The strongest student councils in anime are often the most entertaining characters in their show. Typically, student councils are elected by their peers to represent them and handle school functions such as events, funding, and enforcement of rules. Japanese students in these positions tend to hold more sway than Western students, namely having much more authority over school clubs and policies.

Many anime gleefully portray student councils as all-powerful entities that rule their schools with absolute authority. Throwing their weight around with the student body (and even with the faculty) is usually played for humor, but in the right hands, they can also be intimidating antagonists. Whether they are played seriously or as a fountain of jokes, these schools’ student councils always manage to steal any scenes they’re in.

10 Ohtori Academy - Revolutionary Girl Utena (1998)

In one of the best anime for fans of prestige TV, Ohtori Academy’s student council doesn’t concern itself with clubs and school rules: they’re more occupied with The End of the World. On instructions from this mysterious entity, they fight sword duels to win the hand of the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya, who they believe will give the victor the power to revolutionize the world. Utena must fight each of them to defend her position as Anthy’s groom.

Though it isn’t clear how they come into their positions, the student council holds immense authority at Ohtori. The student body idolizes them, the other faculty appear afraid of them, and for much of the show are the biggest obstacles in Utena’s way. Akio’s entrance revealing how powerless they really are does little to diminish their earlier strong impressions.

9 Miyagami Private Academy - Best Student Council (2007)

The power of one school’s student council is Best Student Council’s entire conceit. Rino Randou loses her apartment, and her only shot at getting a roof over her head again is to join the student council. But free room and board is the least of what she’s in for. Newly minted Secretary Rino discovers that the Best Student Council has power and privilege beyond her wildest dreams. Not only do she and the other members have psychic abilities, but their authority seems unlimited. They have their own covert operations department, personal vehicles, and even an assault squad for when things really get sticky.

8 Tootsuki Academy - Food Wars! (2015 - 2020)

Tootsuki Academy happily boots students out for the slightest failure to graduate only the best of the best of the best. That’s how they end up with the Elite Ten: the tight-knit group of the greatest chefs in Tootsuki. In taking over the school, Azami Nakiri knows that he doesn’t have to win over the entire student body to gain the power he needs: he just needs the Elite Ten.

The Elite Ten come up with some of the best dishes in Food Wars! They hold so much sway over the school that a Shokugeki with them requires opponents to put their entire cooking careers on the line instead of just expulsion. It’s a huge indication of how far Souma and company have come and how bright their future is when they take over as the new Elite Ten.

7 Namimori Junior High School - Katekyo Hitman Reborn! (2006 - 2010)

Often, ultra-powerful student councils in anime are framed like totalitarian governments. As the future boss of the Vongola family, the one Tsunayoshi Sawada is up against naturally is run more like a mafia family. At Namimori, the faculty don’t handle rulebreakers and troublemakers: Kyoya Hibari’s vicious Disciplinary Committee does.

The Disciplinary Committee’s enforcement of law and order extends past school grounds to the entire town. They exert their authority through extreme violence and are alarmingly willing to get rid of a body or two if necessary. Hibari himself respects only strength, always ready to beat or even bite someone to death for getting on his bad side.

6 Binan High School - Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! (2015)

Many an anime student council serves as the authoritarian antagonist, especially if the protagonists are a club. However, usually, the council aren’t actively trying to take over the Earth through their shutdown of a club. While the Earth Defense Club do their best to live up to their name, Binan’s student council is working to hasten the alien takeover of the planet.

In a must-watch magical girl anime (or, in this case, magical boy), the Earth Defense Club takes orders from Wombat, a cheerful marsupial who helps them harness the power of love. Meanwhile, the hedgehog Zundar gives the student council powers and encourages them to use them for their own gain. In between shutting down clubs for the heck of it, Kinshiro, Arima, and Akoya carry out harebrained “evil” schemes in search of world domination.

5 Rikkyoin Academy - Kujibiki Unbalance (2006)

Student council members are typically elected by their classmates for their fitness for the position; or, at the very least, popularity. The Rikkyoin way is to leave everything up to fate, so their council members are chosen by lottery. Whether the winners are suited to their positions or even want them is irrelevant: fail to measure up, and they’re expelled.

The newest selections are immediately in over their heads. Like any other student council, they manage the school store, clubs, and other academic facilities. But they are also charged with handling problems around town and even international incidents like finding escaped exotic animals and thwarting alien abductions, wielding more authority than teachers and government officials alike.

4 Hyakkaou Private Academy - Kakegurui (2017 - 2019)

At Hyakkaou, the scions of the rich and powerful train in the most important skills they need to know to take over from their parents. Namely, how to lie, cheat, bully, and manipulate their peers mercilessly to claw their way to the top. Everything at the school is decided by gambling, where consistent winning is near impossible. While Hyakkaou’s system always existed, student council president Kirari Momobami drove it to the extreme state that torments current students. Under council rules, students who lose too badly are indebted to them for life, taking jobs, marrying, and having children as they command. Only someone at Yumeko Jabami’s level of unhinged could match them.

3 Kunugigaoka Junior High School - Assassination Classroom (2015 - 2016)

Assassination Classroom is definitely an anime that Naruto fans will like, and Kunugigaoka’s success-driven students are no less cutthroat than the Leaf’s young shinobi. That’s not limited to Korosensei’s burgeoning assassins: the rest of the school mobilizing against Class E are just as ruthless in their attempts to keep the school scapegoats at the bottom of the hierarchy. At the very top are the Five Virtuosos, the highest-ranked students and the authorities their classmates look to.

Gakushuu Asano, the chairman’s son, is the most dangerous of the lot, with his high intelligence and mastery of a wide skill set. Despite often being at odds with his father, he is just as devoted to upholding the school system, if only to show off his own superiority. He and the other four, who are all the top of specific subjects, are always the ones to beat in every contest or examination.

2 Honnouji Academy - Kill La Kill (2013)

Meeting Honnouji’s student council is the best indication of exactly how over-the-top everything is going to be in this show. Satsuki Kiryuuin and her Elite Four are warriors who control the school by powering up loyal students with Goku Uniforms. Of course, they own the strongest uniforms, and use them to control Honnou Town and enforce their rules, up to and including executing lawbreakers.

Though they rule with an iron fist, they’re not terribly different than their region’s other student councils, which are more than happy to go to war with them. That's not metaphorical: both sides raise literal armies of students to fight. While Satsuki and the Elite Four are intimidating enemies, once they and Ryuko realize that they are after the same thing, all five become some of her most valuable allies.

1 Shuchiin Academy - Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (2019 - 2022)

Miyuki and Kaguya’s attempts to manipulate each other into a love confession are wild and dramatic. But the student council they head is relatively normal, as far as anime student councils go. However, they are still an excellent example of what an efficient council can contribute to their school. All five members are excellent at what they do, listening to the student body’s concerns and doing their best to improve Shuchiin. Despite a faction of well-heeled students trying to sabotage Miyuki for his poorer origins, Kaguya only has to point out how successful his policies have been for that to go nowhere. Miyuki and Kaguya’s genius-level intellects and every member’s dedication make them a force to be reckoned with.

Whether they're played for humor or drama, and whether they're heroes or villains, there's no limit to what a strong student council can get done in any given anime. The strongest student councils in anime all show what it can feel like to go up against an authority that seems all powerful.