Dragons are truly amazing creatures. They are one of the best-known and most popular mythological beings and are featured in various folklores around the world. Now, while there generally are differences between, for example, Western and Eastern dragons, the general idea is always the same, as well as the fact that dragons always have some special powers and are generally associated with epic stories. Dragons, of course, appear in anime series as well and in this article, we are going to bring you a list of the 20 best anime dragons of all time, ranked by their popularity and impact.
20. Majiramon
Franchise: Digimon
Majiramon is a Deva that possesses an aspect based on the Chinese dragon. He does not appear to be able to speak and serves during his mount appearances in Makuramon. It is eventually destroyed by Cyberdramon, while attempting to capture Calumon. He is a powerful Ultimate-level Digimon that was defeated only through Cyberdramon’s extremely brute force, combined with Ryo’s additions.
A version of the character also appears in Digimon Ghost Game, after Jellymon hacked the 1,000 talismans placed by Higashimitarai Kiyoshiro, which stopped the economic system in Japan. This enraged Majiramon and he arrived in the Human World to find Kiyoshiro but when the hack was annulled and everything explained, he forgave Kiyoshiro and returned to the Digital World.
19. Ryūkotsusei
Franchise: InuYasha
It is a huge dragon demon and one of Inuyasha’s father, Inutaisho’s, most terrifying adversaries. After defeating him with the Steel Fang sword, he also learns a new attack from it, called Baku-Ryu-Ha (Explosive Wave), which, in a nutshell, is the union of the Kase no Kisu (wind wound or cutting wind) with the opponent’s energy (he must release energy, and that is when the hanyō must find the exact place to cut off that demonic energy and thus create the blast wave).
18. Rayquaza
Franchise: Pokémon
Rayquaza is a serpentine dragon. His body is green, except for certain reddish touches, and a series of yellow lines that adorn his green figure. It is said to inhabit the ozone layer of the atmosphere. It is a very territorial Pokémon, it will not hesitate to attack any intruder in its territory, as shown in the movie, where it swiftly attacked the meteorite containing Deoxys.
Despite this, he is very calm and powerful, so much so that he is able to stop Groudon and Kyogre when they are fighting. It lives in the stratosphere and often comes down to the Sky Pillar. It feels very comfortable in the presence of ozone. It feeds on water particles that are suspended in the air, and when it needs to Mega Evolve, it feeds on the energy of meteorites.
17. Igneel
Franchise: Fairy Tail
Igneel, The Fire Dragon King, is Natsu Dragneel’s dragon foster father. Since Natsu was a young child, he has raised him, imparting his own language, culture, and knowledge of fire dragon slaying magic. On July 7, X777, Natsu notices Igneel vanish and starts searching for the dragon in between assignments. He can meet other dragon slayers who have experienced a comparable loss of their Guardian Dragon on the same day.
When Acnologia shows up on the battlefield between Fairy Tail and Tartaros fourteen years after his disappearance, Igneel intervenes by revealing that he has been trapped inside Natsu’s body for the entire time, just as it happened for the other dragons with their respective grown children, with the triple purpose of stopping their transformations into dragons as a side effect of dragon slayer magic and waiting for the ideal time to personally kill Acnologia.
However, Igneel is brutally killed by Acnologia and ascends to a higher plane of existence with his fellow dragons to watch over humanity. After his death, he also gives Natsu Dragneel the special “Fire Dragon King” mode of dragon slayer magic.
16. Platinum Dragon Lord
Franchise: Overlord
He is regarded as the strongest being on the entire planet by Rigrit Bers Kauraru, one of the Thirteen Heroes. Due to his possession of the numerous items the Eight Greed Kings left behind in the floating castle after their deaths, Platinum Dragon Lord may be one of the strongest Dragon Lords at the moment.
Evileye even believed Jaldabaoth to be as powerful as the Platinum Dragon Lord, to the point where she was unable to distinguish between the two. Due to their immense powers, which Evileye is unable to comprehend, this problem has not yet been handled. His sense of perception is far superior to that of regular dragons because he is a Dragon Lord among Dragon Lords.
Therefore, anyone who wishes to approach him covertly must be extremely skilled at disguising or concealing their presence. He knew few people who could genuinely carry off such a feat and be aware of their abilities despite his advanced age. The first was the assassin Izaniya, necromancer Rigrit of the Thirteen Heroes, and other Dragon Lords he considered equals. According to Draudillon’s grandpa, the Platinum Dragon Lord also appears to have an unnamed ultimate assault that makes
15. Porunga
Franchise: Dragon Ball
Porunga is, like Shenron, a sacred dragon from the Dragon Ball universe. While Shenron was created by Kami-sama after he came to Earth, Porunga was created by the Grand Master of the Nameks, Saichoroshi. He is stronger than Shenron and he can grant three wishes instead of just one. However, he cannot resurrect multiple people at once and therefore must resurrect one per wish; he is on the other hand able to resuscitate a person as many times as necessary, whereas Shenron can only do it once per person.
Later in the manga, he becomes able to do this, following the change of Chief Namekian. Unlike Shenron, it is imperative to speak to Porunga in the Namekian language so that he grants the wish formulated. The formula to make it appear must also be formulated in Namekian. He first appears in the Frieza saga. Once the first two wishes are granted, Saichoroshi dies and thus the Dragon Balls as well as Porunga disappear, preventing Vegeta from obtaining eternal life. After he has resurrected thanks to Shenron from Earth, the third wish can be granted.
14. Kozuki Momonosuke
Franchise: One Piece
Kozuki Momonosuke is the eldest son of Oden and Toki, but as he has traveled twenty years ahead in time, so now smaller than his sister Hiyori. He has a gruff and proud personality. Regardless of his young age, he is very interested in older girls and often uses the tactic of pretending to be innocent and flattering them to exploit their maternal instincts.
He, Kin’emon, Kanjuro, and Raizo were on their way to the island of Zou when their ship was wrecked on Dressrosa. Arriving illegally in Punk Hazard, he unknowingly ate an artificial Zoo Zoo fruit, acquiring the ability to transform into a Chinese dragon. After meeting Luffy and his companions, he reunites with Kin’emon who in front of everyone pretends to be his father. He follows the Straw Hat crew to Dressrosa and later arrives at Zo along with Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Brook, and Caesar.
Here Momonosuke reveals his identity to the crew and asks Luffy and Law for help in defeating Kaido; the Kozuki family and their subordinates thus form an alliance with Luffy’s crew, the Heart pirates, and minks to bring down the Emperor. During the assault on Onigashima he is kidnapped by Kanjuro and handed over to Kaido, only to be rescued by Sanji, Shinobu, and Yamato. He later asks Shinobu to age him twenty years in order to participate more actively in the clashes. Following the defeat of Kaido and Orochi, he is acclaimed by the population as the new shogun.
13. Megidramon
Franchise: Digimon
Megidramon is the mega-level alternate form of Guilmon, an evil dragon Digimon who manifested during Takato’s expressed rage at Beelzemon. He appeared in the Digimon Tamers anime and was so enormously powerful that even Beelzemon had trouble dealing with him. Megidramon was an example of a Dark Digivolution, much like SkullGreymon was in Digimon Adventure.
He was a powerful, yet mindless beast who fed on Takato’s negative emotions, but acted without any reason or compassion. Its sole goal was to find an opponent and then brutally destroy them, which was against everything that Takato stood for. Beelzemon ultimately stopped Megidramon after hitting its chest symbol, the Digital Hazard, and soon after, Takato merged with his partner to become Gallantmon.
12. Charizard
Franchise: Pokémon
Charizard possesses powerful wings and a fiery breath of fire. It also has a long neck and a powerful tail ending in a flame that burns more strongly if it has experienced hard combat, although as with its evolutionary line if it goes out the Pokémon can die. He is very presumptuous, violent, aggressive, and very proud. It is so much so, that it is not able to fight against a Pokémon weaker than it and if it were to fight with one, it would not use its flames.
It is for this simple reason that he prefers to fight against opponents who present him with a challenge. Until he defeats his opponent he will not stop. It is capable of melting even rocks and steel or causing forest fires with the fire it spits, although it often does so unintentionally, this fire gains intensity as it gains experience in combat, which is why it is commonly seen flying looking for adversaries with which to become stronger.
When Charizard is enraged the flame on the tip of his tail will flash light blue. Charizard possesses a powerful and innate sense of honor, so he will only use his strength and abilities to fight opponents he deems equal to him. Charizard’s habitat is the mountains like its pre-evolutions, however, it lives in higher areas, although equally rocky; this is due to its ability to fly.
11. Slifer the Sky Dragon
Franchise: Yu-Gi-Oh!
“The heavens twist and thunder roars, signaling the coming of this ancient creature, and the dawn of true power,” this is the official card description of one of the legendary Egyptian God Cards from the globally popular Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. Slifer the Sky Dragon doesn’t only look epic, he is an exceptionally powerful monster that, if you know how to combine your cards, will make up for an almost invincible foe.
Slifer the Sky Dragon also had a major impact outside of the card itself, as it had a large role in the story, especially due to its connection with both the current Yugi, as well as the Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt. The card is simply the embodiment of an actual Egyptian deity and that is why Slifer is such an important aspect of the story.
10. Blue Dragon
Franchise: BLUE DRAGON
Blue Dragon is the shadow of Shu, the protagonist of the series. Although the two won’t get along well at first, they will become great friends and Blue Dragon will join him in battling the forces of evil. The story of him in the anime begins in the Talta village when rumors of the imminent arrival of a Master Knight. This news attracts the attention and curiosity of Shu, who begins to look for him with the intention of becoming his pupil. It is here that he meets Zola, a young and beautiful girl with an icy gaze surrounded by an aura of mystery that immediately strikes him, convinced that he has found the Master Knight.
In reality, Zola is not a Master Knight but a conjurer of shadows, as is Jiro, a boy of Shu’s age who travels with her. Also in the first episode, the army of the Great Realm attacks the village of Talta. This is where Shu discovers that he has a shadow, which is Blue Dragon, the shadow that Zola and Jiro have been looking for for some time. After much hesitation, Shu decides to embark on a journey with Zola and Jiro, followed by the loyal Kluke.
9. Hyōrinmaru
Franchise: Bleach
Like all Shinigami, Tōshirō has a Zanpakutō, Hyōrinmaru (Ice Ring). As its name suggests, it is an Ice-type Zanpakutō, and moreover the most powerful of all Zanpakutō of this type. During this release phase, Hyōrinmaru manifests itself as a large winged ice dragon, whose appearance approximates that of a Chinese dragon. A chain connects the end of the tsuka to a piece of metal that is shaped like a crescent moon; this chain is used for the purpose of freezing whatever she touches (once again during her fight against Ichimaru Gin). The Zanpakutō tsuba is star-shaped.
Although Hyōrinmaru manifests itself in the form of a dragon, the Zanpakutō: Alternative Tales filler arc depicted the spirit as that of a long-haired, solemn man, although the dragon motive was present in that arc as well.
8. Dragonite
Franchise: Pokémon
Dragonite is a Dragon Pokémon. It has a wide set of movements: it can fly, as well as use fire, water, ice, and/or electric attacks. It has an intelligence close to human. In addition, like its pre-evolution, it is a kind-hearted pokémon that likes to fly through the ocean rescuing shipwrecks or guiding lost ships to the coast, due to its constitution it can fly defying the fiercest storms without suffering any apparent damage.
Although it is a large, heavy Pokémon and its wings are somewhat small, it is capable of going around the world in just 16 hours. It is said that the only place where this Pokémon can be found in the wild is on Dragonite Island, a place lost in the sea from which only rumors have been heard of shipwrecked people who have been rescued by this Pokémon, this island is only inhabited by Dragonite and its pre-evolutions.
7. The Winged Dragon of Ra
Franchise: Yu-Gi-Oh!
The official card description says the following about this card: “Ra shall take power from three Sacrifices. But even if the offering is to Ra’s liking, It shall only answer to the one who speaks the sacred words. When the means of resurrection are granted to it, Ra shall come forth from the earth and those who face it in war shall be incinerated in flames. In an instant, Ra shall become a Phoenix, and the enemies of Ra shall return to the earth.“
The Winged Dragon of Ra is a card based on an actual Ancient Egyptian deity and was a very rare, non-standard card that ultimately became the most powerful single-card Monster in the whole series. Ra was practically indestructible and alongside the fact that the card itself was powerful, the deity behind it also played a major role in the story.
6. Kaidō
Franchise: One Piece
The mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit known as the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu grants its owner the ability to wholly or partially transform into an Eastern Dragon, notably the Azure Dragon (Seiryu). Kaidou took it and ate it. The fruit is slightly angular, composed of several pointy pieces that resemble dragon scales, and is colored cyan with a deeper interior where the spirals are located. Its base is covered with orange vegetation, and unlike the other devil fruits, it has two purple stems.
In battle, Kaidou frequently used this fruit. He typically begins battles in his full metamorphosis and then reverts to his original shape, unlike most Zoan-type fruit users that have been observed so far. This is because his base form seems more suited to close-quarters one-on-one combat.
Kaidou stands far away from his opponents when he faces them in his full dragon form, launching deadly elemental strikes from his mouth, generally, a fire blast, to slam them. He has also been spotted biting opponents who are close by. We did not put Kaidō higher on this list because he is not a dragon originally but rather transforms into one via a Devil Fruit, which is not the same as being a dragon.
5. Blue-Eyes White Dragon
Franchise: Yu-Gi-Oh!
“This legendary dragon is a powerful engine of destruction. Virtually invincible, very few have faced this awesome creature and lived to tell the tale,” this is how the official card description described this extremely powerful card from the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon was merely a card, that much cannot be denied, but it had a tremendous impact on the series and was actually one of the most powerful classical cards in the whole game.
Linked to Seto Kaiba, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon was a symbol of power and was a trademark card for the show’s main antihero, just like the Dark Magician was for Yugi. However Kaiba’s deck changed, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon was a constant and a card to which Kaiba was very closely linked and had a very deep connection with.
4. Acnologia
Franchise: Fairy Tail
Acnologia, nicknamed The Dragon King, is the black dragon of the apocalypse. Four centuries ago, he was a famed hunter of dragons who went through a full transformation into a dragon because he used too much of this magic, and thus killed all the dragons that remained in the dragon graveyard. Unlike the other dragons who retired on July 7, 77771, he is still active in the human world. Acnologia hates humans, he doesn’t talk to them like a human wouldn’t talk to a simple insect. He beat Gildarts by ripping out his left arm, left leg, and several internal organs.
He appears on Tenrō Island after Grimoire Heart leaves, due to their evil deeds, and attacks Fairy Tail. He then destroys Tenrō Island along with all of the Fairy Tail members on it (all S-rank exam participants). After these events, he disappears.
He reappears during the battle between Fairy Tail and Tartaros. According to Mard Geer, he would have come to destroy E.N.D before his resurrection. He begins a duel against Igneel. He wins this fight after ripping out a large portion of Igneel’s torso and, despite losing an arm, he then finishes Igneel off with his Dragon’s Howl. He hides in a range of rocky mountains and is visited by Zeref. In human form, Acnologia appears to be a man in his twenties although he is several centuries old, he has long, spiky midnight blue hair, dark skin with blue markings, and wears a long black cape. During his interview, Zeref declares war on him.
3. Azulongmon
Franchise: Digimon
Azulongmon is a blue Asian dragon-type Digimon ruling the eastern part of the Digital World. Along with his four compatriots, Azulongmon was once beaten and imprisoned by the Dark Masters, and later freed by the DigiDestined when they used their symbols. He seems to be one of the wisest and most moderate rulers, trusting in the alliance between humans and Digimon. He appears on one occasion in Digimon Adventure 02, when BlackWarGreymon, looking for an adversary to his height, puts the Digital World in danger to attract his attention and fight him.
Finally, when the two come face to face, Azulongmon manages to reason with him. He reappears in Digimon Tamers from episode 38. He reveals to have protected the catalyst that allowed Digimon to Digivolve by changing it into a small Digimon, Calumon. He steps in to defend the group of tamers against Zhuqiaomon, and, after a while, manages to convince the two of them to stop fighting and unite against D-Reaper.
2. Haku
Franchise: Spirited Away
Yubaba took on Haku as an apprentice magician and stole his name as well. His work is mysterious and the other bath workers respect him, but also fear his dark and cold side. He will be of great help to Chihiro. He is often shown to be cold but he has a good and big heart deep down. He can transform into a long, slender white and blue dragon with long whiskers that flies and swims. In his dragon form, he is a Ryū. Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi is a very enigmatic, mysterious, important, and beautiful character at the same time.
He wants Chihiro to be able to return to his world, but she will have to do a lot of things, both hard and initiatory, he will be the one who guides her the most courageously, he will be courageous and sometimes even sacrificial for Chihiro/Sen. Haku is considered a god and sometimes called the lord or god. It is thanks to Haku and his unwavering determination that Chihiro will be able to succeed in trusting him and that they will be able to help each other. His name may be inspired by Nigihayahi, a historical and legendary figure.
1. Shenron
Franchise: Dragon Ball
Shenron or Shenlong is a magical dragon with the power to grant wishes. He was created by the God of Earth by infusing life into a miniature model of the dragon. Shenron is summoned by the union of the seven earthly dragon spheres. He can grant any kind of wish, except those that exceed his powers, those that he has already granted, and he cannot resurrect those who have died of natural causes.
After the union between God and Piccolo, Dende takes over as the new God of Earth and amplifies Shenron’s powers so that he can grant three wishes instead of just one, although these are reduced to two when one desire involves resurrecting more people. together. In Dragon Ball GT, an evil counterpart to the dragon appears, Dark Shenron, generated by an accumulation of negative energy in the dragon’s spheres. After all the spheres are purified, Shenron reappears, but, explaining that he cannot leave the power of the spheres in the hands of humans to prevent a tragedy like the one that just occurred with the appearance of Dark Shenron and the evil dragons, he disappears forever.
