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The concept of a special suit of armor that empowers its wearer is a common trope in anime. From the titanic machines in Mobile Suit Gundam to the frilliest magical girl transformation, anything that a person dons while riding into battle has the potential to make that individual into the winning piece on the board. That’s especially so if the suit gears them up with abilities or weapons that they otherwise wouldn’t possess.
Laser cannons that shoot out of the palms, speed that allows a person to move as quick as lightning, or endurance against attacks so strong they’re practically invulnerable — the armor in anime has no limit to the kind of power they’re able to grant. There are enough suited-up characters in anime to fill an army, but the armor of only a handful can be considered truly powerful.
The Elric Brothers Wouldn't Have Survived Their Story Without Alphonse's Armor
With such a distinctive armor design, Alphonse Elric appears to be an intimidating individual with a shockingly soft voice. In actuality, he’s just a young boy, and his body is the suit of armor itself. After committing Full Metal Alchemist’s greatest taboo, Alphonse lost his body and had to have his soul bound to the armor in order to stay present in the living world.
There isn’t much magic to Alphonse’s iron body aside from the seal that keeps his soul tied to it, but the simple build and material of it have allowed him to face opponents he normally wouldn’t have before and can endure conditions that the average human can’t. While he greatly preferred his original body, Alphonse’s armor carried him through the story.
The Guyver Maximizes Sho Fukamachi's Strengths to the Fullest
The Guyver franchise is a sci-fi horror series from the 1980s in which protagonist Sho Fukamachi finds himself with an alien power suit that he is unable to remove —The Guyver. It turns his entire life upside down. However, at the very least, he’s given some cool power-ups in compensation for the trouble he endures.
The strongest rendition of Sho’s armor is the Guyver I, from Studio OLM’s 2005 remake of the series, titled Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor. The Guyver I gives Sho abilities that are leagues beyond human with the added bonus of weapons. It’s meant to utilize the best of what Sho’s body is able to offer, allowing him to face off and survive against the deadliest threats.
Arturia Pendragon's Armor Helps her Evade Gruesome Fates
Saber, also known as Artoria Pendragon, is the most favored character in the Fate franchise. It’s not just honor and duty that make her into daunting foe. With her trusted Excalibur, she is shown to be among the strongest servants. However, what helps make her such a formidable opponent is the magical armor that she can summon at will.
As the legendary King of Knights, Saber’s armor is as crucial to her as her signature blade. While it doesn’t exactly enhance her strength or power her up like other anime armor, it is made from her own magical energy and is able to guard her from lethal attacks. It’s the reason why Saber is often among the last Servants standing in every Holy Grail War she’s involved in.
The Alexander is the Code Geass Franchise's Most Impressive Mech
The massive mecha-weapons in Code Geass are known as Knightmare Frames, acting as every soldier’s and knight’s armor in each battle. Every significant character is given their own unique machine, and while many are equipped with overwhelmingly powerful laser cannons or giant energy swords, there is one Knightmare that functions more like an extension of its pilot than any other.
The Alexander from Code Geass: Akito the Exiled is a machine that connects directly to its pilot’s brain, making the control functions practically automatic and seamless on the battlefield. Their movements are also closer to human than any other Knightmare, making them more agile and twice as deadly as the machines that tower above them.
Grand Chariot Made Wave Into a Force to be Reckoned With
Akame ga Kill is full of powerful relics called Teigu, which are essentially supernaturally charged weapons. Some Teigu come in the form of armor, the strongest of which is the Grand Chariot, which was used by the character of Wave. Fully named the "Carnage Incarnate: Grand Chariot," this battle armor grants Wave the gift of extreme speed, physical strength, and endurance, as well as the ability to fly.
The Grand Chariot is regarded as the improved version of Tatsumi’s Teigu, Demon Armor: Incursio, and Tatsumi himself once claimed that a single blow from Grand Chariot could potentially kill him. With Grand Chariot, Wave was able to turn even the colossal Shikoutazer, a large mecha-type Teigu, on its side.
Loli's Beauty, Brains & Power Wins her a Place in To Be Hero X's Top Ten
The range of superpowers in To Be Hero X is limitless, but none have been more impressive than Loli’s gift when it comes to robotics and engineering. It’s a natural talent that she's harnessed on her own. With it, she was able to create a battle suit as impressive as Tony Stark's Iron Man getup.
Loli's pink armor is a feat of science and gadgetry that allows her to go up against other powered-up stars like Nice despite having absolutely zero Trust Value. Due to the material it’s made from, Loli’s armor also gives her a resistance to the influences of Fear and Trust. Because of that unique quality, Loli has the potential to be invincible in a world where heroes and villains rely on it.
Only the Highest Power can Crack the Armor of Athena's Cloth
In the 1986 anime, Saint Seiya, there exists a series of armors called the 88 Cloths, donned by the Saints of Athena. The most important Cloth in existence, however, is the one that was personally used by Athena (aka Saori) herself. Simply dubbed "Athena’s Cloth," this golden and winged armored set can render even the god of the underworld powerless.
When donned, Athena’s Cloth is able to protect itself and its user from immensely powerful attacks. It can be mercilessly struck countless times, and the wearer can still make it out of the barrage with barely a scratch. The only thing truly strong enough to significantly damage it is an attack from the highest power of the Saint Seiya universe, Abzu.
Numbers Weapon 10 is Soshiro Hoshina's Greatest Enemy-Turned-Ally
The crimson-clad monster known as Kaiju No. 10 was a terrifying enemy and was among Kaiju No. 8's most formidable villains. It took the best of the Third Division to neutralize the threat that Kaiju No. 10 posed, but he was defeated and eventually (after volunteering) turned into the armored suit known as Numbers Weapon 10.
Numbers Weapon 10 is donned by none other than Vice-Captain Soshiro Hoshina, but what makes it truly unique is that it is, thus far, the only sentient Numbers Weapon in existence. It not only enhances Hoshina’s overall agility, endurance, and strength, but it also gives him an ally on the battlefield that’s akin to the symbiote known as Venom in the MCU.
The Armadura Fairy Armor is Erza Scarlet's Strongest Card
Fairy Tail’s Erza Scarlet doesn’t just have a single set of battle armor—she has an entire wardrobe's worth, and each outfit grants her special and unique abilities to aid her in defeating whatever enemy fate throws her way. The most powerful armor at Erza’s disposal is the Armadura Fairy Armor, which fully dresses her in the beauty and power of the title “Queen of the Fairies.”
The Armadura Fairy Armor allows Erza to increase the lethality of her attacks by charging herself and her weapons up with pure energy, and she can even wield said energy in the form of deadly blasts. The Armadura Fairy Armor is so strong that the sheer intensity of its own power ultimately damaged it.
The Armored All-Might Gave Glory Back to a Weakened Hero
In a world full of the strange yet limitless evolution of Quirks, Toshinori Yagi wielded a feat of technology that put him on equal footing with All for One. With the help of Melissa Shield, the former No. 1 pro-hero created the Armored All Might battle suit, which allowed him to go toe-to-toe with My Hero Academia’s biggest villain and significantly weaken him despite being rendered Quirkless.
The Armored All Might is one of the most unique and well-thought-out battle armors in anime and pays a meaningful homage to Marvel’s Iron Man. With the Armored All Might, Toshinori was able to use technological mimicries of Class 1-A’s Quirks — from Kirishima’s unbreakable hardening ability to the sparkling magnitude of Aoyama’s navel laser.
