Best Anime With OP MC

Overpowered or “OP” becomes a dreaded term when used to describe a protagonist of any story. Why bother exploring the story of a character already at the top of their game, right? Fortunately, some anime that feature OP main characters still shine thanks to ridiculous shenanigans or overwhelming threats that will make any audience root for protagonists.

For viewers who just don’t have the time to experiment, some anime with overpowered main characters do feature powerful first episodes that could grab anyone’s attention. Fortunately for anime fans, many great anime with OP MCs already exist.

Updated on November 15, 2024, by Mark Sammut: Fall 2024 is about halfway done by this point, and while not lacking OP anime, none of the new ones warrant a specific recommendation. Demon Lord 2099 is the closest to an exception, but Veltol’s power is neutered during the opening episode and takes a while to grow. That said, the cyberpunk fantasy anime is a lot of fun and certainly worth a watch.

Instead of a new series, older anime with overpowered protagonists have been added, including Arifureta, which is currently airing its third season.

Anime with powerful protagonists that have clear weaknesses or equals will not be included, and the same goes for shows that do not emphasize their leads’ OP nature. Shows like
Dragon Ball
,
Naruto
,
Code Geass
,
Rurouni Kenshin
, and
Kaiju No. 8
will not be included.

26 Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells

Touka Mimori

Failure Frame has plenty of issues. The animation is inconsistent, and that is rather kind. The story can get very repetitive, with quite a few encounters revolving around Seras (the main female partner) acting as bait so that Touka can step in and do everything. Despite aligning the protagonist with a few strong allies, they are rarely allowed to do anything substantial. The villains are very one-note, with the only exception being the goddess who serves as the final big bad. She is not complex or nuanced, but she is quite entertaining.

Still, for all its flaws, Failure Frame works well as an edgy OP fantasy about a bullied guy who gets overwhelming power and goes on a revenge tour against the goddess who summoned him to this world and left him to die. Touka’s skills revolve around status ailments, which notoriously have poor accuracy in this universe; however, his attacks always hit, a cheat that allows him to overwhelm every monster and quickly level up. Touka is not a conventional “good” guy, in the sense that he shows no mercy to enemies who do not deserve it.

25 My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!

Yogiri Takatou

This anime is a bit of a strange case. Frankly, My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! is not very good, at least compared to the light novel source material. The story is unfocused, the characters are one-note, and the animation is nothing to write home about. There are plenty of better isekai anime with strong leads out there.

However, My Instant Death Ability pushes the concept to its absolute limit, reaching the point of absurdity. In a sea of OP anime protagonists, Yogiri stands as arguably the most broken. He is so powerful that he kills a world-level threat by accident. This show parodies isekai and fantasy tropes by unleashing a cosmic monster upon archetypes that would be considered powerful in other universes. The humor does not always land, but the concept is fun.

24 The Ossan Newbie Adventurer, Trained to Death by the Most Powerful Party, Became Invincible

Rick Gladiatol

Two Summer 2024 anime revolve around protagonists who do not realize they are OP. I Parry Everything has its moments, but Noor’s utter inability to recognize his strength can get old after a while, especially since the other characters seem to purposefully avoid saying anything to make him think otherwise. In comparison, The Ossan Newbie Adventurer‘s Rick gradually becomes more aware, discovering that his “false” perception is solely due to his mentors also being ridiculously overpowered. After spending some time around more “normal” adventurers, he quickly realizes he is well above average.

While nothing too amazing, The Ossan Newbie Adventurer is a fun little fantasy story with solid action, a likable protagonist, and decent secondary characters. The first few episodes are also funny, although the humor loses some steam as the season moves along. Despite being mostly set after he has achieved overwhelming power, the anime still highlights Rick’s training, allowing viewers to see his transformation from a weak guild clerk to a powerhouse.

23 Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest

Hajime Nagumo

Based on a well-liked light novel, Arifureta‘s anime adaptation got off to a rather bad start, with season 1 garnering quite a bit of criticism for its pacing and omitted content. While not amazing, season 2 was an improvement, and that upward momentum was maintained by Fall 2024’s third cour. On paper and in execution, Arifureta is the quintessential weak-to-strong isekai, even going as far as to begin with a protagonist who is left to die by his classmates, only to quickly show them and become one of the most powerful people in their new world (and it happens pretty quickly too).

Flawed as the show can be at times, Hajime is a pretty entertaining protagonist. He is charismatic enough to justify his ever-growing harem, all the while demonstrating constant cunning and maturity regarding political situations. While he steamrolls most enemies, Hajime makes clever use of his powers.

22 Bofuri: I Don’t Want To Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

Maple

Not every story set in an MMO is isekai; sometimes, an anime just wants to follow a girl who inadvertently breaks a game, driving the creators mad in the process. Bofuri is just a blast, delivering a stress-free experience that contains plenty of humor along with a surprising number of fights (season 2 in particular). Not experienced with games as she starts her first virtual reality MMORPG, Maple decides to invest all her stats in defense, just to ensure she does not get hurt. Due to a bit of luck and a lack of foresight from the developers, she ends up destroying the game’s balance, becoming ridiculously overpowered as she tanks everything thrown her way.

As it is just a game with no stakes, Bofuri‘s action sequences are, admittedly, style over substance. However, they are generally entertaining since they are driven entirely by the characters’ lovable personalities, and that goes beyond Maple. The anime wisely pairs the protagonist with capable but vulnerable players, adding a touch of strategy to all her encounters. Still, the most memorable moments almost all revolve around Maple’s silly OP nature.

21 Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious

Seiya Ryuuguuin

Countering the overpowered nature of Demon Lord’s Takuma is Seiya Ryuuguuin of Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious. As with other isekai stories, Seiya takes the role of a protagonist also called forth by a goddess (this time Ristarte) to save the world (this time Gaeabrande) from an evil Devil Lord. And while Seiya has power levels far greater than most heroes Ristarte has encountered, it’s his overcautious nature that drives her to her wits’ end.

Whereas the OP-ness of an isekai protagonist is usually shown with them almost shrugging off most problems, Seiya’s overpowered nature is shown in his deliberate overpreparation for most situations. It doesn’t help that Seiya is portrayed to possess more than enough power to contend with most threats anyway. In the end, Cautious Hero shows that the true measure of being overpowered may rely not on how heroes showcase awesome power but on how they can prepare to settle the most intense of conflicts with the barest minimum effort.

20 Uncle From Another World

Yousuke Shibazaki (Ojisan)

Now, here is a very different type of OP isekai anime. Typically, these stories are unapologetic power fantasies where viewers can live vicariously through a protagonist who becomes a demi-god in their new world, demolishing fools, toppling empires, and conquering hearts in the process. It is the ultimate escapist fantasy. Usually, these shows do not involve a main character who is constantly described as an “orc” or spends years roaming on his own as an outcast, all the while being utterly oblivious to any romantic interest.

Uncle From Another World follows Ojisan as he tries to make the most of his isekai adventure, which proves to be very difficult when the rest of the world seems to regard him as some type of monster who is so hideous that his mere presence can trigger screams of terror. Sure, he has a direct line to the spirits, granting him access to some cool spells, but who is going to protect his self-esteem?

19 Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto

Sakamoto

Overpowered protagonists are not exclusive to isekai stories, they just seem to be sometimes. While not as common as they should be, the comedy genre has made some great use of OP anime main characters over the decades. Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto is one of the most famous examples and serves as a prime example of how a “perfect” protagonist can be used to great effect.

Sakamoto is what everyone should aspire to be. His mere presence attracts attention, admiration, hatred, love, and every other emotion under the sun. While he might not acknowledge his own god-like brilliance, his classmates cannot help but bask in his light, and any attempts to dampen his flame only succeed in fanning it further.

18 Mashle: Magic And Muscles

Mash Burnedead

Most anime overpower their protagonists by handing them unique abilities that set them above everyone else; however, Mashle does the opposite. In a world defined by magic, Mash is the definition of a weakling due to having no affinity for spells at all. In his hands, a wand is just a fancy stick. As people like him are eliminated, he works extra vicariously to ensure that he can stand his ground, which means focusing aggressively on his physical capabilities. Mash trains his body so hard that he becomes capable of producing feats that even magic cannot explain.

Now, it should be noted that season 2 does raise the stakes enough to challenge Mash, putting him up against an enemy who is capable of putting up a fight. However, this villain is essentially this universe’s version of Voldemort, and he is stronger than the Harry Potter character. Even then, Mash is a match for him, at least in some areas.

17 Charlotte

Yuu Otosaka

In the world of Charlotte, a fictional comet of the same name passes Earth once every 75 years and leaves dust that transforms a percentage of preadolescent kids into superpowered beings by the time they hit puberty. When invisibility user Nao Tomoro exposes protagonist Yuu Otosaka and his ability to control the bodies of others temporarily, she forces him to attend the Hoshinoumi Academy and join other power users in the Student Council.

While much of Charlotte revolves around Yuu’s body-swapping shenanigans, things become more serious when Yuu realizes that the true nature of his powers isn’t to control the bodies of others but rather to steal their abilities. At some point in the anime, Yuu travels the world to steal the abilities of all power-users on Earth at the cost of his memories and sense of self. While the scale and nature of all these abilities remain unknown, the fact that Yuu already had the power of time travel before his power-stealing spree immediately catapults Yuu as one of the most powerful protagonists to ever grace an anime.

16 Trigun

Vash The Stampede

It’s one thing for someone to become extremely overpowered that they get to save the world, and another for them to be feared of truly destroying it. In the space-faring future of Trigun, protagonist Vash the Stampede is roaming the desert planet of No Man’s Land to find peace… except he is almost always chased by people who simply want to kill him.

This is because he’s nicknamed the “Humanoid Typhoon” after he destroyed a city with his vast supernatural abilities. Possessing a bounty of $60 billion, Vash of Trigun is followed by two insurance agents who start to observe that the destruction that follows Vash isn’t caused by him but by the people chasing that bounty. And when he’s truly provoked, Vash can use his extreme physical attributes and is skilled with guns to overcome threats.

Trigun Stampede
is also very good.

15 Hellsing Ultimate

Alucard

Known as one of the most over-the-top anime out there, Hellsing Ultimate is perhaps an anime that defines the epitome of overpowered. Set in an alternate take on modern times, this OVA series stars the “original” vampire Alucard, who swore devotion to the Hellsing family after his defeat at the hands of Abraham Van Helsing. As a result, Alucard comes under the employ of the Royal Order of Protestant Knights to hunt vampires all around the world.

The thing is, the protagonist isn’t exactly a “calm” individual. Alucard is known for his bloodlust and love for violence, something the Knights use to hunt their current targets: the Millennium, a group of Nazi remnants that want to create a battalion of vampires to revive Nazi Germany.

14 Yu-Gi-Oh!

Yugi Yami

Granted, Yu-Gi-Oh! doesn’t have the most complex of stories. And it doesn’t help that Yugi Muto and Yami Yugi consistently save the world from otherworldly threats through a children’s trading card game. Regardless, seeing Yugi consistently outmaneuver his opponents – be it through actual rules or The Heart of the Cards – remains ever-satisfying, even in rewatches.

Contrary to other anime with OP protagonists, Yugi’s status as an overpowered character fits the simple nature of the anime. However, Yugi’s lessons on friendship, hope, and hard work remain great companions to his prowess as the King of Games.

13 Solo Leveling

Sung Jin-Woo

While not a hard and fast rule, many anime with OP protagonists tend to either start with their character already overpowered or speedrun the process to getting there. Although ultimately falling within the latter category, Solo Leveling goes to great lengths to chronicle Jin-Woo’s blossoming strength, with the hunter constantly growing stronger throughout the first season. This structure grants the story’s early chapters a lot of forward momentum, something that can be an issue with similar series.

The weakest hunter in the business, Sung Jin-Woo accepts each mission fully aware that death could await him. When an operation goes sideways, a demolished Jin-Woo finds himself walking toward the light, only for a mysterious opportunity to present itself. Suddenly, the protagonist gains the ability to level up, starting him down a path that quickly leads to overwhelming power.

12 Irregular At Magic High School

Tatsuya Shiba

Irregular At Magic High School changes the dynamics of modern fantasy anime. In its story, magic has now become a scientific study. At school, students with remarkable marks in magic are called Blooms. Meanwhile, the other passing students are considered Weeds.

However, protagonist Tatsuya Shiba doesn’t fall into either category. While his sibling Miyuki displayed enough magical prowess to be a Bloom, Tatsuya’s lack of magical abilities made him a Weed. What’s more interesting is how Tatsuya’s impeccable knowledge of technical magic places him above Bloom’s level. As such, Tatsuya has become irregular at Magic High School – which in itself poses some problems, as the story will show.

11 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

Rimuru Tempest

When Satoru Mikami risks his life to save a colleague from a street attack, Satoru, unfortunately, succumbs to his stab wounds. In his dying moments, Satoru simply wished for a body that could withstand any physical attacks. And through the guidance of a mysterious voice, Satoru receives his wish – and becomes a slime.

In his newfound life, Satoru finds himself surrounded by magic, dragons, and fantasy creatures. With a dragon friend renaming Satoru as Rimuru Tempest, Satoru now ventures into this new world with an impenetrable body. And given he doesn’t have any goals, in particular, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime is a treat to both isekai and slice-of-life lovers.

10 Fist Of The North Star

Kenshiro

Fist of the North Star is generally regarded as one of the most influential battle shonen manga of all time, and its anime adaptations are good as well. While the 1984 series shows its age in terms of animation, the writing has aged beautifully, so it is still definitely worth watching regardless of some rough edges.

At the heart of this epic journey sits Kenshiro, a hero who wanders a post-apocalyptic hellscape similar to Mad Max. As a practitioner of Hokuto Shin Ken, Kenshiro has the potential to be undefeatable due to the martial art constantly evolving to ensure its students acquire the necessary power to overwhelm every opponent. Consequently, Kenshiro is both overpowered but also vulnerable and constantly striving to get stronger. He meets opponents like Raoh and Kaioh that are initially beyond his grasp, but it is only a matter of when rather than if Kenshiro will eclipse them.

9 Assassination Classroom

Koro-Sensei

At first glance, Class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High seemed like the typical class of misfits. However, these youngsters hold the fate of the world in their hands. After all, their homeroom teacher Koro Sensei – an extraterrestrial yellow octopus – will destroy the world if the class doesn’t find a way of killing him.

It doesn’t help that Koro Sensei is possibly indestructible as well. Assassination Classroom shows students trying rather serious killing methods that fail to assassinate Koro Sensei. And being the supportive teacher, Koro Sensei himself offers tips on making their killing methods more effective.

8 Death Note

Light Yagami

Death Note was almost disqualified since Light does not fit the typical blueprint of an overpowered anime protagonist and, more importantly, spends about 20 episodes evenly matched in a cat-and-mouse game against L. However, Light’s ability is as broken as they come in anime. Through the death note, he can kill anyone by just writing their name on a piece of paper. That’s it. He brings the whole world to its knees from the safety of his bedroom.

Sure, Light borrows this power from Ryuk, but he uses it freely. During the story’s run, he is in charge. He is also smart, manipulative, and ruthless. He is so OP that Death Note throws out multiple geniuses to level the playing field.

7 One Outs

Toa Tokuchi

For the most part, overpowered anime protagonists are associated with extraordinary abilities that put them well beyond the reach of anyone else who exists within their universe. However, these types of stories can work without a supernatural element, and One Outs serves up one of the better examples of an OP main character who is, technically, just a normal guy. The title refers to a baseball street game where a pitcher and a batter face off with cash on the line.

Despite not seeming to be all that amazing of a pitcher, Toa is undefeated, and he even takes down the Saitama Lycaons’ best batter. This incident causes the team to offer Toa a contract, albeit a twisted one where the pitcher is locked in a continuous battle with the Lycaons’ owner. Throughout the series, the protagonist constantly gets into the psyches of other players, destroying them mentally before they even step on the mound. While he might not have any special powers, Toa is so incredibly overpowered that victory is never remotely in doubt.