The much talked about series "Kaiju No. 8," which will begin airing in April 2024, is a Jump+ production known for recently producing even bigger hits than the magazine itself! Set in a Japan where giant monsters like those seen in special effects films have begun appearing all over the country, this is a powerful battle manga about monsters, the organization tasked with fighting and defending against them, and a dream-shattered old man who, by chance, gains the ability to transform into a monster! Kaiju No. 8 has an extremely intense rivalry between allies and enemies, and the series continues to develop at a furious pace. Here, we've compiled a ranking of the strongest characters, based on our own personal opinion!
#1 Strongest Ranking: Kaiju No. 8/Hibino Kafka
Our top pick is our protagonist, Hibino Kafka/Kaiju No. 8. He aspired to join the Defense Forces and worked hard, but his dreams were shattered after he repeatedly failed the recruitment exam. However, after a mysterious small monster parasitized his body, he gained the ability to transform into the powerful monster Devilman. His power far surpasses that of humans, and he becomes an overwhelming being endowed with speed and regenerative abilities. A hybrid of human and monster, he possesses overwhelming power even in his base state, and it seems he becomes even stronger with experience. Furthermore, thanks to his mastery of the combat techniques cultivated by the Defense Force, he has tremendous potential for growth. He has rarely struggled with the enemies he has faced so far, possessing enough strength to crush most of them with a single blow.
Strongest Ranking #2: Kaiju No. 9
Second place goes to Kaiju No. 9, humanity's archenemy and tentative final boss. This humanoid monster possesses an extremely high level of intelligence, able to understand human language, social behavior, and technology. Capable of absorbing humans and imitating their appearance, it adapts to human society, gathers information, and attacks the Defense Force, humanity's backbone. In addition to his high combat abilities, his greatest threat is his learning ability. Not only does he improve his own combat power, but he also has the ability to create new kaiju to counteract the forces of the enemy, the ability to systematically control these kaiju, and the ability to accurately identify and kill those who are beneficial to humanity, as well as to use them to benefit the kaiju themselves. This nightmarish kaiju is a nightmare-inducing monster. While No. 9's motivations remain a mystery, he is far from being an incompatible entity, and at this point, he is the final boss of the series.
Strongest Ranking #3: Narumi Gen
In third place is the Defense Force's most powerful warrior, Narumi Gen. A young man who serves as the commander of the Defense Force's first unit. However, his personal life is far more sloppy than you'd expect from his title. He's a shady, useless person who enjoys games and plastic models and constantly ego-searches on social media. However, he's considered the strongest fighting force in the Defense Forces. His most notable features are his personal armament and the "Rt (Retina)-0001," a unique kaiju weapon made from Kaiju No. 1's retina. By implanting this weapon in his eye and fully utilizing its capabilities, he possesses the ability to foresee the future.
Strongest Ranking #4: Mina Ayano
In fourth place is Mina Ayano, commander of the Third Division. A childhood friend of Kafka, she is the most popular captain of the defense force, combining talent with beauty. Though she aspired to join the defense force alongside Kafka, Mina was the only one who actually had the talent, and what's more, her talent was among the finest in humanity. She has an overwhelming aptitude for firearms, and is the defense force's strongest artillery, capable of firing long-range, super-powerful shots repeatedly that can destroy large monsters in a single hit. She is one of the few people with firepower that is effective against large monsters that are difficult for ordinary soldiers to deal with due to their sheer size, and her usefulness to the defense force is immeasurable. However, she is not good at handling blades and cannot even hold a kitchen knife, so she seems to be useless when it comes to close-quarters weapons like swords.
5th Place in the Strongest Ranking: Isao Shinomiya
In fifth place is Isao Shinomiya, commander of the Japan Defense Forces. He is the father of Kikoru Shinomiya and the master of Gen Narumi, and head of the Defense Forces. Known as the cornerstone of Japan's defense, he possesses exceptional abilities, and in his younger years, he was even called the strongest in the Defense Forces' history. He is the only person capable of using Kaiju weapons based on Kaiju No. 2, and even now in his old age, he remains a powerful warrior with overwhelming strength. However, his age has clearly weakened him, and he no longer possesses the same power as he once did. Although he reigned as the spiritual pillar of the defense force and the entire nation of Japan, he was not only killed in an attack by Kaiju No. 9, but also had his equipment and memories stolen.
Strongest Ranking #6: Soushirou Hoshina
In sixth place is Soushirou Hoshina, vice-captain of the 3rd Unit. A descendant of a monster extermination family dating back to the Muromachi period, he excels in close combat with his sword. His speed and instantaneous sword firepower make him exceptionally skilled at dealing with small and medium-sized monsters. He also possesses exceptional insight, having taken an interest in Kafka since his entrance exams and becoming suspicious of his behavior. While skilled with swords, he lacked aptitude for firearms and was criticized for his lack of talent. However, he was scouted by Ashirou Mina, who was skilled in close combat but highly competent with firearms. Together, they complemented each other's weaknesses and became vice-captain of the 3rd Unit. After defeating Kaiju No. 10 in a deadly battle, he was given the Kaiju No. 10's unique Kaiju weapon (Numbers), which possesses its own will.
7th Place in the Strongest Ranking: Shinomiya Kikoru
In 7th place is Shinomiya Kikoru, a promising newcomer to the Defense Forces. The daughter of Shinomiya Isao, commander of the Defense Forces, she possessed abilities that matched her overconfident and perfectionist personality even before taking the Defense Forces entrance exam. While she demonstrates her abilities to the fullest in actual combat, she often finds herself in difficult situations due to her inexperience and the inflated enemy forces. Despite this, she was soon given specialized equipment after joining the Defense Forces and was soon considered an important fighting force. After experiencing the painful experience of realizing her own lack of power due to an unknown monster and the deaths of her most respected parents in the line of duty, she was given the identification monster weapon "Number 4" once used by her mother.
8th Place in the Strongest Ranking: Kaiju No. 12
In 8th place is Kaiju No. 12, a close-combat specialist created by Kaiju No. 9 based on data from Kaiju No. 10. Since Kaiju No. 10 was a prototype, it was suggested that an enhanced form existed, and this form manifested as Kaiju No. 12. This incredible kaiju possesses overwhelming one-on-one strength surpassing that of Kaiju No. 10 and the ability to learn as it fights. Kaiju No. 10 faced off against Soushirou Hoshina, who had equipped him with a Kaiju identification weapon. Kaiju No. 10 tormented Hoshina until the very end, but was ultimately defeated by the combined efforts of Kaiju No. 10 and Kaiju No. 10. Even Hoshina, a specialist in close combat, cannot keep up with his close-combat abilities, making it impossible for other members of the Defense Force to deal with him. I believe there are few characters in the Defense Force who can defeat him in a one-on-one fight.
Strongest Ranking #9: Kaiju No. 10
In ninth place is Kaiju No. 10, a new monster created by Kaiju No. 9. Like Kaiju No. 9, Kaiju No. 10 is able to communicate, and its driving force is the enjoyment of fighting powerful opponents. He engages in a deadly battle with Soushirou Hoshina, briefly overpowering him, but is defeated by the combined efforts of Mina and Kikoru. After being recovered by the Defense Force, No. 10, seeking to face even stronger opponents, volunteered to become a Kaiju Weapon and chose Hoshina as his user. After becoming a weapon, he battled his own perfected form, Kaiju No. 12, and with the help of Hoshina, barely managed to defeat it.
10th Strongest Ranking: Reno Ichikawa
In 10th place is Reno Ichikawa, a young man who acts as a kind of partner to Kafka. Despite knowing that Kafka was Kaiju No. 8, he took the entrance exam with him and passed. He gradually distinguished himself, and Hoshina deemed him a talented individual to succeed Kikoru. He is currently undergoing training to become the wielder of Kaiju No. 6's unique Kaiju Weapon, for which no one has been suitable to date. While he shows great potential, he has yet to experience combat, so his future performance will depend on his abilities.
[Kaiju No. 8] Strongest Ranking Summary
We've compiled a ranking of Kaiju No. 8's strongest characters! Kaiju No. 8 has an extremely high level of ally and enemy variation, and each episode is a battle against a powerful enemy, pushing the limits. It truly feels like a Jump battle manga! These kinds of works tend to be more entertaining when adapted into anime, so I think they could become a huge hit! I'm looking forward to future developments, and the anime is a very exciting work!
