Top 10 Times Anime Heroes Cheated To Win

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders” (2014-15)

Granted, both of his opponents were also serial cheaters, so it wasn’t like the stoic Joestar had much choice here. Still, cheat he did, and did so fabulously! Faced against the combined swag of the D’Arby brothers, Jotaro used a combination of his Stand, bluffs and some sleight of hand he must have inherited from Joseph. Despite being masters of their respective games as well as expert frauds, the D’Arby brothers found themselves thoroughly outplayed, earning themselves an Ora Ora Ora for their efforts.

“Sword Art Online” (2012)

It’s hard to think of another person who has abused a gaming world more than Kirito. Turning himself completely OP, overcoming the actual creator of the game, glitching through death, the man is a walking life-hack, though this is undoubtedly his biggest cheat to date. Yes, having the ghost of the creator you slew arrive and grant you Administrative rights to the whole gaming sphere is totally cheating. Then again, he did use his new status to cripple torture and cripple Oberon, and any opportunity to see that scumbag suffer is worth it.

“Beyblade Burst” (2016-17)

Goes to show that no matter the sport, there’s always going to be those willing to play underhandedly in order to steal the win. Evidently, this is also true of spinning tops. Overcome with anxiety due to going against a far superior Blader, Daigo gives into the devil on his shoulder and resorts to a less than noble tactic. Lowering his launcher, he reflects the sunlight right into Yugo’s eyes, messing up his shot, and by extension knocking him out of the tournament! Foul play lad.

“KonoSuba” (2016-17)

Because what else would you expect from Kazuma? The man is as far from the archetypal, heroic adventurer as it gets, so naturally he wouldn’t waste the chance to get the better of an opponent. Especially if it meant playing dirty. Confronted by another warrior that Aqua had assisted in the past, a miscommunication leads to Kazuma being challenged to a duel for the goddess’ sake. Kazuma’s response? Steal the hero’s sword before the fight starts and give him a concussion!

“Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers” (2015)

Not quite what you picture when you think “strongest man in the world”, but that’s the title that Adlet earned for himself, even if his methods are rather questionable. While he’s certainly acrobatic, Adlet’s talents lay more in the number of tools he’s got hiding under his robe, and being able to dish them out at any given time. Poison, needles, spikes, smoke, explosives – he’s got a tool for every occasion, even if it's outside the convention of what a Brave is supposed to be.

“Vinland Saga” (2019)

No one can knock Thorfinn’s willingness to throw himself into the fire of battle, even if his opponent happens to be a happy-go-lucky giant who can slice apart whole armies by himself. In spite of his rage and killer instinct, Thorfinn proves to be no match against Thorkell’s size and staggering strength. At least until Askeladd intervenes. Naturally, the man has a nefarious plot to win the day, which he accomplishes by blinding Thorkell with the reflection from his sword, giving Thorfinn an opening to strike that glass jaw!

“Dr. Stone” (2019-)

We all know that Senku can science the shit out of the stone world to the point where he can craft basically anything. But Chrome? Not so much. Hence why he had to get a little more creative in order to escape his prison and take out Yo. Despite his superior strength and appreciation for police brutality, not even one of Tsukasa’s generals could handle getting sprayed with diseased blood, which just turned out to be a concoction Chrome made up on the side. Turns out science does best brawn…when combined with a blow to the nether regions, of course.

“Boruto: Naruto Next Generations” (2017-)

The apple fell pretty far from the tree, didn’t it? Say what you will about Naruto’s early years as a rebellious prankster, but he had a lot to deal with as far as the whole village ostracising him because he was an unwilling vessel for a demon fox. What’s Boruto’s excuse for acting like a brat and using an illegal tool during his Chunin exams? A bad attitude and severe lack of appreciation, that’s what. He may have won the round, but he lost the respect of everyone in doing so.

“Kaiji” (2007-11)

Hard to tell who cheated more here, but since he came out on top in the end, we’re going to have to go with the ultimate loser. Of course, it was either cheat or be condemned to a labour camp for the rest of life. To best the unbeatable pachinko machine, Kaiji and his crew pull out all the stops, ranging from trying to tilt the whole building to overloading it with steel balls. It’s a crazy gamble, but by some miracle the man actually pulled it off!

“Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters” (2000-04)

Where do we even begin with this guy? Yeah, yeah, the rules of the game were cemented after the anime had already launched, but that’s not going to stop us from taking Yugi to task for all the wins he racked up pulling illegal moves! Using Lightforce sword instantly despite it being a trap card? Attacking the moon? Fusing his own monster with Kaiba’s to weaken it? Besting infinite attack points?! What kind of game are you playing here Moto? Because it ain’t Duel Monsters!