Summary
The Death Weapon Meister Academy trained the world’s last line of defense against the many monsters that inhabit it, withSoul Eatertelling the story of its finest students. In the DWMA, Death supervises professors as they train Demon Weapons, humans that transform into weapons, to use their powers alongside their partners, the Meisters, who control them when they turn into armaments.
Throughout the story ofSoul Eater, some Demon Weapons become Death Weapons that Death himself manages to wield. However, certain Meisters also rise through the ranks to become the best wielders of the world’s most potent weapons. In a world where Witches and other monsters roam, which among the DWMA’s Meisters have what it takes to defeat them?
10Akane Hoshi
WhileAkane Hoshiis bundled alongside the non-combatants of the NOT Class, his skill level in theSoul Eater NOT!series is demonstrably that of the elite EAT Class. Hailing from the Hoshi Family who are also the Star Clan’s ancestors, Akane showcases incredible fighting prowess and mastery of both lethal and non-lethal martial arts. Psychically, his wavelength is powerful enough to manifest, with Akane using it offensively even without his weapon.
When partnered with Clay Sizemore, Akane augments his combat ability with the Demon Great Sword’s analytical skills. Through Clay, Akane is capable of cutting through the spells of powerful Witch Shaula Gorgon, putting up a fight against one of the world’s most infamous criminals.
9Maka Albarn
In a somewhat surprising twist for a shonen series, protagonistMaka Albarndidn’t turn out to be the strongest Weapon Meister in her stint at the DWMA. While undoubtedly at the top of her class,Maka is noticeably more “human”in her limitations compared to her bordering-otherworldly companions. These limits don’t make her weak, however. Maka by nature possesses an Anti-Demon Wavelength, putting her on the radar of the likes of Medusa Gorgon for her innate ability to “cancel out” evil-aligned abilities.
On her own, Maka has incredible physical prowess that far outclasses most of her peers. With Soul Evans, their soul resonance can result in abilities bordering on magic. Maka’s innate talent with wavelength control is almost to the level of her mother, also a renowned DWMA student.
8Kilik Rung
Considered alongside Death the Kid and Black Star as DWMA’s best fighters,Kilik Rungis known for his skill in martial arts and elemental manipulation, courtesy of Demon Pots Fire and Thunder that enable him to control the aforementioned elements. However, where Kilik truly shines is his impeccable soul wavelength control. Such is the flexibility of his soul that he can synchronize with other weapons easily to use them, making him one of few (if not the only) Utility Meistersin theSoul Eatermanga.
Due to this ability, Kilik is seen using other weapons outside his signature Demon Pots. These include Kid’s Demon Twin Guns and Azusa’s bowgun form. Moreover, Kilik’s soul is so malleable that he’s even able to temporarily use magic, something usually reserved for non-human Witches.
7Franken Stein
With Death himself claimingFranken Steinas the DWMA’s strongest Weapon Meister graduate, it only makes sense that the protagonists oftheSoul Eaterseriesare elevated to their true potential under his guidance. However, Franken Stein’s relegation to a mentor figure doesn’t make him a slouch, as his incredible physical prowess is equally matched by his intellect and incredibly massive soul wavelength.
Considered a genius in combat, Franken Stein can best opponents even without a weapon, all courtesy of his incredible wavelength control. He can extend this ability to master almost any Demon Weapon with relative ease, being able to become a Scythe Meister when wielding Spirit Albarn and becoming a Hammer Meister when armed with Marie Mjolnir. Stein’s only glaring weakness is his susceptibility to Madness Wavelength, making him potentially run amok if left unsupervised in its presence.
6Crona
It’sCronaand their inclination towards insanity that made them a terrifying opponent in the shonen series. Although the biological child ofthe Witch Medusa Gorgon, her experiments with Crona transformed them into a fragile being susceptible to her manipulations. Had it not been for Maka’s intervention, Crona’s base powerset could’ve laid waste to the world. Her literal bond with the talking sword Ragnarok via the Black Blood made them into the Ultimate Weapon Meister, being able to use the special liquid to morph into a wide variety of offensive and defensive forms.
What, perhaps, made Crona quite a potential threat was their Black Blood’s ability to absorb even the likes of Asura. In this Kishin-enhanced form, Crona’s access to the Madness of Fear has hypothetically elevated them into a world destroyer. It’s only thanks to Maka’s Anti-Demon Wavelength that Crona’s powers were shut down.
5Death The Kid
Despite being vertically challenged,Death the Kidand his obsession with perfection stems from his nature as the youngest son of Death himself. Created from Death’s own Madness of Order, Kid possesses the special physiology of a Reaper alongside the Lines of Sanzu that source their wide array of divine abilities. When Kid connected all his Sanzu Lines, he took the essence of Death himself to transcend into the new Lord Death by the end ofSoul Eater.
However, Kid is already a force to reckon with prior to his divine ascension. Death is one of the best marksmen in the DWMA, capable of combining physical attacks with gunplay with ease. When using his Demon Twin Guns (Elizabeth and Patricia Thomspon), Kid can unleash a wide variety of soul-empowered attacks, including the instant-kill Parent’s Seven Ray.
4Black Star
Known across the action anime to adore the spotlight despite being an assassin,Black StarinSoul Eateris one of the most talented Weapon Meisters to ever exist in the DWMA. By himself, Black Star excels in the Art of Assassination and can fight Meister-Weapon pairings with ease. However, when wielding Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Black Star shows his prowess as a Shadow Weapon Meister.
Thanks to Tsukasa, Black Star can use her unique Multi-Form technique to create a variety of weapons for most situations, the strongest of which is the shadow-manipulating Uncanny Sword. Such was Black Star’s martial prowess that Asura branded him as a human “Warrior God,” with Death’s progeny acknowledging that Black Star is even stronger than Kid in some areas.
3King Arthur
As fans know, the story ofSoul Eatertakes place after the ending ofFire Forcewhen Shinra Kusakabe “wills” a New World into existence. Among those who remained protectors of the New World was Arthur Boyle, one of the eponymous Fire Force’s strongest pyrokinetics. Even in the New World, Arthur’s impeccable swordsmanship results in his pairing with the Holy Sword Excalibur, whose reputation as themost powerful Demon Weaponhas inspired the creation of Demon Weapons.
While famously known asKing Arthur, not much is known about Arthur’s abilities in the New World. However, his status as the Holy Sword’s partner implies he’s of a different caliber compared to other Meisters. When using Excalibur, Arthur is implied to use the full scope of its abilities including teleportation and cutting through space-time itself.
2Kishin Asura
Symbolically opposing Death the Kid is his older brother,Kishin Asura, who inherited the Madness of Fear from their father. While already godlike due to his primordial madness as a Great Old One, Asura’s over-consumption of pure good souls also transformed him into one of the first Kishins, beings of unimaginable power, before becomingSoul Eater’s final antagonist.
Such is Asura’s obsession with souls that he even consumed his own partner, Vajra, to attain a Demon Weapon’s power of soul absorption. This transformed Asura into a living weapon, capable of using Vajra’s powerful lasers to aim at targets from as far as the Moon. When combined with his nature as a Madness Incarnate, author Atsushi Okubo himself has stated that Asura will still defeat both full-Sanzu Death the Kid and Black Star during the manga’s final arc.
1Death
Who better to become the strongest of Weapon Meisters than the person who started the concept? When Great Old Ones Eibon andDeathcontemplated the war between mankind and Witches, they decided to use Witch Souls to create Demon Weapons to combat their threat. Death being the creator of the New World means his physiology alone makes him the strongest Weapon Meister in the shonen series.
Bearing the properties of a god, Death is capable of impressive wavelength control and is the embodiment of the Madness of Order itself. With his Sanzu Lines in full connection, Death can amass divine powers to create a wide variety of effects. It’s only the sealing of the immortal Asura that weakened Death’s capabilities to some degree, as his eldest son’s imprisonment was tied directly to his soul.
