Bungou Stray Dogs, written by Kafka Asagiri and animated by Studio Bones, is an action-based series that presents different characters with unique abilities. Surprisingly, the anime uses the names of real-life individuals for its characters, with abilities based on their written literary works.
Theplot ofBungou Stray Dogsis centered on the clash between the Port Mafia, a notorious villain organization, and the Armed Detective Agency, an organization that protects society from the Port Mafia’s propaganda. Occasionally, foreign organizations like the Guild also joined the fray. The anime revealed several unique and powerful abilities throughout the storyline’s development. So, which of the abilities inBungou Stray Dogsare the strongest?
Updated 12 June 2025, by Emedo Destiny: Following the conclusion of the fifth season and the likelihood of a sixth one, there is more than enough to review on the Bungo Stray Dogs series. Among the minimal number of anime to boast a truly unique power system, Bungo Stray Dogs, through the series, has crafted various complex and rather powerful abilities for its characters. With the previous season introducing another set of villains, the likelihood that the story will see more characters and, more importantly, new abilities is relatively high. Therefore, this piece is no more than an updated list of the series' most powerful abilities so far.
25Undefeated by the Rain
Reference: Be Not Defeated by the Rain
Undefeated by the Rain is the ability of Kenji Miyazawa, a member of the Armed Detective Agency. The abilitygrants him superhuman strength and durability, making him an immensely powerful character.
However, this ability comes with a condition: It can only be activated when Kenji is really hungry. Otherwise, he ends up sleeping and is ultimately useless when he eats. Once activated, Kenji becomes extremely strong, as shown by the time he protected his village from flood waters by using his bare hand to change the shape of the mountain.
24Illuminations
Reference: Illuminations
Illuminations is an ability belonging to Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, both of whom were French spies sent to investigate Japan’s mysterious military project. It allows the user to create a hyperspace that becomes completely isolated beyond normal space, over which the user has absolute control and is capable of different dimensions.
While the ability typically appears in small cube forms that can be used for different purposes, the user, that is, Rimbaud, is also capable of altering the range of his ability according to his objective, as he is shown to be capable of generating a hyperspace large enough for a shipyard. Illuminations proves to be quite the versatile ability as it also has a unique trait of being an almost impenetrable defense.
23Golden Demon
Reference: The Usurer
Golden Demon is an ability belonging to Koyo Ozaki, and a real-life reference to Koyo Ozaki’s novel, The Usurer. Golden Demon allows Koyo to summon a sword-wielding female phantom, just like Kyoka Izumi’s Demon Snow. However, unlike Demon Snow, Koyo can manipulate her ability freely and in whatever way she chooses.
With aphantom wielding a katana, Koyo’s ability focuses on attack power and relies on its impressive speed and accuracy to cut down her opponents. Appearance-wise, Golden Demon is similar to Demon Snow, as the phantom is dressed in a white and yellow kimono, with a cloak of shades of black and red, with red lines under the eyes.
22All Men Are Equal
Reference: An Encouragement of Learning
A rather peculiar ability, All Men Are Equal, is the ability of Yukichi Fukuzawa, the leader and president of theArmed Detective Agency. It is an inhibition ability that allows Yukichi to suppress the abilities of his subordinates and possibly monitor them regardless.
The ability can only be activated after applicants to the Armed Detective Agency pass the specifically prepared exam to measure their values, character, and overall ability. By suppressing the abilities of the detective agency members, Yukichi, through his ability, also affords his subordinates better control of their abilities, as shown with Nakajima and Kyoka Izumi.
21A Feast in Time of Plague
Reference: A Feast In Time of Plague
This ability belongs to Alexander Pushkin, a member of The Rats in the House of the Dead andone of Fyodor Dostoevsky’slackeys. It is a poisonous ability that acts as a virus and can only be inflicted through open wounds. It also works using two hosts, and once activated, it eats at the life force of both individuals until one of them dies.
It works within a period of 48 hours and was used to incite a battle between the Port Mafia and the Armed Detective Agency by infecting both their leaders. Members of both groups fought hard to kill the heads of their opponents, but Pushkin was eventually tracked down and forced to undo his ability.
20Black Cat In The Rue Morgue
Reference: The Murderers in the Rue Morgue
This ability belongs to Edgar Allan Poe, one of the Guild’s brightest minds and a man with a knack for mysteries. It allows him to trap anyone in a novel they are reading until they are able to solve the mystery contained in the piece of literature. It can be employed through books and any other medium as long as the targets have begun reading parts of the novel.
Poe considers himself to be arival to Ranpo Edogawaand spent six years coming up with a murder mystery that would take care of him for good. Unfortunately for him, Ranpo was able to solve it but still acknowledged his efforts, helping the two develop a more amicable relationship.
19Draconia
Reference: The Museum of Draconia
Draconiais a very useful ability against other ability users, and it belongs to Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, themain antagonist of the filmBungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE. It allows him to create a special mist capable of separating users from their abilities, and to regain their lost powers, the users have to defeat their stolen abilities in combat and accept them as theirs.
In situations where it is difficult for an ability to manifest on its own, the mist creates an alternate version of its victim capable of thought and communication. If the ability user is unable to defeat it, it is turned into a gem and added to Draconia’s collection room.
18Midwinter Memento
Reference: Midwinter Memento
Belonging to Hunting Dogs member Mochizo Tachihara,Midwinter Mementoallows him to manipulate metal. It is a versatile ability capable of working remotely and can be used on multiple objects at once. It can also be used on a large scale with a significant amount of force, making him a very dangerous opponent.
Having gone through extensive training and accumulating relevant battle experience, Tachihara is able to use his ability very intelligently. As shown in the fight againstHunting Dogs leader Ochi Fukuchi, he broke his sword into multiple tiny pieces and used them to invade his superior’s flesh. Though he lost the battle, he was able to drive a powerful foe into a corner with great flexibility and intelligence.
17Gasp Of The Soul
Reference: Gasp of the Soul
Gasp of the Soulis an ability belonging to Teruko Okura, vice-captain of the Hunting Dogs unit. Through direct contact, she is able tofreely manipulate the agesof her victims and can also use this ability on herself. It is mainly used for torture, as she can rapidly age a person and cause them to develop severe illnesses and complications.
At the height of the interrogation process, she can either restore their original age or keep it going, depending on her motives. Though she is extremely dedicated, she is also very temperamental and has earned herself the nickname, blood-briar queen.
16Another
Reference: Another
Yukito Ayatsuji’sAnother, once activated, is a process that can’t be stopped, not even by Ayatsuji himself. It triggers the accidental death of its victim through any cause, giving no respect to distance or any material obstruction in its way.
The unique feature of this ability is that it can’t be offset by anything else, including No Longer Human, Osamu Dazai’s formidable ability.Anothercan only beapplied on criminalsand no one else. It even exempts those who might indirectly cause a crime by using manipulative means.
