10 Strongest Assassination Classroom Characters Ranked
School is boring — except if you have a killer octopus robot as a teacher who's teaching you how to battle. Packed with danger, guts, and action from the get-go, the forgotten sci-fi comedy anime "Assassination Classroom" depicts an educational program fuelled by the desire to stay alive. Taught by the incomparable killer Koro-sensei, a bunch of wannabe assassins discovers their fighting talents while staving off their teacher's threat of ending the world within a year. Though students and teachers alike attend as undercover hitmen who are trying and take Koro-sensei down once and for all, there is no shortage of strong characters to choose from during the show's three-year run.
Different school semesters are visited across the program's two seasons, and the series established a die-hard fanbase that has plenty of theories on who might actually be the strongest. "Assassination Classroom" even extended into a live-action movie in which the students are challenged to save the world before the arrival of summer break. Though the ending of the original anime version of "Assassination Classroom" divided fans, there's perhaps nothing more divisive than who would rule the roost in an all-out battle.
Whether you love Nagisa's deadly kiss of death or favor Kayano's cool and collected observations, Class 3-E always knows how to go full throttle. Here are our top picks for the 10 strongest characters in "Assassination Classroom."
10. Lovro Brovski
Not always a name considered synonymous with "Assassination Classroom," Lovro's years of experience and sage wisdom mean that he can always pack a punch when needed. As the Japanese government's only link to the world of hitmen, he now acts as a mediator between clients and assassins.
Once a talented fighter before he retired, Lovro's skills are now better seen in Class 3-E. Introduced in the episode "L and R Time," Lorvo starts off as a man in denial, struggling to see how time has weakened his legendary skillset. Over the rest of the program, his belief in the class overtakes his confidence in his own strength — he even goes so far as to teach Nagisa his iconic stun clap technique.
Though we can't doubt his strength, Lovro's time in the series sees him change from assassin to mentor. When he isn't acting as a special instructor in the classroom, he can still prove to be formidable. He demonstrates this when he ambushes Irinia with a wire trap after she refuses to withdraw from a job. However, this doesn't mean Lovro is unbeatable, as he is later critically injured and induced into a coma by the Reaper while trying to deliver a hit.
9. Gakuho Asano
Acting rationally is the name of his game, yet Gakuho Asano starts off as an antagonistic force in "Assassination Classroom." Gakuho's quest to maintain perfection and adhere to a system instantly makes him a force to be reckoned with. Officially introduced in the episode "Test Time," his personal style is similar to Koro-sensei's, as he acts logically with a no-nonsense stance. The breadth of his powers and abilities means his strengths are well-rounded, perfect for his position of authority as the father of the Student Council president Gakushu Asano.
Gakuho's strange grasp on morality means his forceful strengths are exacerbated even further later on in the series. He often sets out to prove his methods are correct at all costs by using his intellect and status to exert incredible amounts of pressure on others. His personal charm and unique leadership style are the perfect pairings for his gifted mind, and he is often immediately able to understand any given subject. Not only do his strengths lie in his mind, but they are also demonstrated in his athleticism, especially when he is shown challenging students to a fight without ever receiving a single hit.
8. Irina Jelavić
Sexy, cruel, and calculating, Irina's reputation as a professional hitwoman speaks for itself. Whipping Class 3-E into shape as their English teacher, Irina's real purpose in "Assassination Classroom" is to complete a hit on Koro-sensei. A knockout to look at with a no-nonsense attitude, her mixture of arrogance and strength earns her an unpleasant nickname amongst class members. Her nose for violence came at a young age when she murdered her parents' killer before being adopted by Lovro. Irina's unorthodox upbringing means she is both mature and childlike, although she has an unshakable level of confidence thanks to her incredible skill set.
Irina first appears in "Grown-Up Time," where she shows little interest in actually teaching any of the students. She is Serbian-born, and Irina's multilingualism adds to her many strengths, which are compounded by her distracting physical charms. Throughout the program, Irina proves herself to be skilled in martial arts and weaponry, though it's her infiltration methods that helps her rank among the strongest characters in "Assassination Classroom." When she commits herself to teaching, she is able to impart deadly knowledge to the students. She even shares with Nagisa her infamous kiss of death technique, which was originally taught to Irina by her adoptive mother, Olga.
7. Nagisa Shiota
He might seem cute and sweet on the outside, but Nagisa Shiota is a naturally-born fighter. One of the main protagonists of "Assassination Classroom," his journey from a bewildered child to a confident assassin is a major story arc featured in the anime series. Nagisa's calm and collected energy allows him to be more observant than others, and he can often be observed paying strict attention to Koro-sensei's teachings. However, he also starts out as extremely insecure about his own abilities before he develops an objective sense of self-esteem. Though he is seen as one of the weakest of the male students, his extraordinary talents as an assassin put him head and shoulders above many of his peers.
In spite of his initially meek characteristics seen in the opening episode "Assassination Time," Nagisa's observant nature helps him to develop a strong sense of bloodlust. He is easily able to immobilize or counterattack his opponents, and his overpowering strength is often represented in the form of a snake. As an attentive student, Nagisa's skills range from the rarely-seen kiss of death to his strong marksmanship skills exhibited in exams. Nagisa is also highly capable of accurately reading people's expressions and intentions, analyzing his foes to make them highly susceptible to his skill set.
6. Ritsu
Unlike her fellow human students, Ritsu is best known for being an AI — or, more precisely, an Autonomously Intelligent Fixed Artillery. First appearing in the episode "Transfer Student Time," her strengths immediately make themselves known through her ability to easily alter her physical form. Her body is a robotic casing that houses a variety of equipment, including weaponry, a video screen, and a 3D printer. Her body and eyes can also be changed, and Koro-sensei modifies her to help harness her full potential. By being so versatile, she can achieve a lot during an emergency — even if that means appearing as a human schoolgirl when she needs to.
While she gains genuine emotion over the course of each episode of "Assassination Classroom," Ritsu is equipped with many physical strengths that make her a difficult opponent from the outset. Ritsu's robotic brain allows her to make tricky calculations in the blink of an eye, predicting both assassination probability for a target and the likely success rate of her peers. She becomes the hacking expert in the class, with her software giving her direct access to phone and security systems. Beyond that, however, Ritsu's arsenal of weapons is difficult to match, as it is made up of shotguns, machine guns, and defensive bullets, which makes her one of the most formidable opponents in "Assassination Classroom."
5. Itona Horibe
The second transfer student to join Class 3-E, Itona Horibe, acts with vengeance. Itona makes his first appearance during the episode "Transfer Student Time, 2nd Period" and is soon established as an antagonistic force when his raw power immediately puts his fellow peers in the shade. Though short, Itona is well-built, and his immediate hunger for power quickly makes itself known. Itona never wants to be seen as weak, and he seems to stop at nothing on his quest to improve himself — he is even willing to mimic Koro-sensei's habits and interests. Though he initially struggles to fit in with his fellow students, he eventually finds friendship in Terasaka, which allows him to grow emotionally.
With his early reputation is shaped by his tentacles, Itona's high level of intellect is soon revealed. This extends to his natural knack for electrical engineering, using skills learned from his father's company to spy on others and deconstruct explosives. What's more, Itona eventually uses this skill to help his classmates when they are kidnapped by the Reaper, demonstrating that the class' strength can come in many different forms. Even once he loses his tentacles, Itona's athletic prowess remains among the strongest of his peers, which is best seen during the climactic Athletic Festival Arc.
4. Kaede Kayano
As a prominent student in Class 3-E and Nagisa Shiota's best friend, there isn't much that viewers don't know about Kaede Kayano. First seen in Season 1's opening episode, Kayano's kind and cheerful nature make her an instant "Assassination Classroom" favorite. While her passive nature doesn't immediately make her seem like a contender to be one of the strongest characters on the show, her exceptional assassin skills and perseverance are kept hidden until they are needed. While others let bloodlust go to their head or act on impulse, Kayano's calm and rational thinking allows her to assess a situation in order to adapt accordingly.
Kayano's strong-willed nature makes her an incredibly determined classmate. She is able to withstand severe pain even though she is depicted as one of the least physically capable female students. Further, Kayano's high level of intelligence is seen when she passes the first exam, and her attention to detail is demonstrated by (failed) assassination plans to kill Koro-sensei. She fools the class after graduation with her impeccable acting skills, leading them to believe in a fake identity she has created. Though she admits to herself that Nagisa is a better outright assassin, her impressive array of skills often allows her to strike without being noticed.
3. Kōtarō Yanagisawa (Shiro)
Known as Shiro to viewers, this power-mad scientist will stop at nothing in his efforts to kill Koro-sensei. After learning from the experiments that ruined him two years before, Shiro's conniving and manipulative attitude gives him a ruthless ambition to cause harm. First seen in Season 1's "Transfer Student Time, 2nd Period," Shiro remains masked and mysterious until the final semester, when he is augmented with empowering modified tentacle cells. In true all-or-nothing style, his lust to destroy overrules every other personality trait seen when he joins Class 3-E, such as his funny and easygoing introduction.
Even before his self-induced tentacle augmentation, Shiro proves himself to be a strong contender. He has a strong and in-depth knowledge of the scientific field, and his research background shows his willingness to eliminate anyone who stands in the way of his quest for strength — including some of his closest colleagues and his fiancée. When he obtains superhuman strength from his tentacles, Shiro's speed becomes equal to Koro-sensei's. He experiences an increased level of attack durability and is taken over by antimatter physiology, which makes him one of the most powerful characters in "Assassination Classroom."
2. Karma Akabane
Characterized by violent behavior and a bad attitude, Karma's mischievous antics and powerful abilities earn him a spot among the strongest ranked characters of "Assassination Classroom." Starting his time in the program by skipping classes because they are boring, Karma eventually becomes one of the hardest working students of the bunch. He maintains a huge desire to battle, which eventually leads him to help save Kayano and Kanzaki after their kidnapping. Though he takes a backseat role for much of the second semester, his final term sees him forced to choose between strength and morality when fighting his fellow classmates.
Ranked third for marksmanship among the class, it's Karma's sense of leadership that sets him head and shoulders above the other students. From his introduction in the episode "Karma's Time," he is able to make the most of his peers' abilities while guiding them each to success. Karma is also touted as one of the smartest students in Class 3-E, and he is able to maintain his top grades as well as his excellent assassination attempts with very little effort. While we often see him play pranks in class, his combat skills are also often shown — such as when he is easily able to restrain the muscular Terasaka.
1. Koro-sensei
As the many-armed homeroom teacher of Class 3-E, the top spot for the strongest character in "Assassination Classroom" can only go to Koro-sensei. Previously known as the assassin called the Reaper before he took to teaching, Koro-sensei is a character who is born to kill. As he was raised in an environment of betrayal, it takes him a long time to learn compassion. With so many foes out to harm him, it comes as no surprise that he is the character to beat in "Assassination Classroom." Even though Class 3-E is able to work out his weaker points, his list of strengths and abilities sit unrivaled.
Though there does come a time when Koro-sensei is no more, his road to the end is full of strength and achievements. Alongside his immunity to poison and typical weaponry, he is armed with protective coloring, while his superhuman senses, digestion, and regeneration make him a target that's nearly impossible to eliminate. His genius intellect eventually also allows him to help his students, such as upgrading Ritsu and teaching every single student simultaneously.
Death and disease are not daunting prospects for Koro-sensei either, as he is able to perform spontaneous surgery to save Azusa from a brain tumor. If you had to pick one "Assassination Classroom" character to stand by your side in combat, it would have to be the multi-faceted Koro-sensei.