From Space Battleship Yamato to Doraemon…the “Unimaginable Destructive Power” Hidden Within the “Most Terrifying Weapons” Representing National Masterpieces
Published at Futabanet, Oct 1, 2025.
See the original post here.
by Kou Aokage
Magazine & Web Writer/Editor. After serving as editor-in-chief for men’s weekly magazines, monthly idol magazines, gravure idol magazines, and web media at a major publisher, now freelance. Currently writes articles on dramas, movies, and anime primarily for entertainment and celebrity websites. A manga otaku struggling to find time to check 26 magazines a month. My favorite manga is Maison Ikkoku.
The worlds of anime and manga feature countless weapons and tools capable of unleashing destruction on a scale utterly unimaginable in reality. The sheer magnitude of this scale instills a profound sense of despair not only in the characters caught up in the action, but also in us, the mere spectators.
Each work features distinct weapon characteristics, delivering powerful impacts to readers and viewers in diverse ways. Here, we’ll revisit the ultimate weapons from iconic masterpieces — those terrifyingly powerful, unimaginable weapons that left us in awe.
Space Battleship Yamato‘s Ultimate Weapon
The “Wave-Motion Gun” of Space Battleship Yamato is the largest weapon mounted on Yamato‘s bow. It utilizes the output of the Wave-Motion Engine, which serves as both Yamato‘s interstellar propulsion system and its main engine.
Charged to “120%” of its wave energy capacity before firing, the Wave-Motion Gun possesses two distinct aspects: it serves as a trump card capable of turning the tide of battle, yet its immense destructive power also makes it a highly dangerous weapon.
When first used in the series, it completely obliterated a floating continent the size of Australia. The conflict over restricting its use due to its overwhelming power, and the tactical maneuvering required to bring the Wave-Motion Gun to a usable state, became one of the major highlights of the Yamato series.
Furthermore, in the remake anime series, the Gun is treated as a “forbidden weapon,” with depictions added showing its use being strictly restricted from both ethical and tactical perspectives.
Doraemon: The Terrifying Weapon That Destroys Everything
The “Galaxy Destroyer Bomb” appearing in the anime series Doraemon, based on the original work by Fujiko F. Fujio, is an anime-original secret gadget. It is the ultimate weapon Doraemon pulls out to exterminate mice after they appeared in his house, causing him to panic.
The “Galaxy Destroyer Bomb” is a complete upgrade over the “Earth Destroyer Bomb,” possessing the power to destroy entire galaxies as its name implies. In the series, Doraemon states, “It’ll blow away the Milky Way Galaxy itself!” The anime’s official website also explicitly describes it as “a bomb possessing enough power to destroy an entire galaxy.” While it was ultimately not used in the story, its performance leaves no doubt it is the most terrifying weapon.
Even if he lost his self-control in the face of his hated rats, Doraemon is pretty terrifying for pulling out a secret gadget like this on the spur of the moment…
Dr. Stone: The Device That Destroys Civilization
The “Petrifaction Device” from Dr. Stone, created by original author Riichiro Inagaki and artist Boichi, is the ultimate weapon designed to halt civilization itself. By voice-inputting the activation range and beam duration into the device, humans within that area are enveloped in a green beam and instantly petrified.
In the story, the beam was released on a scale covering the entire Earth. For a long time afterward, not a single human awoke from petrification. As a result, civilization came to a complete halt for approximately 3,700 years, creating an extreme reset state where natural environments reclaimed everything.
While this petrification device possesses no direct destructive power, its ability to fundamentally destroy civilization, halting the development of cities, culture, and technology in an instant, makes it one of the most terrifying weapons imaginable. Furthermore, the existence of this device directly connects to the overarching theme of the story, symbolizing the fragility of human civilization and knowledge, as well as the immense influence of science and technology.
Its visual impact, representing not mere destruction but the complete disappearance of an entire civilization, makes it exceptionally unique compared to other weapons.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Wiping Out Thousands of Warships
The Iserlohn Fortress and its main cannon, the “Thor’s Hammer,” featured in Legend of the Galactic Heroes, are prime examples of weapons capable of galactic-scale destruction. The Iserlohn Fortress is a massive artificial celestial body spanning 60 km in diameter, constructed at the heart of the Iserlohn Corridor, a crucial military chokepoint connecting the territories of the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. In the anime adaptation, its surface is covered in fluid metal and equipped with numerous anti-aircraft and floating gun turrets.
Thor’s Hammer boasts an output of 924 million megawatts, possessing super-firepower capable of annihilating thousands of warships in a single strike. While it remains unclear whether this power is delivered through simultaneous fire from multiple barrels or a single massive barrel, its destructive force is overwhelming.
Furthermore, the fortress itself functions as a strategic base, capable of housing 20,000 ships, providing 200,000 hospital beds, and producing 7,500 fusion missiles per hour. With food production plants inside, it handles everything from combat to supply and maintenance. Truly an impregnable weapon-fortress, its ownership has drastically altered the course of war each time it changed hands.
Crayon Shin-chan: The Worst Weapon (?) in a Certain Sense
In the nationally beloved anime Crayon Shin-chan, the most dreaded weapon in a certain sense is the “foot odor” of the protagonist Shin-chan’s father, Hiroshi Nohara.
The stench is so intense that Shinnosuke and Himawari often faint from it. His wife, Misae, even wears a mask when washing his socks. In a scene where Hiroshi cuts his toenails, the stench is so powerful that not only Shinnosuke, but Hiroshi himself faints.
Furthermore, in the movie Baka Umass! B-Class Gourmet Survival!!, Hiroshi uses his socks, worn since the previous day, as a weapon to knock out a man. In the movie Gachinko! Robo-Dad’s Counterattack, his foot odor alone destroys the sensors of multiple robots, rendering them inoperable, truly demonstrating weapons-grade power.
While usually just a nuisance, Hiroshi’s “foot odor” functions as a “weapon” to protect his family in times of crisis. If he were to seriously prepare for it, it might even unleash enough power to destroy the world…?
Weapons appearing in various creative works like manga, anime, and novels stimulate the imagination of readers and viewers through their scale and in-story settings. Simultaneously, they play a crucial role as devices that add depth and tension to each work’s world.