15 Anime Characters Who Were Nerfed Just So The Hero Could Win

In long-running stories, characters‘ strengths often change, and sometimes powerful characters become weaker just when the hero needs to succeed. This happens because of events within the story, established rules, or unexpected problems. Here are examples of when a strong character’s power was deliberately reduced to allow the hero to overcome a challenge. We’ll explain exactly how their power was limited – whether through magical seals, injuries, limited resources, or specific rules – when it happened, and what opportunities it created for the hero. This is just the factual information from the plot – no exaggeration or speculation.

Satoru Gojo – ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’

During the Shibuya Incident, Gojo is trapped in the Prison Realm by Kenjaku, a cursed object that completely immobilizes its victims with no way to be rescued from the outside. The seal works by keeping Gojo still for a full minute – Kenjaku uses the crowded train station to make this happen. With Gojo sealed away, the story now focuses on Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and other sorcerers who must face incredibly dangerous threats without their most powerful ally. While eventually Gojo can be freed with specific items and circumstances, this initial sealing is what allows the younger sorcerers to take center stage and drive the conflict forward.

Madara Uchiha – ‘Naruto Shippuden’

Just when Madara seemed unstoppable as the host of the Ten-Tails, Black Zetsu unexpectedly betrayed him, using Madara’s body to revive Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. This meant Madara didn’t get a final, direct fight against Naruto and Sasuke. Instead, the goal changed to sealing Kaguya, and the story shifted from capitalizing on Madara’s strengths to focusing on a new enemy that could be defeated using the powers Naruto and Sasuke had just received.

Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom) – ‘One Piece’

As a huge One Piece fan, the Wano arc really threw me for a loop with Big Mom! After getting wrecked in a storm near Kuri, she suddenly lost her memory – completely forgot her crew, what she was even trying to do, and how to fight effectively. It was wild! She ended up bonding with this little kid, Tama, and honestly, that was the key. Tama was able to steer her away from causing immediate chaos, which was a lifesaver because the Straw Hats definitely weren’t ready to take her on at full strength. Losing her memory messed up everything she usually does – like coordinating with her homies or making smart battle plans – making her way less of a threat for a while. Once she got her memory back, she was terrifying again, of course. But that period of weakness bought the Straw Hats some incredibly valuable time to get themselves ready and into a better position to fight.

Pikachu – ‘Pokémon’

When Ash begins his adventure in the Unova region, Pikachu unexpectedly loses some of his electric powers because of energy released by a legendary Pokémon near their starting town. This weakness continues into Ash’s first official battle against Trip, where Pikachu is surprisingly defeated by Trip’s new Snivy, despite having much more experience. This temporary setback creates a fresh start for the new region and makes Ash’s early battles more challenging. Once the problem is fixed and Pikachu’s powers return to normal, the initial difficulty establishes a theme of Ash being the underdog throughout his Unova journey.

Jotaro Kujo – ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’

Following the events of ‘Stardust Crusaders,’ Jotaro’s ability to stop time with Star Platinum became much more limited – he could only use it for short periods, and it quickly exhausted him. This was significantly weaker than Dio’s power. In ‘Stone Ocean,’ his fighting ability was further reduced when Whitesnake stole his Stand and memories, putting him in a coma. These limitations were intentional, shifting the focus to Jolyne Cujoh and forcing her to lead the effort to save him and recover what was lost. Essentially, these changes deliberately weakened Jotaro, taking him out of the central problem-solver role he had previously held.

Sasuke Uchiha – ‘Boruto: Naruto Next Generations’

During a fight near the Ten-Tails’ dimension, Boruto—while under Momoshiki’s control—injures Sasuke’s left eye, causing him to lose his Rinnegan. This loss is significant because the Rinnegan allowed Sasuke to teleport and quickly respond to powerful enemies. Without it, the heroes have fewer options when facing threats like the Ōtsutsuki clan, and must rely more on the next generation for both battlefield movement and finding solutions to problems. The story is now intentionally focusing on the younger ninja to take on a more active role.

Levi Ackerman – ‘Attack on Titan’

After consistently defeating the Beast Titan, Levi suffers a severe injury from a thunder spear during the war between Marley and Paradis, significantly hindering his incredible fighting ability. His recovery takes a long time, and even when he returns, he can’t fight at his full strength, though he still leads his team. This loss of a key Titan-fighting expert creates major problems for taking down Zeke Yeager, forcing the other scouts to take on more risk and try different strategies. It means they can’t rely on precise, surgical strikes against the Titans as often, and the story starts to focus more on Eren and the efforts of the larger alliance.

Yasutora “Chad” Sado – ‘Bleach’

Chad consistently struggles against enemies who are stronger and further along in their power development, particularly in Hueco Mundo, even after unlocking his powerful techniques. He’s defeated by Nnoitra and often ends up on the sidelines, with captains or Ichigo delivering the final blows. The story explains this by showing that his unique abilities, similar to Fullbring, evolve differently than those of Shinigami or Arrancar. This allows Chad to remain a vital support character while letting Ichigo and more powerful allies win the biggest battles.

Son Gohan – ‘Dragon Ball Super’

After the Cell Games, Gohan focused more on school and family, which meant he didn’t train as much for fighting. When new enemies appeared, like during the ‘Resurrection F’ arc, he wasn’t as strong as he used to be and needed help from others. The story acknowledges this decline and shows Gohan working to get back into shape, but initially, he’s clearly weaker. This ensures that Goku and Vegeta continue to be the main fighters against the most powerful new threats.

Piccolo – ‘Dragon Ball Z’

During the Android and early Cell arcs, Piccolo became much stronger after merging with Kami. However, his power increases couldn’t keep up with the rapidly growing strength of the Super Saiyans and Cell. As a result, Piccolo shifted from being a primary fighter to a strategist and trainer, focusing on things like protecting civilians and helping Gohan improve. This made sense because his power gains eventually leveled off, while the Saiyans continued to get stronger with each new transformation. This change put Piccolo in a crucial supporting role, as the story ultimately focused on the Saiyans winning the biggest battles.

Genos – ‘One-Punch Man’

As a huge anime fan, I’ve noticed a really interesting pattern with Genos. Dr. Kuseno keeps giving him these incredible upgrades after every fight, but it’s like the villains always manage to be just strong enough to overcome them. He gets wrecked by Dragon-level monsters constantly, needing Saitama to swoop in for a rescue and a complete rebuild. It’s a clear cycle: Genos gets stronger, but never quite strong enough to reach the top tier. Honestly, it’s a smart way to keep Saitama relevant – we still need to see him save the day! – but it also gives Genos a purpose beyond just fighting, letting him do a lot of the investigating and scouting.

Saber (Artoria Pendragon) – ‘Fate/stay night’

Saber’s power and special attacks are limited by how much magical energy her Master, Shirou, can provide. Because Shirou doesn’t have a large supply of energy, Saber can’t use her strongest attacks as often, can’t fight for as long, and is more vulnerable to certain defenses compared to other Servants with better support. While strategic commands and careful positioning help, Saber constantly faces a shortage of magical energy during battles. This means Shirou needs to improve his skills, plan carefully, and build strong relationships to win – simply being strong isn’t enough.

Mirio Togata – ‘My Hero Academia’

During the raid on the Shie Hassaikai, Mirio lost his ability, Permeation, when he was hit by a bullet that cancels Quirks while shielding Eri. This happened instantly and completely, taking away a powerful fighter who could have ended the battle quickly. After this, Deku had to adjust and continue fighting Overhaul, all while keeping Eri safe. While Mirio’s situation is explored further later, the loss of his Quirk is what ultimately forces Deku to take the lead in resolving the conflict.

Rock Lee – ‘Naruto’

After recovering from serious injuries sustained in his fight with Gaara, Lee faces strict limitations on using his powerful Eight Gates technique – the one that allowed him to defeat strong opponents. He’s only allowed to use it sparingly to prevent lasting harm, and his missions are now chosen to help him heal. This means we won’t see the same explosive displays of power as during the Chūnin Exams, and he’ll primarily take on a supporting role. The story makes it clear that his health is the priority, so he’s unlikely to be the one to defeat major villains later in the series.

Sesshomaru – ‘Inuyasha’

In the beginning of the series, Sesshomaru loses his left arm in a fight with Inuyasha, which makes it harder for him to fight and use his usual strategies. He tries out different weapons, like Tōkijin and Bakusaiga, to compensate, but this injury significantly impacts many battles as he learns to adjust. Because of this lasting wound, Sesshomaru frequently holds back or watches from the sidelines while Inuyasha and his friends drive the story forward. This limitation keeps Inuyasha as the main fighter in important battles until Sesshomaru develops new abilities.

Share which other “plot-timed power drops” you’ve noticed in your favorite shows in the comments!

2025-11-21 09:46