Here are the best animes with OP main characters

Ah, shounen anime. For years, it cannot escape a whole host of clichés. One famous trope that is both adored and annoying is the overpowered main character. Why does this trope exist and why does it pop up in every shounen anime? Here are fifteen anime with overpowered main characters.

15. Black Clover

In a world where magic is everything, Asta is an orphan boy without any powers. That doesn’t stop his goal of becoming the wizard king. Asta has no magic, but he makes up with it for having muscles and a loud voice. Oh and he has a sword that nullifies all magic. Even his five-leaf grimoire is even more special than the four-leaf grimoire.

People found Asta annoying due to his constant screaming

14. One Punch Man

Monsters and villains have been wreaking havoc on the world. Heroes have to step in and save the day. Saitama wants a challenge because he is bored with winning fights so easily. The title of this anime is self-explanatory to why Saitama is overpowered. He has so much power that enemies will surrender to him instantly after one punch.

Saitama is bald because the creator thinks coolness comes from spirit and not good looks. He got tired of seeing cool characters looking so pretty

13. Code Geass

The Holy Britannian Empire took over the world. Japan got stripped over everything, even its name. Lelouch Lamperouge sets out to overthrow the empire and restore Area 11 (AKA: Japan) to its former glory. He has the power to completely control a person one time called geass. Lelouch can be compared to Light Yagami from Death Note with the mental skills and thirst for power. 

All references to Pizza Hut were cut out of the American release

12. Mob Psycho 100

Shigeo Kageyama is an average middle school student who is blander than white bread. But, he has psychic powers that could destroy the world. His boss, Reigen, uses his to run his psychic business. Kageyama can’t eat a meal without bending up his spoons. His powers get stronger when his anger is at 100%.

Bones loved ONE’s designs so much that they wanted to keep is so close to the manga’s art

11. Attack on Titan

Humanity walled itself up to keep giant monsters called titans from eating them. The scout regiment are here to fend them off and unravel the mystery behind them. Eren is a titan himself. It seems like he can control all of the titans. It is revealed that his father had a hand in all of it.

Attack on Titan even has its own perfume in Japan

10. Black Butler

Sebastian Michaels is a demon butler from hell who is in the service of a thirteen-year-old heir named Ciel Phantomhive. In exchange, Ciel has to let him eat his soul when he dies. Sebastian is too perfect in every way. He’s attractive and can do all of the chores with ease. Plus, he is a powerful demon from hell to boot.

Yana Toboso wanted to make this manga yaoi (Boys’ Love), but she was told that it wouldn’t sell.

9. My Hero Academia

Majority of the population in the world have superpowers, or quirks. Izuku Midoriya dreams of being a superhero just like his idol, All Might. He goes to UA Academy after inheriting his quirk, All for One, from All Might. Izuku becomes ripped after months of training. His quirk is so strong that it causes damage to his body earlier in the series.

Tsuyu Asui, Tooru Hagakure, and Mei Hatsume were originally going to be boys were changed into girls because the manga lacked female characters

8. Trigun

This classic anime mixed sci-fi and the wild west. Two insurance women try to track down the infamous Vash the Stampede. He has a huge bounty on his head due to so much damage that he causes around him. Vash’s body is basically a huge gun. Because of his powers, he does not want to kill anybody.

The little black cat in the anime is female and was a creation for one of Yasuhiro Nightow's first manga

7. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

The manga series follows the adventures of the Jostar family. Whether it’s trying to stop nemesis, Dio, or solving the mystery of stands in a town, the family is there to act. Each main Jostar relies on hamon and stands to fight. Plus, Dio is just as strong with his immortal vampire powers.

Most of the stands are named after famous musicians. But their names had to be changed in the US release due to copyright.

6. One Outs

Hiromichi Kojima, star batter of the Saitama Lycaons, recruits a gambling pitcher named Toa Tokuchi after winning a bet against him. Tokuchi might be the key to helping the Lycaons win. He doesn’t have super powers. But his pitching can make other teams tremble in fear. He uses his gambling skills to win.

This anime has never been licensed in America

5. Death Note

Light Yagami wants to rid the world of criminals. A comes across a notebook that lets him kill anyone he writes the name down. The police try to track him down and arrest him. Light can kill anyone he wants to with the Death Note. Couple that with his mental skills, Light is a nightmare to behold.

There is not much known about the creator themselves—not the age or the gender

4. Sword Art Online

People get trapped in a video game and have to get out. Kirito and others have to fight their way to survive. He gets to keep all of his skills from Sword Art and carry them over to whatever game he plays. Kirito has a powerful sword too. His gaming skills also help him to survive.

This all came from a self-published light novel series

3. Bleach

Fifteen-year-old Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts. He ends up becoming a shinigami after his family is attacked by a malevolent restless spirit called a hollow. Ichigo suffers from a condition called “overpowered when the plot calls for it”. He has shinigami and hollow powers. Plus, he’s a mix of shinigami and quincy.

The title comes from the constant against the shinigami wearing black. In other words, it’s supposed to be black and white like Yin and Yang

2. Naruto

Naruto, a young outcast, wants to become the hokage of Hidden Leaf Village. He and his team go on missions as part of training to become highly-skilled ninjas. Naruto’s body houses Kyuubi, a nine-tailed fox demon that can destroy entire villages. Because of this, said demon has to be sealed away to keep everyone safe. Towards the end, Naruto and Sasuke can rival each other.

The creator was being lazy when he was creating the iconic headbands for the ninjas

1. Dragonball series

Goku and his friends have to protect the earth from aliens looking to take over the planet. In between battles, they have to look for the dragon balls and compete in tournaments. First of all, Goku is from an alien race called the sayians. Plus, he too suffers from “overpowered when the plot calls for it”. As proof, he levels up to ridiculous levels every arc battle that he engages in—all with changes in hair color.

Inspiration for the whole series comes from the novel Journey to the West

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