Best Manga With An Overpowered Main Character

There is a deep ocean of Japanese comics, and all kinds of genres and stories exist, and in a trench somewhere is where the mangas of OP MCs lie.

But still, in this corner of the manga world, there are tons of stories, and finding a great OP MC manga is a satisfying experience. But, of course, a lot of them have the usual unnecessarily long titles (thank the anime gods, Rimuru is actually a gem).

There’s just something about seeing a character trample everything with absolute strength. More often than not, it’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, yet this same tip is enough to destroy foolish enemies.

Here is a list of the best mangas that made us root for the protagonist, even though we know full well that they can break through obstacles like a rock does to an egg.

Related:Best Anime With An Overpowered Main Character

Do not be discouraged by the needlessly long title; this is a satisfying one despite how stupid it sounds.

The premise of this manga, fondly shortened to LasDan, is about a novice adventurer named Lloyd Belladonna, supposedly the weakest resident of Kunlun, who goes to the city to make his soldier dreams come true.

Lloyd is actually one of the strongest humans in the world. Growing up in a village founded by the ancient saviors of humanity, neighboring the unconquerable Last Dungeon, the poor kid develops a skewed common sense. Hilarity ensues.

This adorable and naive MC’s exploration outside his village isn’t exactly a walk in the park. For normal humans, that is. Nonetheless, Lloyd’s absurd strength helps more people than he is allowed to know.

Who would’ve thought that a harmless-looking pony-tailed fat man who runs a grocery store is, in fact, a retired super-assassin?

If you find yourself poring over this list, you’re probably expecting precisely that.

Taro Sakamoto was once touted as the greatest assassin ever to live, striking fear into the hearts of his unfortunate enemies.

Then, suddenly, Sakamoto finds love and settles down, spending his retirement days in peace. But, unfortunately, this death god is still hounded by his past.

This comedy/action manga brings a refreshing take to the retired assassin but still badass trope.

Despite looking like a gentle dad, Sakamoto is a sheathed blade that remains sharp, occasionally displaying his strength whenever his family and friends face danger.

Amongst a whole class of isekai’d high school students, Hajime Nagumo is the unlucky dude who got the lowly Transmutation skill, a commonplace ability usually artisans and smiths possess.

Hajime starts off optimistic but, during a training exercise, is betrayed, leading to his fall down a dreaded labyrinth.

Hajime fights his way back to the surface, utilizing the true potential of his ability, but this time he sheds his naivety and dons a grimmer, yet more badass, personality.

The now white-haired, gun-toting avenger explores more dungeons while collecting the occasional beauty, growing ever stronger and more dangerous.

One day, after an arduous debugging session, computer programmer Ichirou Suzuki wakes up and realizes he’s in a different world, now as a teenager named Satou.

He also discovers the game-like nature of the new world and the fact that a tribe of mighty lizardmen is coming his way to destroy his Lvl 1 character.

Using an OP ‘freebie’ skill called Meteor Shower, Satou slaughters the incoming mob and climbs up to Lvl 310—way above the world’s level cap.

And what do you do if you suddenly gain massive stats and skills more powerful than the others? Go sightseeing was Satou’s answer, and sightseeing he does.

This MC goes from one place to another, eating delicacies and saving damsels in distress while exterminating some trifling demon lords along the way.

This is kinda like Harry Potter, but there’s no Hagrid to tell Harry he’s a wizard. Instead, we have Mash Burnedead, a magicless dude who overcomes normalcy with pure muscle.

Having no magic in a magical world, Mash resorts to physically training his body. He gains a Saitama-like workout powerup, developing an insane physical power so potent he can overcome any obstacle with sheer strength.

When forces of the world threaten the calm he safeguards, Mash decides to enroll in a magic academy and acquire the title of Divine Visionary.

He starts his legend at the academy and defeats his magical counterparts using his ridiculous strength, which he often calls “Muscle Magic.”

Imagine Sword Art Online, but the MC never logs out after defeating the last boss and instead starts a new adventure.

The New Gate is the game in question, and Shin is the top-level combatant who ended the life-and-death game after defeating Origin.

Shin is transported 500 years into the future of the in-game world, but this time everything is corporeal. Unfortunately, the danger is also more real than ever.

The upside, however, is that Shin discovers that he has become more than twice as strong as before he defeated the final boss.

With the help of his NPC servants, who became respected leaders with unfathomable strength, Shin navigates his way around the familiar yet strange reality, hoping to find answers.

Kaiju No. 8 is a story about a man who became a monster. Living in a kaiju-infested world, 32-year-old Kafka Hibino aspires to join the Defense Force but has failed the assessment numerous times.

After giving up his dream of destroying monsters, Kafka resigns to becoming a member of the post-battle cleanup crew, Monster Sweeper Inc.

His life changes when a tiny talking monster flies into his mouth, instantly transforming him into a humanoid monster with superhuman strength.

An interesting take on the kaiju trope, Kaiju No. 8 isn’t your typical monster manga. The aptly-named Kafka, being 32 years old and past his prime, appeals to an already unique blend of elements of a story that will hook you right from Chapter 1.

Here’s a superb addition to your (overflowing?) list of isekai manga. Written in diary format, Re:Monster is the reincarnation tale of one Tomokui Kanata, who got offed by a yandere childhood friend. Yikes.

In his new life, Kanata becomes Rou, a lowly goblin who eats his way to OP-ness. Goblin Rou slowly gains skills and boosts from his meals, evolving into variants of higher beings.

Re:Monster is unique in that its unhurried style and brooding monologues give off a vibe different from the usual one-hit demolition and abrupt level-ups of other isekais.

If you want a much more relaxed and laidback isekai, here’s a manga for you.

Machio Hiraku is given a choice to reincarnate with cheats in another world. However, instead of becoming the expected superpowered reincarnator, Hiraku chooses to be a farmer, living in peace.

Since this manga gained a spot on this list, there’s a catch, of course. The otherworldly God gives Hiraku an overpowered tool called All-Purpose Farming Tool (AFT).

With just a thought, he can plant and grow anything. But, of course, he can cut anything, too: grasses, trees, a monster or two, and sometimes, even a mountain.

This catchy isekai plot is already slated to broadcast in 2023, a testament to how good of an isekai Farming Life is.

Read the title again, this time slowly. Yes, this manga is about a godly villager. Think of an NPC in a game who discovers he can get money from killing monsters. Kagami Kouji does exactly that until he reaches the max level of 999.

In a world where God blesses some people to become heroes or sages, Kagami breaks the code by becoming an overpowered villager—the lowest of roles.

Although the protagonist lives a laidback life despite gaining such an absurd level, he sometimes displays his power by saving people and towns, proving that you don’t need to be a blessed hero to save lives.

Seiya Ryuuguuin will always be remembered as a top-notch slime slayer.

On his first day as a summoned hero in Gaeabrande, he thoroughly annihilates a slime by repeatedly attacking it with his strongest techniques.

Is that overkill? For most people, probably. But Seiya’s answer to that question is a resounding “No.” That’s just how our cautious hero rolls. He’s the lion who uses all his strength even when hunting a rabbit.

And as a master of multiple kinds of magic, he has the right to and ability to prevent any enemy from counter-attacking. Seiya is just trying to avoid a bitter mishap he once suffered.

Skeleton Knight is what happens when you put a lazy yet adventurous Ainz in a more laid-back isekai manga. Just like his OP fellow skeleton MC, Arc wakes up and finds himself transported to his favorite game’s world as his in-game character.

Arc, of course, uses his monstrous powers to become an adventurer and save people, as isekai’d MCs often want to do. But, unfortunately, he soon steps on the toes of important people, wrapping him up in a conflict he can surely end with a skill or two.

Trigger warning, though, some chapters contain rape and gore. Apart from that, Arc is a likable character who doesn’t necessarily take the world seriously and enjoys his newfound life.

One day, Rem Galleu and Shera Greenwood decide to summon a Demon Lord slave to help them solve their problems. But, judging from the title of this manga, it failed—kind of.

The girls instead become the slaves of the NEET Takuma Sakamoto. Luckily for them, Sakamoto came as his game avatar Diablo, a high-level sorcerer with top-grade equips and maxed-out stats.

As a powerful demon king, he quickly solves the girls’ problems plus more. Diablo’s inner monologues are funny gags, and the discrepancy between his NEET self and his arrogant demon lord appearance makes this a reasonable addition to the short list of likable isekai mangas.

Speaking of demon lords, here’s one that needs no introduction. Anos Voldigoad is probably one of the mightiest MCs ever imagined.

Finding himself reincarnated during an era of peace, Anos notices how the tranquil times weakened his descendants and magic as a whole. So he aims to regain his former prestige as the Demon King, and he restarts his conquest in the Demon King Academy.

Anos is an ancient freak who retains his godly powers, only sacrificing his old war-weary body to end an interspecies war. If not for that, nothing can stop him, not even time.

Surely Godsuya cannot be absent from a list like this. Tatsuya Shiba is basically everything in The Irregular at Magic High School: he is a part-time student, a part-time genius inventor, a part-time super soldier, and a full-time badass.

There’s a reason why people call Tatsuya a god.

He’s an overpowered genius who almost easily solves any obstacle while also effortlessly captivating his peers, especially women, so much so that he has become a prominent anime representative of the Gary Stu trope.

Despite Tatsuya being, well, Tatsuya, the pace and world-building are intriguing enough to merit your attention. This manga’s blend of magic and science is one of the best and most memorable in recent years.

A lazy-looking MC, check. Ridiculous overpowered abilities, check. A modest hero who isn’t really trying that hard but can annihilate enemies when provoked, big check.

The popular web manga artist ONE has a firm grasp on what makes OP MCs easily likable.

In the case of Shigeo Kageyama or Mob, his simplicity as a protagonist draws a heavy contrast against his god-like transformation when his meter reaches ???%. The shift is badass through and through.

Hence the nickname Mob, like a background character. You can place him in a backdrop of any manga, and he’ll seamlessly blend in. What’s more, the author’s style somehow enhances the disparity.

It’s incredible how ONE’s scraggly lines can flesh out great characters. It feels like a clever trap: readers coming in with their guards down, only getting thumped by a great story brilliantly disguised as funny-looking drawings.

All hail Ainz Ooal Gown, indeed. Of all trapped-in-a-game isekais out there, Overlord achieved eminence even compared to its well-known predecessor, Sword Art Online.

Ainz is a high-tier undead peerless in both magic and physical combat. He experiments on the limits of his morality and discovers his new undead self doesn’t seem to have an ounce of it.

And when a broken character eliminates the need to pity outsiders, he can single-handedly mow down armies with overwhelming force and blatant disregard.

Overlord creates a memorable world with noteworthy characters using conventional tropes to entrap the isekai-hungry fans of the mid-2010s.

Truly, a well-deserved top-tier spot in the world of light novels, manga, and anime.

Man, there’s so much isekai nowadays that many anime veterans just avoid the subgenre altogether. But not this one. This slime gets the love of both old and new anime fans.

As a lowly slime who wins the isekai lottery with the bug-like skill called Predator, he initially ‘respawns’ in the Sealed Cave, where a powerful dragon, Veldora Tempest, was imprisoned.

He forms a bond with the dragon and helps unseal him by consuming his dragon body through Predator. This jumpstart helps Rimuru gain power and evolve beyond what a tiny slime could ever dream of.

Using OP skills that can synthesize and advance (and even form consciousness), Rimuru gathers and evolves a clique of almighty retainers, carving himself a place in the top levels of the world.

This godly slime’s adventures towards world domination and the safekeeping of Tempest City’s denizens probably hit a sweet spot for the isekai-snubbing manga and anime enthusiasts.

Whenever an overpowered character comes out, “Can he beat Goku, though?” will always be the obligatory question. And any answer to this question will always be fun, especially on anime forums.

DBZ, being the grandfather of modern shounen, is probably an OP list honorable mention at this point. But the anime fan in you cannot just leave Goku out of the OP MC discussion.

Goku and his power-cliffing antics will always be the standard of superpowered protagonists. The sheer destruction and power of DBZ fights are in a different league.

What’s more impressive is that almost every manga and anime fan grew up with Goku and saw him transform from an adorable alien monkey to a literal God of Destruction.

This. This is the manga that just effortlessly tops any overpowered MC list. It’s not only the protagonist who overwhelms enemies; the art made by Yusuke Murata also packs quite a lethal punch itself.

Saitama is mangaka ONE’s other blank-looking overpowered MC.

As a B-class hero in a world where superheroes are as common as celebrities, the criminally underrated Caped Baldy lives a laidback life enjoying video games, manga, and supermarket sales.

But there’s a reason why the manga’s title is One Punch Man: Saitama can obliterate Dragon-level monsters in a single punch. Because of this, his fights are too easy and short, and the greatest enemy he faces is boredom.

But OPM is a fan-favorite not just because of his unchallenging fights. Saitama is fundamentally an outsider, content with living in a cheap apartment on his own, away from the VIP life of A-rank and S-rank heroes.

The trope-defying comedy manga about a man who struggles with being way too powerful while also being outrageously underrecognized is not something new, but Saitama sure did put a (dull-looking) face on an overused MC archetype.