From the array of Quirks inMy Hero Academiato the Nen Chains ofHunter x Hunter, anime loves its badass and flashy superpowers. It’s a totally justified love, to be honest. Seeing a clash of powerful characters with superhuman abilities is almost always exhilarating, and it’s always fascinating to see how a series explains the powers.
Deadman Wonderlandis no stranger to the use of superpowers. The series introduced the concept of the Branch of Sin, an ability that allows for the user to control and move their blood. Each user - known in the series as Deadmen - can use the Branch of Sin in a unique way, and while all of them are pretty awesome, there are a few that stand out. Here’s five of the most impressive Branches of Sin in the series, from the Fists of Blood to the Crow Claw and all the others in between.
5. The Unnamed Branches
This one may seem like a bit of a cop out, but there are a number of Branches of Sin in the series that aren’t named or highlighted that are incredibly cool. These background abilities are a great demonstration of the versatility of the Branch of Sin. They include a number of defensive abilities, such as shields; offensive abilities, like projectile bear traps and spears; and miscellaneous abilities, such as nets that can be attached to any surface, all made from the user’s blood. It’s hard to know the true extent of these powers due to many of them used in a “blink and you’ll miss it” fashion, but what we do see of them is pretty awesome and clues the audience into the fact that the Branch of Sin truly is unique for each user. These unnamed abilities are also important in demonstrating that not every Branch of Sin is necessarily made for combat, even if that’s how they’re presented in the series.
RELATED:7 Horror Anime to Get You in the Mood for Halloween
4. Fists of Blood
Wielded by Karako Koshio, Fists of Blood is a Branch of Sin that allows her to reinforce parts of her body for both defense and additional power. Since Karako already had martial arts experience prior to obtaining her ability, she’s able to combine it with her Branch of Sin to make the impact of her fists and feet more powerful. In addition to its defensive and offensive capabilities, Fists of Blood can also be used to seal wounds and even reconnect limbs. While not as flashy as some of the other Branches of Sin, Karako’s Fists of Blood is definitely among the most well rounded and useful abilities in the series. Plus, Karako totally kicks butt and takes names with it, so it’s earned a spot as an extremely cool power.
3. Ganta Gun
The Ganta Gun is the Branch of Sin used by Ganta Igarashi, the main protagonist of the series. Upon biting his thumb to make himself bleed, Ganta can use the blood to create a projectile that he can fire using one or both of his hands. Through training, Ganta was able to evolve his ability, which allowed him to expel multiple blood bullets in rapid succession at nearly supersonic speed and create bullets that explode upon impact. The Ganta Gun is one of only two abilities in the series that sees such an evolution, making it an extremely rare ability with a lot of combat potential. It’s not very snazzy, but it is extremely powerful and has the ability to change and grow into an even more impressive power, making it one of the coolest Branches of Sin in the series.
2. Crow Claw
Kiyomasa Senji’s Crow Claw allows him to create scythe-like blades from any part of his body. While they’re most typically shown emerging from his forearms, Kiyomasa has also made them form on his hands and feet. He has the ability to change the shape of the blades, though he only ever seems to use it when they come from his hands, turning them into straight blades instead of scythes. Crow Claw first appears as a strictly offensive ability that allows for the swift take down of any obstacle, human or otherwise, but is soon shown to be a rather versatile Branch of Sin. He can use the blades to perform defensive maneuvers, lengthen them to perform long range attacks, and by putting multiple small blades at the soles of his feet, he can use them to climb walls. In addition, he is one of only two Deadmen that has an evolved version of their Branch of Sin. His evolved Crow Claw is far larger, appears from his hands, and packs a more powerful punch. If his ability isn’t cool enough already, he brings it out by slicing into his forearms with two specially made rings, which looks pretty rad. Between the flare and utility of the Crow Claw, it’s definitely earned a place as one of the most badass Branches of Sin in the series.
1. Owl’s Eyeball
Wielded by Nagi Kengamine, Owl’s Eyeball is a Branch of Sin that allows him to create small, blood coated spheres that can be detonated at will. Unlike many of the Deadmen, Nagi is able to control his blood even once it has left his body, shown by his ability to control the spheres created by his Branch of Sin despite the blood not being connected to him. He was even able to use his ability just from his severed arm even though the blood was not directly within his vessels. While his ability isn’t as versatile as the Crow Claw or Fists of Blood, it has the advantage of being long range and easy to control without any detriment to himself, unlike some other long range Branches of Sin. Not to mention, Owl’s Eyeball is about as flashy as a Branch of Sin can get. It literally goes out with a bang and it looks awesome when all the spheres swirl around Nagi and when he launches them forward. In terms of style, this Branch of Sin really can’t get any cooler.
KEEP READING:How To Watch ‘Dragon Ball Z’ Online: Is the Anime Streaming Anywhere?
