Cooking competitions range in a variety of categories and types. Most famously we have Iron Chef, which honestly feels like an anime with a dazzling yet dramatic host and competitors fighting for the number one title. Just like Chairman Kaga from the original Japanese Series Iron Chef, we ask the question: Which anime characters would make great hosts for cooking competitions? Who has the intensity of Gordan Ramsay, the knowledge of Alton Brown or the comedic timing of Nicole Byer?

 

Sanji (One Piece)

 

A man with specific tastes and style, Sanji would make a fine host of a competition series that would revolve around him letting people challenge him in a cook-off. I would compare it to shows like Beat Bobby Flay, a series that has different chefs facing off against Bobby Flay with their choice of dish for the chance at having ultimate culinary bragging rights (and money, of course).

 

Sanji’s a very confident chef with a “come fight me” vibe, so I think he’d take the time to let people from all over the world challenge him in the thing he knows best. These hands are for cooking!

Chika Fujiwara (KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR)

 

I think Chika has the potential to host a show like Chopped. The show’s smaller competition setting would be perfect for her given that most of her challenges are done in the student council room with patrons who have limited supplies. Chika usually doesn’t get serious until she holds a competition between the student council, so I can see her making cooking contestants get creative with only a handful of resources.

 

Like Ted Allen, she knows the specifics of cuisine, which lends to being a knowledgeable host who can also carry a room with charm and charisma. In the smaller competition setting, she’d get to know the chefs while reminding them that any wrong move will get them chopped.

 

Beerus and Whis (Dragon Ball Super)

 

How could I not include them? These two judge a planet’s importance by the food it produces. Both Beerus and Whis have an extensive and unique palate for delicacies that reach far across the galaxy so they’d probably host a show similar to The Final Table. This series challenges a team of highly regarded chefs, some of whom have worked in Michelin-starred restaurants.

 

RELATED: 7 Anime-Inspired Burgers Of The Day Bob Belcher Could Add To The Menu

 

Each competitor works to present the best dishes from nine different countries, which would easily give Beerus the most variety of foods. Whis could host like Andrew Knowlton, while Beerus serves as the final plate judge the chefs have to impress after the first wave of judges — maybe Goku and Vegeta could cameo here. 

 

Junko Enoshima (Danganropa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School)

 

A culinary mystery to solve? The mastermind could concoct something like Crime Scene Kitchen where contestants would have to figure out what dish was created — with a lot less bloodshed. Junko has a comedic timing comparable to the show’s host, Joel McHale. Both make you laugh but like to watch you suffer at the same time.

 

The basis of Crime Scene Kitchen is to decipher what dessert was made via literal crumbs of information. After that, contestants reveal their answers by recreating the dish. Junko loves mystery and titillating a group of strangers. She’d stir up trouble for her contestants and, who knows, maybe if they baked the wrong thing she’d kill them — or at least eliminate them. 

Tengen Uzui (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)

 

A man of style and substance, Tengen Uzui would make a good over-the-top host just like Chairman Kaga in Iron Chef. His voice can command a room and he is an aficionado of flash. Just like the chairman, he’d challenge one Iron Chef and a Challenger to compete against each other to make a multiple-course meal that highlights one secret ingredient.

 

Instead of a star-studded set of judges, Tengen could enlist the help of his three wives. Makio would be the tough one who’s hard to impress, but if you are able to make something she likes it would be a reward in itself. Suma would be the judge that’s a bit irritating and overdramatic but would do well with judge banter between her fellow wives. Hinatsuru would be the level-headed judge who is very understanding and endearing. Could you get all three to like your dish?

Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist)

 

Only the son of Satan would put a bunch of home bakers through hell. Rin himself likes to cook for others but he’s also too ambitious and gets a little ahead of himself. Sometimes he’ll make a beautiful Omurice and other times he’ll make a Christmas cake instead of a birthday cake.

 

RELATED: Tell Us Your Favorite Food and We’ll Tell You How You’d Fare at the Totsuki Academy from Food Wars!

 

I think his charisma and misguidance would make him a good host for a show like Nailed it! Here, home bakers challenge themselves to make something they’ve never made before. Rin would be a chaotic judge and host like Nicole Byer, wonderfully entertaining while also having to eat whatever concoction a baker makes for them. Rin’s not afraid to try anything, meaning he’s got an open mind and a strong stomach. 

 

Rikido Sato (My Hero Academia)

 

Known as the Sweets Hero: Sugarman, Sato would definitely be a host of a baking show thanks to his sugar-fueled quirk. He’s also on the nicer side so he’d probably be a host like Jonathan Bennet in Cupcake Wars. This competition lets bakers impress their judges one cupcake at a time until they are challenged to make a large, show-stopping dessert piece.

 

Potential judges could be Fat Gum, who would be down for some good food, and Momo Yaoyorozu, who needs to maintain calories to be able to use her quirk. Even though Rikido downs a pack of sugar to activate his quirk, he loves baking, meaning he’d want to diversify his impact with sweets. 

 

Charmy (Black Clover)

 

Heartwarming, charismatic and generous, Charmy would probably be a host of cooking competitions that cater to feeding a large number of people like The Big Family Cooking Showdown. This series showcases families who cook together to meet certain challenges like feeding a family of four on a budget.  

 

With her cooking experience, Charmy would be a knowledgeable and welcoming host like The Big Family Cooking Showdown’s Angellica Bell. In the realm of cooking competitions, Charmy would be the sweet host who isn’t afraid to keep chefs in line… and take a few samples along the way.

 

Tonio Trussardi (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

 

One of the more professional chefs on the list, Antonio could have his pick of competition styles just like Gordan Ramsay’s diverse slate of shows. He’s traveled all over perfecting his food even though his specialty is Italian cuisine. Since he knows his own cooking is exquisite, he’d make a great host for something like Master Chef or Hell’s Kitchen.

 

RELATED: One Piece Teaches Us The Importance Of Sharing Food

 

Antonio is particular with his cuisine and his technique to the point where he’d love challenges like “Taste it, Now Make It” which would combine his own cooking with making others try to recreate perfection. He knows he’s an amazing chef and he cooks with the full intention of satisfying his customers… but don’t you dare enter his kitchen without permission.

Yor Forger (SPY x FAMILY)

 

As we follow Yor’s cooking journey, I’ve come to think she’d make a good host for a show like Worst Cooks in America. The premise of the series is to find the worst cooks and teach them how to cook. Although Yor’s personality is a bit friendlier than the host of the show, she could be part of the team that helps people learn how to cook and maybe offer the advice she learned about cooking meals that ignite pleasant memories.  

 

That said, Yor’s made monstrosities of meals so she wouldn’t have a problem eating any of the weird concoctions contestants present to her. She probably couldn’t see anything wrong with the food, either. I’d love to see Anya and Loid as secondary hosts. Anya would be sassy with the cooks while Loid would actually try to help them get better despite Yor’s mishaps.

 

The Outdoors Club (Laid-Back Camp)

 

Laid-Back Camp focuses on a friendly group of girls who love camping. The girls always spend time trying to prepare and cook meals while camping. They consider factors like ingredients, cooking method and weather to make the perfect dishes. This group would be great for a show like Easy Bake Battle. Here, the home cooks are challenged to use limited supplies that range from only having access to what’s in the pantry or getting creative by using an iron to cook. They also encourage easy hacks to make cooking simple, which is also a key factor in the meals prepared in Laid-Back Camp.

 

One of the main characters is Nadeshiko Kagamihara who is fun, energetic and endearing like Easy Bake Battle host Antoni Porowski. The other campers would make great co-hosts as well, Rin would be soft-spoken and knowledgeable like Kristen Kish. Like Antoni, Nadeshiko would celebrate the contestants the way she celebrates her friends. 

 

Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter (Sailor Moon Crystal)

 

I can’t think of a better home cook and host than Makoto Kino. She would be perfect in a show that championed friendly competition because you know she’d give the biggest hug to the eliminated baker. Makoto can also be quite sassy in the kitchen, like the hosts of The Great British Baking Show, a series showcasing the best home bakers and challenging them on their technical skills. Most importantly she’s trying to help others improve their techniques. Just as Makoto tries to engage Usagi in cooking, it’s not surprising that she can tell who would have a tough time in the kitchen. 

 

There are so many different cooking competition shows hosted by a variety of professional chefs, comedians and reality TV stars that really give the same energy as some of our favorite characters. Are there any favorites I missed? Set the kitchen timer and let me know in the comments!