Highlights
- The Sakamoto Days manga is getting an anime, and the trailer promises a remarkable franchise ride.
- Characters like Osaragi, Kanaguri, and Yotsumura showcase unique powers in a world of assassins.
- From the greatest hitman Sakamoto to the master of disguise Nagumo, these assassins offer intense battles full of surprises.
The Sakamoto Days manga series was recently announced for an anime adaptation to be produced by T.M.S. Entertainment, and a debut trailer followed right after. The announcement simply indicates that the anime world may just be about to witness the birth of another remarkable franchise. Ranking among the top 10 best-selling manga to have premiered this decade, Sakamoto Days follows the life of Taro Sakamoto, who once upon a time was the ultimate assassin and the greatest hitman. He was so infamous that he attracted the hatred and awe of many of his colleagues.
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Suddenly, one day, all of that stopped when he fell in love and retired. Now, posing a chubby store-keeper with a family, the dangers of his former life have reared their heads again, threatening to take away the life he has built. The series, albeit comedic, poses quite the cast in terms of power-scaling, with characters that defy the logic of strength and power, with Sakamoto being one of those characters. In this light here are the series' strongest characters.
10 Osaragi
The Never Try Hard Member of The Order
- Manga Debut: Chapter 14
Osaragi is one of the newest members of the Order, a group of the strongest assassins that make up the Japanese Association of Assassins. Described as childish and also leaning into impulsiveness, Osaragi is the type of person who acts without any forethought of her actions while simultaneously being extremely apathetic to those around her.
Her skills and strength are not up for debate as an assassin, given her presence within the Order. Her match-up against Dump, an A-ranked assassin who had previously killed 180 people, further alludes to her capabilities as she could dispose of the assassin quickly. However, despite her obvious power level, Osaragi's placement is justified because she has so far not fought anyone nearly on par with her, and even when in battle, she has not had to try hard enough for an opponent.
9 Kanaguri
The Film Fanatic
- Manga Debut: Chapter 59
Quite underrated as an assassin due to his casual goofiness, Kanaguri is an undercover member of the antagonist, Kei Uzuki's organization, and an ex-member of the Order— a feat alluding to the quality of his abilities as an assassin. More than anything, however, Kanaguri is known for a fanatical approach to filmmaking. An avid filmmaker, Kanaguri is a lover of the craft, up to the point of obsession, as he can become manic when trying to film a moment he deems critical.
As an assassin, even as an ex-member of the Order, Kanaguri is easily one of the strongest assassins in Japan. However, his abilities are somehow linked to his camera, specifically his love for filming. Kanaguri becomes demotivated if his camera gets destroyed and vice versa. However, his battle against fat Sakamoto is an eye-opener, as he casually fought on par with him, even tanking Sakamoto's attacks. Even more surprising, Kanaguri still matched Sakamoto when the latter went into his slimmer form and only withdrew after stating that he preferred to die on his terms.
8 Satoru Yotsumura
The Banished One
- Manga Debut: Chapter 78
One of the pioneers and founding members of the Order, Yotsumura, is one the few characters the series unfortunately never depicts at the peak of their powers. However, despite now working against the J.A.A., Yotsumura's former position within the Order alludes to the capacity of his abilities. A man of very few words, Yotsumura exudes extreme calmness, even during battle, as seen by his expression when faced with three Order members who were sent to kill him, among which was his former protege, Shishiba.
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For an assassin, Yotsumura is incomparably stronger than the average assassin, with his preferred weapon, a bladed three-section staff. Able to stave off Shishiba and Nagumo simultaneously, only losing out when Osaragi joined the fray. Yotsumura, like the others on this list, is exceptionally adept at close combat and possesses reflexes and speed comparable to Nagumo's despite his old age. Yotsumura, however, does not go any higher up in the list due to his relatively easy loss to Shishiba, although he did not die from the encounter.
7 Kindaka
The Fastest Assassin Alive
- Manga Debut: Chapter 108
Another founding member of the Order, Kindaka, has been expressly stated to be the fastest assassin ever in the series. This is also shown by how, in Taro Sakamoto's Past Arc, Nagumo and Sakamoto could not match or keep up with his top speed. Relatively relaxed in most situations, Kindaka initially seems laid back; however, his calmness works in tandem with his coolheaded perception of his opponents and environment.
As a former member of the Order, Kindaka is one of the most powerful assassins throughout the history of the J.A.A. While other assassins have their abilities divided out, Kindaka's feats of strength and power stem directly from his incredible speed. Preferring to weaponize his shoes to enhance his speed even more, Kindaka, unfortunately, is never able to hit his top speed, as he injures his back during his confrontation against Sakamoto, Nagumo, and Rion. However, his current speed is well enough to overwhelm all placed below him on this list with any overriding factor, possibly his old age.
6 Shishiba
The Former Rogue
- Manga Debut: Chapter 14
One of the stronger assassins in the present Order, Shishiba was Yotsumura's protege in the past. Before finally joining the Order, Shishiba was a rogue assassin who did as he pleased. Like his former master, Shishiba also adopts the mentorship approach towards his relationship with Osaragi. Like his protege, Shishiba is indifferent to everything, with an aloof presence that shows little to no concern for anything or anyone.
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However, Shishiba firmly believes in the simplicity of life, an ideal that transfers to his preferred weapon of choice, a pair of hammers. In terms of strength, Shishiba is one of the strongest assassins of the Order, and could be even stronger should he adopt a different mindset concerning his missions. A master combatant with incredible speed and reflexes, Shishiba was fast enough to kill Kashima, a top-ranking member of Slur, without the latter even noticing. However, the biggest reason for his placement on this list is his casual defeat of Yostumura, alongside the potential he carries as an assassin yet to enter his prime.
5 Gaku
The Prodigious Talent
- Manga Debut: Chapter 50
One of the younger assassins in the series, Gaku, is an assassin working with Slur who was raised in an orphanage designed to replicate Order member assassins and is a part of X's organization. Laidback and relaxed, Gaku is mostly nonchalant, as shown by his behavior in battle, where he casually snacked during a fight and used a restroom after being blasted through it. However, Gaku is also extremely cold and cruel in battle, as shown by his casual massacre of hundreds of J.A.A. members.
In terms of skill and ability, Gaku's potential is arguably the highest in the series, and this does not yet include what he can do as he's already one of the most powerful characters in the series, as he's the only one to have survived a fight with Takamura, which is incredible regardless of having lost an arm and an ear. Possessing incredible raw physical strength exceeding even Nagumo and possibly on par with Sakamoto, Gaku is also incredibly fast on his feet, standing on par with Nagumo. It is both fortunate and unfortunate that so far, Gaku's faceoffs have been against the undoubtedly strongest members of the Order, and that in itself is an allusion to his incredible capabilities, which still have even more room for growth.
4 Yoichi Nagumo
The Master of Disguise
- Manga Debut: Chapter 06
A central supporting character of the series and Sakamoto's old friend, Nagumo is the Order's strongest assassin, just behind Takamura. Nagumo is most notable for his constant smile, which seemingly never comes off, and his carefree attitude which mostly annoys others. Exceptionally deceptive, Nagmo believes that the key to killing is deception, which lends credence to his ability to disguise himself as anyone to trick his opponents instantly.
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As an assassin, Nagumo's most underrated is his battle versatility, much like Sakamoto. However, his raw capabilities are nothing to scoff at. Nagumo is impressively strong despite his skinny build, and he also possesses superhuman speed, given how he was able to kill Minimalist in a split second and even react to a slash from Takamura and Kamihate's long-range sniper shot. His battle against Gaku, albeit close, ended up in his favor, giving credence to his overall strength.
3 Kei Uzuki
The Infamous' X'
- Manga Debut: Chapter 15
An assassin with lofty ambitions to take down the J.A.A., Kei Uzuki is the series' primary antagonist and the leader of Slur. As befitting of a villain, Uzuki is infamous for slaughtering a quarter of the assassin industry in Japan, implying that he is one of the series' strongest assassins. Initially portrayed as calm and cold, Uzuki's complex personality crumbles whenever he is alone with people he cares about, which leads to his Dissociative Identity Disorder, which causes him to create new personalities when dealing with extreme stress and experiences.
On an ability and skill level, Uzuki is extremely fearsome due to his keen intellect. In terms of physical abilities, his reflexes are on par with Sakamoto's, who can react at light speeds and react to bullets at point-blank range. Even more impressive is his encounter against Takamura, someone considered an anomaly even by members of the Order, where he ultimately defeats him. Uzuki prefers to use a sword-whip, and recently, he took the katana from Takamura after defeating the old man. His fight against Takamura is almost singlehandedly the primary reason for Uzuki's placement.
2 Taro Sakamoto
The Greatest Hitman of All Time
- Manga Debut: Chapter 01
The series' central character and titular protagonist, Taro Sakamoto, used to be the best assassin in the world, expressly stated to be "The greatest hitman of all time." For obvious reasons, this title lends credence to his placement on this list. A rather conspicuous figure due to his physique at the start of the series, Sakamoto is now a retired assassin who runs a convenience store, and cares for his family very deeply, seeing as he retired because of them.
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As a former member of the Order and an assassin, Sakamoto is famous for being an exceptionally strong hitman, specifically the greatest, a significant allusion to his capabilities in his prime as an assassin. Even though his powers may have waned during the years he remained retired, his abilities are still enough to earn this placement. Powerful enough to wipe out an entire branch of the J.A.A., Sakamoto is a master hand-to-hand combatant with speed and reflexes impressive enough to outmatch powerhouses like Shishiba and even Nagumo. Despite retiring, his infamy, which may seem exaggerated, is well enough to earn his placement.
1 Takamura
The Killer With No Brakes
- Manga Debut: Chapter 15
The undisputed strongest member of the Order, Takamura is considered an anomaly even among assassins of the J.A.A. Frail-looking and short, Takamura is an old man who, most of the time, is never seen speaking properly and only whispers incomprehensible words. Takamura is known to act on instinct, especially when it comes to killing, as shown when he sliced a minivan that had his colleagues inside in half because of a fly.
Even in his old age, Takamura is by fair consideration, the most powerful assassin in the series. His battle against Gaku is the ideal testament to his power. Takamura dispatched Gaku with somewhat relative ease, taking with him an arm, an ear, and two fingers, although Gaku survived. As an assassin, Takamura prefers to use a Katana as he is a master swordsman who has honed his swordsmanship to the utmost extent. Despite being old, Takamura still possesses incredible physical strength, as only one character has survived an attack of his head-on. While Takamura's strength is undeniable, he still holds a sense of justice not so expected from an assassin and loyalty to his allies.
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