When mangakas and authors create their battle shonen anime world it might be tempting to craft fights until their heart's content, however, some of the best anime with powers and abilities have robust systems that the audience can follow. Such systems elevate simple slog fests to battles about wits and how abilities match up against each other, how powers can evolve in the parameters of a system and how characters can take advantage of their powers and break the restrictions of the system too.
Power systems come in various shapes, sizes, depths, and complexities with some of the more famous series including, One Piece's Haki and Devil Fruits, Naruto's Chakra, Bleach's Spiritual Pressure, and Hunter x Hunter's Nen. These power systems are internal to their series allowing the audience to understand how powerful the heroes are, and how dangerous the villains can be. However, some anime power systems are just as ingenious, but unfortunately relegated as the series they are showcased in aren't as popular. That doesn't mean they are bad to watch, they just didn't catch on the same way that others did. So which power systems should be appreciated more in less famous anime?
10 Sigil - Darwin's Game
The battle royal genre has existed for many years with an explosion beginning in the early 2000s. One such show is Darwin's Game. This anime follows familiar conventions of a death game whereby characters are placed in a scenario where they are forced to kill each other and survive until they are the last ones standing.
Darwin's Game introduces a new element to the genre by allocating powers to each player. For example, the protagonist can materialize weapons and the lead female has extreme spatial and temporal awareness (knowing where everything is in space and time). The battles often rely on how each power can turn the tide of battle and beat their opponent.
9 Special Abilities - Code:Breaker
A shonen anime set in modern times that follows the story of powerful individuals who are given Code:Numbers, starting at No. 6 (the weakest) and going up to No.1 (the strongest). They are employed by a top-secret organization called Eden and are tasked with taking down corrupt political figures.
Each power is different and not necessarily equal in strength as some people can control elements such as electricity and flames, while others have more abstract powers like death and life. Above the numbers, there are those given specific names such as Code:Emperor and Code:Seeker who are unable to have a number assigned to them as they are too powerful.
8 Count - Plunderer
In the world of Plunderer, each person has a number on their body which is known as the Count. The Count can correlate to any number of things for example: distance walked, a number of compliments received, or how many times they called food delicious. The higher the number the better, as those who have low numbers are in danger of hitting zero and being sent to the Abyss.
How battles work in Plunderer is that those who have a higher Count can order someone with a lower number unless that person denies the command and performs a Startheft Bout; where the winner receives a portion of the loser's Count. Furthermore, there is also the option of fighting with Ballots which are items that grant a person special abilities in battle. However, these ballots are supposed to only be issued to high-ranking soldiers. Otherwise, those that have them (outside the military) are condemned as criminals.
7 Abilities - Bungou Stray Dogs
An interesting take on powers where the system of Bungou Stray Dogs has origins in works and people of literature. The scaling of these powers differs greatly as some are explicitly potent while others are lackluster. However, there are times when abilities have situational strength while others are strong in any given circumstance. The protagonist, Atsushi Nakajima, has the ability called Beast Beneath the Moonlight, transforming him into a physically formidable white tiger. On the other hand, Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human can nullify any ability.
There are layers to powers too with some abilities being too powerful for the wielder. While abilities may not shine in certain matchups and completely dominate other conflicts.
6 Triggers & Trion - World Trigger
A science-fiction series where characters battle with intergalactic enemies that cross over from different worlds in the fight for resources. Border the first (and last) line of defense against the extraterrestrial enemies have devised and rolled out weapons called triggers each with their own specific abilities and associated roles; all based around the biological power source known as Trion.
There are the basic triggers (weapons) that Border created such as Meteor and Scorpion etc. They have also augmented human weapons such as assault rifles and handguns with bullets that use Trion like Lead, weighing down an opponent on impact. However, beyond the weapon and the individual's Trion level, there are also Black Triggers. These triggers are unique and provide special abilities far above the capabilities of other weapons. One of the protagonists, Yuma, has a black trigger that provides a combat suit that is an all-around weapon and able to adapt to any given combat encounter.
5 ESP & Magic - Raildex Series
Covering both the A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun series, this power system is highly creative and slightly complicated encompassing both espers and magicians. Powers are usually categorized via the Power Curriculum Program and those that use superpowers are called espers. Espers develop their abilities and are given an according rank from Level 0 to Level 6. The highest level esper currently recorded is at Level 5 (those that can take on a military force by themselves) and only 7 of them exist in the world.
Magic on the other hand is the more complex power system. Magicians use mana to cast spells and manifest magical abilities, they can use grimoires or directly draw from ley-lines that are scattered throughout the world. There are basic practitioners of magic in the world all the way up to gods that other magicians serve.
4 Dying Will Flames - Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
A hitman baby, mythical pacifiers, a high school don, mafia rings and the Dying will Flames. These are the main parts that make up the power system of Katekyo HItman Reborn! A 2000s shonen battle anime that had a lot of potential and deep, rich combat. Similar to Nen in Hunter x Hunter, what makes this power system, so special is the fact that not one power far exceeds the other. There are seven main Dying Will Flames in the anime (more in the manga, but no spoilers here) each with their own special properties, as follows:
- Sky - Harmony
- Storm - Disintegration
- Rain - Tranquility
- Mist - Construction
- Cloud - Propagation
- Sun - Activation
- Lightning - Hardening
Each flame can be channeled through a mafia ring and used to unlock special boxes containing further abilities, however, each ability is not guaranteed to win over the other. Plus, these flames cannot be manifested by anyone, but only by those willing to put their lives on the line to enact their own will, hence the name, Dying Will Flames.
3 Innocence - D. Gray Man
A journey into the gothic niches of narratives where the story follows exorcists, demons, death, and necromancy. D. Gray Man knows what type of anime it is and sticks to it well, bringing the theater of the macabre to Japanese storytelling. Even the power system is aptly named Innocence. A quantitative power that is deadly to Akuma (demons) that can be used to craft weapons and is the driving force behind the power of The Black Order, the exorcising agency.
Innocence can be fashioned into all different types of weapons and the effectiveness of it is dependent on the exorcist themselves. Those that achieve a Critical Point with their weapons, resonating with the Innocence can evolve onto the next stage and develop a more potent weapon in the fight against the demonic evils that plague the world.
2 Gourmet & Appetite Energy - Toriko
Food, glorious food. Toriko takes the idea of sustenance and eating to a whole new level with their Appetite/Gourmet Energy scale. This energy acts as a fundamental part of the world and is the origin from which all powers derive.
The higher the energy the stronger the character. The protagonist Toriko is a member of the Four Heavenly Kings who went on a mission to find God's Menu: the ultimate eating and flavor experience. The rarer and more delicious the food, the more gourmet energy it contains and the stronger the protagonist becomes.
1 Powers & Sacred Weapons - Law of Ueki
The greatest heroes of the world are always high school students and that includes the titular protagonist from The Law Of Ueki, also named Ueki. In this anime, each person is granted power from a Celestial King Candidate; the abilities run the gamut of unconventional such as being able to turn trash into trees.
The powers originally start at a base level and when a character masters their ability it upgrades to level two and becomes far more useful and proficient. The interesting addendum to The Law Of Ueki power system is called Limiting Conditions, which are criteria a character must meet to engage their power. These conditions can be simplistic or complex including: keeping one’s eyes open for the duration that the power is in use. This makes battles more intriguing as there are both advantages and drawbacks to having powers in this anime universe.