Japan Has Officially Chosen Its Best Anime Swordsman Of All Time
Anime series, especially the shonen demographic, are filled with action and battles, and that's one of the biggest reasons why the medium is as big as it is today. When it comes to these exciting battles, authors usually arm their characters with various weapons, not only to build up their exciting battle styles, but also to deliver enthralling combat. In anime, the most common weapon of choice is, more often than not, a sword. There is a plethora of powerful swordsmen in anime, which might make it hard for some to stand out from the rest.
With that being said, Anime! Anime! just conducted a new survey to see who fans first think of when specifically speaking of dual-wielding swordsmen, and to the shock of many, the #1 pick was none other than Kirito, the protagonist of the highly popular Isekai anime, Sword Art Online. Kirito has definitely cemented himself as a legend in the anime world, and while his story is over, the creator is back with a new hit to keep fans hooked.
New ‘Anime! Anime!’ Survey Reveals Kirito From Sword Art Online As Japan's Favorite Dual-Wielding Swordman
Anime! Anime! is a popular Japanese website that specializes in all types of new anime. It was initially founded in 2004 by Tadashi Sudo, and it has been ongoing ever since. The website also releases surveys regularly for their audiences to take part in, and recently, they announced the results of a new survey of Japanese readers and asked them, "Who comes to mind when you think of a 'two-sword style' character?"
This is definitely an interesting question, especially as there is a plethora of swordsmen out there. While many single-blade users stand out, dual-wielding swordsmen have their own charm and showcase a unique fighting style. Hundreds of fans answered the question in a survey period that spanned between June 2 and June 9. The results of this survey were revealed on Monday, June 22, 2026, on the Anime! Anime! website, and the top pick definitely surprised some.
It was revealed that to Japanese fans, the dual-wielding swordsman who comes to mind first is none other than Kirito, the protagonist of the iconic Isekai series Sword Art Online. It was specifically revealed that Kirito won 19% of the votes, which constitutes a big chunk, and about 84 votes in total.
Other Iconic Dual Wielding Swordsmen Included Zoro From One Piece and Inosuke From Demon Slayer
Seeing Kirito at number 1 definitely came as a surprise, especially with him winning the vast majority of the votes. When taking into consideration the fact that Sword Art Online ended a long time ago, for Kirito to still rank above the likes of Zoro is definitely impressive. Nevertheless, other extremely popular dual wielders also made the cut after Kirito. In total, the top 10 characters were revealed to us via Anime! Anime!’s June 22 article covering the survey.
Right after Kirito, we had a character from Demon Slayer, Inosuke Hashibira. Demon Slayer is one of the biggest anime IPs at the moment, with an unrivaled presence in the theaters that has completely defined a generation. Inosuke is technically one of the main characters, being a part of the main trio alongside Tanjiro and Zenitsu. He wields two serrated Nichirin Swords that he uses in addition to his Beast Breathing. This makes Inosuke quite a unique dual wielder that especially relies on agility and flexibility, even though his sword skills themselves are far from the best in the story. Inosuke’s time to shine will come in the next Infinity Castle movie. In the survey, Inosuke took up 10% of the votes, which comes down to about 44 votes overall.
To complete the top 3 after Insouke, we were presented with arguably one of the most iconic swordsmen of all time, Roronoa Zoro from One Piece. Zoro, from One Piece, is the first character to join Luffy’s Straw Hat Pirates as their swordsman. While Zoro might be the most iconic character on this list overall, we can see why he didn’t jump to everyone’s mind. Since the question specifically pertains to dual wielders, Zoro isn't the first choice. That said, he is a very versatile swordsman, being able to wield 1, 2, and even 3 swords. Because of that, most fans associate him with his iconic Santoryu Style, which sees him use 3 swords of his blades in battle. Zoro won 8% of the votes, which brings him to about 35 votes. This figure is definitely not bad for a man who has way more up his sleeve than just Two Sword Style.
The Top 3 best swordsmen are especially made up of iconic anime characters, and here are the rest of the swordsmen revealed in order via Anime! Anime!’s own report:
- Kirito (Sword Art Online)
- Hashibira Inosuke (Demon Slayer)
- Roronoa Zoro (ONE PIECE)
- Konpaku Youmu (Touhou Project)
- Shinomori Aoshi (Rurouni Kenshin -Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story-)
- Uzui Tengen (Demon Slayer)
- Miyamoto Musashi (Baki-Dou)
- Kyoraku Shunsui (BLEACH)
- Sanada Ryo (Ronin Warriors)
- Tachikawa Kei (World Trigger)
Evidently, this list decided the most iconic dual wielders in anime from a wide array of defies from some diverse genres.
Kirito’s Adventures In Sword Art Online Are Officially Being Revived With The New ‘Sword Art Online: Integral Domain' Movie
Sword Art Online won big in the poll, with Kirito being considered the most iconic dual wielder by Japanese fans. This is thanks to Reki Kawahara, the creator behind this story, who published his work as a novel between 2002 and 2008. His work especially caught on following the TV anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures, which started on July 8, 2012. This TV anime would become so big that it stood as the entry point to the popularization of the Isekai genre outside of Japan as a whole. Sadly, Sword Art Online ended a few years ago, on September 20, 2020, with Season 3.
Technically, the series did return briefly with Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad on July 5, 2026. But, more than that, it was officially announced on July 6, 2026, that Sword Art Online is officially set to make a comeback with a new movie by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex, titled ‘Sword Art Online: Integral Domain.’ This new movie will feature both Kirito and Asuna as the main characters, and it is set for release in 2028. An exact release date has not been given to us, but more information will likely be revealed next year, as the release edges closer.
With Kirito back, his popularity as a strong anime swordsman is about to shoot up even more. Kirito has already established himself as a popular figure, but with anime being as mainstream as it is today, he's bound to gain even more fame.
Sword Art Online
- Release Date
- 2012 - 2020-00-00
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Creator
- Reki Kawahara
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
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