10 best anime characters like Killer Bee from Naruto

Killer Bee is a fan-favorite character in the popular anime series Naruto. As the jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, he is an extraordinarily skilled ninja from Kumogakure who serves as a protector of the village. He has complete control over his tailed beast and can fully transform into it and use its immense power in battle.

Killer Bee has a very distinct hip-hop-inspired personality. He is almost always rapping and dancing, even during serious situations, which makes him stand out. He also forges a close bond with Naruto Uzumaki during the series because of their status as jinchūriki.

Despite his seemingly goofy exterior, he harbors great inner strength and loyalty toward his comrades. Fans of his unique character likely want to find other anime characters that are like him. Here are 10 of the best anime characters like Killer Bee from Naruto.

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

Joseph Joestar, Black Star, and 8 other anime characters like Killer Bee

1. Son Gokū from Saiyuki

Son Gokū from Saiyuki is a powerful being with a carefree personality, much like Killer Bee. Despite the great power at his disposal, Gokū has a very relaxed, whimsical nature. He loves to joke around and often frustrates his more serious companions with his antics.

However, despite his seemingly foolish nature, Gokū harbors immense inner strength and courage when confronting demons and protecting the lives of innocents. His companions place great trust in Gokū because they know that when things get truly serious, his power and loyalty shine through.

Just like Bee, Gokū perfectly balances outstanding strength with a goofy, lovable personality.

2. Black Star from Soul Eater

Black Star is an assassin student at the Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA) whose bravado and showmanship are reminiscent of Killer Bee. He aspires to be the greatest assassin ever and frequently makes a spectacle of himself by loudly announcing how powerful he is - even when he can't live up to his hype.

Much like Bee rapping and dancing during battles, Black Star blurts out egotistical rhyming catchphrases mid-fight. Underneath all his boasting though, Black Star has tremendous skill and bravery that makes him a key contributor to the team's battles against evil.

His outgoing personality, rhyming catchphrases, and underlying inner strength reflect Bee very well.

3. Joseph Joestar from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Joseph Joestar (Image via David Production)

While physically very different from Killer Bee, Joseph Joestar matches Bee's crafty personality that hides inner intelligence. Joseph often outsmarts stronger opponents with keen observations, luck, and improvisation, much like Bee's use of power despite his foolish demeanor.

Joseph also has a habit of annoying his more straight-laced teammates through frequent jokes and exaggerated reactions, much like Bee frustrates his brother A. In addition, Joseph and Bee share a slick, streetwise speech style full of boasts and catchphrases that give their dialogue a hip-hop flair.

With their similar speech and personalities, Joseph captures Killer Bee's one-of-a-kind rapper spirit very well.

4. Shihōin Yoruichi from Bleach

Shihōin Yoruichi (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The dark-skinned, purple-haired Yoruichi perfectly mirrors Killer Bee’s fusion of silly antics with badass, battle-hardened skills. As a goddess of flash, Yoruichi boasts incredible speed that allows her to dance circles around opponents and confuse them with rapid-fire taunting.

Her occasional shape-shifting between human and cat form further adds to her air of mischief and unpredictability. However, when the battle gets serious, Yoruichi unveils her tremendous hand-to-hand combat prowess and lethal assassination techniques that prove she is not to be trifled with.

Just like Bee, Yoruichi’s taunting, dancing combat style conceals inner strength earned over hundreds of years as a skilled fighter and revered mentor.

5. Kuwabara Kazuma from Yu Yu Hakusho

Kuwabara Kazuma (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The goofy, punk-styled Kuwabara has many similarities with Killer Bee's characterization. Kuwabara frequently boasts about his fighting skills and acts overconfidently, despite possessing one of the weaker power levels on the team.

His blustery talk masks a loyal heart that would do anything for his friends, though. In addition, Kuwabara’s spirit sword technique incorporates powerful spins and poses into its activation stance.

He also enjoys spamming his catchphrase “What a surprise!” whenever he gets the upper hand on an opponent, akin to Bee’s verbal tics. Through bluffs and bravado, he makes the most of his limited abilities to contribute alongside his superpowered teammates - reflecting the scrappy fighting spirit within Killer Bee.

6. Toriko from Toriko

The cheerful, hard-hitting gourmet hunter Toriko has much in common with Killer Bee’s carefree outward persona and immense inner strength. Toriko is regularly hyperactive, easily distracted by food, and acts quite airheaded.

However, during mealtimes or hard battles, Toriko unleashes jaw-dropping strength that cements him as one of the world’s strongest warriors. Like Bee, Toriko has a symbiotic partnership with an immensely powerful animal that grants him even greater battle prowess when needed.

Toriko is also extremely loyal to his friends and will endure any beating to protect them - reflecting Bee's sacrifices during the Naruto storyline. Despite their silly quirks, both men share unbreakable willpower and attachment to their comrades as well.

7. Father from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

As the first homunculus with seemingly limitless power, Father mirrors some core aspects of Killer Bee’s characterization. On the surface, Father resembles an unassuming old man running Amestris from the shadows. In reality, he harbors enough power within him to shape the country’s destiny and oversee events behind closed doors.

This combination of innocuous external behavior masking tremendous inner reserves of strength mirrors Killer Bee closely. In addition, Father’s ability to siphon power from the homunculi created from his being is akin to Bee harnessing chakra from Gyūki the Eight-Tails beast.

Despite wildly different underlying powers and motivations, Father and Bee’s clever concealment of staggering battle strength bears notable similarities between the two.

8. Kisuke Urahara from Bleach

Kisuke Urahara (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The humble candy store owner, Kisuke Urahara, also mirrors Killer Bee’s deception of seemingly foolish behavior concealing deadly skills. Urahara acts silly and carefree while managing his unassuming shop, annoying customers with his lackadaisical attitude.

However, as a former captain of the Stealth Force and founder of the Research and Development Institute, Urahara boasts genius-level intellect and mastery of advanced combat techniques behind his laid-back guise.

When battling threats to the Soul Society, Urahara unveils cunning plans and powerful abilities, including soul-based swordsmanship, binding magic, and matter reconstruction that cement him as one of the most brilliant and dangerous men alive.

9. Izuku Midoriya from My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia's protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, also shares some similarities with Killer Bee's characterization. Despite lacking a Quirk for most of his life, Midoriya eventually gains tremendous superhuman strength after inheriting the Quirk "One for All." However, he struggles to control this immense power at first.

Like Bee as a jinchūriki, Midoriya must learn to harness the incredible battle strength passed down to him without losing control. In addition, Midoriya mirrors Bee's loyalty toward his friends and drive to master his abilities to protect innocent lives.

Through hard work and courage, both characters take hold of their gifted power to stand and fight alongside their comrades against evil forces.

10. Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece

Monkey D. Luffy (Image via Toei Animation)

The protagonist of the legendary pirate anime One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy also mirrors some core aspects of Killer Bee's character. On the surface, Luffy acts extremely silly, simple-minded, and carefree as he travels the seas in search of adventure.

However, beneath his whimsical exterior lies tremendous physical strength and an unbreakable will that only emerges in battle. Like Bee, Luffy conceals his incredible power behind a goofy, unassuming front that catches most foes off guard.

In addition, Luffy shares Bee's fierce loyalty toward his pirate comrades and willingness to endure incredible punishment to protect them from harm. While coming from unique backgrounds, Luffy and Killer Bee both fuse lovable playfulness with a jaw-dropping inner strength that comes out when standing up for their friends' lives.

Conclusion

Killer Bee stands out as a one-of-a-kind character among the Naruto cast for his hip-hop-inspired rapping, dancing, and rhyming dialogue mixed with the immense bestial power lurking inside him. While no character perfectly mimics this fusion, the anime fighters covered here reflect signature pieces of his characterization.

From deceiving external foolishness masking inner strength to boastful rhyming speech patterns, to symbiotic bonds with powerful beasts, these characters capture the essence of what makes Killer Bee so memorable.