Summary
- Underrated anime powers outshine overpowered ones due to originality and sophistication.
- Powers like Sonic Minimum from Hamatora and Turning Trash Into Trees from The Law of Ueki go unnoticed.
- Characters like Lavi from D.Gray-man and Haruhiro from Grimgar possess creative and underrated abilities.
Anime characters have some of the most creative and absurd abilities out there. They're wild, ridiculously overpowered, and great to watch in action (Hisoka's Bungee Gum can still not be topped). But the flashy, mainstream powers in some of these series tend to steal the spotlight from the more toned-down and sophisticated abilities.
Some abilities don’t appear all that special on the surface. For example, even casual anime viewers are aware of Sasuke’s Chidori or Goku’s Kamehameha. Yet even some of the most hardcore fans hardly know about Bobobo’s Nose Hair ability, which is far more sophisticated. With that in mind, it’s time to put the spotlight on the anime powers that fly under the radar. The bar is set high with this selection, with originality being a deciding factor in ranking a power.
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Sonic Minimum (Hamatora)
Used By: Satou Nice
Hamatora
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2014 - 2017-00-00
- Network
- TV Tokyo
- Directors
- Masaru Kanamori
- Cast
- Hiroshi Kamiya, Wataru Hatano, Ryota Osaka, Yuki Takao, Jun Fukuyama, Sanae Kobayashi, Katsuki Murase, Yuki Ono
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 2
Hamatora is a fantastic anime where characters have many underrated powers, and these people are called called Minimum Holders. The main character is Nice, a laid-back 17-year-old with exceptional observational skills. His ability, ‘Sonic Minimum,’ lets him perceive sound waves as tangible lines that he can traverse.
The catch is that Nice has to wear his headphones and snap his fingers to use this power. Every time Nice snaps his fingers, he moves at the speed of sound and reappears anywhere within the range of the finger snap’s echo. Air friction doesn’t matter, as he can move around without consequence and chain together attacks to overwhelm his opponents.
Trash Into Trees (The Law Of Ueki)
Used By: Kosuke Ueki
The Law of Ueki
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2005 - 2006-00-00
- Cast
- Romi Park, Kappei Yamaguchi, Tomoko Kawakami, Cole Howard, Soichiro Hoshi, Mamiko Noto, Chiwa Saitô, Satsuki Yukino, Lori Bachynski, Chris Ippolito, Shiho Kawaragi, Minori Chihara, Randy Brososky, Shin'ichirô Miki
- Main Genre
- Animation
When it comes to underrated powers in anime, most of the ability users in The Law of Ueki have pretty crafty skills. However, Kosuke Ueki has perhaps the most selfless power of all: ‘Turning Trash Into Trees.’ He gains massive upgrades and a whole range of other abilities later on, but they’re significant extensions of this original power.
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Ueki’s opponents often underestimate him, but he uses ‘Turning Trash Into Trees’ in interesting ways to surprise them. Despite not having the upper hand, he always finds a way to win because of the shock factor. A few examples of his craftiness include summoning tree trunks as a shield barrier or encasing his opponent in a rigid mass of tree roots. He can even use a tree as a giant baseball bat.
Big Hammer, Little Hammer (D.Gray-man)
Used By: Lavi
D.Gray-man
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2006 - 2008
- Directors
- Osamu Nabeshima
- Writers
- Reiko Yoshida
- Cast
- Todd Haberkorn, Luci Christian, Jason Liebrecht, J. Michael Tatum, Eric Vale, Monica Rial
- Main Genre
- Action
- Seasons
- 2
Lavi from D.Gray-man uses ‘Big Hammer, Little Hammer’ as his weapon of choice. If the name seems silly, it’s probably because of his goofy habit of giving nicknames to everyone and anything. The iron hammer he uses is infused with Innocence — essentially, a shard of power serving as a power source for his weapon against akuma, or demons.
Lavi’s ‘Big Hammer, Little Hammer’ can drastically expand in size and length. Since he’s the weapon’s accommodator, it weighs nothing for him, so he can swing it around and casually strike demons with brute force. Its hilt can also grow indefinitely, which Lavi can hold onto for transportation. Lavi can also conjure a series of complex seals/stamps with his hammer, which he can hit to use elemental attacks like a giant fire snake or a lightning storm.
Gleaming Line (Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions
Used By: Haruhiro
Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions
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- 2016 - 2016
- Directors
- Ryosuke Nakamura
- Writers
- Ao Jumonji
- Cast
- Haruhiro, Manato, Yume, Shihoru, Ranta, Moguzo, Mary
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
- Seasons
- 1
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash’s Haruhiro has a thief as his character class. It’s not overpowered, but it does have a rare ability that makes up for the difference, called ‘Gleaming Line.’ When it activates, a mysterious glowing strand appears before Haruhiro during critical moments in combat. He can trace it with his daggers as time slows down around him, allowing him to perceive the enemy’s movement in the immediate future.
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If Haruhiro successfully follows the ethereal strand, his daggers strike the enemy's vital spots to kill them where they stand. The entire ‘Gleaming Line’ effect appears as a rapid and precise series of blurs in real time. What’s remarkable is that this ability is not even exclusive to him, nor can he control it at will. It’s luck-based, like the ones in a game of D&D.
Bullet Control (Fire Force)
Used By: Takehisa Hinawa
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
- Cast
- Gakuto Kajiwara, Yusuke Kobayashi, Saeko Kamijo, Mao Ichimichi, Kazuya Nakai, Kenichi Suzumura, Aoi Yuki, Daisuke Sakaguchi, Taku Yashiro, Kazuyuki Okitsu
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 3
Fire Force easily ranks as one of the best modern shonen when it comes to wild, underrated powers, like Shinra’s Fire Feet or Arthur’s Plasma Blade. But their vice-captain, Takehisa Hinawa, is the MVP of the entire anime. His ‘Bullet Control’ has a lot of utility and application that lets him control the velocity, trajectory, and impact of the bullets he fires from his firearms.
If the situation calls for it, Hinawa can also energize a single bullet shot to have the force of a cannon behind it. He can even enhance the speed of the bullet to a point where it ricochets off objects without losing its momentum or lethality, striking the enemy multiple times.
Gasp Of The Soul (Bungo Stray Dogs)
Used By: Teruko Okura
Bungo Stray Dogs
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2016 - 2023-00-00
- Cast
- Max Mittelman, Kaiji Tang, Patrick Seitz, Vic Mognogna, Spike Spencer, Lucien Dodge, Erica Lindbeck, Jamieson Price, Cherami Leigh
- Main Genre
- Action
- Seasons
- 1
Teruko Okura from Bungo Stray Dogs isn’t the first name that comes to mind when talking about underrated anime powers, but her ability, “Gasp of the Soul,” is both unique and terrifyingly effective. She can de-age or fast-forward a person’s physical growth just by touching them.
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The rapid progression and regression causes her targets to go through continuous growing pains and extreme arthritis. The cumulative mental toll breaks their will, making it the perfect ability for interrogation and torture. She can even use ‘Gasp Of The Soul’ on herself to take on the appearance of a child or an elderly lady, which is handy for infiltration and clandestine missions.
Compress (My Hero Academia)
Used By: Mr. Compress
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
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 8
My Hero Academia's Mr. Compress has a quirk that doesn’t get enough credit. His quirk, ‘Compress’, can shrink down objects or people with a touch. The little marbles he creates in his hand securely trap and reduce the target’s weight to the size of the sphere, and he can carry them around without an issue.
He can use this power to set traps by restoring shrunken targets to full size mid-fight, which catches enemies off guard. The effect is instant and doesn't need any buildup. He can also shrink himself to slip away from pursuers or dodge incoming attacks. A more brutal use of this quirk involves shrinking specific body parts in order to seriously injure and maim someone.
Esmeralda Blood Freeze Style (Blood Blockade Battlefront)
Used By: Steven A. Starphase
Blood Blockade Battlefront
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2015 - 2017
- Network
- MBS, Tokyo MX, BS11
- Directors
- Ikuro Sato, Daisuke Tsukushi, Masashi Abe, Son Seung-hui, Hideaki Uehara
- Cast
- Kazuya Nakai, Rikiya Koyama, Daisuke Sakaguchi, Rie Kugimiya, Akio Otsuka, Yusuke Kobayashi, Akira Ishida, Ai Orikasa, Yuma Uchida, Mitsuru Miyamoto
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 2
Blood Blockade Battlefront has its fair share of stone-cold superstars with powers that fly under the radar way too often. One of them is Steven A. Starphase, a charming and mellow gentleman who becomes tactical and ruthless when dealing with hostiles. This personality complements his powers, known as ‘Esmeralda Blood Freeze Style.’
It forsakes the flashy, overt nature of mainstream anime powers, opting for a subtle and agonizing end for enemies unfortunate enough to be caught by it. By shedding a single drop of his own blood, Steven can manipulate it to pierce his opponent’s skin. After that, they experience their blood literally turning to ice as he freezes them to death.
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