Top 10 Most Powerful Mentors in Anime (ft. Todd Haberkorn)

“Yu Yu Hakusho” (1992-94) Don’t let her short stature fool you, this angry old bat was the one who took Yusuke’s mastery of Spirit Energy to the next level, both with her intensive training as well as her sacrifice during the finale of the Dark Tournament. We have no doubt that during her youth she could have bested every demon seen throughout the series, but even in her twilight years, Genkai’s own spiritual prowess was still enough to give the sturdiest of foes a run for their money.

“Cautious Hero: The Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious” (2019) She’s a Goddess of Destruction, has an attire that only consists of chains, and she’s got a thing about grabbing the assets of her fellow deities. She’s also someone you don’t want to mess with, since she was still able to purge a summon that was capable of slaying its way through the rest of the pantheon. Combine that with a bad attitude, and Val over here is pretty much the anti-Ristarte…might explain why Seiya was so eager to be trained by her. Either that or he somehow knew said training would involve some bedroom action.

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” (2012-13) While the idea of fighting alongside your mother might seem a bad idea, you could do worse than teaming up with a Hamon Master…who also happens to be Josephs Mother, Lisa Lisa. Turns out that after her husband was murdered by a zombie, Joseph’s mama headed out into the world alone in order to combat the darkness left behind by the Stone Mask, eventually turning herself into a deadly weapon capable of melting the faces off the undead with her scarf alone, one who would eventually put her own flesh and blood through the wringer in order to counter the threat of the Pillar Men.

“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14) Just because she chooses to look like a young girl doesn’t mean she isn’t packing some wisdom. And muscle. Lots and lots of muscle. Turns out that beneath all her knee-jerk reactions and insistence on looking cute, Bisky over here is a veteran Hunter, one who assisted both Gon and Killua with the latter half of their Nen training while they were sealed inside the game world of Greed Island. Best listen to her, otherwise she might get enraged enough to trigger her true form, beat your ass in, and give you muscle-girl nightmares for the next year.

#6: All Might

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“My Hero Academia” (2016-) The World’s Strongest Hero, the Symbol of Peace, the amalgamation of all things costumed crusaders should be. Who better to help guide the next generation of heroes as a tutor? Of course, outside of the classrooms of U.A High, All Might’s main task as a mentor falls to helping to train young Izuku Midoriya – resident fanboy and the one he deemed worthy of passing his Quirk onto as his successor. Following the events of his clash with All for One, it’s fair to say that All Might has transitioned rather nicely into the role of teacher, vowing to go plus ultra in order to help Deku surpass his limits as the next Number One Hero.

“One Piece” (1999-) If you’re aiming to become the next King of the Pirates, what better person to pick for your mentor than the former right-hand man of the previous one? The infamous Dark King not only managed to quickly endear us with his jolly, old uncle guise, but also left many jaws a’hangin when it was revealed he was Gol D. Roger’s bestie, not to mention a master of Haki who could easily contend with an Admiral like Kizaru. Thanks to his investment in Luffy’s growth, Rayleigh managed to take the Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and turn him into one of the biggest threats to the World Government, all thanks two years of hardcore training. What a legend.

“Assassination Classroom” (2015-16) He’s got a million tentacles, can move at the speed of sound, was blamed from nearly blowing up the moon, and has a perpetual, inhuman smile on his face. And he’s STILL the best teacher this school has ever had. With his unorthodox methods allowing him to break through the stigma surrounding Class E given their low standing in the public eye, it’s easy to forget sometimes that Korosensei is in fact a monster that can snuff out a life just as easy as breathing. Unless of course you get him angry or hurt one of his students. Then he’ll show you in painful detail why he was once known as the Reaper.

“Bleach” (2004-12) With his candy shop, laid-back attitude, and disconcerting attire, Mr Hat and Clogs is the last person you’d expect to be a former member of the Gotei 13, not to mention a bonafied genius who could tango with Aizen any day of the week. In that regard, Ichigo should count himself lucky that he somehow stumbled into becoming his impromptu apprentice, since in doing so it allowed him to finally access his zanpakuto’s true form. While Urahara’s intellect has managed to save countless lives on numerous occasions, you shouldn’t discount his fighting ability either, since his mastery of kido, swordsmanship and knack for last second saves helped put the final nail in Aizen’s schemes.

“Naruto” series (2002-) Many of the shinobi mentors in this series pack quite a wallop, but in terms of sheer impact balanced with overwhelming power, the Copy Ninja steals the win each and every time. Not only would he go on to become the Sixth Hokage, but the wisdom and teachings he imparted to his three students (eventually) managed to help them forge down the right path. As for his capabilities…the dude took on several Tailed Beasts at once, brushed off death several times over and managed to unlock the Perfect Sharingan what more do you need?!

“Dragon Ball Super” (2015-18) Anyone who can keep the likes of Beerus the Destroyer on a leash without putting any real effort into it really has no other place to go on the teacher totem pole other than the top. While originally appearing as Beerus’ valet as he decimated planets by decree of his celestial job description, it turns out that this Angel isn’t only is the purple cat’s teacher, but he’s so powerful that owning a couple of Saiyans in combat and reversing time are just two of his talents. Who knows what else he could accomplish if he decided to stop going on lunch dates with Bulma and actually get serious?