For this reason, they tend to be above the curb in one way or another (especially in shounen or isekai shows). However, that’s not always the case. Let’s take a look at some MCs that are honestly just weak as all hell.
15. Okuyasu Nijimura
Anime: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable I’m going to kick things off with Okuyasu, as he easily could’ve been the most powerful character in the entire show. I say that because his Stand is just overpowered. Not only is it extremely versatile (with the ability to warp space itself) but it basically has the ultimate offense and defense. And if it was in anyone else’s hands, they’d probably be a powerhouse. But Okuyasu just cannot seem to utilize The Hand at all. In fact, he feels like dead weight in almost every battle he takes part in – only occasionally using it in order to help someone out. So, while he’s objectively very powerful, he comes off as extremely weak.
14. Kazuma Sato
Anime: KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! Kazuma is basically the exact opposite of Okuyasu. His power level is incredibly low, but his quick wit makes him come off as somewhat powerful. Because when you zoom out, you realize that he doesn’t have anything going for him except his luck stat. Physically he’s nowhere near Darkness and he can only dream of carrying the destructive power of Megumin. Even Aqua (whose whole thing is being useless) is objectively a lot more powerful – as she at least counters undead enemies. Overall, except for breaking every HR code of conduct, Kazuma doesn’t have almost any power to speak of.
13. Koyomi Araragi
Anime: Monogatari Series Araragi is a weird one – as he does possess a certain amount of power (especially if the movie prequels). But comparatively, it’s still pretty low. After all, there are very few cases where he can actually land a punch. In fact, other characters usually just toss him around for a bit and then lose interest. And while it’s impressive that he can tank all that damage, I wouldn’t really call him strong. That is unless he’s wielding a toothbrush – as he’s quite intimidating in that scenario.
12. Senku
Anime: Dr. Stone Senku is just a typical example of “brain vs brawn”. Sure, if he just built a gun, he’d probably be the strongest dude on the planet. But since he mostly sticks to making Coke and noodles, he’s kind of defenseless. And mind you, most of the other characters in this show are absolutely cracked when it comes to combat. They’re durable, quick, strong, and actually know how to land a punch. This means that Senku would’ve been taken out in episode one had Kohaku not taken him under her wing – or had Tsukasa not saved them from the wilderness. No matter how you slice it, he’s a smart fellow but not a particularly powerful one.
11. Mikado Ryugamine
Anime: Durarara!! Mikado just doesn’t feel like he was supposed to be in this show. When you look at the rest of the cast, what do you see? A sexy hulk, a 500 IQ evil genius, a supernatural being, a hivemind controller, etc. Even his best friend (who’s supposed to be just a normal dude) has super-human strength and can tussle with some of the more powerful foes. And then you have Mikado – the dude whose power solely relies on internet clout. I’m not saying that he doesn’t get results. But he’s definitely not in the same league as 99% of the characters in this show.
10. Shiroe
Anime: Log Horizon Shiroe is just a real-life support main. So in terms of team composition – he’s as essential as they come. In fact, it feels like he carries absolutely every fight the gang gets themselves into. But he doesn’t do it through power. Rather, he keeps track of everyone’s resources, helps them reposition, warns his party members of dangerous attacks, etc. And in a one-vs-one situation, he’s probably the weakest character in the entire show. After all, he barely has any damaging abilities and to say that his physical prowess isn’t that great would be an understatement. But hey, teamwork makes the dream work!
9. Twenty-Fifth Bam
Anime: Tower of God At the time of writing this, only the first season of the anime has aired – and I have a sneaking suspicion that this will age horribly once the second season drops. But as we stand right now, Bam just gets carried in every episode. He’s nowhere near as powerful as Rak, clever like Khun, or cruel like Rachel. And yet he’s the main character and basically the chosen one. At least he doesn’t fall under the usual stereotype of “MC that just cries the entire time”. He at least tries to be the hero of the story – so I’ll give him some bonus points for that.
8. Ganta Igarashi
Anime: Deadman Wonderland Can Ganta fight? Technically yes. But man is it sad sometimes. After all, he simply doesn’t belong in the same room as convicted, trained killers. Especially if we take the series finale plot twist into account. He kind of just squirms around for most of the show, getting carried by whoever is next to him at the time. And even when he does manage to defeat someone in combat, it’s always a close call. And if I’m being honest, his victories always felt like plot armor. Because god knows that every other character in this show has way stronger powers and an actual urge to kill.
7. Leorio Paladiknight
Anime: Hunter x Hunter (2011) I love Leorio with all my heart. He’s the most relatable and kind character in the entire show, and his reunion with Gon still makes me cry to this day. But my dude feels so out of place when compared to literally any other character. You have Killua ripping people’s hearts out in a blink, Kurapika bringing a shovel to a death match, and Gon literally going sicko mode – and then there’s Leorio. He managed to land one sucker punch, and that’s about it. Don’t get me wrong, the Nen ability itself seems pretty powerful. But seeing how Leorio wants to train his mind and not his muscles, I don’t think he’ll ever scale to the rest of the cast.
6. Leonardo Watch
Anime: Blood Blockade Battlefront Leo has the same setup as Shiroe – it being the life of a support main. His entire kit is centered around his eyes and when used effectively, it can be pretty broken. That is if he has the support of actual fighters. Sure, in a one-on-one situation, he can use his powers to confuse the enemy and maybe make a run for it – but he’s not exactly kicking any butts. In fact, he’s most useful outside of combat. Be it discovering someone’s intentions, finding something, or simply being observant – this is where Leo shines.
5. Sakura Haruno
Anime: Naruto Sakura in the original Naruto series was honestly one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. Sure, she gets a few feats in Shippuden and a decent powerup in Boruto – but she was a wet blanket at first. For example, I think we all remember her legendary attack against the Sound ninja – cutting off her own hair and then biting a chick. And let’s not forget her fight with Ino – which was one “Worldstar” shout away from being a real fight between two amateurs. Like seriously, you don’t even have to compare her to Naruto or Sasuke in order to make her look bad – as I’m pretty sure most five-year-olds outscaled her in the original series.
4. Subaru Natsuki
Anime: Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Subaru was kind of doomed from the start. After all, he can only take advantage of his powers by dying repeatedly and then using the information he’s gathered. And man does he die a lot. Like every character in the entire show can basically end his life with no difficulties at all. Even unnamed thugs have put him out of commission. Sure, he gets a cheeky W here and there, but it’s usually a result of dying 50 times first. And don’t even get me started on the one time he wanted to duel a knight. That was one of the saddest scenes I think I’ve ever seen. Overall, he’s very lucky that all the women in his life are extremely powerful and are willing to put up with him.
3. Honoka Takamiya
Anime: Witch Craft Works This show is all about flipping the “damsel in distress” trope on its head. AKA Honoka has the survivability and power prowess of a chocolate éclair. And it’s basically Ayaka’s full-time job to swoop in and save his butt. Sure, he also contributes to this relationship – but mostly through positive reinforcement or by coming up with a battle strategy. In terms of muscle, he’s very much out of his depth. The epitome of a girl boss and a male wife.
2. Takemichi Hanagaki
Anime: Tokyo Revengers This dude really had no business hanging out with most of the main cast. While they’re out here curb-stomping the opposition like it was nothing, Takemichi is in the corner crying over the most trivial matters. And it also doesn’t help that the dude can time-travel – meaning that he’s a fully grown adult and somehow still terrified of teenagers. The most impressive thing he’s ever done was just taking a beating and scaring his opponent through toughness alone. But when it comes to actual firepower – he’s nowhere near the rest of the cast. After all, you have Mikey and Draken out here acting like they’re going to be the next super soldier, while Takemichi can barely throw a punch.
1. Yukiteru Amano
Anime: The Future Diary Very few characters will ever get carried as hard as Yuki. In fact, the entire show is basically an escort survival game where Yuno is the main character. The only thing Yuki ever manages to do is attract even more people to try and kill him – which really isn’t ideal when you have the firepower of a goldfish cracker. So he just runs around and cries while Yuno puts on her big girl yandere pants, and slaughters all those who stand in their way. Yuki does technically gain a lot of power at the series finale. But he was such a wet blanket in every other episode that I just have to give him the title of “anime’s weakest”.
