10 anime characters who'd make perfect Jedi in Star Wars

One of the most often discussed “what ifs” in the anime community is the idea of certain anime characters being transported into the world of George Lucas’ Star Wars media franchise. More specifically, fans often question how certain characters would fit in the roles of either Jedi or Sith, the franchise’s formal names for “good” and “evil” characters in the series.

The Jedi specifically is an interesting case, as it’s made clear that it’s much more difficult to become a true Jedi in the Star Wars universe than it is to succumb to the Dark Side and be a Sith.

Nevertheless, some anime characters would make for excellent Jedi in the series, starting with the most basic requirement of being very compassionate. Beyond this, additional qualifiers include personalities, combat skills, and more.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinion.

Swordsmen, teachers, and more are the best anime characters to become part of Star Wars' Jedi Order

1) Roronoa Zoro (One Piece)

Without a doubt, One Piece’s Roronoa Zoro would be one of the best anime characters turned Jedi if transported into the Star Wars universe. For starters, he’s already capable of performing incredible physical feats, which would only be heightened even further with Force training. He’s also already an incredibly skilled swordsman, all but guaranteeing his excelling with a lightsaber.

Zoro also matches the teachings and core philosophy of the Jedi extremely well, being extremely levelheaded and rational even in the most dangerous of situations. Furthermore, he’s also been shown to have his emotions kept in check extremely well, arguably the most out of any of the Straw Hat Pirates.

2) Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)

Like Zoro, Naruto’s Kakashi Hatake would also be one of many great anime characters to become a Jedi for similar reasons to those said for Zoro, specifically with his rationality and levelheadedness. There’s also the fact that he’s a great teacher and mentor, meaning he could not only be a good Jedi himself but also train other Padawans to become equally great Jedi.

Kakashi is also a great leader, potentially allowing his Jedi career to blossom into the ranks of the Jedi Council or even a Grandmaster. Kakashi’s skills in battles would also translate well, with his use of Kunai in close-quarters fighting likely translating well to lightsaber use. His familiarity with ninjutsu also suggests a lessened learning curve for using the Force in battle situations.

3) Shota Aizawa (My Hero Academia)

My Hero Academia’s Shota Aizawa would be yet another fantastic choice of anime characters turned Jedi for reasons very similar to Kakashi and beyond. Like Kakashi, he’s a fantastic teacher who cares deeply for his students and is willing to sacrifice himself to protect them. Aizawa seems to excel beyond Kakashi in terms of physical abilities, which are very comparatively impressive both in series and in general.

Force training would be incredibly synergistic with the foundation he has and allow him to become a fantastic fighter when it comes to Force usage. While his potential skills with a lightsaber are difficult to predict given his preferred method of fighting, he essentially checks every other box he’d need to to enter Jedi training.

4) Kenshin Himura (Ruruoni Kenshin)

Arguably the most skilled of the swordsman anime characters on this list, Kenshin Himura would rise above even some of the most well-respected Jedi when it comes to wielding a lightsaber. His moral code is also a very just one and is shown to be nearly unshakeable even when faced with the death of his closest friends and allies.

One area where Kenshin may be deficient as a Jedi is in his ability to teach others, but this is mainly due to his lack of taking on an apprentice in the original Rurouni Kenshin story.

Likewise, his relationship with Yahiko emphasizes that he chooses not to teach the young boy rather than being unable to, suggesting he’d also excel in this area. Thankfully, he’s distinguished as an excellent leader, further suggesting that he’d be adequate as a teacher.

5) Henry Henderson (Spy x Family)

Henry Henderson (Image via CloverWorks, Wit Studio)

While many of the above anime characters qualify for this list thanks to their sword skills, this isn’t necessarily what being a Jedi is all about. Masters like Jocasta Nu have proven that there are roles in the Jedi Order for those who don’t necessarily want to or are capable of fighting. In this way, Spy x Family’s Henry Henderson could also find a home in the Jedi Order.

His role as a compassionate and caring teacher who wants to see his students excel is a foundational piece of his character and would translate well to a similar role in the Order. To be more specific, a role during the fall of the Galactic Republic as seen in the Star Wars prequels would’ve suited him well, especially one on the Jedi Council given his recent anti-war characterization in the manga.

6) Kisuke Urahara (Bleach)

Bleach’s Kisuke Urahara is a combination of the qualifying reasons for those anime characters mentioned above. He may not excel as well as others in specific areas, but he does serviceably enough to be eligible for the Star Wars universe’s galactic watchforce. However, he has one distinguishing feature that those above lack in his familiarity with souls.

Throughout Tite Kubo’s manga, it’s overtly established that Urahara is well-versed in how souls behave and function, primarily shown via his familiarity with and knowledge of the Hogyoku and Gigai.

With this in mind, it suggests that he’s emotionally in tune with himself due to his deep understanding of the soul. Likewise, he could teach these skills to young Padawans, allowing them to be even more well-versed in controlling their emotions.

7) Yukichi Fukuzawa (Bungo Stray Dogs)

One of the most distinguishing features of Bungo Stray Dogs’ Yukichi Fukuzawa relative to other anime characters here is his willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of his subordinates.

A common trope in Star Wars is Masters or elder Jedi sacrificing themselves for the younger generation, something Fukuzawa has made peace with several times in the series. This also obviously shows how he values his subordinates above almost everything else in his life.

There’s also the fact that Fukuzawa is an incredibly skilled swordsman and fighter in general, demonstrating physical feats that are truly exceptional even in the series’ superpowered world. Combined with his general emotional restraint and rationality, it’s clear that he’s a fantastic choice among potential anime characters turned Jedi.

8) Jonathan Joestar (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood)

Arguably the single biggest reason why Jonathan deserves to be one of many anime characters turned Jedi is how emotionally good he is. His values shown throughout his brief time as the protagonist of author and illustrator Hirohiko Araki’s world famous manga series are perfectly matched with that of Star Wars’ galactic peacekeepers.

Beyond this, he’s also shown to be a quick learner via his tutelage in Hamon under Will Zeppeli, suggesting he’d quickly adapt to training in the force and in lightsaber usage. Jonathan has also shown to be a capable leader, as well as more than willing to self sacrifice for both the greater good and to protect his loved ones.

9) Giyu Tomioka (Demon Slayer)

Like many other anime characters on this list, Demon Slayer’s Giyu Tomioka is also a very level headed and rational character who can keep his emotions regulated to an excellent degree. A comparison can also be drawn between Giyu and famed Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi between their experiences in the deaths of Sabito and Qui-Gon Jinn, respectively.

Beyond this, Giyu’s skills as a Demon Slayer would obviously translate well into Jedi training, both in terms of lightsaber combat and with respect to the Force. It’s clear that he’s one of the best candidates to be transported into the Star Wars universe for Jedi training.

10) Suzaku Kururugi (Code Geass)

Lastly, Code Geass’ Suzaku Kururugi serves as a jack of all trades with respect to the qualifiers mentioned above for other anime characters. While he may not excel in any one particular area, he does well enough in all of them to justify his potential training as a Jedi in the Star Wars universe.

One distinguishing feature is that Suzaku is more than willing to sacrifice whatever he needs to for the greater good, primarily established via the series’ Zero Requiem plan. While this article will avoid spoilers given how integral it is to the series’ conclusion, it shows that Suzaki is rational and emotionally mature enough to stay true to the Jedi Code.

Final thoughts

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the most foundational requirement for becoming a Jedi in Star Wars is to be compassionate, which all of the above anime characters show beyond any doubt. While their exact qualifications and skills beyond that may differ, the above ten anime characters each have their own argument for entry into the Jedi Order one way or another.