Time manipulation is one of the most exciting abilities that only the strongest anime characters can use properly. Only a few anime characters have this unique ability that can help them defeat great foes and easily change their world for the better and in some cases to the worst.
Anime fans can get lost in thrilling stories inspired by time travel and time manipulation abilities while watching some of the best anime on Crunchyroll or on any of their preferred platform. Anime creators came up with fun ideas to incorporate time manipulation into their stories and gave their characters this special magical or scientific power in a sometimes surprising but always engaging and highly entertaining way.
Updated January 3, 2023 by Via Erhard: There are a couple of truly powerful time manipulators in the world of anime who are capable of stopping time and can even travel through time. Anime fans can get lost in exciting and feel-good stories while getting to know the strongest anime warriors and even seemingly normal high school girls with time powers.
While many of these characters are heroic and only use their time-manipulation skills to defeat their enemies there are also time-manipulator anime villains who want nothing more than to destroy the world. From dark fantasy stories and adventure animes to slice-of-life sci-fis anime fans can explore imaginative stories and meet fascinating anime characters who are capable of manipulating time in imaginative ways.
11 Homura Akemi - Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Homura Akemi is one of the shiest yet bravest warriors in Puella Magi Madoka Magica who can also manipulate time. Thanks to her magical shield Homura can manipulate time and space and uses her special ability to defeat evil and save Madoka from a terrible fate.
Homura Akemi is also a strong anime girl with time manipulation skills that allows her to create dozens of time loops as well as allows her to pause and rewind time. Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a dark magical girl anime series with some of the strongest evil witches in anime and has an emotional and sad but action-packed story.
10 Eri - My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia's young Eri has one of the most powerful Quirk in the anime with almost unlimited potential. Eri's Quirk is called Rewind and thanks to it, she can rewind time and reverse the state of any living organism. Thanks to her special ability, Eri can not only easily manipulate time but can heal injuries and diseases or can even rewind time until someone is erased from existence.
Even though Eri's quirk is very strong she still can't use it properly and while she has now a better control over it, she still has a long way to go before she could safely manipulate time. My Hero Academia has some of the most powerful heroes and villains in anime and many of them are capable of manipulating time in one way or another.
9 Baraggan Louisenbairn - Bleach
Baraggan Louisenbairn was a strong and terrifying anime villain with a time manipulation ability. While Baraggan was an egotistical character he had impressive fighting skills and was a highly intelligent God-King. The former king of Hueco Mundo could easily manipulate time and used his special ability during many battles to defeat his enemies.
Baraggan was able to slow time around him including his enemies' movements, so then he could attack in real-time and easily win the fight. Bleach's story followed the adventures of Ichigo who became a soul reaper and went on an epic adventure to save the world. It's a fun and action-filled anime with epic battles, powerful warriors, and some of the funniest and laziest anime characters.
8 Rintarou Okabe - Steins;Gate
Okabe Rintarou was able to manipulate time thanks to science. He was the hilarious mad scientist of Steins;Gate who accidentally invented a special machine with his lab group that allowed them to send messages back in time and to even time travel.
While Okabe was a highly intelligent character he was also eccentric and would first misuse his invention until he was faced with serious consequences. Okabe would end up going back in time hundreds of times while watching her dear friend die over and over again. Steins;Gate is one of the most iconic classic sci-fi anime about time travel and follows the adventures of Okabe and his team.
7 Makoto - The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Makoto is probably the most famous anime character with time manipulation abilities that even non-anime fans recognize. She's a young high school girl who learns that time waits for no one thanks to her special ability that lets her leap through time and visit the past whenever she wishes to. Her time traveling ability seems to be one that she inherited and is something she was born with.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a charming and inspirational anime movie about Makoto who feels lost and not sure what to do with her life when her high-school years are coming to an end. Soon she discovers that she can travel back in time and through various adventures, she soon learns life-altering lessons.
6 Dio Brando - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Dio Brando is one of the most violent and power-hungry characters in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Unfortunately, he's also a sadistic character who doesn't care about others, and thanks to his powers he often gets what he wants. He's even capable of stopping and re-starting time at will which benefited him and his dark ambitions many times.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has a unique story with surprisingly diverse characters including some of the most iconic blind anime characters. The anime follows the Joester family, who all have unnaturally strong psychic strength. Fans can follow these powerful characters as they go on various adventures and fight against evil.
5 Dimaria Yesta - Fairy Tail
Dimaria Yesta is one of the most powerful war-maidens in Fairy Tail who comes from the Mildian line. She was chosen by the God of Time, Chronos himself to be his vessel. Chronos gifted her with the ability to control time in the form of God Soul which proved to be more than useful during many of her dangerous adventures.
Fairy Tail is one of the most fun magical fantasy anime with fantastic characters, great stories, epic battles, and two of the best anime cats ever created. The story follows Lucy and her wizard guild's adventures.
4 Tokisaki Kurumi - Date A Live
Tokisaki Kurumi is one of the most fascinating and powerful anime characters ever created. While she starts as a villain she eventually becomes one of the main protagonists in the story. While her main power is shadow manipulation she's also capable of manipulating time. When she combines her unique abilities she can even create a perfect clone of herself.
Date A Live is a funny action anime about a young boy named Itsuka who meets a spirit girl. Soon he learns that this mysterious girl almost wiped out humanity in the past, and now he has to date her if he wants the human world to survive.
3 Dialga - Pokemon
Dialga is one of the most famous Legendary Pokemon thanks to its many appearances in the Franchise's movies. This ancient deity is not only capable of controlling time but also one of the members of the creation trio of Sinnoh since Dialga represents time itself.
Pokemon is one of the most popular shows with iconic anime poses and it's about Ash who goes on an epic journey to become the most powerful Trainer. The stories follow his and his favorite Pokemon, Pikachu adventures as they battle new creatures and make new friends while traveling the world.
2 Saiki Kusuo – The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K.
Saiki Kusuo is one of the most powerful anime characters with immense psychic abilities. He was born with his powers and is still unable to fully control them that's why he has to wear a special device on his head. He's even capable of manipulating time and traveling back and forth in time. He used his time manipulation abilities on multiple occasions to help friends and to save his parents' marriage.
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. is one of the most feel-good anime series with one of the most introverted and stylish anime protagonists. The story follows Saiki who tries to conceal and hide his psychic abilities because he just wants to live a normal life. However, thanks to his quirky friends he has to use his secret abilities way more often than he'd like.
1 Julius Novachrono - Black Clover
Julius Novachrono is one of the most powerful magic knight captains who is also a strong time manipulator. He wasn't born with this unique magical ability but learned how to activate it and control it over time. He can not only speed, slow, or stop time but can reverse the flow of time or even steal and store it. Thanks to his immense time manipulation abilities he was even able to escape death itself.
Black Clover is a fun adventure anime filled with epic and magical battles. The story follows the adventures of two young boys who are called Asta and Yuno as they go on a journey and compete for the role of Emperor Magus.