15 Anime Characters That Don’t Realize How Powerful They Are

Often, anime characters enter fights without fully understanding their own potential. They’re driven by loyalty to friends or a desire to achieve their goals, rather than a belief in their own power. It’s in these moments, when they’re least expecting it, that their true strength emerges and surprises everyone.

I’ve been thinking about characters who possess incredible abilities, but don’t quite grasp the full extent of their power. It’s fascinating to see how some are born with sealed potential, others inherit gifts, and still others only discover their skills when pushed to their limits. What really grabs me is watching them struggle to understand just how powerful they truly are, and the mistakes they make along the way as they misjudge what they’re capable of.

Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama

In the anime ‘Mob Psycho 100’, Mob is a powerful psychic whose abilities grow stronger as his emotions intensify. He can build protective shields, move objects with his mind – even entire buildings – and even cancel out the powers of other psychics. The series features a meter that tracks his emotional state; when it reaches 100%, his powers unleash in a huge burst. He usually tries to hide his feelings to keep his abilities under control.

Mob often doubts his own abilities and strives to live a typical life as a middle school student. He joins the Body Improvement Club hoping to become stronger and seeks advice from Reigen, a self-proclaimed psychic who’s actually a fraud. Throughout the series, Mob only truly unleashes his powers when defending others, making his moments of growth seem like spontaneous reactions rather than deliberate training.

Gohan

In ‘Dragon Ball Z’, Gohan possesses incredible hidden power as a Saiyan, which surfaces when he’s under intense emotional stress. He achieves new levels of strength faster than most experienced fighters, and during the battle with Cell, he demonstrates a potential that even surpasses his father, Goku. Eventually, training with the Elder Kai unlocks his ultimate form, a state of power he can access without needing to transform.

Gohan consistently prioritizes academics over fighting and often neglects training. He doesn’t realize how rapidly his strength grows when he actually tries. Throughout battles like the one against Cell, he hesitates to finish opponents until forced to, and later on, he frequently needs encouragement to regain his focus. This demonstrates a consistent inability to accurately assess his own potential.

Izuku Midoriya

In ‘My Hero Academia,’ Izuku receives the power One For All, which has been passed down through generations. At first, he can only use a small amount of its strength without injuring himself. Through training, he learns to control the power, focusing it on specific parts of his body like his legs and arms. Eventually, he can consistently use a certain level of power for movement and fighting, and he begins to discover other abilities hidden within One For All.

Izuku carefully considers his limits because he’s always analyzing his abilities. He tends to underestimate what he can do, viewing new powers as temporary boosts rather than permanent parts of himself. Throughout important tests and fights, he’s consistently surprised by how quickly his body improves, proving that he doesn’t accurately judge his own potential.

Gon Freecss

In the anime ‘Hunter x Hunter,’ Gon masters a power called Nen and develops a unique fighting style called Jajanken. He primarily focuses on boosting his natural abilities, making him incredibly strong and resilient, but also learns to extend his attacks and change their properties. After training with Wing and Biscuit, Gon rapidly improves, and he’s able to learn advanced techniques simply by observing his opponents.

Gon is naturally optimistic, but this sometimes leads him to underestimate danger. He tends to jump into battles motivated by curiosity or loyalty, rather than a careful assessment of his opponent’s strength. When he gets emotionally charged, his power increases dramatically, often surprising even himself with the sheer force he’s capable of unleashing.

Killua Zoldyck

In ‘Hunter x Hunter’, Killua is raised by the Zoldyck family, a famous line of assassins. He has the unique ability to transform his aura into electricity, which he uses to power ‘Godspeed’, a technique that dramatically increases his speed and reflexes. On top of being naturally resistant to poison and torture, he’s also trained in various assassin skills, such as ‘Rhythm Echo’, which disorients opponents by creating afterimages.

Killua was trained from a young age to fear certain triggers, using both psychological conditioning and a special needle. This caused him to hold back, even when he was capable of winning fights. Once the needle was removed, he understood his reactions had been deliberately restricted, and he began to fight with a newfound speed and confidence he’d previously suppressed.

Yūji Itadori

In ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’, Yūji becomes the host for the powerful Ryomen Sukuna. This gives him incredible strength, speed, and the ability to use cursed energy for attacks like Divergent Fist. He’s surprisingly resilient, able to withstand attacks that would normally injure more experienced sorcerers, and quickly learns to work well with his teammates.

Yūji doesn’t see himself as exceptional and prioritizes helping others. He gauges his own abilities by comparing them to his classmates, dismissing his improvements as fleeting. When facing more powerful curses, he’s often surprised by his resilience and how quickly he adapts during battle, suggesting he’s actually stronger than he realizes.

Yuta Okkotsu

Yuta joins the world of ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ as a special grade sorcerer due to a cursed spirit named Rika being bound to him. This connection allows him to replicate techniques and significantly increase his power beyond what most students can achieve. Later, he focuses on mastering his connection with Rika and learning to fight independently, without completely relying on the curse.

Yuta starts out as a reserved student who prefers to follow others’ lead. He often doesn’t realize how much he’s improved, even after training. When his friends are threatened during missions, he rises to the occasion, consistently surprising everyone – and himself – with skills and stamina he hadn’t mentioned possessing.

Tanjiro Kamado

In ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,’ Tanjiro becomes skilled in Water Breathing and then learns the Hinokami Kagura. He’s a fast learner, able to quickly pick up new techniques and combine different breathing styles to adapt to any fight. His incredibly strong sense of smell helps him anticipate his opponents’ moves and find weaknesses, allowing him to defeat even more powerful demons.

Tanjiro sees himself as constantly improving and tends to credit success to good fortune or the help of others. During fights, he usually focuses on holding out until his friends can arrive, and then he finds a way to push himself even further when they need his support. This shows he consistently rises to the occasion under pressure, revealing hidden strengths he didn’t even know he possessed.

Eren Yeager

As a huge ‘Attack on Titan’ fan, it’s been incredible watching Eren unlock the full potential of the Attack Titan! He doesn’t just gain its initial power, but starts tapping into abilities from *other* Titans too. He masters things like hardening, using it to both protect himself and fight, and then things get *really* mind-blowing – he starts messing with time and even memories! Plus, seeing him work with other Titan shifters and get better and better at coordinating with them has been awesome.

At the beginning of the story, Eren sees himself as a typical, determined soldier. His initial transformations into a Titan happen by surprise and are difficult to control, leading him to doubt their usefulness. However, missions where he’s forced to use his Titan abilities help him realize his true potential, and he consistently discovers he’s capable of far more than he thought.

Ichigo Kurosaki

In ‘Bleach,’ Ichigo gains the ability to fight as a Soul Reaper after receiving power from Rukia. He eventually unlocks his own inherent Soul Reaper abilities and learns he also has connections to both Hollows and Quincies. Each of these discoveries increases his spiritual power and allows him to develop new abilities and variations of his signature move, Getsuga Tenshō.

Ichigo often finds himself fighting without fully knowing who he is. Throughout his battles, people both helping and opposing him reveal bits and pieces of his past, which explains his sudden increases in power. Because he discovers these truths gradually, he tends to see his newfound strength as fleeting and is often caught off guard by how much stronger he’s become compared to his opponents.

Ken Kaneki

In ‘Tokyo Ghoul’, Ken Kaneki undergoes a surgery that transforms him into a half-ghoul. This gives him a unique appendage called a kagune and the power to heal quickly. When pushed to his limits, he also begins to develop more powerful, ghoul-like features. As he trains and fights, his strength and abilities increase dramatically.

At first, Kaneki tries to ignore the fact that he’s become a ghoul and attempts to continue living his life normally. He actively avoids using his newfound powers and getting into fights, but circumstances keep pushing him to change. With each challenge he faces, he discovers he’s capable of more than he thought, and learns he was surprisingly powerful all along.

Shinji Ikari

In ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’, Shinji controls the Evangelion Unit 01. The Eva moves in sync with him, and sometimes enters a powerful, independent mode to defend him. When pushed beyond its limits, the Eva’s core unleashes energy that dramatically alters the surrounding environment.

Shinji doubts his own abilities, leading him to believe others would be better suited for the task. He pilots the Eva simply because he’s told to, not because he feels confident in his skills. When the Eva performs beyond expectations, both Shinji and his commanders are surprised, revealing that he hadn’t imagined the machine was capable of such power with him as the pilot.

Shinra Kusakabe

In ‘Fire Force,’ Shinra is a young firefighter with the ability to create fire from his feet, allowing him to fly and move quickly. He’s a third-generation pyrokinetic, and as he develops his skills, he unlocks powerful techniques called Adolla Burst, which tap into a mysterious energy source. Shinra is a versatile fighter, equally skilled at battling enemies up close and while airborne.

Shinra begins his journey wanting to be a hero, constantly comparing himself to experienced firefighters. He discovers his abilities through real-life experiences, not formal training, leaving him unprepared for the extent of his own power. During intense battles, he consistently demonstrates unexpected surges in strength – a pattern showing he unlocks his potential when he needs it most.

Nezuko Kamado

In ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’, Nezuko transforms into a demon but still cares deeply for others. She gains a unique ability called Blood Demon Art, allowing her to use her demonic powers to help her friends and injure other demons without harming humans. She also becomes incredibly strong and can heal quickly, adapting to whatever challenges she faces in battle.

Early in the story, Nezuko rarely speaks and depends on her brother, Tanjiro, to understand what’s happening around them. She tends to react instantly to threats and develops new powers during fights. Because she doesn’t follow a typical training routine, she doesn’t know her own limits, making her most powerful moments surprising for everyone involved – both her friends and her enemies.

Asta

In ‘Black Clover,’ Asta fights using special swords that can cancel out magic. He’s also made a pact with a devil, giving him access to a more powerful form with increased speed and blade strength. Beyond his magical abilities, Asta is incredibly fit and quick, allowing him to battle effectively even against opponents who use long-range and diverse magical attacks.

Asta, born without magic, believes hard work is all he needs to improve. He sees new abilities as temporary advantages and relies on others to handle tasks requiring magic. However, as he learns more about his devil companion and the swords he wields, he realizes his unique anti-magic ability fundamentally alters battles. This reveals a disconnect between how he sees himself and the powerful impact he actually has.

Share your favorite examples in the comments and tell us who else belongs on this list.

2025-10-13 08:20