Summary
The characters in Bungo Stray Dogs share abilities with famous authors, uniquely created by Kafka Asagiri. Some abilities are complex, like reality manipulation, while others are simpler, like super strength. Unique characters like Lovecraft, Tanizaki, and Dostoevsky demonstrate diverse and powerful abilities in the series.
Bungo Stray Dogs is one of many anime series where the characters are blessed (or cursed) with superhuman abilities. Not only do the characters have names similar to famous real-life literary authors, but they also Their abilities also come from the author's most famous works.. Not all of the connections between the novel and the ability are obvious, but the manga's author, Kafka Asagiri, did an excellent job of creating a suitable “gift” for a variety of characters.
Some abilities are more thought out than others, some are extremely specific, while others can just be pure and simple superpowers. This is similar to the quirks in My Hero Academia, where each person can only (naturally) develop one ability. However, the abilities in Bungo Stray Dogs are much rarer and not many people actually develop them. A large portion of the characters have attack abilities.whether it's something relatively simple like Atsushi's “Beast Beneath the Moonlight”, or an ability with multiple additional steps like Yumeno's “Dogra Magra”.
10 Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Unable to: Great Old One. Organization: The Guild
When thinking of HP Lovecraft (the author), the first thing that comes to most people's minds is Cthulhu, the terrifying tentacled monster. Asagiri took this association to its best and gave the character unique feature is to turn any part of the body into very strong tentacles can regenerate itself. Additionally, Lovecraft can also turn his entire body into a creature. He loses his mental state, essentially going berserk, but in return he becomes almost invincible. Almost.
The strangest thing about Lovecraft is that this strange trait of becoming an eldritch monster is not an ability like the others, as it is not affected by Dazai's nullification ability. That is what makes this member of The Guild so particularly dangerous.
9 Jun'ichiro Tanizaki
Ability: Light Snow. Organization: Armed Detective Agency
Bungo stray dogs tanizaki holds a knife and activates his light snow ability
There is a lot of power in control other people's perception of reality. That’s why Tanizaki, an often overlooked member of the Armed Detective Agency, has a place on this list. His ability, “Light Snow,” allows him to create illusions within a certain range. This allows him to manipulate what his enemies see, making it appear as if he’s surrounded by stronger allies, or dead, or whatever is convenient at the moment.
Light Snow's abilities combined with Tanizaki's superior fighting skills make him a real threat. He is one of the characters that proves that An ability that does not necessarily have to be offensive in nature to make the user powerful.
8 Nikolai Gogol
Ability: Cloak. Organization: Fall of Angels
Despite being introduced quite late in the series, Nikolai, a member of the Decay of Angels, has proven to be quite the formidable force. His special ability is called “The Overcoat” and it essentially allows him to create a space rift which he can use as a portal, or to “store” items he will need later. It is such a basic ability that it relies on the user's creativity to turn it into damage, and considering how insane Nikolai is, he is extremely dangerous with it.
Aside from his abilities, another factor that makes Nikolai a strong person is his mental state. Like Dazai and Fyodor, Nikolai just needs to unscrew the right screws to turn him into an excellent master of disguise.. Much of his power comes from his deceitful and intimidating personality.
7 Tetchou Suehiro
Ability: Snow Plum Blossom. Organization: Hunting Dogs
Basically a nice guy, and also a bit of a weirdo, Tetchou is also a testament to sheer physical strength.. Considered to be the physically strongest of the Hounds, with Tetchou there are no mind games, no illusions or anything, is pure swordsmanship. His ability “Plum Blossom in Snow” allows him to manipulate the blade, controlling its size, shape, and range. It can also cut through anything without ever losing its sharpness.
Tetchou is a fierce attacker, with the advantage that he can be deadly in both melee and ranged combat. He can not only manipulate his sword with incredible speed, but can also turn it into a kind of whip, pulling objects and people closer to him (or vice versa) if he needs to.
6 Atsushi Nakajima
Ability: Beast under the Moonlight. Organization: Armed Detective Agency
The protagonist of Bungo Stray Dogs is another example of pure physical strength. Atsushi's ability is called “Beast Beneath the Moonlight” and it gives him the power to transform into a giant white tiger, with all that it entails: Enhanced strength, heightened senses, extreme speed and agility, even bulletproof status. Atsushi also has a fierce heroic nature that gives him the courage to perform dangerous stunts that no one else would dare to do, which naturally gives him a bit more power.
Over time, Atsushi gains more and more control over his abilities, thanks in part to the “All Men Are Equal” ability of the head of the Armed Detective Agency. This gives Atsushi the ability to partially transform into a tiger, seemingly with only arms or legs. Atsushi in his tiger form is a true predator.
5 Fyodor Dostoevsky
Ability: Crime and Punishment. Organization: Fall of Angels
Fyodor is scary. He is One of the few characters whose power does not come primarily from their abilities. Fyodor is a genius who can predict situations, but also act on them and still do the right thing. He is an extraordinary manipulator, knowing how to influence people for his own benefit. Fyodor can also defend himself physically, but rarely needs to.
If his menacing existence wasn't enough, His “Crime and Punishment” ability essentially makes him immortal.. Whenever he is killed, he takes over the body of the person who killed him, so he just jumps from body to body and never really dies.
4. Osamu Dazai
Ability: No longer human. Organization: Armed Detective Agency, former Port Mafia
Like Fyodor, Dazai is another genius who has the ability to manipulate his life, knowing exactly what to say, when to say it, and who to listen to. Dazai's ability to “No Longer Be Human” makes him deny all other possibilities, no exceptions. This makes every other character just normal humans to Dazai, and reduces the threat to just normal weapons and attacks. This doesn't pose a problem for him, as his past with the Port Mafia makes him very capable of defending himself.
Dazai's weapon is his intellect, and although he is also a very skilled gunman and martial artist, the physical aspect is greatly overshadowed by the power that the information he can obtain gives him. His goofy personality is just a cover for his true calculating and manipulative nature.
3. Fukuchi
Ability: Mirror of the Lion. Organization: The Hound, Fall of the Angel
Fukuchi is also on the list of Bungo Stray Dogs characters who gain power through manipulation, as he is a two-faced faker. Fukuchi’s strange status is a big “if” meaning his attack power depends on what he has on hand. His ability is “Mirror Lion” Multiplies the power of any weapon he holds by 100 times. Using the Shintō Amenogozen, a sacred sword with the power to turn back time, Fukuchi becomes nearly invulnerable.
In addition to his offensive power, Fukuchi also has a lot of invisible power, being the leader of the Decay of Angels and the Hunting Dogs. This was demonstrated by how he threw the entire world into chaos after the events of seasons 4 and 5 of the anime.
2. Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Ability: Rashomon. Organization: Port Mafia
Akutagawa is the assassin of choice for the Port Mafia. He is introduced as cold and indifferent, never hesitating to assassinate when convenient. All this is thanks to his “Rashomon” ability, which he manifests through his coat. Rashomon is a type of black entity capable of cutting through anything, even space. Although he can be attacked, the only one who can stop Rashomon is Dazai with his ability.
Rashomon also has defensive functions. When in its Tenma Tengai form, it can wrap around Akutagawa's body, not only acting as armor but also greatly enhancing his overall physical condition. Rashomon can also combine with other abilities, as seen when Atsushi and Akutagawa teamed up at the end of the Cannibalism arc.
1 Chuuya Nakahara
Ability: Upon the Tainted Sorrow. Organization: Port Mafia
Chuuya has the ability “Upon the Tainted Sorrow” which allows him to completely control gravity at will. This allows him to stop bullets and fire them back, make his punches much heavier, allow him to jump high, increase his weight to the point where he breaks the floor, and much more. On top of that, He is also the vessel of Arahabaki, the god of destruction and disaster. Chuuya can withdraw his consciousness and let Arahabaki take control of his body, then he becomes an unstoppable force of destruction. Dazai's nullification ability is the only way to stop him.
Chuuya has an arrogant, hot-tempered, and haughty personality. When combined with the ability to completely control a power that affects everything on earth, the only limit to this Port Mafia executive is his own imagination. That is why Chuuya Bungo Stray Dogs' strongest character.