Anime is widely known for its overpowered characters. While these popular characters are usually the protagonists, that is not always the case. The Chimera Ant Mereum was the most significant threat looming over the protagonist’s heads in Hunter X Hunter. He is one of the most powerful characters and is only defeated by extremely improbable means.

Many of these anime powerhouses use their strength as a plot device. Lelouch from Code Geass is only overpowered because of his ability to command the wills of others. He uses this ability to become nearly untouchable. Overall, several of anime’s overwhelming characters could theoretically give Goku and Superman a run for their money.

10

Koro-Sensei Easily Destroys A Portion of the Moon in Assassination Classroom

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Although Koro-Sensei appears like a terrifying alien, he is a normal human with a tragic backstory. He was an unwilling participant in several experiments that led to his permanent disfigurement and eventually the loss of his greatest love. The awful experiments also provided him with terrible power. He easily travels at Mach 20, which is much faster than the quickest fighter jets.

Related

10 Anime Character Deaths That Changed The Series

Many anime character deaths are so shocking, gruesome, or heartbreaking that they irrevocably change the course of their stories.

Koro-Sensei becomes the teacher of his former lover’s classroom and takes his job seriously. Although the students’ main job is to assassinate their teacher, he makes sure they excel in every subject. When the students finally graduate and assassinate their teacher, they only do so with specialized weapons. Koro-Sensei’s death is one of the saddest anime deaths of all time and can make even the most stoic viewers shed a tear.

9

Lelouch Can Command Anyone To Do His Bidding in Code Geass

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Lelouch is known for being relatively weak until he receives the power of Geass. Using Geass, Lelouch can command anyone to do his bidding once he maintains eye contact. He can only use this ability once per person, but once is usually more than enough. Lelouch can also use this ability to make others more powerful, as he does with Suzaku when he commands him to live.

Related

10 Manga That Do Everything Worse Than Their Anime Adaptations

For all the great original animes that are available to stream, these manga adaptations do everything in their power to make them worse.

The royal outcast eventually assumes command of the throne and becomes everything he once hated. Lelouch orchestrates his own death to finally bring peace to the world. World peace never could’ve been achieved without the power of Geass. Yet, absolute power corrupts absolutely and Lelouch had to ensure his demise so that the world could flourish.

8

Mob Psycho’s Shigeo Kageyama Restricts His Powers Just Like Superman

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Like Superman, Shigeo Kageyama has put mental blockers on himself to inhibit his full powers. Shigeo, often called Mob, is technically one of the most powerful psychics in his universe. He constantly unconsciously limits his abilities for the safety of those around him. Mob occasionally still loses control and unleashes his full potential, but usually to protect his friends.

When Mob is overwhelmed by any strong negative emotion, he accesses his 100% state. In this state, he became nearly untouchable and one of the most skilled psychics in the world. His childhood trauma has made him particularly difficult to agitate, but he loses his cool if his allies are threatened or harmed. Yet, this power is only temporary.

Mob Psycho 100

Release Date

2016 – 2022

Directors

Yuzuru Tachikawa, Takahiro Hasui

7

Pegasus Seiya Consistently Faces Threats That Would End Other Protagonists in Saint Seiya

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Pegasus Seiya from Saint Seiya is the main protagonist in the original overpowered shonen anime. Seiya likely set the tone for a lot of Goku’s later achievements. Although Seiya begins the anime as a bronze knight, he rises through the ranks throughout the series. He is often considered one of the strongest saints in the classic shonen anime.

Seiya is one of the best users of Cosmo in the entire series. He constantly surpasses his various limits and activates the advanced senses. Seiya’s punches are often compared to meteors. He can shock feats of strength even without his armor, or “cloth”. Saint Seiya set the original bar that Akira Toriyama ultimately surpassed with Dragon Ball.

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac

Release Date

1986 – 1988

Directors

Kozo Morishita, Kazuhito Kikuchi

Writers

Takao Koyama, Yoshiyuki Suga

• 

6

Meruem Survives a Point-Blank Nuclear Level Blast in Hunter x Hunter

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Meruem is the predominant child of the Chimera Ant Queen and the strongest character in Hunter X Hunter​​​​​. He dispatches the strongest Nen user, Isaac Netero, relatively easily. Netero can only defeat Mereum with a bomb inside his heart. Without Netero’s sacrifice, Meruem likely would’ve destroyed the world.

Netero’s battle with Meruem is unlike anything else in Hunter X Hunter. Both fighters show the peak of their respective series. Yet, Meruem could’ve survived without Netero’s sacrifice. The only other character theoretically on their level is Gon, when he unlocked his full potential out of sheer rage.

Hunter x Hunter

Release Date

2011 – 2014

Directors

Hiroshi Kôjina

5

Jujutsu Kaisen’s Ryomen Sukuna Is Single-Handedly The Most Powerful Cursed Spirit

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Ryomen Sukuna is the strongest Jujutsu Sorceror in history. He becomes a Curse after sealing his power within his ten fingers before his death. Anyone who consumes one of Sukuna’s fingers will probably either die or be consumed by Sukuna. Yuji Itadori is one of the few people who has suppressed the Cursed Spirit after eating multiple fingers.

Sukuna occasionally gains control and causes chaos with Itadori’s body. During the Shibuya incident, Sukuna levels the city of Shibuya while fighting Mahoraga. This is only a fraction of Sukuna’s true power, as he hasn’t been reborn fully. Given that Sukuna had four arms, he had twenty fingers, each holding a fraction of his terrible power.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Release Date

October 3, 2020

Directors

Sunghoo Park, Shōta Goshozono

4

Isshiki Otsusuki Is The Pinnacle of the Already Skilled Otsusuki Family in Boruto

Streaming on Crunchyroll

The Otsusuki Clan is easily the most overpowered family in Naruto, and Isshiki is its most powerful member. Isshiki easily contends with both Naruto and Sasuke, by himself. This is one of the most impressive feats in the Naruto franchise, given that both ninjas are at the Hokage level. Isshiki likely would’ve destroyed the world had he been the ultimate Naruto: Shippuden antagonist instead of Kaguya.

Isshiki’s ocular prowess gains him abilities unlike anything seen before in the franchise. Naruto briefly contends with him in Baryon Mode, but his transformation is only temporary. Isshiki is eventually defeated by Boruto and Kawaki, yet his defeat feels unearned. Ultimately, any character capable of taking on Naruto and Sasuke at the same time is overpowered.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Release Date

2017 – 2023

Directors

Noriyuki Abe, Hiroyuki Yamashita

3

Saitama’s Incredible Strength Is Truly Endless in One Punch Man

Streaming on Hulu

Saitama from One Punch Man performed a simple training regiment until he broke through the very boundaries of his strength. He is capable of absurd feats of strength and speed that are ultimately limitless. Through only a simple calisthenic workout plan, Saitama became one of the most powerful heroes in the world. He regularly defends the world from threats so quickly that they don’t even know they exist.

Sadly, The Caped Baldy has become disinterested in his role as a hero because of its lack of challenge. However, he continues to save humanity out of the kindness of his heart. Saitama continues to hope that someday he will get a worthy opponent. He barely even takes Garo, one of the strongest antagonists in the anime, seriously.

2

Giorno Giovanna’s Stand Can Cancel Out Any Attack in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Giorno Giovanna is one of the latest JoJo’s, but he doesn’t technically come from the Joestar Bloodline. However, Giorno is Dio’s son and was born after Dio stole Jonathan’s body, making Giorno a technical Joestar. His stand, Gold Experience, is capable of many absurd feats. It can give an inanimate object life and later gain the ability to nullify any action.

Related

Giorno Giovanna & 9 Other Anime Characters With Life-Giving Powers

Giorno Giovanna can turn inanimate objects into living things, and many anime characters have similar life-granting abilities.

Golden Experience Requiem is by far one of the strongest stands in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. It might not possess the ability to stop time, but it can reverse time by nullifying any attack. Giorno isn’t the strongest JoJo physically. Overall, Giorno Giovanna has by far the best Stand Abilities in the entire series.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Release Date

October 6, 2012

Showrunner

Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu

1

Allucard Becomes Omnipotent By the End of His Anime in Hellsing Ultimate

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Alucard begins the action anime with all of Dracula’s famous powers. Although he is constantly limited by the locks the Hellsing Organization puts in place to keep Alucard in control. During the final battle, the audience gets a taste of Alucard’s true power. After he transforms into Dracula, he summons an undead army of over 120,000 powerful souls. The antagonists attempt to defeat Alucard by having him consume Schrödinger, but it only strengthens him.

Related

10 Short Anime Series Where Every Fight Matters

Although many of anime’s most popular series are exceedingly long, in many great shorter series every battle means life or death.

Schrödinger’s abilities allow him to be everywhere and nowhere, which Alucard eventually inherits. It took Alucard literal years to manifest his body again. However, once he does, he is essentially omnipotent. Alucard begins the anime completely overpowered and only grows stronger as the series progresses.