Watching a weak main character change and become the strongest or most overpowered (OP) character is an exhilarating feeling for fans in the anime community. In this article, we list down 10 anime where the main character starts out weak and then becomes OP as the story progresses.
Related: The Best Isekai Anime with an OP Main Character
Asta From Black Clover
Starting off the list is Asta from Black Clover.
In a world of magic and wizards, Asta was born with no magic at all.
He doesn’t have the ability to use magic, but that doesn’t stop him from training physically in the hopes of awakening his powers.
Also, Asta desires to become the Wizard King, the strongest mage in the Clover Kingdom.
Since he has no magic, he doesn’t receive a grimoire but through his determination, he manages to obtain a five-leaf clover grimoire.
Asta's journey in Black Clover is the perfect example of the main character going from zero to hero.
Hajime Nagumo From Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest
Hajime, the main protagonist of this isekai series, starts as a commoner with weak stats. However, when he is betrayed and thrown into the abyss, he has no option but to find a way to get out.
With his back against the wall and nothing to lose, Hajime sets out to chart his own path that will take him out of the labyrinth.
The challenges he faces in the labyrinth surely turn Hajime into an overpowered character in Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest.
Armed with some of the most advanced weaponry, Hajime ensures he slays the demons and monsters he encounters in the labyrinth with ease.
Read More: The Strongest Anime Characters of All Time
Rimuru Tempest From That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Rimuru reincarnates as a slime, but he is no ordinary slime. At first, he is unaware of his boundless powers and believes he is just a simple slime.
However, as the anime progresses, he begins to unlock monumental powers that make him almost immortal in a world of magic and swords.
His powers are limitless, and after achieving the Ultimate Slime level, he becomes god-like.
Rimuru’s ultimate skills include Soul Consumption, Imaginary Collapse, Space-Time Domination, Multi-Dimensional Barrier, True Dragon Nucleation, True Dragon Release, and more.
He draws Ultimate Skills from various lords namely, Shub-Niggurath (Lord of Harvest), Azathoth (God of Void), Beelzebuth (Lord of Gluttony), Raphael (Lord of Wisdom), Veldora (Lord of Storms), Uriel (Lord of Vows), and Velgrynd (Lord of Scorch).
Related: The Best Isekai Anime in 2022
Tsunayoshi Sawada From Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Tsunayoshi, is a talentless and clumsy middle-schooler who is madly in love with a school idol named Kyouko Sasagawa.
Kyouko is way out of Tsunayoshi's league and to add to his misery, his classmates call him Loser Tsuna.
However, his life completely changes when he comes face-to-face with Reborn, a hitman who looks like a baby.
The mafia family in Italy has sent Reborn on a mission to train Tsuna.
Reborn tells Tsuna that he has been chosen to become the ninth chief of the Vongola family.
The talentless Tsuna has a lot to learn and unlearn before he dons the hat of a mob boss.
With the help of Reborn and his associates, Tsuna is ready to shed the Loser tag and work toward becoming a fearless and great mafia boss.
Naruto From Naruto
This list would be incomplete if we don’t have one of the most iconic underdog stories in the anime verse – Naruto.
What makes Naruto's story satisfying is that it is excruciatingly painful (in a good way) to see Naruto become a force to be reckoned with.
The anime revolves around the life of a boy who is feared by the villagers of Konoha because an evil demon is sealed inside him.
Young Naruto desires to become the strongest ninja in Konoha but the journey is long and hard as he trains with his friends.
During his journey to becoming the Hokage, he learns about pain, betrayal, and friendship.
Read More: What Is Shounen Anime Explained
Shinichi Izumi From Parasyte
Parasyte follows the life of Shinichi whose right hand gets infected by a mysterious parasite named Migi. This is no ordinary parasite because it is a human-devouring, shape-shifting alien.
Now, Shinichi is stuck between humans and an alien monster that kills and eats them.
He must figure out a way to co-exist in a highly conflicting situation.
Shinichi is forced to survive with Migi as it attempts to take complete control of Shinichi’s body.
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Seigi From Taboo Tattoo
Seigi is a trained martial artist who is still in middle school. He always stands up for the weaker people around him.
An ordinary kid, Seigi protects a homeless man from certain street punks.
The homeless man ends up giving Seigi a mysterious tattoo on his palm in exchange for saving his life.
It turns out that the tattoo acts like a weapon, but a girl attacks Seigi in order to retrieve the tattoo from him.
Seigi needs to go beyond his ability to fight as a martial artist and timely activate the mysterious tattoo in a battle situation.
Shinpei Ajiro From Summer Time Rendering
An anime that is similar to Re:Zero, Summer Time Rendering is centered around Hitogashima Island, which is plagued by Shadows.
The anime’s protagonist, Shinpei, returns to the island when he learns about the untimely death of Ushio, the girl he grew up with, because of drowning.
Slowly, things start to unravel as Shinpei finds out that he can travel back in time.
Meanwhile, the dark secrets of the island and the Shadows are slowly coming to the surface.
Shinpei teams up with a few allies as he vows to fulfill Ushio’s last wish which is to protect her sister, Mio.
Read More: The Best Suspense Anime You Should Watch in 2022
Yoh Satou From Ben-To
Fighting for food gets a whole new meaning in this comedy and action anime titled Ben-To.
The face of a supermarket changes as soon as the unsold bento boxes are put out on sale every night.
An all-out war starts as friends become competitors to grab the bento boxes, and the customers of the supermarket become wolves and dogs.
A high school student named Yoh gets stuck in the battle zone.
A wolf member named Sen Yarizui sees Yoh and his poor fighting skills.
Sen and a girl named Hana call Yoh to join the Half-Priced Food Lovers Club where Yoh learns the art of fighting for food.
Bam From Tower of God
It is believed that if someone is able to climb to the top of the Tower of God, whatever wish he/she has will be granted.
Rachel is tired of the darkness, and despite Bam’s warning, she starts climbing the tower. Bam, a timid young boy, decides to follow his friend.
With sheer determination, Bam transforms into an overpowered character who not only progresses as a great player but also commands respect from his peers.
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