Kaiju No. The Strongest Defense Force Members, Ranked

Kaiju No. 8 fans must be over the moon right now. For those unaware, Kaiju No. 8 is a manga series by Naoya Matsumoto that is primarily centered around powerful soldiers trying to stop powerful Kaiju from destroying all of society, so it follows a “standard” Kaiju Monster format.

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Additionally, the anime adaptation is bringing a lot of first-time readers to the IP as well who are falling in love with all the characters in the JDF (or Japanese Defense Force) that function as the “good guys” in this story. But, out of all the Defense Force members seen so far, from Captains to Vice-Captains and even Recruits, which ones are the strongest?

Updated July 30, 2025, by Julián Fernández Loyarte: As most fans may already be aware, the Kaiju No. 8 manga concluded very recently, with the final chapter being published in Shōnen Jump+ on July 18, 2025. The final story arc of this series was full of action on every page, meaning that most of the Defense Force officers had new opportunities to put their incredible growth and strength to good use. These brand-new showcases of power have completely altered the rankings of this list and, thus, this article has been updated once more to properly reflect the story’s conclusion. On top of that, brand-new entries for two prominent characters that were missing from the original version—Aoi Kaguragi and Haruichi Izumo—were also added.

12

Aoi Kaguragi

A Serious Character, But A Strong Soldier

The Third Division is full of capable, optimistic, and skilled officers, and one of the most prominent examples is Aoi Kaguragi. What he may lack in an interesting design or unique personality, Aoi has in raw strength, as he’s one of the Third Division’s strongest soldiers.

Not only is he already physically strong, but he can also increase his suit’s Combat Power by up to 25%, which is quite impressive. He was shown to be very proficient in combat many times throughout the series, and he even formed a friendly rivalry with fellow Third Division officer, Haruichi Izumo. Aoi’s most impressive accomplishment in the story was when he used his brand-new Pile Driver weapon to destroy one of the Third Wave Kaiju, which allowed Kafka to pass through in order to face Kaiju No. 9.

11

Haruichi Izumo

A Confident Soldier Who’s Proficient With A Bow

Third Division member Haruichi Izumo is similar to Aoi Kaguragi in many respects, but he has a much more distinct personality and is slightly stronger than his friend and rival. This shouldn’t be a surprise, given that he has always been portrayed as a relaxed yet confident and intelligent soldier who repeatedly sought to improve his strength.

With a Combat Suit output of 36%, Haruichi was also a proficient soldier who was able to kill many Kaiju. After training with the Second Division, he learned how to use a big bow that could shoot poisonous arrows, which proved to be incredibly helpful when he helped Kafka slow down the Third Wave alongside Aoi, Reno, and Iharu.

10

Eiji Hasegawa

Vice-Captain Of The First Division

Eiji Hasegawa is a character who appears infrequently in the manga, yet his abilities prove to be quite impressive. He is the Vice-Captain of the Defense Force’s First Division and also essentially functions as the Division Captain’s (aka Gen Narumi’s) babysitter. Compared to Gen, Eiji is a much more professional and by-the-books sort of officer.

In battle, Hasegawa functions as the First Division’s command center, giving out orders so that Narumi can run wild however he needs to. As for his equipment, Eiji has a massive metal battle suit with machine guns on the shoulders, but no one knows the full extent of this suit’s capabilities or its other features. That said, considering how much of a powerhouse the First Division is as a whole, fans can reasonably assume Eiji is incredibly strong.

9

Iharu Furuhashi

Member Of The Fourth Division And Reno Ichikawa’s Rival

Iharu Furuhashi seemed like a relatively weak fighter for most of the story, as he mainly played the role of Reno Ichikawa’s sidekick/friend. At first, his Combat Suit output was quite low, especially when compared to other soldiers. However, he was eventually able to focus, which skyrocketed his suit output to absurd numbers, even if only for a short duration.

If controlled properly, this can make Iharu a truly frightening and unpredictable combatant, as his attacks have the power to rival some of the strongest in the series, but he’s also the least consistent. Thankfully, Iharu has already shown that he can control his flow state to some extent, which is exactly what earns him a spot on this list alongside the main cast and Division Captains. Furthermore, he was finally able to prove that he’s a key asset to the Defense Force during the Third Wave attack, when he destroyed many Kaiju with his brand-new shotgun loaded with electrified shells.

8

Jugo Ogata

Captain Of The Fourth Division

Jugo Ogata is one of the old guards and the captain of the Fourth Division. As far as combat is concerned, readers of the Kaiju No 8 manga have not seen Jugo fight yet, despite all the chaos that has happened with Kaiju No. 9 in his introductory story arc. However, it’s worth pointing out that he’s the Captain of an entire Division and is constantly shown a fair amount of respect by powerhouses like Mina Ashiro, so it’s safe to assume he meets a certain standard of strength that’s expected from figures like him.

Additionally, Jugo has revealed that, like Iharu Furuhashi, he is the type of soldier who has large spikes in the Force Output of his Combat Suit depending on how “in the zone” he is, so it’s very likely that when he does fight, it’ll be for something he’s passionate about, and he’ll be quite powerful when doing so. Typically, his unleashed Combat Power is relatively low, but when it spikes, it goes to an incredibly high number. Combine his experience in the field, intelligence, expertise in Numbers Weapons, and Force Output ability, and it’s safe to assume that Jugo is one of the stronger members of the JDF, considering he’s lasted this long in a Kaiju-infested world.

7

Reno Ichikawa

User Of The Numbers Weapon 6 Suit

Reno Ichikawa essentially serves as the secondary protagonist of Kaiju No. 8, following closely behind Kafka Hibino. He’s the one who convinced Kafka to try out for the JDF again, has supported him along the way, and has shown himself to be an exemplary soldier in short order. In comparison to other JDF members, he doesn’t have a ton of combat experience, but the speed of his growth is what’s earned him this spot in the rankings.

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At first, Reno comes off as cold and calculating, but that doesn’t last long. As anyone who has watched the first season of the anime adaptation can verify, he is actually one of the most caring, brilliant, and well-rounded characters in the series, outside of his one big flaw of putting a bit too much responsibility on himself. Fortunately, Reno was eventually able to acquire and master the incredible power of Numbers Weapon 6, one of the strongest Numbers Weapons in the entire JDF, which allowed him to become a key player during the final story arcs of the manga. Not only was he able to stop multiple Third Wave Kaiju with his ice-based powers, but he helped Kafka land the final blow on the Daikaiju of the Meireki Era at the very end of the final battle.

6

Soshiro Hoshina

Vice-Captain Of The Third Division

As the close-range weapons expert of the JDF, Soshino Hoshina, otherwise known as the Vice-Captain of the Third Division, is a true force to be reckoned with. While the Captain of this Division, Mina Ashiro, excels more than anyone else in using large firearms and taking down gigantic Kaiju, Soshino is the exact opposite; he’s a swordsmanship expert who is the best of the best at taking down small to mid-sized Kaiju/Honju. Their contrasting fighting styles perfectly complement each other and are one of the many things that make the Third Division so efficient and formidable.

After all, this is the man who took down Kaiju No.10 entirely on his own and even put Kafka in his place (unknowingly) while he was transformed. When the chips are down, Soshiro can expel an absurd amount of force from his brand-new Numbers Weapon 10 Combat Suit, capping out at 92 percent, which greatly enhances his strength, speed, and, most importantly, his precise swordsmanship. With this power, he single-handedly defeated Kaiju No. 12 and bought some time for Kafka by fighting Daikaiju of the Meireki Era during the final battle.

5

Isao Shinomiya

Director General Of The Defense Force

It only makes sense that an organization with ranks based on how good its soldiers are at killing Kaiju would have an absurdly powerful person at the top of it. Isao Shinomiya was the Director General of the JDF, as well as Kikoru’s father. He was a stern man, almost terrifyingly so (at least at first), but he makes it very clear, very quickly, that he’s all about protecting people and using whatever means possible to make that happen. As such, Isao is intelligent, adaptable, strict, and insanely loyal to the cause.

As a soldier, there aren’t many who are stronger than Isao, thanks to his years of experience and his Numbers Weapon Gauntlets made from Kaiju No 2. At one point, he was the strongest soldier in the Defense Force, and Kaiju No. 9 knew it, which is why he ended up killing and absorbing Isao, something he was only able to accomplish by catching him by surprise and taking advantage of the old man’s age. Nevertheless, Isao continued to showcase his incredible power and relentless attitude until the very end, even after his death, as his soul saved Kafka Hibino by giving him a new human heart and also compelled the samurai’s souls to remain within the protagonist’s body, ensuring he wouldn’t lose his Kaiju-based powers.

4

Mina Ashiro

Captain Of The Third Division

The great Mina Ashiro is the one person who represents the ‘end-goal’ that Kafka is struggling so hard to achieve: to one day become strong and trustworthy enough to stand by Mina’s side just as they promised when they were kids. Of course, Mina had long since fulfilled her side of the promise, quickly rising through the ranks and becoming the Captain of the Third Division, waiting for her friend to reach her side someday.

As a fighter, Mina is a long-range specialist, thanks to her ability to release an impressive amount of Force from her Combat Suit, particularly with firearms, reaching up to 96 percent output. Even outside of long-range combat, Mina has demonstrated superhuman strength, dexterity, and leadership skills that prove she would excel in a close-range situation as well. Additionally, she has a white tiger (named Bakko, who serves as a stabilizer while she fires her cannon) that is also a type of Kaiju. Fortunately, Mina was finally able to achieve her shared dream with Kafka when both of them fought together against Kaiju No. 9 during the final manga arc. Additionally, she even landed a devastating blow on the final boss of the series, the Daikaiju of the Meireki Era, which exposed its core and allowed Kafka to destroy it once and for all.

3

Gen Narumi

Captain Of The First Division

Gen Narumi is the Captain of the First Division and seemingly the strongest JDF soldier in the organization’s history, which is exactly why he leads its strongest Division. He’s known as ‘Japan’s Strongest Anti-Kaiju Combatant’ and has proved this to be true in multiple situations. Thanks to his Bayonet weapon, known as the GS-3305 (made by Izumo Tech), Gen Narumi excels in both close- and long-range combat, not to mention that he’s also able to exert the most Combat Power from his Combat Suit seen to date at 98% output, just barely beating Mina’s record of 96%.

Lastly, Gen is also the user of Numbers Weapon 1, which is called Kaiju Retina or RT-0001 and is literally installed in his eyes. It allows him to visualize the brain signals of others and predict their movements and actions based on those signals. Now, compared to other soldiers such as Mina, Gen may seem childlike, but when it comes to Kaiju-slaying, there’s absolutely no one more qualified than him. He proved to be a key asset to the organization during the last arcs of the series, not only because he defeated Kaiju No. 11, but also because he fought back the Daikaiju of the Meireki Era alongside Hoshina. Unfortunately, while it could be said at one point that Gen was the strongest Defense Force officer in the series, he was ultimately surpassed by two other newer recruits.