Today, the number of video games developed based on anime series is countless. Billion-dollar franchises like Dragon Ball, One Piece, and My Hero Academia consistently release new digital versions every year.
What excites gamers even more is when anime characters step beyond their original stories to “raid” blockbuster games. Recently, news that Yujiro Hanma, the “Strongest Creature in the World” from the hit anime Baki The Grappler, will officially join the fighter roster of Tekken 8 set tech forums ablaze.
As this “monster” prepares to dominate the King of Iron Fist Tournament, let’s look back at seven famous anime characters and franchises that made the most spectacular crossovers into the gaming world.
7. Tekken 8, Yujiro Hanma
Starting the list with the “Ogre” himself is fitting since he’s the current center of attention. As the father of protagonist Baki, Yujiro Hanma has long stood as an unbeatable mountain of terror, with no opponent able to even scratch him.
Despite recently losing to his son in the Father-Son War arc in the anime, Yujiro maintains his supreme status entering Tekken 8. Fans eagerly await how developers will capture his fearsome presence and thunderous punches with next-gen graphics.
6. Street Fighter 2, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
One of the most fascinating secrets in fighting game history is that Guile, the iconic American soldier known for his Sonic Boom in Street Fighter 2, was actually inspired by an anime character.
Producer Noritaka Funamizu revealed that Guile’s signature flat-top hairstyle was inspired by Jean Pierre Polnareff, a Stand user from Stardust Crusaders in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Although Polnareff’s soul gets trapped in a turtle’s body in Golden Wind, Street Fighter fans can rest assured Guile won’t share such a bizarre fate.
5. Dead By Daylight, Tokyo Ghoul
After successful collaborations with Attack on Titan and Junji Ito’s horror works, survival game Dead By Daylight surprised players again by teaming up with Tokyo Ghoul. The biggest twist: main character Ken Kaneki appears not as a survivor but as a killer known as “The Ghoul.”
Haunted by bloodlust and cannibalistic urges, Kaneki relentlessly hunts other players under the control of The Entity. Turning a half-human, half-ghoul hero into a villain in the game is a bold and thrilling idea.
4. Tekken 3, Gon
Yujiro Hanma isn’t the first anime character to enter the Tekken universe. Back in 1998, the legendary Tekken 3 featured one of the strangest yet most iconic crossovers: the tiny tyrannosaurus rex, Gon.
Debuting in manga in 1991 and later getting his own anime in 2012, Gon’s small stature, poisonous attacks, and powerful headbutts became unforgettable memories for gamers born in the ’80s and ’90s, proving Bandai Namco’s openness to embracing anime worlds.
3. Call of Duty: Warzone, Attack on Titan
While players can’t bite to transform into giants, the collaboration between the realistic military shooter Call of Duty and Attack on Titan shows anime’s massive mainstream appeal in recent years.
Fans can grab special skin packs to become the cold Captain Levi Ackerman or the Armored Titan guardian. This crossover left a unique mark on the first-person shooter community.
2. Guilty Gear Strive, Cyberpunk Edgerunners
Studio TRIGGER’s Cyberpunk Edgerunners made waves on Netflix and revitalized the original Cyberpunk 2077 game. Riding that wave, the flashy fighting game Guilty Gear Strive officially added Lucy to its roster.
Though Lucy is mostly a hacker behind a computer screen in the anime, the game cleverly transforms her monomolecular wire technology into a versatile long-range melee weapon, making her a formidable threat in battle.
1. Fortnite, The Ultimate Anime Universe
The undisputed champion of crossovers is Fortnite. This Battle Royale game has gathered an enormous number of anime franchises beyond counting.
From legends like Dragon Ball Z/Super, Naruto, and Bleach to modern hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, Kaiju No. 8, and Solo Leveling, all have detailed skins in the game. Although major names like One Piece haven’t officially appeared yet, the day the Straw Hat Pirates board the Battle Bus may be just around the corner.