15 Badass Anime Characters Who Smoke

1. Sanji Vinsmoke/ONE PIECE

2. Spike Spigel/COWBOY BEBOP

Cowboy Bebop is one of those series that is just impossible to criticize. Not because it has no flaws, but because it has rabid fans who will defend it to the death. It has obtained the mythical “classic armor,” which is an abhorrent carte blanche, bestowed upon only the most overrated of anime, that is used to automatically defend against any sort of legitimate criticism.

Spike Spiegel is a bounty hunter on a spaceship called the Bebop and travels through space with his crew. Before becoming a bounty hunter, Spike was a member of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate.

A cool fact about the cast of Cowboy Bebop, they might not have money to eat but they’ll always have money to smoke. Spike Spigel smokes a lot, but looking deeper at his surroundings, it’s understandable why he does so.

3. Revy/BLACK LAGOON

Every character in this anime embodies black air force energy. All types of combat are used in this anime while intertwining a fantastic storyline.

Revy is very competitive, easily bored, and extremely ill-tempered. Unlike Rock, she is undiplomatic, believing in the use of brute force and coercion to get her way. In contrast to this, she’s revealed to be highly ticklish.

Revy and Rokurou’s cigarette scene is a staple in the anime community for one of the deepest relationships that aren’t engulfed in cuteness, but rather stoicism.

4. Genjo Sanzo/Gensomaden Saiyuki

Gensomaden Saiyuki is one of those animes that just grabs you from the very first episode, and won’t let you go, even though, it is an episodic anime. Most of the storylines only take 1 to 2 episodes to tell, as you follow these 4 travellers, sent by the gods, to prevent the reawakening of an old, extremely dangerous demon.

Many years ago, humans and demons lived in harmony. But that unity ended when demons started attacking humans and plotted a mission to unleash Gyumao—an evil demon imprisoned for thousands of years. Now, Genjo Sanzo, a rogue priest, must team up with three demons—Sha Gojyo, Son Goku, and Cho Hakkai—and embark on a perilous journey to the west to stop these demons from resurrecting Gyumao and restore the balance between humans and demons on Earth.

One thing cool about Genjo’s smoking habits is that he smokes Marlboro reds, a brand of cigarettes that is popular out in the West.

5. Daisuke Jigen/Lupin III

If loyalty was a person, it would be Daisuke Jigen. Although he is not fond of Lupin’s lust toward women, he looks past it for the best partner in crime a man could ask for.

Arsène Lupin III is the grandson of the world-famous thief Arsène Lupin, and he’s living up to his grandfather’s memory as a high-profile thief himself. The main woman in Lupin III’s world is femme fatale Fujiko Mine, who Lupin III can never tell is working with or against him. Follow Lupin and his gunman partner Daisuke Jigen on their quest to own the world－or at least the valuable bits!

Jigen’s cigarettes are always beaten up to the max, but he still makes good use of them.

6. Ryoji Kaji/Neon Genesis Evangelion

7. Shinya Kougami/PSYCO-PASS

We all love some cyberpunk themes as we zoom into the future, and this is what PSYCHO-PASS encompasses. Written by Gen Urobuchi and produced by Production I.G, we are set in a dystopia of Sibyl System’s governance of Japan. The series was inspired by several live-action films.

Shinya Kougami is an enforcement officer who is tasked with managing crime. Shinya has a high criminal mentality, but because of his skills as a detective, he was released under the condition that he becomes an Enforcer for the Public Safety Bureau, Unit 1. Despite his natural grudge toward Makishima, they are actually somewhat alike, as shown in Shinya’s ability to foresee Makishima’s actions.

Shinya’s workout scene is such an ironic masterpiece. he does boxing practice (cardio), and then proceeds to smoke a cigarette as if he just wasn’t trying to improve his cardiovascular health.

8. Asuma Sarutobi/NARUTO

Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. The story is told in two parts – the first set in Naruto’s pre-teen years, and the second in his teens. This anime is known for being part of the “Big 3” in the anime fandom and giving birth to a whole new era of storytelling.

A Jounin master, Asuma Sarutobi is the leader of Team 10 (Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji). Although normally seen smoking, Asuma can quickly dispatch his foes with his knives when the situation warrants.

Asuma Sarutobi’s death scene has him smoking his final cigarette, it was such a moving scene that his student, Shikamaru, picks up his smoking habit later on.

10. Nana Osaki/NANA

Nana Osaki is one of the two main characters of the anime series NANA. She is a stunning bandwoman with eccentric fashion, and is the main vocalist of the band “BLACK STONES”.

One of the titular characters of the series, Nana Osaki may look like a tough punk rocker, but she has a kind heart and is a devoted friend. Abandoned by her parents and raised by her grandmother, Nana was expelled from high school after she was falsely accused of prostitution.

Nana and Shin’s Argument showcases the only time where Nana doesn’t finish a cigarette throughout the whole series.

11. Toshiro Hijikata/Gintama

Written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi, the adventures of Gintoki and his crew will have you rolling on the ground with laughter every episode. It was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 2003 to September 2018.

Hijikata is the famed chain-smoking, vice commander of the Shinsengumi so named by his subordinates, because of his fearsome demeanour. Purportedly the brains behind the force, he takes his work seriously, and is fiercely loyal to his leader, Isao Kondo.

Any scene where Toshiro gets told he can’t smoke anywhere is a sight to behold for our chain-smoking enthusiast

12. Franken Stein/Soul Eater

A 51-episode anime adaptation was directed by Takuya Igarashi, and produced by Bones, Aniplex, Dentsu, Media Factory, and TV Tokyo; Bones and Aniplex were responsible for the animation and music production respectively. The anime and manga deviate from one another after Episode 35, so this makes it a great read as well if you care about the source material.

Dr. Franken Stein (Franken being his first name) is the man that changed Sid into a zombie. He was also Death Scythe’s first partner (Maka’s mother was the second). He was also the most powerful technician to ever graduate from the school, Shibusen. He has a bolt going through his head which turns so his thoughts would be on the matter at hand.

When Stein fought everyone, he managed to keep his cigarette in his mouth throughout the whole fight while it still had a light.

13. Shizuo Heiwajima/Durarara!!

Durarara!! is Japanese light novel series written by Ryohgo Narita, with illustrations by Suzuhito Yasuda. Durarara!! tells the story of a dullahan working as an underworld courier in Ikebukuro, an internet-based anonymous gang called the Dollars, and the chaos that unfolds around the most dangerous people in Ikebukuro. In a 2019 Forbes’ article about the best anime of the 2010s decade, Lauren Orsini considered it to be one of the five best anime of 2010; she wrote, “With one is the largest casts I’ve ever seen in a show, all introduced at once, it’s a wild ride with something for everyone”.

A man who is always seen to wear sunglasses and a bartender’s suit. Although quiet and nondescript while not angered, he has a very short fuse and fights with incredible strength.

Shizuo has iron lungs, this guy will finish a cigarette in one pull and then smoke 5 more because he was bored.

14. Hajime Saito/Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin tells the story of Kenshin as he strives to save those in need of saving. However, as enemies from both past and present begin to emerge, will the reformed killer be able to uphold his new ideals?

Hajime Saitou is loosely based on the real third-squad captain of the Shinsengumi. During the Meiji era, he lived as a police officer under the name of Gorou Fujita.

Hajime blows up a bridge and building, then lights a cigarette after the massive damages he made, a true chad.

15. Shuichi Akai/Case Closed

Case Closed follows Shinichi who, as Conan, starts secretly solving the senior Mouri’s cases from behind the scenes with his still exceptional sleuthing skills, while covertly investigating the organization responsible for his current state, hoping to reverse the drug’s effects someday.

Akai Shuuichi is an American of Japanese descent and a member of the American Federal Bureau of Investigation, on special assignment in Japan to capture Vermouth. His superior is James Black and his partner is Jodie Starling. He had infiltrated the Black Organization under the name Moroboshi Dai—and the codename “Rye”—as a mole and dated Miyano Akemi, one of their low-ranking members, to feed information to the FBI.

Shuichi’s smoking scenes give a sense of relaxation after a hard day of putting your life on the line.