Pew-pew and all that.
Action/adventure is one of the most popular genres all over the world, especially among Western audiences. And while there's a variety of how exactly the action part is executed, there are some shows that rely on firearms to create epic, blood-churning battles that define the characters' development and their course of life.
We've made a list of some of the coolest anime gunslingers, ones that not only pack a lot of power in their guns, but a lot of style as well.
Vash The Stampede (Trigun)
It's in the name of the series: Vash the Stampede, a pacifist who always ends up in some shenanigans that are pretty risky to his well-being and leave cities in ruins, is exceptional in gun handling. He has extreme accuracy, his speed, both shooting and reloading, is insane, he is quick to assess the situation and is very creative in terms of causing damage and eliminating his targets without killing them. And he has three guns.
Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)
His gunslinging skills put food on his table, alongside his hand-to-hand combat and overall intelligence. Spike is an expert shooter, precise and smart, and his skills often saved his life and the lives of his peers. He developed these skills during his time in a crime syndicate and now applies them to bounty hunting. His missions aren't always successful, but it mostly has to do with him having a certain set of morals and fate having something else prepared for him.
Kenny the Ripper (Attack on Titan)
If the Scouts preferred dual swords, Kenny the Ripper, or Kenny Ackerman, decided to go for dual guns. Which is understandable: guns are useless against Titans as you need to cut out a part of them in order to destroy them, but Kenny never fought against Titans — his targets are humans. His time in the series was short-lived, but the impression he left is long-lasting. And his gunslinging skills helped establish that.
Death the Kid (Soul Eater)
A son of Death collects souls to get a pair of guns — Demon Twin Guns, and combines his firepower with excellent martial arts skills, perception, and precision. That makes him the strongest student of Death Weapon Meister Academy. He also has ultra-powerful bullets hosted in these demonic guns, but he's not useless in close combat: guns are heavy, you know.
Revy (Black Lagoon)
Revy may seem brash, impulsive, and a little edgy, but her skills with weapons are undoubtful. She is very experienced, fast, quickly assesses the situation she's in, and turns into a killing machine in mere moments. She's not the most loveable character, and there's a reason for that — and that reason also fueled her, and forced her into perfecting her marksmanship.
Brandon Heat (GunGrave)
How can we make a list of characters with guns and not mention a show literally called GunGrave? We can't, so Brandon Heat takes his spot here. He was a great gunslinger destined to rise to the top of the mafia syndicate, but decided to decline the offer and ended up dead. That didn't stop him, though: he was revived as Beyond The Grave and went on the path of vengeance, becoming even more deadly with his weapon of choice: a pair of two handguns and some heavier ammo under his coat.
Alucard (Hellsing)
Alucard has a little cheat, and that cheat is a long-distance sight. Alongside endurance, superhuman strength, perfect accuracy, and swift reflexes. He doesn't really need a gun to kill someone, but it doesn't mean he shouldn't. A pair of handguns, The Jackal and Casull, become a part of his ensemble. They're not made for humans, both heavy and huge, and pack so much firepower that sometimes one shot is enough to destroy one vampire.
Guido Mista (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Guns don't have to be used to kill all the time, you know. In Guido's case, his sex pistols are not very powerful on their own and rely on the gun bullets, but they also have some abilities that make them less useless: they're autonomous, capable of making decisions on their own, and have a huge range, and also can be used for spying. His gun stand features a lot of gags and fully embraces the insanity of Jojo.
Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye can wield anything that uses bullets as projectiles, from handguns to sniping rifles and machine guns. She's buff and serious, a bit brash and impulsive, but she's a force to be reckoned with in a battle, always ready to protect the others at all costs. She's a complex character, one who doesn't want others to experience the horrors of her position, and that's one of the reasons why she excels at what she does: so no one else would have to.
Yoko Littner (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)
A 14-year-old sniper in a skimpy outfit is a staple for such insane work as Gurren Lagann, and her weapon of choice — a rifle similar to Barrett M82 — forces her to not only shoot accurately, but to know where and how to shoot. It packs a lot of power and has a huge range, so Yoko does her best to assist her allies and friends from a distance and in the heat of battle. Sometimes she feels a bit reckless, but hey, she's 14. That doesn't make her any less impressive in terms of marksmanship.