Summary
- Makima from Chainsaw Man is a deceptive manipulator with strong psychic powers who uses fear to gain control.
- Escanor from Seven Deadly Sins transforms into a powerful juggernaut at noon, capable of burning enemies with ease.
- Gran Torino from My Hero Academia may be small, but he is a wise pro hero with a powerful Quirk, hitting harder and faster.
Anime characters are a strange lot. They come in all shapes and sizes and often are more cunning and powerful than their appearance would suggest. Some boast enormous physical strength, others have overwhelming magical powers that they use to effortlessly obliterate opponents. They’re the true MVPs of their respective anime despite not necessarily having the lead role. Their memorable moments are often the anime’s highlights that fans still fondly look back on; call it aura-farming and whatnot.
While plenty of characters wear their power on their sleeve, the ones who don’t are something else entirely. There's just something charming about characters who catch viewers by surprise with what they offer to the plotline. They don't look like much, but they end up wreaking havoc if they're pushed to it. They could either be playing dumb and harmless deliberately to catch their opponents off guard, or may be unaware of their true potential. Regardless, they always manage to flip the script where and when it matters the most. These characters aren't the usual Gokus or Saitamas of the anime world, but lesser-known characters who quietly pack an absurd amount of power.
Luke Stokkart - The Legend Of The Legendary Heroes
A Criminally Underrated Side Character Who Is Low-Key A Scene-Stealer
The Legend of the Legendary Heroes
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- June 6, 2010
- Network
- TV Tokyo
- Writers
- Ayuna Fujisaki
- Seasons
- 1
There are a couple of anime tropes that have aged like fine wine. One of the best is the idea that one should never underestimate anime side characters who are completely sweet and usually take on the role of caretaker within a group. Luke Stokkart, from the vastly underappreciated anime Legend Of The Legendary Heroes, falls in that category. He’s primarily a background character throughout the anime, but Episode 17 bumps up his style in a major way.
The scene in question consists of Luke Stokkart calmly walking through the empty streets at night and ending up in a hardcore showdown with one of the main antagonists. First, he stops an ambush with lightning-fast reflexes. After that, he calls out the puppet master, and just when the enemy mastermind is about to attack him, Luke binds him, ending the fight before it begins.
Violet Evergarden - Violet Evergarden
A Personification Of A Flower With Thorns, Fully Capable Of Inhuman Feats
Violet Evergarden
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2018 - 2018
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Kyoto Animation
- Creator
- Kana Akatsuki
- Number of Episodes
- 13
Violet, from the anime Violet Evergarden, personifies beauty and grace, but she’s just as deadly as she is sweet (she can literally tear limbs off if she wants). Considering her upbringing as a child soldier with freakish tolerance for pain, Violet can shake off painful injuries like nothing. Those who've seen the show know the tragic history behind her losing both her arms in war. As a result, she now moves around with mechanical limbs, yet she carries them like they weigh nothing to her.
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One of her best moments in Violet Evergarden is when she literally jumps off a flying plane without a parachute and lands without injuring herself. She even single-handedly takes down enemy soldiers and makes it look easy. Her tenacity on the battlefield is unmatched, which is ironic since the entire story of the anime revolves around self-discovery and healing from war itself.
Sho Kusakabe - Fire Force
A Scrawny Little Boy Who Can Blitz Anyone Like Child's Play
Fire Force
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- July 5, 2019
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 3
- Studio
- David Production
- Creator(s)
- Atsushi Ohkubo
- Number of Episodes
- 60
Fire Force is an anime full of quirky characters with high fighting acumen and competency who are much stronger than they seem. The most notable among the cast is Sho Kusakabe, the brother of the protagonist Shinra Kusakabe (another character who could, quite literally, get his own entry on this list). Sho stands out not because of his childish appearance, but because of his ignition ability: time stop.
His monstrous strength, speed, and finesse allow him to deal pinpoint strikes with high impact. The first time the heroes encountered him, they were so overwhelmed that they had no choice but to retreat. It was only through Joker’s interjection and his ability to keep up with Sho's skill that they could safely escape.
Ram And Rem - Re:Zero -Starting Life In Another World-
Double The Trouble, The Twin Maid Sisters Are Much Stronger Than They Look
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2016 - 2025-00-00
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- White Fox
- Creator
- Tappei Nagatsuki
- Number of Episodes
- 65
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Re:Zero -Starting Life In Another World- has two awesome side-characters in Ram and her sister, Rem. Both of them are maids in the service of a powerful mage and have distinct traits that set them apart. They’re also both very small in stature. However, as the protagonist, Subaru, found out the hard way, these two girls are not to be trifled with.
The Strongest Duos In Anime
Anime is filled with examples of characters teaming up with each other. However, these duos are some of the best, not to mention the strongest.
The sisters are Oni — essentially demons. They both possess a talent for magic and boast scary strong physical strength, too. Both have their own Oni forms, which significantly boost their power even further. Ram is the more confident of the two sisters and a more potent magic user. On the other hand, Rem is a healer and weapon user who wields a giant, chained metal ball called a morning star to bludgeon her enemies.
Aura And Mare - Overlord
Another Sibling Pairing Who Look Harmless, But Can Pulverize Anyone
Overlord
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2015 - 2022
- Seasons
- 4
- Studio
- Madhouse
- Creator
- Kugane Maruyama
- Number of Episodes
- 52
Another two-fer, Aura and Mare, are twin siblings from the anime Overlord who are absurdly strong characters. Both are floor guardians for the Great Tomb of Nazarick and serve the protagonist Ainz Ooal Gown. They’re both dark elves and have childish appearances, and their behavior often matches their age. However, both are extremely capable, and because they look like kids, enemies are frequently surprised by their power.
Aura is capable of taming ferocious beasts as if they’re domesticated pets—including dragons. As for Mare, he can literally reshape the terrain and cause earthquakes on a whim. This is just the tip of the iceberg for both characters’ extremely devastating abilities, as they work as a team to double the mayhem.
Escanor - The Seven Deadly Sins
A Spectacular Anime Character Who Is Way Stronger Than He Seems
The Seven Deadly Sins
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2014 - 2021-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 4
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Creator
- Nakaba Suzuki
- Number of Episodes
- 100
Escanor is The Seven Deadly Sins’ true ace-in-the-hole. It’s a serious case of Jekyll and Hyde with this anime characte a total wimp at night, but a towering juggernaut during the day, especially at noon. When the sun reaches its apex, Escanor essentially becomes the most powerful being in existence, but only for a minute. Fortunately, that’s plenty of time for him to showcase his awe-inspiring power.
The 18 Strongest Characters In Seven Deadly Sins
These characters stand above the rest as the most powerful in the Seven Deadly Sins anime.
Escanor’s lanky frame rips and bulges into a broad, muscular shape that can easily strike fear in his enemies by his mere presence. His magical ability increases exponentially as well, to the point that he can burn his enemies to a crisp. Even his sword is so powerful that others can’t lift it properly.
Gran Torino - My Hero Academia
The Aged Superhero May Be The Size Of A Gumball, But He Hits Like A Cannon
My Hero Academia
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2016 - 2025-00-00
- Seasons
- 8
- Studio
- Bones
- Creator
- Kōhei Horikoshi
- Number of Episodes
- 159
The term ‘old is gold’ fits Gran Torino from My Hero Academia to a tee . He looks like someone a low-level villain could rough up and walk away from without a second thought, but despite his elderly visage, Gran Torino has proven time and time again that he is a wise and cunning pro hero. He has years of experience under his belt and a mastery of his Quirk, Jet. This naturally allows him to hit harder and faster than most heroes half his age.
Gran Torino’s greatest asset is his ability to change direction and movement mid-fight and almost instantaneously. This keeps his enemies on their toes, as he can come at them from any direction. His reputation among his peers and the villains alike makes him one of the greatest characters in anime.
Makima - Chainsaw Man
A Deceptive Manipulator Who Isn’t Afraid To Get Her Hands Dirty
Chainsaw Man
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2022 - 2022
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Creator
- Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Number of Episodes
- 12
Makima's character from the Chainsaw Man anime uses a potent combination of physical and psychic powers to assert her authority. She’s highly manipulative and essentially acts the part of a cordial benefactor while furthering her agenda of absolute control (fancy words to imply that she's not all she seems). The truly disturbing aspect of her mental ability is that it’s tied to how much others fear her. The more fear she generates, the stronger her power gets.
Makima, in her human guise, doesn’t appear the least bit intimidating, save for her confident demeanor and the way she carries herself. She can target anyone at a distance and even implant false memories to gaslight others into serving her. However, when push comes to shove, Makima can get into a scrap and overpower her enemies even in physical fights and battles.
Best Anime With Overpowered Main Characters, Ranked
Super powerful protagonists capable of anything might feel redundant in an anime plot, but these series are fun to watch despite an OP MC.