10 strongest Kaiju No. 8 characters, ranked

As author and illustrator Naoya Matsumoto’s original manga series has progressed, one of its most beloved aspects is the wide cast of Kaiju No. 8 characters and how different they all are. While still fitting into typical shonen trope-character boxes, the series has offered unique and hilarious spins on some of these tropes, making for a lovable and fresh cast.

Likewise, one of the greatest enjoyments readers of Matsumoto’s series get is seeing these lovable and well-developed Kaiju No. 8 characters grow stronger as the series progresses. Furthermore, if the manga’s recent months of publication have proven anything, it’s that there’s been a major shakeup in terms of the top end of the series’ fighters and abilities.

Disclaimer: The following list contains spoilers for the Kaiju No. 8 manga which the anime’s first season will not cover, and reflects the author's opinion and their opinion only.

Numbers Weapon users dominate the list of strongest Kaiju No. 8 characters as of current manga

10) Iharu Furuhashi

Iharu Furuhashi as seen in the anime (Image via Production I.G)

While Furuhashi has always been shown to be in the leading pack amongst the new recruit class fans are introduced to, recent months have seen him reach even greater heights. This is largely due to his awakening as a Flash Adapter thanks to Fourth Division Captain Jugo Ogata’s help in training him as a fellow Flash Adapter.

Being a Flash Adapter means that for brief moments in combat, Furuhashi can raise his unleashed combat power to 88%, which is a stone’s throw away from a Division Captain’s level. Undoubtedly, this qualifies him as one of the ten strongest Kaiju No. 8 characters in the manga currently.

9) Jura Igarashi

Igarashi (top panel) as seen in the manga (Image via Shuieisha)

As mentioned above, the series has previously stated that a Division Captain’s unleashed combat power is typically in the 90% range. Likewise, this would put Igarashi slightly higher than Furuhashi, given his status as a Division Captain.

However, Igarashi has never been seen fighting, and his unleashed combat power has yet to be exactly specified. As a result, while he’s certainly one of the 10 strongest Kaiju No. 8 characters, this ambiguity necessitates a low rank.

8) Jugo Ogata

Ogata as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

The same goes for Fourth Division Captain Jugo Ogata, who has yet to be seen fighting and has yet to reveal his unleashed combat power. However, Ogata gets the edge over Igarashi in ranking the 10 strongest Kaiju No. 8 characters thanks to his being confirmed as a Flash Adapter.

With this in mind, it’s suggested that Ogata is stronger than Igarashi given the currently available information on both.

7) Reno Ichikawa

Ichikawa as seen in the anime (Image via Production I.G)

Reno Ichikawa is the first Numbers Weapon user amongst the Kaiju No. 8 characters on this list but is also likely the weakest among them. This isn’t to say that Ichikawa himself is weak, as recent chapters have proven how lethal he is with the No. 6 weapon. However, he is almost certainly the weakest of the other Numbers Weapon users.

This is largely because he has always been portrayed as a “third fiddle” to Kikoru Shinomiya and Kafka Hibino. While recent chapters have begun to suggest that he has reached their level, it’s hard to say since he has yet to defeat a numbered kaiju on his own.

Although he almost certainly could, currently available information and feats still place him in the rear when it comes to the Numbers Weapon users.

6) Kikoru Shinomiya

Kikoru as seen in the anime (Image via Production I.G)

That being said, Kikoru Shinomiya only ranking one spot above him in terms of the strongest Kaiju No. 8 characters speaks to just how strong the series’ top-end fighters are. Likewise, it’s not a knock on Kikoru and her use of the No. 4 weapon at all, with their shared victory over Kaiju No. 15 proving that they’re one of the series’ strongest characters.

However, those who outrank her and Ichikawa beat them in key areas such as experience, general weapons mastery, and being their superiors. While the lattermost point isn’t necessarily indicative of strength, it’s likely Matsumoto’s way of communicating the pecking order regarding abilities.

5) Kafka Hibino

Kafka as seen in the anime (Image via Production I.G)

While Kafka Hibino would rank incredibly low among Kaiju No. 8 characters just by looking at his unleashed combat power, it’s his ability to become the titular monster, who earns him a top-half ranking. The Second Wave arc has further proved this via the Defense Force electing to save him as their “ace in the hole” for defeating Kaiju No. 9.

There’s also the fact that at the time of the No. 8 form’s introduction, Kafka was given the strongest fortitude level in the entire series up to that point. Given that this makes him one of the most powerful Kaiju to exist, if not the most powerful, it’s clear that he earns a top-half ranking on this alone. Where he falters, like Ichikawa and Kikoru, is a lack of experience, and a unique problem to Kafka himself is not having much foundational combat ability to work with.

4) Soshiro Hoshina

Hoshina as seen in the anime (Image via Production I.G)

As the anime is about to start, this lack of foundational combat ability is what separates Kafka and the likes of the Third Division Vice-Captain, Soshiro Hoshina. Hoshina is considered the strongest blade user in the entirety of the Kaiju Defense Force, and his use of the No. 10 weapon at 100% unleashed combat power only makes him an even deadlier force.

Where Hoshina loses points is his lack of ability to use any firearms with significant unleashed combat power, which admittedly isn’t a major problem given his pairing with Mina Ashiro. However, in isolation, it is a knock against Hoshina which other Kaiju No. 8 characters mentioned later in this list don’t suffer from.

3) Mina Ashiro

Mina as seen in the anime (Image via Production I.G)

Mina Ashiro is not one of those Kaiju No. 8 characters, essentially being the opposite of Hoshina. While her unleashed combat power with firearms is impressive, she’s so bad with bladed weaponry that she even avoids using a kitchen knife if she can help it.

Again, her and Hoshina’s synergistic pairing being able to support each other doesn’t make this a major issue in practice, but in isolation, it’s an issue worth mentioning.

That being said, Mina is undoubtedly one of the strongest Kaiju No. 8 characters on the back of her firearms mastery alone. She can take down giant-class Kaiju on her own, assuming she’s given a good shot at the beasts. It’s even said that if Mina was around during the No. 6 incident ten years before the start of the series, the damage would’ve been mitigated to under a third of what it was, which speaks to how strong she is.

2) Kaiju No. 9

Kaiju No. 9 as seen in the anime (Image via Production I.G)

If recent chapters of the series have proven anything, it’s that Kaiju No. 9 is undoubtedly one of the strongest Kaiju No. 8 characters currently. For starters, he’s going toe-to-toe with Kafka in his Kaiju form, which is no small feat in and of itself. What’s more, he’s even overpowering Kafka and is clearly in control of their fight as it currently stands.

The intelligence and foresight that No. 9 has displayed are also a key part of his strength, letting him prepare for any eventuality. Even the debut of Ichikawa as the No. 6 weapons user was something he said didn’t alter his plans greatly, which demonstrates how excellent this foresight is. Combined with the raw strength he has thanks to absorbing Isao Shinomiya and the No. 2 weapon, he’s undoubtedly one of the strongest Kaiju No. 8 characters.

1) Gen Narumi

Narumi as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

The strongest of the many currently introduced and living Kaiju No. 8 characters is Gen Narumi. He’s hailed as Japan’s strongest anti-Kaiju combatant, thanks to his use of the No. 1 weapon, excellent skills with both bladed and rifle weaponry, and incredible talent for unleashed combat power. The B-Side spinoff prequel series even revealed that as an untrained civilian with no suit, he could wield severed Kaiju limbs like a lethal weapon.

There’s also the fact that unlike Hoshina and Ashiro, Narumi is an expert in both bladed and rifle weaponry, even combining them to form his custom bayonet-gun weapon. All of this combined with his status as Isao Shinomiya’s pupil points to the conclusion that he is the benchmark for strength in the series currently.

In conclusion

While several Kaiju No. 8 characters have incredible strength and skill, the above 10 are a cut above the rest for varying reasons. Whether via strength as a Kaiju, expertise in one specific area of Kaiju combat, or being an overall prodigy, it’s clear that there are many paths to the top in Matsumoto’s manga series. However, to get there means surpassing the current peak of Kaiju No. 8 characters in terms of strength.