Anime’s 10 Most Underrated Powerful Characters, Ranked

In anime, it’s everyone for themselves or a dog-eat-dog world. In some cases, a group of misfit characters will side with each other and help each other achieve their dreams (One Piece). In other anime, some characters work on their own, acting indifferent and apathetic, even if their true feelings are hidden away (Pandora Hearts). However, there are always strong characters, and sometimes those characters don’t include the protagonist (Wind Breaker).

There are plenty of anime with a good number of strong characters, be it clear through their design (Draken, Zoro) or through their constantly evolving skillset (Luffy, Goku). However, while many anime fans can easily detect these strong characters, a few escape the average anime fan’s radar and observation. Even characters in these anime are not fully aware of their team member’s power until they crack and reveal their true selves. From Chopper of One Piece to Mikey of Tokyo Revengers, here are the most powerful characters that often hide their true powers.

10 Chopper

‘One Piece’ (1999)

One Piece follows strawhat Luffy as he traverses the wide and open sea to find the One Piece, a trove of treasure left behind by the infamous Gol D. Roger. VII Chopper is the doctor of the Strawhat crew in One Piece. He is a shape-shifting reindeer and gained these abilities when he ate the Human Human fruit. This allows him to transform, speak in human tongue, and do other things normal reindeer can’t do.

Because he is the doctor of the Strawhats, Chopper rarely fights. He is like Usopp in the sense that he is quite a coward, though he will protect his friends no matter what. Likewise, even though the Human Human fruit is not anything particularly special, it allows Chopper to transform, and by eating the rumble balls. This allows him to transform into something rather monstrous, and as seen in Enies lobby, this form is an extreme powerhouse that not even a Strawhat can compete with.

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Cast

Mayumi Tanaka , Kazuya Nakai , Akemi Okamura , Kappei Yamaguchi , Hiroaki Hirata , Ikue Ôtani , Yuriko Yamaguchi , Kazuki Yao , Chō

Seasons

20

Creator(s)

Eiichiro Oda

Writers

Junki Takegami , Shoji Yonemura , Hirohiko Uesaka

Franchise(s)

One Piece

Directors

Kônosuke Uda , Junji Shimizu , Munehisa Sakai

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9 Master Roshi

‘Dragon Ball’ (1986)

Dragon Ball follows Saiyan Goku as he collects the otherworldly Dragon Balls with Bulma. Along the way, he encounters and faces the universe’s greatest foes. Master Roshi is Goku’s first mentor in Dragon Ball. He is a martial arts master who has taught Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha. Though old and retired, Master Roshi always steps into the line of combat when necessary or called upon.

Though old and often unnecessarily pervy, Master Roshi is quite the powerful opponent. He is often used as a comic relief, but he trained Goku to become an absolute powerhouse. Not to mention, he is the originator of the Kamehameha ability that Goku has mastered, and he is proficient at the Evil Containment Wave, which has been used to seal away demons and strong enemies like King Piccolo in the past.

Dragon Ball

Release Date

February 26, 1986

Cast

Masako Nozawa , Jôji Yanami , Tôru Furuya , Mayumi Tanaka , Hiromi Tsuru , Naoko Watanabe , Kôhei Miyauchi

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Akira Toriyama

Writers

Akira Toriyama

Directors

Minoru Okazaki , Daisuke Nishio

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8 Lubbock

‘Akame ga Kill!’ (2016)

Akame ga Kill! follows Tatsumi as he joins the Night Raid after losing two of his close friends. Lubbock is a skilled member and assassin of the Night Raid. He has been working alongside Najenda, the leader of the Night Raid, since childhood, and he is one of the core members of the Night Raid.

Lubbock is another comic relief kind of character who is often seen as a good head. Because of this, no enemy really takes him seriously. But Lubbock is a trickster; he uses a wire Teigu for offensive and defensive purposes. Not to mention, he is skilled in hand-to-hand combat, which makes him a formidable opponent and, oddly, one of the strongest members of the Night Raid.

Watch on Prime Video

7 Xerxes Break

‘Pandora Hearts’ (2009)

Pandora Hearts follows Oz Vessalius as he is thrown into the abyss for his coming-of-age ceremony. He returns to the real world ten years later, and everything around him has changed during his disappearance. Xerxes Break, often referred to as the Mad Hatter, is a representative of Pandora and a member of the Rainsworth dukedom, where he protects Lady Sharon Rainsworth. He is also a mentor to Oz, forcing him to work with the organization of Pandora due to Oz’s interaction with the abyss. Having also traveled through the abyss like Oz, Break existed thirty years after the fall of Sablier, a major turning point in Pandora Hearts.

He has made contracts with powerful chains like the Mad Hatter which allows him to destroy and reject the power of the abyss, which is the most powerful thing in existence. But despite amassing such great and extraordinary power, Break in both the manga and anime, acts aloof and carefree, cracking jokes even in the most serious of situations. This causes both enemies and allies to undermine his powers and abilities. Maybe his not taking things seriously is a sign that he knows his own powers can best others.

Pandora Hearts

Release Date

April 2, 2009

Cast

Junko Minagawa , Ayako Kawasumi , Daisuke Ono , Hideyuki Umezu , Kaori Fukuhara

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Jun Mochizuki

Writers

Mayori Sekijima

Franchise(s)

Pandora Hearts

Directors

Takao Kato

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Watch on Crunchyroll

6 Elizabeth

‘Black Butler’ (2008)

Black Butler follows Earl Ciel Phantomhive as he seeks revenge on those who have forsaken him and murdered his family. Beside him is his demon butler, who plans to take Ciel’s soul after they achieve revenge, per the rules of the contract. Elizabeth Midford is his betrothed who caters to him. Her love and infatuation for Ciel can sometimes be overbearing to him.

Though a lady through and through, Elizabeth has shown that she is not to be messed with. Sure, there have been plenty of times in which Ciel and his butler Sebastian saved her, but she has also proven that she can hold her own. Having fooled both Ciel and Sebastian alike, so as to not insult their masculinity, Elizabeth is actually pretty handy with a sword, as she has shown in her battles against hordes of zombies. Sweet and deadly at once, that is Elizabeth Midford.

Release Date

October 3, 2008

Cast

J. Michael Tatum , Brina Palencia , Michael C. Pizzuto , Monica Rial , Jason Liebrecht , Ian Sinclair , Gloria Ansell , Jerry Jewell , Daniel Fredrick , R. Bruce Elliott , Cherami Leigh

Seasons

4

Creator(s)

Yana Toboso

Writers

Mari Okada

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu

Franchise(s)

Black Butler

Directors

Toshiya Shinohara , Hirofumi Ogura

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5 Makima

‘Chainsaw Man’ (2022)

Chainsaw Man follows Denji who does odd jobs to pay off his father’s debts. After being betrayed, his pet demon Pochito gives him another chance to live a normal life, and he is hired by Makima to operate as a special agent taking down other devils and fiends.

Makima is the head of the government’s Public Safety task force, though she hardly acts. Rather, she has an entire task force beneath her consisting of Denji, Power, Aki, and many other fiends and humans. Since she hardly lifts a finger when it comes to capturing or killing devils, no one has really been aware of Makima’s true power. However, as seen when shot, presumably to death. However, she surprised everyone when she survived the attacks, and her ability to kill others from afar remains an enigma within the anime, creating an insanely powerful character that viewers have yet to fully understand.

Release Date

October 11, 2022

Cast

Kikunosuke Toya , Suzie Yeung , Ryan Colt Levy , Tomori Kusunoki

Seasons

1

4 Suo

‘Wind Breaker’ (2024)

Wind Breaker follows Haruka Sakura who has transferred to the biggest delinquent school in the city: Furin High School. Sakura has big dreams, some of which include showcasing his skills and strength and climbing his way up to be the strongest kid in school. Suo is one of Sakura’s newfound friends at Furin High School.

Suo is one of the strongest characters so far in the Wind Breaker anime. Though he came across as aloof and sarcastically gentle, when Bofurin faced off against another, equally powerful high school delinquent gang. Though no one knew of Suo’s strength or capabilities, Suo has proven that, despite his calm nature, he is calculative and analytical. Above all else, Suo knows how to pack a punch and is rather proficient in martial arts, surprising everyone as he easily takes on his opponent with ease and grace.

Release Date

April 4, 2024

Cast

Kristian Eros , Austin Tindle , Yuma Uchida , Bryson Baugus , Jordan Dash Cruz , Aaron Campbell , Drew Breedlove , Gen Satô

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Satoru Nii

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3 Zenitsu

‘Demon Slayer’ (2021)

Demon Slayer follows Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko who has been turned into a demon one night by Muzan. Along the way, he meets and befriends various demon slayers, including Zenitsu, who doesn’t seem cut out to be one due to his fears and insecurities. Early on in the show, Zenitsu confesses to only having mastered one breathing technique, from his thunder breathing. This was advised by his mentor, seeing as Zenitsu struggled with mastering all the forms, so he mastered one form.

Though Zenitsu is a true coward in his conscious state, he has proven time and time again that he actually amasses incredible power. He proves to be valuable in combat when losing consciousness, and though he has a weak personality, demons learn quickly that Zenitsu is not to be messed with—surprisingly.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Release Date

April 6, 2019

Cast

Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

Seasons

5

2 Yato

‘Noragami’ (2014)

Noragami follows Hiyori as she navigates life as a half-spirit after getting hit by a bus when saving God of Calamity Yato. As a God, Yato runs a business to grant the wishes of individuals who are in trouble or despair. He does these odd jobs to gain more recognition as a god.

In the show and manga, Yato is seen as a goofball who can’t land a job. As he is always trying to make money, he’s always begging for work, and he often gets scolded by his shinki Yukine. However, when it comes to battle, Yato’s power is undeniable; he is the God of Calamity, so he is capable of causing massive destruction. Furthermore, Yato can stand toe-to-toe with Bishamonten, the Goddess of War. While Bishamonten has dozens of shinki to her aid, Yato relies on one singular shinki, and his battle prowess matches hers.

Watch on Crunchyroll

1 Mikey

‘Tokyo Revengers’ (2021)

Tokyo Revengers follows adult Takemichi as he travels to the past to save the life of his ex-girlfriend. While there, he has to navigate the dangerous delinquent world, where modern-day gang leader Mikey is the leader of the high school gang, the Tokyo Manji Gang, otherwise known Toman. Toman is known to be a particularly strong gang, though its powers do not lie in numbers. As leader of the Tokyo Manji gang, Mikey invites main protagonist Takemichi, despite him being considerably weak.

This poses no problem to Mikey. Mikey is a protégé of martial arts, meaning, he is far more talented than the average fighter. His goofy and laid-back attitude makes it hard for other enemy gangs to successfully gauge his strength or skillset. His skills in hand-to-hand combat far exceed even the toughest of gangs in the Tokyo Revengers world. He’s so incredibly powerful that a metal bat to the head is nothing.

Tokyo Revengers

Release Date

April 11, 2021

Seasons

3

KEEP READING: 15 Most Powerful Characters in Anime, Ranked