited Away' (2001)
Studio Ghibli is arguably the greatest anime studio ever, with its magnum opus being Spirited Away. This legendary anime follows a young girl who must visit a supernatural spa resort in order to find a way to remove the curse put on her parents. Along the way, she encounters Haku, a lost river spirit who takes on the form of a dragon, helping Chihiro and her parents.
While this list wasn't originally going to include movie dragons, Haku was too good and iconic to leave off. Haku is an integral part of Spirited Away, moving the story in the right direction. However, his instant recognizability and influence are what elevate him to the top of this list. His majestic and elegant design makes him a fitting addition to one of the most important anime in movie history.
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- Cast
- Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Nait?, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamij?, Takehiko Ono, Bunta Sugawara
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
- Director
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Writers
- Hayao Miyazaki
4 Igneel
'Fairy Tail' (2009)
Fairy Tail is an iconic fantasy anime, and no fantasy series is right without at least one dragon, or in Fairy Tail's case, dozens. The anime follows a wizard guild going on many adventures, ranging from small to world-ending threats. With many dragon slayers, this anime has a focus on dragons, with Igneel being the father to the main character. Unfortunately, he went missing, prompting Natsu to search for him.
If it weren't for the rule restricting one dragon per series, Fairy Tail would have two or three on this list. However, Igneel barely beats out Acnologia, the latter of which is the intimidating main villain. But Igneel is too iconic and good of a character not to include. He is one of the story's main plot points and boasts a traditionally epic design, but his best aspect is his wisdom and kindness, which drives Natsu to be a better person.
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Fairy Tail
- Release Date
- 2009 - 2018
- Cast
- Cherami Leigh, Todd Haberkorn, Tia Lynn Ballard, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Newton Pittman, Brittney Karbowski, Monical Rial, Brina Palencia
- Creator
- Hiro Mashima
- Seasons
- 8
3 Rayquaza
'Pokémon' (1997)
This list wouldn't be right without at least one Pokémon, but there are too many to choose from, as there is a dragon typing. While there are many options, Rayquaza is the conflict-ending and ancient dragon from legend. This might be controversial, with many fans wanting Charizard or Dragonite on this list. However, Charizard isn't a dragon, no matter how much it looks like one. While Dragonite is the original Pokémon dragon, Rayquaza sets a new bar that no other Pokémon has reached.
It arguably has the best design for any dragon type, with its sleek Eastern inspiration mixed with a striking emerald green color and enhancing characteristics. Its lore is also riveting, serving as the dragon that stops the battle between Groudon and Kyogre, making it an important creature. Rayquaza is also the box legendary of Pokémon Emerald, one of the best Pokémon games, further proving it is the best dragon-type Pokémon.
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Pokémon
- Release Date
- 1997 - 2022
- Cast
- Rica Matsumoto, Mayumi Iizuka, Yūji Ueda, Tomokazu Seki, Kaori Suzuki, Fushigi Yamada, Megumi Toyoguchi
- Seasons
- 25
2 Shenron
'Dragon Ball' (1986)
As the oldest anime on this list, Dragon Ball has a lasting legacy that has become synonymous with its popular dragon. The early parts of the show follow Goku and Bulma as the two go on an adventure searching for dragon balls and mysterious objects that, when all are collected, the user can wish for anything. Shenron is the iconic dragon who appears when all the balls are collected, granting the wish to those worthy of undergoing the arduous task.
Shenron was obviously going to be on this list; the question was if he would be number one or number two. While some fans wish he would rank at the top spot, number two is nonetheless still impressive. Dragon Ball is an essential anime because of its lasting legacy and cultural impact. Shenron has also become a symbol of dragons in anime, proving his cultural significance, impressive design, and presence in the story.
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Dragon Ball
- Release Date
- 1986 - 1989
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Masako Nozawa, J?ji Yanami, T?ru Furuya, Mayumi Tanaka, Hiromi Tsuru, Naoko Watanabe, K?hei Miyauchi
- Seasons
- 1
1 Blue Eyes White Dragon
'Yu-Gi-Oh!' (1998)
Alongside Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! is one of the most popular franchises that dabbles in anime, cards, and video games. The anime follows the strategic card battles of life and death, with Yugi serving as the main character. Seto Kaiba is one of the main characters and rival to Yugi, who boasts an impressive deck with Blue Eyes White Dragon as his leading card.
While some would argue Shenron is better than Blue Eyes White Dragon, the latter is more critical in its story and has an equal amount of cultural relevance. Since it is the main card of Kaiba, Blue Eyes White Dragon makes many vital appearances, serving as a powerful threat and iconic beast. Yu-Gu-Oh! is one of the longest-running anime, meaning there are plenty of moments for Blue Eyes White Dragon to shine and establish itself as the best dragon in anime.
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