There are many things synonymous with manga and anime that pretty much everyone adores. One such aspect of anime that has remained consistent since the early going is the tendency for anime characters to strike a truly over-the-top pose that seems highly impractical yet immensely satisfying to watch at the same time.
Related: Most Iconic Anime Hairstyles Ever, Ranked
These poses have become a part of the public conscious — even those that have never watched anime might recognize them from memes and easter eggs tucked away in other media.
10 Saitama's Confounded Pose (One-Punch Man)
One must give due props to ONE and Yusuke Murata for creating one of the most iconic manga panels of all time. The idea of a confused and unimpressed Saitama nonchalantly saying 'ok' has become a legendary pose of its own.
Given how funny One-Punch Man is, it was a given that one of its brilliant comedic moments would become immortalized in pop culture history. It's fitting that this hilarious panel managed to earn this honor.
9 Ken Kaneki Cracking His Knuckles (Tokyo Ghoul)
While this might not be a pose per se, one can definitely count Kaneki's impulsive knuckle cracking as an iconic part of his character and Tokyo Ghoul in general. The manner in which he developed this technique is no laughing matter.
After being tortured both physically and mentally by Yamori for ten days, Kaneki finally broke and embraced his ghoul powers. This led to him adopting the same behavior that Yamori used during the torture, which became a salient part of his character.
8 Alchemy Without Circles (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Watching Edward join his palms and perform alchemy without drawing a circle was easily one of the best moments in Fullmetal Alchemist. After discovering this talent of his, Edward ended up using this unique alchemy technique many times in battle.
Related: What Is The Difference Between Fullmetal Alchemist & Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood?
Any fan of Fullmetal Alchemist will wholeheartedly agree with the fact that its battles became all the more engaging after this change. It was a great way to cement the competency of a protagonist who hadn't really showcased his powers properly up till that point.
7 Gendo Ikari's Finger-Tenting (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most legendary anime of all time. The 'antagonist' of the series has immortalized himself with a pose that has gone down in the annals of anime history.
Gendo's Ikari's patented finger-tent is easily one of the most recognizable and beloved poses in anime history. It's a great way to show that this character might not be as great as one might think — there's a sinister side to him that doesn't come out unless completely necessary.
The fact that modern anime like Attack on Titan also pays homage to this pose is a testament to how popular this finger-tenting really is.
6 L's Thinking Stance (Death Note)
In terms of legendary anime, no one should fail to mention Death Note. The most beloved character on this show has a pose of his own that is quite a treat to witness.
Watching L squat in his seat and ponder over the puzzles and mysteries that are central to the show is oddly thrilling. It's a testament to the brilliance of L as a character that such a basic pose ended up being wildly entertaining in its own right.
5 Gainax Pose (Multiple Gainax Productions)
Any anime fan worth their salt must've heard of the legendary Gainax pose. It's an iconic pose that is used almost universally across most Gainax productions.
The most notable example of a show where this pose appears is Gurren Lagann. Watching either a character or their mech stand with their arms crossed in such an unapologetically cool manner is always amazing, regardless of how impractical the act of cracking said pose might be.
4 The Team Rocket Pose (Pokémon)
One of the most popular IPs of all time, Pokémon has been a stalwart part of pop culture since its debut in 1996. Even since then, a slew of games, anime, movies, merchandise, and the like has been released to massive commercial success. There's an iconic duo featured in this show that has become a mainstay of the show since its debut.
Jessie and James, the two major members of Team Rocket, have been a constant source of comedic relief across all seasons of Pokémon. The pose they crack as they introduce themselves has become the stuff of legends due to its over-the-top and hilarious nature.
3 Shadow Clone Jutsu (Naruto)
The Shadow Clone jutsu is easily one of the most used jutsu in Naruto, with the Number One Knucklehead Ninja using this technique to great effect. Watching Naruto grow from being overly reliant on this jutsu to using it as a base to power up his other techniques is nothing short of amazing.
Related: Naruto: The Strongest Jutsu In The Series, Ranked
This "pose" might not last that long but it would be impossible to talk about iconic poses and stances in anime without mentioning the hand signs required for the Shadow Clone jutsu. It's truly one of the most recognizable hand signs in Naruto by a country mile.
2 Josuke's Flamboyant Pose (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
If entries to this list weren't limited to one per series, then one could argue that the entire list would be covered by JoJo poses. Araki's artwork is truly breathtaking and makes each and every one of the iconic poses in JoJo come to life in the best way possible.
A special mention goes out to the seemingly backbreaking pose by Josuke Higashikata in Diamond is Unbreakable. It's an awe-inspiring sight that further cements the iconic statute of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
1 The Kamehameha Technique (Dragon Ball)
However, it would be impossible to talk about iconic poses in anime without mentioning a pose that pretty much everyone tried out as a kid. The Kamehameha is the most popular technique in Dragon Ball with the pose that's cracked upon releasing the beam becoming the stuff of legends.
The Dragon Ball series has definitely changed and evolved quite a bit since its inception. However, the fact that the Kamehameha technique has remained mostly unchanged to this day is an indication of this technique's winning formula.