Black Torch drops us into a hidden Japan where ninjas and mononoke, immortal demon-like spirits, have secretly fought each other since the Edo period. The story follows Jiro Azuma, a kid who can talk to animals, after he fuses with a mononoke named Rago to survive a near-fatal attack.
The cast mixes human shinobi, agents, and mononoke with wildly different power sets. Let’s take a look at the raw combat strength, unique abilities, and how much of a threat each character actually poses, and then rank them by that.
IMDb Rating (as of August 12, 2026): 7.2/10
10. Hana Usami – The Specialist Behind the Scenes
Hana Usami from Black Torch | Credit: 100studio
Hana is introduced as a backup member of Black Torch squad, and she works behind the scenes to make sure all logistics are taken care of. So far in the anime, we have not seen her doing anything other than handling the paperwork for the team.
She is, however, insanely skilled at Judo, which she practiced because she grew up wanting to become the hero of justice. She is also skilled enough to be assigned as a bodyguard to some really important people in the country. However, she ranks lowest because she cannot really fight anything supernatural, in any sort of supernatural way.
9. Fuyo – The Mononoke Who Traps Enemies in Illusions
Fuyo from Black Torch | Credit: 100studio
Fuyo is a human-friendly mononoke. She traps the Black Torch squad in an illusion training exercise, forcing Jiro, Ichika, and Reiji to face visions of their pasts. That’s a strong ability, since messing with someone’s mind can be more dangerous than a sword.
However, Fuyo’s illusions are ultimately a test, not a killing move, and everyone in the squad breaks free from them without too much trouble. That makes her power more useful for training than for taking down a serious threat, which is why she lands just above Hana.
8. Reiji Kirihara – The Tactical Mind of Black Torch
Reiji from Black Torch | Credit: 100studio
Reiji is a rookie agent from a clan built around Kirihara-style kenjutsu, and he’s a genuinely skilled swordsman with fast draw techniques. He’s confident, sometimes arrogant, and picks fights with Jiro almost immediately after joining the squad.
He is said to have a total 360-degree awareness. His strength comes from years of sword training rather than any supernatural power, which caps how high he ranks against mononoke-fused fighters, making him rank low here.
7. Shinji Kirihara – The Evil Twin
Shinji from Black Torch | Credit: 100studio
Shinji is the older twin of Reiji and is also the source of his trauma. He is seemingly being controlled by a mononoke and was able to cut down many people in a short amount of time. Currently, he is working for Amagi (more on him later) in a fight against humanity.
He ranks above his brother because a cursed blade adds a supernatural edge pure kenjutsu skill doesn’t have, even though his strength mostly comes through flashback rather than direct battle.
6. Ichika Kishimojin – The Skilled Oniwaban Field Agent
Ichika from Black Torch | Credit: 100studio
Ichika comes from the Kishimojin family, a rare lineage of kunoichi within the Oniwaban. She goes through months of formal testing to earn her spot on Black Torch, more rigorous than what most of her teammates went through. She has a special trait that allows her to practically ignite her blood and use it to increase her speed and strength.
In the illusion arc, she’s the first to break free from Fuyo’s mind trap, showing she’s mentally tough as well as physically capable. However, she cannot rank higher because her special trait also drains her energy a lot, meaning she can’t exactly spam it.
5. Koga – The Mononoke Chasing Ultimate Strength
Koga from Black Torch | Credit: 100studio
Koga is a mononoke driven by an obsession with becoming the king of mononoke. He was able to battle it out with both Jiro and Azume at the same time, and his speed was enough to overwhelm them. However, he cannot rank any higher because, while he did fight them both, he seemingly backed off after Jiro was revealed to be an Azuma. Furthermore, his physical strength was not enough to harm Jiro and Reiji; it was only his speed that overwhelmed them.
4. Jiro Azuma – The Ninja With a Growing Bond to Rago
Credit: 100studio
Credit: 100studio
Credit: 100studio
Jiro is the main character, and his strength is a mix of shinobi talent and his fusion with Rago. Even before merging with a mononoke, he had unusually strong physical abilities and could speak to animals, something that normally takes other people a long time to learn.
After fusing with Rago, he gains serious supernatural power, though early on he struggles to control it without draining Rago in the process. As the story goes on, Jiro learns to tap into Rago’s strength on his own, pushing him up this ranking. His bond with Rago, not just raw power, is what makes him dangerous.
3. Toshimasa Azuma – The Veteran Shinobi Who Trained Jiro
Toshimasa from Black Torch | Credit: 100studio
Toshimasa is Jiro’s grandfather and his teacher in Ninjutsu. However, he is actually a former member of the Bureau of Espionage. “Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young” is a quote that summarizes him perfectly.
He was able to move at an insane speed when he decided to teach a lesson to Jiro, and he was also able to talk to animals. Furthermore, it appears that his name carries a big legacy, as even other Mononoke are aware of the name Azuma.
2. Amagi – The Power-Absorbing Mononoke Behind It All
Amagi from Black Torch | Credit: 100studio
Amagi is one of the most dangerous mononoke in the anime, mainly because his power comes from devouring other mononoke to grow stronger. He was able to battle it out with Rago many years ago, even if he himself seemingly lost (before Rago sealed himself).
His ability is built around getting stronger the more he fights and absorbs, letting him scale endlessly compared to characters with fixed skill sets. Only one being in the anime is confirmed above him.
1. Rago – The Ancient Power That Ties It All Together
Rago from Black Torch | Credit: 100studio
Rago, also known as the Black Star of Doom, is hinted at being the strongest mononoke in existence, and that reputation is why he tops this list. He’s ancient, immortal, and powerful enough that other mononoke hunted him down just to take his power.
Even in his weakened, injured cat form at the start of the anime, he’s still valuable enough to be worth killing for. His fusion with Jiro is what gives the protagonist any real shot at fighting mononoke like Amagi. As the source of nearly every power struggle in the story, Rago earns the top spot easily.
Which of these characters do you think can climb further up in the ranking later on? Let us know in the comments.
Black Torch is streaming on Crunchyroll
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
