5 Most Iconic Anime Cyborgs

Anime has a storied history of cybernetically enhanced individuals who have reached staggering levels of popularity. These are humans who willingly or otherwise surrendered some of their organic body parts for mechanical ones. They come in various mixes, as some characters may choose to employ only the necessary components, while others go to extreme lengths to ensure maximum performance.

These choices contribute to unique and fascinating designs for each character, establishing a distinct identity that fans can easily get behind. These designs also largely determine their combat efficiency, which can be truly formidable. They are capable of feats that regular humans could only dream of and, in most cases, possess incredible strength and firepower.

Furthermore, these warriors could also boast enhanced processing capabilities, allowing them to consistently make efficient decisions in the heat of battle. Another perk of their special constitution is that hardly any damage suffered in combat is truly fatal, as they are composed of parts that are relatively easy to replace compared to fragile human organs.

This often proves to be a double-edged sword, however, as these characters tend to go overboard in volatile situations, leading to less-than-desirable outcomes. In many cases, they also deal with philosophical conflicts that leave them wondering what their true nature really is. They are thoroughly interesting figures who provide entertainment through both their internal struggles and their battle prowess.

Genos

Genos is the student and partner of the iconic Saitama from One Punch Man. He is also known as the Demon Cyborg, sporting a fully artificial body and a human head. He often serves as a foil for the Caped Baldy’s phenomenal exploits, but has his own set of characteristics and circumstances as well.

He lived a normal, peaceful life as a child, but at age fifteen, his hometown was decimated by a raging cyborg. This led to the death of his parents and the start of a deep personal vendetta against the machine. Genos himself came out of the encounter with grave injuries, but was discovered and saved by the brilliant Dr. Kuseno.

The generous scientist fulfilled his request of turning him into a cyborg, and he was fitted with a robust metallic body capable of taking on any enemy. The tragic event serves as Genos’ main driving force, and he is constantly in search of more strength while also fighting for justice.

Four years later, he was saved by Saitama when on the brink of death. Astounded by his strength, he pleaded to become his disciple. Though he is weaker than his reluctant master, he is phenomenally strong in his own right. He is one of the few S-class heroes in the series and constantly receives modifications that enhance his battle prowess.

Android 18

Android 18 is a prominent fighter who made her first appearance in the Android Saga of Dragon Ball Z. Though she is now known as an Android, she started out as a human delinquent named Lazuli. Along with her brother, Lapis, she was abducted by the evil scientist Dr. Gero.

He subsequently modified the two into powerful cyborgs to defeat Goku. 18 possesses an infinite supply of stamina, aided by a perpetual energy reactor implanted in her core. She can still be worn down by powerful attacks, however, which would stop her in her tracks if she sustains too much damage.

She cannot be sensed by traditional means due to the nature of her energy, meaning she can easily blindside opponents to get an advantage in battle. She is powerful enough to take on Saiyans in their regular Super Saiyan form, notably dominating Vegeta in their first encounter and breaking his arm.

Though introduced as an enemy, she switched sides over the course of the series and became a reliable ally to the Z-fighters. She also got married to Krillin, and they had a child together named Marron. Personality-wise, she maintains a cool demeanor and a deep love for money and material wealth.

Alita

Alita is the titular cyborg protagonist of the renowned Battle Angel Alita series. Her story began when she was found in a massive scrapyard by the cyberphysician Daisuke Ido. She existed solely as a head and a mechanical torso upon discovery, though her human brain remained unbelievably intact despite everything.

Seeing this, Ido took her back to his lab and restored her body entirely. She came out of the operation with complete amnesia, however, and was given the name Alita, after Ido’s deceased cat. Though this was meant to be a fresh start, she eventually finds herself wrapped up in different fights and gradually awakens to her warrior origins.

She is able to utilize an ancient but potent martial art called Panzer Kunst, originating from Mars. It is described as a zero-gravity form of combat and is one of the strongest in the series. It allows its users to bypass heavy armor and deal damage directly to their opponents’ internal organs.

After the initial shell Ido made for her was destroyed, she is equipped with the more combat-friendly Berserker Body. Armed with this new armor, she would assume multiple roles over the course of the series, notably becoming a hunter-warrior and a highly skilled motorball player. She experiences love, grief, and a range of profound emotions throughout her adventures.

Major Motoko Kusanagi

Major Motoko Kusanagi is the protagonist of the Ghost in the Shell franchise and is one of the most influential sci-fi figures of all time. After a plane crash left her in critical condition as a child, she was saved through the use of artificial prosthetics, becoming a full cyborg as a result.

She did, however, maintain the core essence of her soul and mind, a concept which is explicitly referred to as a “ghost” in the series. This helps preserve her personality and sense of self, regardless of her physical shell, and serves as the clear distinction between a human and a machine.

Her abilities include thermoptic camouflage, superhuman strength, and other technologically enhanced traits, depending on her shell. She is the squad leader of Public Security Section 9, a group under the Ministry of Home Affairs tasked with counter-terrorism operations. It is a crew of highly skilled operatives who are experts in cyber warfare, each specializing in different areas.

They have to carefully navigate corrupt government interference and are overseen by the political strategist Daisuke Aramaki. He and the Major combine their skillsets for the sake of the squad and share a deep respect for one another. The specifics of Motoko’s exploits differ across adaptations, but that only goes to show just how much of an icon she is.

Franky

Franky is the high-energy cola-powered cyborg shipwright of the iconic Straw Hat Crew. He was introduced in the Water Seven Arc and formally joined after the events of Enies Lobby. His most famous contribution to the group is arguably the creation of their ship, the Thousand Sunny, and he also maintains and upgrades it.

Abandoned by his parents at just ten years old, Franky was taken in by the legendary shipwright Tom, who taught and mentored him in the art of shipbuilding. Several years later, after Tom’s death, he would encounter the young Straw Hat Crew for the first time and join in their deadly conflict with the government agents Cipher Pol.

Franky is far from your typical cyborg, a fact most evident in his cola energy source. Even more impressive is how it can power his most potent abilities, most notable of which is his Coup de Vent. Post-timeskip, this evolves to the Franky Radical Beam thanks to improvements made with the knowledge of the legendary Dr. Vegapunk.

A part of Franky’s character that cannot be ignored is his passion for craftsmanship, even outside shipbuilding. He has created several useful gadgets for the crew and added functions to the ship that would regularly be impossible to fit. One of his most famous inventions is General Franky, a giant sword-wielding robot that greatly enhances Franky’s strength in battle.

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

Directors

Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

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  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

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  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)