Is Kikoru stronger than Mina in Kaiju No. 8? Explained

Modified Jan 28, 2025 08:02 GMT

Is Kikoru stronger than Mina in Kaiju No. 8? Explained (Images via Production I.G)

One of the most exciting aspects of mangaka Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 manga and anime series is how strong some of the characters are shown to be. While this obviously applies to the likes of protagonist Kafka Hibino, it’s also fair to hail the likes of Mina Ashiro and Kikoru Shinomiya as some of the series’ strongest characters.

Likewise, fans often find themselves asking if Kikoru is stronger than Mina in Kaiju No. 8 as they are the two strongest female characters in the series as of this article’s writing. Kikoru likely could be considered stronger than Mina overall due to her ability to use bladed weapons, and the fact that she’s a Numbers Weapons user. However, Mina is unparalleled in her marksmanship mastery.

Kikoru’s skills, explained

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A necessary step in fully answering the question of “is Kikoru stronger than Mina in Kaiju No. 8” is explaining what it is that Kikoru can do that Mina cannot, and vice versa. Likewise, as mentioned above, Kikoru is someone who is a more well-rounded soldier than Mina. This is inherently true due to the latter’s complete inability to use bladed weaponry but is made even truer by the skill Kikoru displays in this area.

Her preferred weapon of choice being an axe which she wields with complete mastery is proof enough of this. She has been shown capable of standing up to incredibly powerful kaiju with nothing but her axe, as seen during the Second Wave Arc. While her Numbers Weapon 4 suit played a large role in this victory also, the training that goes into mastering a Numbers Weapon by no means removes credibility from these feats.

Kikoru has also been shown to be a sufficient marksman by Kaiju Defense Force standards, highlighted especially during the early stages of the series. During entrance exams and early training, Kikoru never once had an issue with using long-range projectile weaponry, and outperformed many of her peers at the time. While it’s clearly not her preferred method of fighting, Kaiju No. 8 makes it quite clear that she’s adequate in both areas of combat.

Mina’s skills, explained

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Mina Ashiro, on the other hand, is outwardly said to have no skills in wielding a kitchen knife, let alone an actual sword or other type of bladed weapon. However, her marksmanship is unparalleled, being the strongest long-range fighter the Kaiju Defense Force has. Former Director General Isao Shinomiya even called her the “missing link” and said her power was capable of changing kaiju neutralization forever.

It’s worth adding that Mina’s problems with bladed weaponry do not stem from a lack of physical strength. She’s shown capable of effortlessly wielding a large cannon much bigger than her, as well as being able to gracefully move across a battlefield both with and without the help of her tiger Bakko.

Which Kaiju No. 8 heroine is stronger?

Kikoru Shinomiya has the edge in overall strength, but with some caveats (Image via Production I.G)

The answer to “is Kikoru stronger than Mina” is a yes, but with some key caveats. Overall, Kikoru likely is stronger than Mina due to being a more well-rounded fighter, and being in possession of Numbers Weapon 4. However, even without Numbers Weapon 4, Kikoru still has a good argument for being stronger overall given her well-rounded combat abilities.

However, Mina Ashiro is completely unmatched, and likely always will be completely unmatched, when it comes to her marksmanship mastery. She is very clearly the strongest long-range fighter in the series as a result, with no close seconds. Unfortunately, Mina’s complete inability to use bladed weaponry is what gives Kikoru the edge on her in terms of overall strength in the series.