Best Anime With An Overpowered Main Character

Admit it; you love OP MCs. Sometimes, it’s just so satisfying to see one character mow down enemies like wheat in a field. Like TikTok highlights, it’s the kind of badassery you just want to watch repeatedly.

There are times, though, that being overpowered means boring. What’s the point of the whole story when the MC is already sitting at the top? But there are stories of OP MCs that just work thanks to absurd and/or comical premises and villains that need a gratifying beatdown.

The proliferation of isekai anime brought more powerful MCs in the past decade, so do not be surprised that almost half of the recognizable ones in the list are isekai characters with powerful cheats.

So, buckle up and get your fix of OP goodness from these beloved animes with godly main characters who were just way too extraordinary to stand in the same starting line as everyone else.

Let’s get started!

Related:Best Manga With An Overpowered Main Character

Let’s start with someone so powerful he needed to teach a class of assassins just to kill himself.

Before taking over and destroying the world, a yellow bipedal octopus whom the students of class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High School call Koro-sensei tries to nurture a group of misfits into fine young assassins who will stop him

Koro-sensei’s antics and great teaching tactics endear him to class 3-E as they slowly mature into great individuals in this sci-fi comedy with dramatic twists.

Why Is The MC OP?

Koro-sensei is already a master assassin known as the 1st “Deity of Death” before he got captured, experimented on, and transformed into the yellow tentacled monstrosity he became known for.

He possessed super speed, super regeneration, genius-level intellect, super-precise tentacle manipulation and alteration, and many more.

Of course, isekai animes can’t be left out of this list. Hajime Nagumo started as a lowly support in a party of summoned heroes, all high school kids from the same class.

Mocked for being weak and sent to his death through schemes, Hajime literally fought his way from the bottom: inching his way from the abyss of a dreaded labyrinth back to the surface with a never-say-die attitude.

Why Is The MC OP?

This loser-turned-badass acquired abilities and relics from the Age of Magics after repeating his dungeon-raiding feats in other Great Labyrinths, boosting his stats far beyond the levels of his hero classmates.

Hajime also changed his personality to suit his renegade getup of white hair, black eyepatch, and dope super-guns.

Here’s another isekai character so OP, he overwhelms enemies even when holding back. Takuma Sakamoto is a shut-in gamer who is transported to the world of his beloved MMORPG, Cross Reverie.

He was summoned by two girls, Rem and Shera, who wanted to enslave him. The spell backfired, and the girls became Diablo’s slaves instead.

Why Is The MC OP?

Diablo was summoned by the girls to help them solve some problems, which Diablo easily resolves (read: bulldozes through). These girls just summoned a cleaver to kill mosquitoes.

As a master of all Elemental magics and bearing the job title “Sorcerer of Annihilation,” Diablo has a long list of overpowered spells, most of which he doesn’t need to use. As a top-level character in Cross Reverie, Diablo also has top-grade equips and maxed-out stats.

Vash Stampede was equipped with supernatural abilities that could destroy the world but opted to be kindhearted and not murder people. This premise of a pacifist ‘time bomb’ of a character has fascinated fans ever since the manga was released almost three decades ago.

This misunderstood gun-toting hero is followed by destruction and chaos everywhere he goes, leading to him being called The Humanoid Typhoon with a bounty of $$60 billion (double dollars).

Two insurance representatives, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, follow Vash’s misadventures to investigate claims made due to the destruction in his wake.

Why Is The MC OP?

The nickname Humanoid Typhoon is actually an understatement of Vash’s capabilities. Born as a Plant, an artificial human used as a literal walking battery by the planet Gunsmoke, Vash and his twin Knives Millions are holders of unimaginable powers.

Apart from universe-level hypersonic speed and attack potency, Vash possesses a dreadful weapon called Angel Arm, a massive cannon that shoots antimatter blasts capable of burning a hole through the moon. He once lost control of his Angel Arm and destroyed an entire city, which started his legend as a walking disaster.

 Demon King Anos Voldigoad is undoubtedly one of the most overpowered characters ever created in anime history. The tyrannical king was once a top-level powerhouse who sacrificed himself thousands of years ago to end an interspecies war.

Anos was successful, as he was reborn to the current era of peace, where magic as a whole declined and his descendants a lot weaker.

Still possessing the godly powers he had during his reign, Anos aims to reclaim his former prestige as the Demon King.

Why Is The MC OP?

Possessing powers that can put any god to shame, this Demon King effortlessly overwhelms any opponent. Even reading this list of his most potent abilities will probably hurt you.

One unforgettable moment of Anos OP-ness was when he destroyed the arrogant student Zepes Indu by killing and resurrecting him over and over again while philosophically contemplating the consequences of his spell. Yeah, overpowered and ruthless.

If you want a multi-faceted isekai (OP, harem, comedy, world-building), then Tsukimichi is a good choice. Makoto Misumi isn’t the typical isekai protagonist, though he has the typical ridiculous powers of one.

As a World Traveler summoned by the Goddess, he was abandoned and thrown to the edge of the world because he looked subpar by the new world’s standards. This is the story of him trying to find his place in a different world while also discovering his powers and limitations.

Why Is The MC OP?

Do not be fooled by his level 1 tag. Makoto’s powers put him in league with the gods. For one, His Creation powers are beyond what gods and goddesses can do.

Makoto also has the power to boost anyone who has a pact with him. One notable example is Tomoe’s Subspace, which became a utopia for Makoto’s band of misfits and the people of the Wasteland.

If you want an emotionless badass OP MC, Tatsuya Shiba is your man. Amusingly called by fans Godsuya, this particular main character is a bit of an enigma: he’s a ‘useless, magicless Weed’ in a magic high school, but he’s actually one of the strongest magicians in his generation.

Godsuya will always have a response to any obstacle, especially threats against his beloved sister, Miyuki. He’s so strong that he needs a limiter to normalize his existence.

Why Is The MC OP?

Everything about Tatsuya Shiba is destruction. Specifically, the Hindu deity of destruction, Shiva (Shiba, Shiva, you get it). He has abilities that are considered overpowered in a magical society, leading to his legendary exploits.

In fact, Tatsuya’s powers cannot be considered “magic” by the world’s standards—they’re superpowers. His highly-specialized types of magic, Decomposition, Elemental Sight, and Regrowth, were too great that they hindered him from using other basic magic.

If there’s a line that perfectly describes Seiya Ryuuguuin, it will be what Kazuki Nakashima once said, “A lioness will use all of her strength even when hunting a rabbit.”

Seiya was summoned to the S-rank difficulty world Gaeabrande by the goddess Ristarte. When he arrived, he bought three sets of armor and items before destroying a single slime by repeatedly attacking it with his strongest techniques.

Why Is The MC OP?

Due to his cautious nature, Seiya grinds and overprepares before any battle. Thanks to his ‘EXP boost’, Seiya levels up quickly, making him an undefeatable existence against any enemy he encountered (except that one in his past life).

To be completely secure, he even learned as many spells as possible, making him a master of multiple kinds of magic. It has been consistently proven that Seiya was right in being overly cautious, always overcoming any possibility or scenario of an enemy counter-attacking.

Rimuru isn’t the only slime-y OP isekai MC here. 11-year-old Ryouma Takebayashi walks the OP path by owning hundreds and hundreds of slimes he bred and evolved.

Ryoma was initially set on building his slime empire and honing his skills deep in the forest when a baffled Jamil household discovered him and brought him out to their duchy, where he tried to reconnect to society and live a peaceful life.

Why Is The MC OP?

As the title suggests, Ryoma is the darling of the Gods, earning blessings from the Gods of Life, Love, Wine, and even the Creator Himself. These were the gods’ compensation to Ryoma after the latter endured a horrible life (and the lamest death) back on Earth.

Slimes were just the tip of the Ryoma iceberg, though. This MC has achieved proficiency in a myriad of skills ranging from housekeeping and crafting, to combat and magic skills. It truly makes you want to know and await what sort of surprises Ryoma has in his little body.

True anime fans will always remember when Charlotte shook and disturbed the world. What started as a funny yet kinda-useless ability, Yuu Otosaka’s power bloomed and eclipsed everyone in unimaginable ways.

The story is set in a world where a percentage of the population gains supernatural abilities upon reaching puberty. One day, the sudden death of his little sister left Yuu severely depressed.

His hope is reignited when he learns the true nature of his abilities, setting him on a path of saving not only his sister but all ability users in the world.

Why Is The MC OP?

Yuu initially thought that his ability was limited only to possession, all the while only using it to fraudulently lead a carefree high school life. He later learned that his ability is called Plunder, and it allows him to “loot” the power of any ability user he possesses.

He used this broken ability to plunder all abilities in the world as he traveled from country to country, earning him the moniker “One-Eyed Grim Reaper”. By the end of his escapade, Yuu is said to have thousands of abilities at his disposal.

Mondaiji is probably the top OP MC anime among the isekais in this list, based on its premise: three extraordinary teenagers gifted with super psychic powers, each nursing an unbearable boredom due to their OP-ness.

They get invited by a certain Kurousagi to a place called Little Garden, a place brimming with powerful people. Chaos, of course, ensues.

The strongest among these problem children is Izayoi Sakamaki, an arrogant boy prone to solving problems with violence. He only wanted to have fun, and fun is what he gets.

Why Is The MC OP?

In a world where everyone has powerful gifts, Izayoi’s ability, named [Code: Unknown], can negate and destroy other gifts, leading to him dominating his fights easily.

Kurousagi stated that Izayoi has the power to destroy heaven and earth, with Baron La Croix adding later that Izayoi’s ability can even destroy stars.

Here’s another terribly OP MC from the isekai subgenre, who treats fighting demon lords as a hidden side job. Satou Pendragon (formerly Ichirou Suzuki) was a programmer who woke up in a fantasy RPG world, a mashed version of the games he has been debugging.

Or a really bad, confusing nightmare, who knows?

Anyway, Satou jumps from level 1 to level 310 (hundreds of levels above everyone) after his limited-use meteor spell annihilates a tribe of powerful lizardmen. Now OP and properly isekai’d, Satou goes on a sightseeing tour while saving the occasional loli and destroying wayward demon lords along the way.

Why Is The MC OP?

With maxed-out stats and plenty of time, Satou was able to copy tons of skills and abilities during his adventures. His super high-level and isekai cheats helped him destroy evil behind the scenes.

The girls he saved along the way also became overpowered with his help, many of them having their own adventures and empowering tales.

What do you do when confronted by a supreme being you denied all your life?

This MC’s answer was to mock and criticize Him, of course, prompting the entity to reincarnate this unnamed salaryman into an orphaned little girl named Tanya Degurechaff caught in an alternate reality where wars are fought with guns and magic.

Tanya becomes a soldier in the alternate world’s Imperial Germany. Her high latent magic and merciless personality earned her a spot in a special mobile unit of mages, much to her shock and chagrin. Tanya had long been wanting to become a high-ranking officer with minimal responsibilities.

Why Is The MC OP?

Tanya is a ruthless yet efficient soldier trapped inside a diminutive, blue-eyed blonde little girl. In an attempt to climb the ranks and escape the battlefield, her wartime leadership and magical warfare prowess instead made her an ace, hence a card that her superiors couldn’t just hide.

Using her knowledge of the wars from her previous world, Tanya dominates her side of the battlefield, gaining her the cool epithet The Devil of Rhine.

Her small stature and pre-teen doll-like cuteness make it more jarring, considering how much of a demoness she is on the battlefield.

While Asta doesn’t make him his show’s most OP, his belief in his own abilities and his default shonen never-say-die attitude make him the hero everyone roots for.

And just like his fellow shonen protagonists, Luffy and Naruto, Asta believes he has what it takes to become the Magic Emperor.

Asta was initially an unlucky orphan from the Forsaken region who discovered he was magicless. Under mysterious circumstances, he was chosen by an extremely rare five-leaf grimoire, gaining an ally called Liebe and the powerful anti-magic.

Why Is The MC OP?

As the MC of a shonen show, Asta is bound to become a top existence, fulfilling his destiny of becoming Clover Kingdom’s most powerful magic knight. With his indomitable will, Asta is making his name known in a world with numerous beings more powerful than him.

But what sets Asta apart from the others is the nature of his power: anti-magic.

Gaining a magic-nullifying ability in a world where magic makes might is truly overpowered, especially when used right. His unique power also prevents him from the adverse effects of mana drain, since he has no mana, to begin with.

It started simple, really: In a world where most people inherit supernatural powers called quirks, Izuku Midoriya is a superhero-stanning quirkless boy who one day gained an overpowered ability from his idol, the world’s strongest superhero, All Might.

Another typical shonen story, one can say, but My Hero Academia successfully uses both shonen stereotypes and the superhero genre to create an endearing cult hit.

The deconstruction of superhero tropes, plus a great combination of characterization and world-building, made sure that Deku could stay at the top of this generation’s greatest animes.

Why Is The MC OP?

Deku’s quirk, called One For All, is one of the more unique ones in the My Hero Academia. This transferable quirk, passed down from one user to another, allows the user to stockpile tremendous amounts of energy, boosting his/her physical abilities to superhuman levels.

It’s a simple power-up kind of quirk, but the destruction and damage it can cause are insane.

What’s crazier is that Deku also inherited the quirks of all the previous users of One For All, giving him an all-around boost to his super-abilities, not to mention the possibilities Quirk Singularity can do to Deku’s already-OP might.

Not a bad upgrade for a powerless nerd.

Watching an anime with a percentage meter of the MC’s psychic explosion is a unique experience in itself. Shigeo Kageyama, or Mob, is a simple and naive protagonist who transforms into his badass OP self once the meter reaches 100%.

Mob isn’t the only overpowered MC author ONE created (the other one being more ridiculous), but he has perfected the style of taking a blank-looking MC and giving him abilities so powerful that it upends people’s belief of what an overpowered being truly is capable of.

Why Is The MC OP?

It has been shown that Mob has a tremendous psychic ability that he learned to suppress due to an accident in the past. When Mob reaches his explosion point, he can release power depending on the emotion he feels when he reaches 100%.

There’s also a ???% that comes out when Mob undergoes extreme stress or when his physical vessel is destroyed. Under this special state, Mob loses control of himself and becomes even more powerful.

Over the past few years, an influx of isekai’d MCs with cheats brought a lot of representatives for the OP trope.

But few can really contend with this MC and the next one. The guild leader of one of the strongest guilds in Yggdrasil got isekai’d into the game’s world as his skeletal Overlord character named Momonga.

Taking on the name of their guild, Ainz Ooal Gown, he and his ensemble of powerful NPC guardians explore the world while at the same time establishing his own domain in hopes of finding other players.

Why Is The MC OP?

By Yggdrasil’s standards, Ainz is just way too broken. When one possesses limitless power with no concerns for ethics and morality, it is way too easy just to mow down hapless enemies with overwhelming force.

Disregarding Ainz, just Nazarick’s stewards are already enough to topple down Yggdrasil’s empires.

Although he can compete physically since he is also an accomplished warrior, Ainz is mostly known for having access to many super-tier spells, several of which are wide-range instakills.

Some of his magic also violates the laws of life, death, and even space and time.

Rimuru Tempest is probably the most popular isekai protagonist in recent years, and he’s practically overpowered right after he got reincarnated despite being a lowly slime.

Armed with the OP skill Predator and similarly OP luck, this slime discovered an entity inside the cave where he was born—the imprisoned Storm Dragon Veldora.

Using Predator to unseal and “eat” the dragon, he was able to jumpstart his isekai adventure with a monstrous energy source.

Why Is The MC OP?

His skills can synthesize and evolve into Ultimate skills (with cool names to boot!).

The most OP among these was Wisdom King Raphael, a skill that developed its own consciousness. It’s a hack similar to planting a supersmart AI chip inside your head.

With a host of skills an OP isekai MC seems to require, Rimuru established his small kingdom, joining the ranks of demon lords quickly and earning himself a seat amongst the world’s most powerful.

You just know that any list of overpowered MCs is incomplete without the presence of this dull-looking baldy who moonlights as a superhero for fun.

Saitama is a B-class hero in a world where superheroes have become part of the public’s daily lives. This webtoon-turned-beloved-anime by ONE is a parody of the OP trope that people just can’t get enough of.

Why Is The MC OP?

From the title itself, Saitama clobbers most of the world’s supervillains with a single punch. The problem was that denizens never see Saitama’s fights against world-ending enemies, or worse, get credited to other more popular heroes (we see you, King).

The fights are also entertaining as hell, albeit way too short (the fight against Boros, thankfully lasted more than a punch, at least).

Fortunately, Yusuke Murata (of Eyeshield 21 fame) gave life to ONE’s funny-looking characters and blessed fans with one unforgettable anime.

Another quintessential occupant of OP character lists and quite rightly the grandfather of OP anime, Son Goku is everybody’s favorite power cliffer. So much so that whenever a strong protagonist comes out, it has become the norm to ask, “Can he beat Goku, though?”.

But really, can they?

Goku’s fights sit right up there amongst the best ones in anime. While they aren’t as quick as most of the guys here on this list, the sheer amount of destruction and power level are in a different league.

Why Is The MC OP?

What makes Goku really OP is how he upgrades himself, outpowering his old OP self every time a stronger contender comes out and threatens the universe.

Even though he wasn’t born a god, Goku is already fighting some of them.

It’s amazing to imagine how he came a long, long way from being an adorable alien monkey to a literal God of Destruction.