When you look at the landscape of anime, it’s astonishing how often power scales shoot so far beyond anything the Marvel universe dares to depict. Thanos, even armed with the Infinity Gauntlet, is terrifying within his own bounds.
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But anime universes often host beings who create those realities, rewrite them, or erase them on a whim. That’s what makes anime power so fascinating. It pushes imagination to extremes that make even Marvel’s most cosmic events feel linear. Thanos seeks balance through destruction, a goal grounded in causality and logic. But in anime, “balance” is often meaningless.
7. Truth (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Truth is not a person, god, or creature. It’s the ultimate enforcer of “to gain, something of equal value must be lost.” Whenever an alchemist in the Fullmetal Alchemist world commits the ultimate taboo — human transmutation — Truth is the entity they encounter. It dictates what can exist and what cannot. When someone defies those laws, Truth steps in, rewrites their existence, and reclaims what was taken. If Thanos tried to use the Gauntlet to challenge it, Truth could simply deem that knowledge “forbidden” and take it away — just as it stripped Edward Elric of his leg, or Father of his godhood.
6. Lelouch vi Britannia (Code Geass)
Lelouch vi Britannia, the antihero of Code Geass, is one of anime’s most brilliant and morally complex characters. As the exiled prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, Lelouch starts as a vengeful strategist who seeks to destroy the empire that oppressed his family and the world. What sets Lelouch apart is his supernatural power of his Geass, also known as the “Power of Absolute Obedience.” With this ability, Lelouch can compel anyone to follow a single command, no matter how extreme, as long as they make eye contact with him. In addition to his Geass, Lelouch commands armies and operates cutting-edge mecha called “Knightmares.” He’s a master of psychological warfare, capable of manipulating entire nations and even his closest friends and enemies.
His most famous achievement, the “Zero Requiem,” is a gambit so intricate and daring that it solidifies his legacy as one of anime’s greatest minds. If Lelouch were to face Thanos, the key to victory would be his Geass. Assuming Thanos doesn’t have prior knowledge of Lelouch’s power, Lelouch could exploit the Titan’s egotism, luring him into a situation where he could make eye contact. A single command — “Surrender” or “Destroy the Infinity Gauntlet” — would end the fight instantly. The Geass bypasses physical and cosmic defenses, targeting the mind directly, and Thanos, for all his strength, is not immune to psychological manipulation. Lelouch’s victory would not be easy or guaranteed. He would need time to understand Thanos and carefully orchestrate his plan, but if anyone could outthink and outmaneuver a god-like tyrant, it’s Lelouch vi Britannia.
5. Ryuk (Death Note)
In the world of Death Note, Ryuk is a Shinigami (a death god) who drops his Death Note — a supernatural notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it — into the human world purely out of boredom. If Ryuk learned Thanos’ name and face, all he would need to do is write it down, and within seconds, the Mad Titan would fall lifeless. The Death Note doesn’t care how powerful or durable someone is; it directly targets their lifespan, making it a weapon that transcends physical and metaphysical defenses. Even the Infinity Gauntlet, which allows Thanos to manipulate reality, time, and space, could not save him from the Death Note’s rules — because no matter how powerful Thanos is, he still has a lifespan.
4. Zeno (Dragon Ball Super)
Zeno (or the Omni-King) is the supreme ruler of all realities in the Dragon Ball multiverse. Despite his small stature and childlike demeanor, Zeno is the most fearsome character in the Dragon Ball franchise, wielding unfathomable power over existence itself. While he lacks the physicality and fighting prowess of other characters like Goku or Vegeta, Zeno’s omnipotence makes him a force that transcends conventional battles. He erased six universes simply because he felt like it, reducing the multiverse from eighteen universes to twelve. Even if Thanos tried to use the Gauntlet to erase Zeno, it’s unlikely to work because Zeno exists at a level of reality beyond the Gauntlet’s influence.
3. Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Madoka Kaname, the protagonist of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, starts as an ordinary girl in a world where magical girls battle witches to protect humanity. But by the end of her journey, Madoka ascends to godhood, becoming a conceptual being who controls the laws of the universe. Madoka isn’t a fighter, and she has no desire for conflict. She would likely try to reason with Thanos, appealing to his better nature. But if her compassion failed and Thanos continued his destructive path, Madoka’s power would make his efforts meaningless.
2. Goku (Dragon Ball)
Son Goku, the protagonist of the Dragon Ball series, is one of the most iconic and powerful characters in anime history. Born a member of the Saiyan warrior race, Goku has spent his life as a martial artist, constantly pushing his limits and protecting Earth from a wide variety of threats. Now, comparing raw power, Goku could easily overpower Thanos without the Gauntlet. We’ve seen Goku destroy planets effortlessly, clash with gods who shake entire universes, and withstand attacks that break dimensional barriers.
Thanos might be strong, but next to someone who treats a god’s power as a sparring session, he’s out of his league. Goku’s strength is phenomenal, but he’s not immune to metaphysical manipulation. Unless he found a way to destroy the Gauntlet or overwhelm Thanos before the snap, he’d be in serious trouble. Still, here’s the thing — Goku never stops adapting. If Goku lives long enough to understand Thanos’ power, he’d find a way to surpass it, just as he’s surpassed every limit ever placed before him.
1. Saitama (One Punch Man)
Saitama is the ultimate parody of the superhero genre. He’s an ordinary man who, through a “simple” training regimen — 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 km run every day — somehow became the strongest being in existence. Without the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos would barely have time to monologue before Saitama’s fist erased him from existence.
Even with the Gauntlet, it’s questionable whether the Stones’ powers would make a difference. The entire premise of One Punch Man is that Saitama breaks every rule of logic and storytelling consistency. Thanos is a brilliant tactician, but his arrogance and tendency to underestimate opponents have often been his undoing. Thanos might think he has the upper hand, but in the blink of an eye, he’d be on the receiving end of Saitama’s fist.
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image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
