Goku May Be Strong, But These 7 Anime Characters Are So Strong They Never Needed Power Ups

One of the staples of the best shōnen series around is that the main character starts weak before becoming unbelievably strong. It's a fun trope to watch, as there's nothing more fulfilling than rooting for a character who was, at one point, helpless to the world around them to transform into a hulking behemoth of a character. On the flip side, it can be just as fun to watch the opposite, seeing a character start at the top of the power scale and stay there.

These series are defined by a character uncovering problems other than getting stronger since they're already the best. Both the characters themselves and the series they find themselves in can be just as entertaining, if not more. When a character is already absurdly strong, it can be a blast to watch them shock every character around them with their unworldly powers as well.

7 Shigeo Kageyama (Mob)

Mob Psycho 100

The titular Mob in Mob Psycho 100 starts the series as arguably the strongest esper in it. While he's reluctant to use his powers, it doesn't mean he doesn't have them. He has a hard time navigating when he should and when he shouldn't use them, as even he realizes that abusing the powers given to him is morally bankrupt and not the type of life he wants to lead. His character makes Mob Psycho 100 one of the best anime series of all time.

When Mob does unleash his power, however, he's nearly unstoppable. There aren't many characters in the series who can even come close to him when he's feeling a lot of emotion. Towards the end of the series, when he loses himself to his ??? persona, he's like a walking natural disaster. Not even his brother with similar powers can come close to stopping him for more than a few seconds.

Mob is the best character in Mob Psycho 100 to be granted his powers. He's mature with them, level-headed in their use, and always thinking about the outcome of his actions. While other characters in the series certainly do abuse their powers, Mob never does. If he ever uses them, it's always for good.

6 Rudeus Greyrat

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is one of the most controversial anime series out there. While the series faces a lot of problems on-screen and in the light novels, there are a couple of undeniable aspects that rank the show among the best isekai anime. The main character, Rudeus Greyrat, is certainly one of them. In his past life, he was a 34-year-old shut-in who didn't even have the strength to leave the house.

Everything changed for the 34-year-old when he was reincarnated as Rudeus. As Rudy, he's a prodigy, to say the least. He's one of the few characters in his series to be able to cast magic without using an incantation, and he was able to do it when he was basically a baby. Even his teacher, Roxy, couldn't believe how talented Rudy was, and she was already one of the most talented mages in the world.

The older Rudy gets, the stronger he gets. He's obtained powers other characters dream about, like his Foresight Eye that lets him see a few moments into the future. When the Demon King of Immortality comes to challenge Rudeus, Rudeus nearly destroys him with a single spell, proving just how capable the teenager is and is becoming.

5 Misumi Makoto

Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy

Like most great isekai series, Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy features a main character so much stronger than everyone around him, it's laughable. Misumi Makoto is the strongest character in the entire world without ever really trying, only getting stronger as the series progresses as well. When he's transported to his new world, the Goddess who brings him there actually takes more from him than she gives him.

While most other characters would've been upset by the Goddess' actions, Makoto just uses it as fuel. He dedicates himself to gaining enough mana to one day take her down, and with his amazingly powerful abilities, he's not too far from where he wants to go.

The second Makoto gets to his new world, he already beats some of Tsukimichi's strongest characters. With his power, he has no real need to get stronger, but he's getting stronger anyways. Makoto is so strong that if he concentrates for too long, he disappears into the very mana that makes up the world itself.

4 Ainz Ooal Gown

Overlord

Overlord is one of the most unique isekai series around. While most isekai series bring their characters to a new world and make them morally good, Overlord does something a little different. When Ainz Ooal Gown finds himself in the world of Yggdrasil, he decides to rule over it as the titular Overlord. He dominates his enemies, forging alliances with those who comply with his demands and ruining those who don't.

Overlord is one of the best isekai series of all time thanks to its premise. Ainz comes to his world as the strongest in it, and there isn't even an entire nation that can compare to his strength. He often displays his strength on grand levels solely to try and find someone else in his world who might be comparable to him. He still hasn't found anyone as strong as him, and if he does, the entire world will shake when they fight.

Not only is Ainz absurdly strong, but his followers are also stronger than anyone else in the series. Sebas Tian, a "lowly" butler, has taken down strong enemies without breaking a sweat. He's so much stronger than those he comes against that he often lets them have the first attack, because it means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

3 Prince Lloyd

I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince

Prince Lloyd in I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince has an odd existence. He's an isekai character because he was reincarnated, but he was reincarnated into the same world he came from. While that might seem boring on its surface, Lloyd's crazy power levels make sure it isn't. Before he died, he was a commoner who loved learning about magic. Because he was a commoner, he didn't have the vast pool of mana nobles have. He died powerless but knowledgeable, making his return to the world even better.

Prince Lloyd's reincarnation into the 7th prince of the Kingdom couldn't have been better. He had all the knowledge he needed to make incredible use of his powers. With his new mana pool, he's one of the strongest characters in the entire series before he even turns 10. While most other nobles might have relied on their given powers and slacked off, Lloyd can't stop reading grimoires. He's obsessed with getting stronger, which is hilarious considering he's already at the top.

2 Shadow

Eminence in Shadow

The Eminence in Shadow

TV-14

Animation

Comedy

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Action & Adventure

22

9.6/10

Release Date

2022 - 2023

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The Eminence in Shadow is easily one of the funniest isekai series of all time. It's funny for so many different reasons that it stands out from a lot of other isekai series that want to be what The Eminence in Shadow really is. Before Shadow was reincarnated, he was Minoru Kagenou, a normal human who loved being a vigilante. He was pretty good at it too, taking on several bad guys at once with nothing more than his athletic abilities and a couple of crowbars.

When he's reincarnated as Cid Kagenou, however, his power is unrivaled. He takes on the alias of "Shadow" and becomes the titular Eminence in Shadow, dominating fights before they ever even begin. Shadow is too strong for other characters in the series to even comprehend. Viewers almost feel bad for Shadow's enemies because they really don't ever understand what they're getting into.

On the surface, Shadow looks like a normal teen boy. Just beneath the surface, however, is the strongest character in The Eminence in Shadow. Shadow is known for his "I Am Atomic" series of powers when he can destroy one person, an entire city, or even heal people with a single swing of his sword.

1 Saitama

One Punch Man

Saitama underwent the least amount of training possible to become the strongest character in One Punch Man. His training regimen was to run 10km, do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 squats. To Saitama's credit, he underwent this training for three solid years. While that might seem like a long time, most other characters' training regimens are way harder. Hilariously, Saitama still became the titular One Punch Man, using this simple training to eventually be able to defeat nearly all of his enemies with a single punch.

One Punch Man is another one of the most interesting and unique anime series out there. The action is intense, the comedy is hilarious, and the world is interesting enough to keep anyone on the edge of their seats episode after episode. Saitama is at the center of both the action and the comedy. He's literally untouchable when he wants to be. Even the strongest characters in the series can't lay a hand on him if he doesn't want them to.

If someone else can somehow hit Saitama, it doesn't even mean anything. In the first season's finale, he was hit all the way to the moon, simply flying back to Earth like nothing happened. While Saitama wasn't always this strong, he gained his strength before the main events of the series really unfolded, making him one of the strongest characters in anime in general.