Category: Ranking

In this post, I present to you the very best Psychological thriller anime that are filled with mystery to keep you terrified and guessing.

1. Monster

MyAnimeList score: 8.79

IMDb score: 8.6/10

An intelligent Japanese neurosurgeon Kenzo Tenma living in Germany saves the life of a boy who happens to be a psychopath.

The man must now go on a journey to stop the monster he saves and unleashed into the world.

Throughout his journey, he makes both friends and foes alike, all who’ve had a run-in with the monster known as Johan Liebert.

The anime is riddled with violence, murder, and mystery. Very little is known about the antagonist of the series, which keeps a thrilling atmosphere throughout the runtime of the series.

2. Death Note

MyAnimeList score: 8.63

IMDb score: 9.0/10

A cat and mouse game between two highly intelligent individuals, Light Yagami and L.

A high school boy discovers a new found power to murder people by simply writing their names on a notebook.

The anime explores some deep philosophical themes of vigilantism, religion, and life after death.

It will keep you on your toes as the two battle it out with psychological warfare, unique stratagem and ruse.

3. Shiki

MyAnimeList score: 7.77

IMDb score: 7.7/10

When an unusual family moves into the isolated town, mysterious events start to unfold.

Megumi Shimizu dreams of the city life after getting tiresome of her repetitive uneventful days at her hometown.

Little does she know, she is soon to die and turn into a vampire.

A doctor attempts to discover and unfold the truth of the mysterious diseases the townspeople are being infected with.

He must stop everyone in town from turning into vampires.

4. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

MyAnimeList score: 8.21

IMDb score: 8.1/10

No, this anime isn’t close to being as cute as the art style might make you believe.

There is something weird and mysterious that starts to happen when the clock strikes.

Senseless murder and torture.

Rika must attempt to discover the murderer before the clock strikes again.

At certain points in time, you’ll find yourself turning your head away from the extreme gore and brutality.

5. Death Parade

MyAnimeList score: 8.19

IMDb score: 7.9/10

Two recently deceased individuals are spawned into a bar where they must battle in games chosen by a roulette that tests their humanity.

A very unique premise with beautiful and realistic art style where the winner shall get a second chance in life.

6. Mirai Nikki

MyAnimeList score: 7.50

IMDb score: 7.6/10

A boy receives the power to see the future on his phone through text messages.

11 other people with similar abilities must fight and kill each other and be the last man standing to become the god of the universe.

The anime also features one of the most maniacal waifus of all time.

7. Perfect Blue

MyAnimeList score: 8.50

IMDb score: 8.0/10

An idol begins to lose her sanity when she cannot distinguishing her true self from her public persona.

Satoshi Kon brings one of the most complex and unique stories in to the medium and presents it in such a masterful and realistic way.

The story will leave you baffled and in a state of paranoia from the masterful visual story-telling and plot structure.

8. The Promised Neverland

MyAnimeList score: 8.60

IMDb score: 8.5/10

A plantation of kids raised for nothing more than to be fed to demons at the ripe age of 6 or 12.

Emma, Norman and Ray discover the secrets of their nanny and the farm and must figure out a way to escape from the plantation before their impending doom.

Contains very creative and unique characters and some very inspiring and heart throbbing moments.

9. Paprika

MyAnimeList score: 8.06

IMDb score: 7.7/10

Paprika is another masterpiece by Satoshi Kon that is very Inception-esque.

A science lab has developed an instrument that allows the user to enter the dreams of other people.

Although the equipment is revolutionary, if it lands in the hands of the wrong people, it can be used for mental terrorism.

This was the last movie Satoshi Kon directed before his premature death.

The anime feature film also won several notable awards listed here on IMdb.

10. Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor

MyAnimeList score: 8.28

IMDb score: 8.3/10

Cardgames and gambling designed to keep people in debt for the rest of their lives.

Kaiji must use his wits and intelligence to outsmart his opponent and get out of his immense debt he has accumulated up in his life.

Which anime has the most unique art style?

In my opinion, Mononoke and Mind Game have the most unique art style in anime.

If you’d like to see more, I have made a list of 19 anime that have the most interesting and unique art style. Every single anime on this list are creative in their own way and showcases the diversity of the types of art style in anime. This list is going to be continually updated as I discover more and more anime in the future. I should note that every anime on this list are not only visually beautiful, but also great in many other aspects such as storytelling.

1. One Piece

One Piece is on this list due to countless number of unique characters and their designs. The anime takes inspiration from multiple different art styles, more recently of the traditional Japanese styles such as woodblock prints to tell the tail of Wano, a land secluded from the world.

There are rich number of characters in the series with features that vastly differentiate from one another. You have people with four elbows, a person with legs twice the size of of their body, giants, dwarves, skeletons, objects with souls, dinosaurs, talking animals that can transform into beasts, etc. One Piece is a living, breathing world therefore the author can incorporate many different inspirations in each island the crew goes to visit.

2. Mind game

Anyone should be able to tell with a single glance that Mind Game has a very distinct and unique artstyle. This is specifically due to artists incorporating actual human faces into the animation. The entire movie is a surreal experience that presents philosophical themes such as the chaos and randomness of the universe and the purpose of life.

There are a lot of metaphors incorporated into this film and so the anime makes for a great re-watch.

3. FLCL

Fooly Cooly is a short OVA series with artstyle that feels very unique and retro. Characters are easily distinguishable and identifiable with exaggerated expressions and features. The anime subtly distinguishes between adults and children by giving mature characters prominent lips. There is just a certain style to the animation that gives it a cool factor.

4. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

A no bullshit, stylish action packed adventure is what Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure offers to its many loyal fanbase. The pure hearted Jonathan Joestar must face against the cunning two-faced Dio who wants nothing more than to inherit the Joestar family name and heirloom. You won’t find room to catch a breath in this intense and exciting adventure anime filled with crazy over the top fight scenes.

Many agree that Jojo contains some of the most unique and intriguing character designs out of any other series. The author attempts to describe a character’s personality by solely looking at what they’re wearing.

5. Bakemonogatari

Bakemonogatari doesn’t only tell a great story, it’s also an oral masterpiece. Visuals are simply there to enhance the dialogue in the story and it does a damn good job of it. Subtle, but essential changes are made to characters such as hairstyles, glasses and outfits which make them distinctive and unique.

6. Ping Pong the animation

Ping Pong the Animation is about two highly skilled ping pong students, Peco and Smile. One is outgoing and the other is quiet and timid respectively. However, there is a hidden potential in Smile that many strong players notice, that Smile’s conservative attitude is making him hold back against the opponents he faces. Understanding this, his coach seeks to train Smile out of this mentality and win the inter-high table tennis competition.

While at a first glance, this anime may seem like you average sports anime, it in fact succeeds in becoming something more than that. Characters are fleshed out as their motivations or lack thereof align with their origin which are displayed meticulously through backstories. The visual aims and succeeds to creating perfect metaphors for the characters range of emotions during heat of battle. Even very minor, one-time characters are given precise development to make the world feel alive.

7. Perfect Blue

Anything by Satoshi Kon is a visual masterpiece and Perfect Blue is a perfect example of this. The story follows an idol transitioning into mature roles such as acting. However, as she further progresses into her new position, she is unable to distinguish between her true personality and her public persona. The visuals are presented in such a precise way to make the viewer feel paranoia as the character descends further and further into madness.

8. Mononoke

The unique direction and art style is the prominent feature of this anime series. This is as unique as one can get with anime. I would bet with utmost certainty that you won’t find another anime with this type of art style.

Character design, more specifically the protagonist of the series, Kusuriuri is very interesting and has many distinguishable features. The story-telling is also very unique and well done. The anime is only 12 episodes long so I would heavily urge you to check this out if you have not already.

Mononoke tells the story of a medicine seller who travels in search of spirit beings known as Mononoke to destroy. In order to defeat the spirits, he must discover their origins and motivations.

9. Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop tells a Sci-Fi story of a pair of experienced Cowboys (Bounty Hunters) Spike and Jet as they hunt for criminals and bring them alive for rewards. The series is very episodic with interesting overarching storyline that is continually being developed in each episode. It is also a timeless staple classic in the anime medium.

Cowboy bebop is very distinguishable from a lot of anime series as it has a very western feel to it. Similar to FLCL, it has a certain cool factor to it. Characters are very stylish with pointy features such as Spike’s jagged hairstyle and Jet’s prominent sharp facial hair. They are also designed to look more realistic with real human proportions. The anime also interestingly uses Bruce Lee as reference for many of Spike’s action sequences.

10. No Game No Life

No game no life has very colourful and vibrant colours. Character look very cute and bubbly but you can also find bountiful supply of fanservice (which is always appreciated).

The story is about two genius siblings who get transported into a game world when asked by an anonymous figure about how they feel about real world and they answer that there is no place for them there. What I like most about this anime is that the main characters are very quick witted and intelligent. They can deduce and process their current situation extremely quickly making them seem more like the villains some of the time.

11. Kotonoha no Niwa

Fluid water droplets, reflections of rainwater, sounds of thunderstorm and heavy rain, the music and atmosphere, ambient background noises. The anime knows how to set the mood. You will truly find yourself immersed in its beauty whether want to or not. The background scenery are drawn so beautifully and precisely along and the colours that are vibrant and dynamic.

Watching this anime on a rainy day really transcends the experience.

12. Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei

Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei follows the life of a man at the end of his college days living with regret for what could have been. Unable to confess to his crush and having wasted his college days with his only supposed “friend” Ozu – a man set on making people’s lives as miserable as possible, he reflects on his past mistakes. When he is thrown into a river, he somehow warps through space and time back into his early college years where he can possibly do things differently.

The art style is very unique and unforgettable. Since much of the artwork uses lighter shades when vibrant colours are used, the contrast becomes very distinct and beautiful. Besides the noteworthy artstyle, the story-telling and dialogue is also nothing short of brilliant. The many internal dialogue by the protagonist fire like bullets, keeping the viewer engaged while the visuals masterfully supports them.

13. Mushishi

Mushi are neither plants nor animals. Much isn’t known about these entities, from their existence to physical appearance. Ginko is a Mushishi that travels the world looking for occurance of these Mushi in order to investigate them.

The story is episodic and feels very poetic and elegant. It tells some very heart-wrenching and emotional stories about the characters Ginko goes to visit.

14. Katanagatari

The most prominent unique feature about this anime are the characters’ eyes. They are very non-anime like. Character designs and their wavy hairstyle look like calligraphy, elegant and simple. Uniforms are also very unique to each character and colour is used to distinctly separate one from the other.

If you enjoyed Bakemonogatari, you will be happy to know that the series is not only action packed but also dialogue heavy.

15. Tekkon Kinkreet

The story takes place in the slums of Takaramachi as two oprhan boys, Black and White attempt to salvage and save their town. The weird and unique character designs are done purposefully since the animation is outstanding and fluid.

Seriously, some of the scenery in this movie will blow you away. It is extremely detailed, convincing, and contrasts beautifully with the cartoony character designs.

16. Gankutsuou

Watching this is like experiencing an acid trip. Designs of the characters costumes look like cosmos and extremely trippy as their outfits flow along with the background rather than with the characters.

The story follows the the Count of Monte Cristo, a man seeking vengeance for those that wronged him in the past while those that encounter him are simply caught in the crossfire of his schemes.

17. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya beings with a bamboo cutter discovering a little girl inside of a bamboo. Believing her to be divine, he takes her to his home as he decide to raise the baby along with his wife.

An interesting fact about this film is that dispite the simplistic art style, it is one of the most expensive japanese movie made to this date.

18. The Eccentric Family

There are three types of residents in Tokyo, the humans, the tengu, and the racoon dogs, two of whom are oblivious to humans. Shimogamo Yasaburou is of the racoon dog whose father was eaten by humans of a group called the Friday Fellows.

The story follows the Shimogamo brothers as they slowly uncover the truth of their father’s demise which keeping themselves from suffering a similar fate.

19. Redline

Redline a Sci-Fi anime about a universal racing event called Redline where racers from all around the galaxies come to race and claim the number one spot. Unfortunately this time, it’s held in a dangerous planet where the inhabitants seek to use this opportunity to its full advantage for their personal gain.

Artistic style is one that is very similar to western comic books, using thick brush strokes that are present in studios such as Marvel and DC comics.

This is a handpicked list of the best 12 episode short anime series made for those who don’t have the luxury of time to watch longer series.

1. Kaguya -sama: Love Is War Season 1 & 2

Kaguya-sama: Love is War is about two competitive, highly intelligent high school students hopelessly in love with one another. Here’s the catch, both of them are so stubborn to the point that neither wants to be the first one to confess. In their mind, whoever confesses first is clearly inferior.

The consequence of their obstinance is an all out mental war resulting in some of the most ridiculously thought out schemes to make the other confess first.

What will make you burst out laughing are the odd predicaments the two put themselves in and the realisation that neither have a sliver of an idea about what the other is thinking. This is a great 12 episode anime series that should you finish it, you’ll certaining be looking for more.

This anime has also been featured in another list: 5 Best Seinen Romance Anime.

2. Black Lagoon

Hot anime girls with guns. That can be the summary of this anime. It can also be called One Piece in real life. All jokes aside, this anime will provide you with some of the greatest fight sequences the action genre has to offer.

Revy is a gun-nut criminal who can be downright maniacal and a lunatic at times, and the anime glorifies it. At times it can be difficult to determine who exactly you should be rooting for.

The artistic tone of the series leans towards the more realistic side to offer the viewer a more mature experience and the animation is very crisp and fluid. Just take my word for it that this is an anime worth watching.

3. Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou

Humor is subjective so this anime inevitably gets some hate but.. to put it simply, Daily Lives of Highschool Boys gets me. By that I mean it offers is my kind of humour.

If you are a long time fan of anime in general, you will definitely get the bountiful parodies and gags this anime offers. It pokes fun at every kind of genre and takes a what if scenario of a scene and makes it a reality.

4. One Punch Man

One Punch Man is another parody esque anime tackling the genre of superheroes. The cycle of superheroes fighting super villains in an endless war has been done 10 times over. Well what if there is a superhero without a super villain? A superhero so strong that he’s simply bored from the lack of excitement and fear that comes from overcoming strong foes.

I bet that piqued your interest didn’t it? It should have, because the premise is just so unique and risky that you must go and witness it for yourself. The story is already so unique and masterfully executed that the quality of the animation is simply icing on the cake.

This anime has also been featured in another list: 5 Most Overpowered Main Characters in Anime.

5. Mob Psycho 100

Kageyama is a middle school student that is too naive and far too strong for his own good. Make sure to not get on his bad side because his psychic powers and emotions are positively correlated.

The dynamic between Kageyama, his naive personality and the con-artist Teruki Hanazawa making money from his powers is what makes the anime such a great watch.

As a note, DON’T LET THE ART STYLE FOOL YOU! The series offers high quality animation and some astonishing action sequences. Because of the short amount of episodes, the serial is content heavy and compact make it a thrilling experience throughout.

This anime has also been featured in another list: 5 Most Overpowered Main Characters in Anime.

6. Sakamoto Desu ga?

Sakamoto is a prodigy at literally everything. There has never been such a perfect character in anime before. He’s handsome, intelligent, athletic, womaniser, philosophical, literally everything. But, why is this anime worth watching you might ask, and to that I say the characters.

There is everything to love about the characters in this short anime, the flawed individuals like you and I overcoming their barriers and obstacles, delinquints with third-dimensional personalities, jealous people realising their own pettiness etc. Everytime I turn this anime on, I can’t help but be inspired by Sakamoto and his humble attitude in life.

Check out the review for this anime: Sakamoto Desu Ga? Review – Making the most of what you have.

7. Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul is your typical boy turns vampire trope, but it masterfully manages to execute the themes it tries to portray – that the concept of good and evil can be tangible and circumstantial based on the society we live in. The story will take you through an emotional rollercoaster with some very tragic and unfortunate events the primary casts face along the way.

The aestheticism of this anime is also in a league of its own with unique character designs and high production value, every scene is wallpaper worthy.

8. Deadman Wonderland

This anime is extremely gruesome with one of the most shocking first episodes in anime. Ganta Igarashi is having a casual day at school when a mysterious person comes and massacres his entire classmates in front of his innocent eyes.

Framed for the death of his classmates, Igarashi has to atone for his actions and is put into a prison amusement park called Deadman Wonderland.

At complete disbelief of what he witnessed and as if things couldn’t get any worse, the amusement park actually hosts numerous games for the prisoners where a wrong move will result in death.

As a note, the girl in the picture is not naked, it’s actually an outfit.

9. Grand Blue

Grandblue is an anime about diving. Or is it? Well.. it’s a little complicated since most of time is spent at university with characters getting piss drunk and buck naked. Iori Kitahara is a freshman at university coming to live with his uncle after coming out of an all boys high school.

He cannot wait to see and meet all the girls to live the ideal college experience. But when he opens the door to his uncle’s diving shop residence hoping to see all the cute girls, his dream gets completely shattered when he’s greeted with a bunch of jacked and nude frats.

I had read this a while back, long before the anime came out and I have to say, it is a pretty solid adaptation. The voice actors are perfectly casted and the gags are properly executed. The animation is also very solid and vibrant.

I will admit that some of you may find it comedy quite repetitive so if you don’t like the first episode, you are definitely not going to like the rest. However, if you enjoy the first episode then it’s a great experience.

10. Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3

I think it’s no surprise for anyone to find this anime on the list. I will admit that I have not seen the anime, but I have read the entire manga series. From the clips I have seen on YouTube and the scores on MAL, I would assume that this is quite a solid adaptation.

If you have not seen or heard of Attack On Titan, it’s about humanity on the brink of extinction due to the world being overrun by man-eating titans. The last of humanity are sheltered inside three gigantic walls keeping the Titans at bay. Attack on Titan is one of those series that just keeps getting better and better every season.

Plot points the author manages to implant early in the series and come back full circle near the end is nothing short of brilliant and amazing. There is no bullshit, just plain and simple art.

11. Boku dake ga Inai Machi [ERASED]

This anime is quite hazy in my brain because I watched it so long ago, but from what I remember, it was pretty unique. Erased is about a 29 year-old mangaka who gets sent back in time roughly 18 years in the past when tragedy strikes. Satoru takes advantage of this phenomenon known as Revival and uses it to his advantage in order to save lives in the future.

The suspenseful and thrilling atmosphere is a truly stand-out feature of the anime. The art style is also quite beautiful and heart-warming. Definitely worth the watch if you’re short on time and looking for an anime with a very unique premise.

12. Prison School

This anime to me, is truly a masterpiece. Everything from my first experience watching it and my initial expectations are still clear in my head. The comedy is really on point with this anime, especially with scenes that are played out so dramatically as though these high school students are facing life or death situations.

This anime has also been featured in another list: 5 Best Seinen Romance Anime.

For those of us who like watching a more mature take on the romance genre, this is the list for you! This list is based on my own personal experience with the anime, along with the rating on myanimelist. They are all very close to my heart and I hope you enjoy watching them as much as I did. Here are the 5 Best Seinen Romance Anime.

1. Prison School

Prison School will undoubtedly surprise you. It certainly surprised me at how masterfully it disguises itself as a simple borderline hentai anime. This is the definition of a hentai anime your watch for plot. The themes this anime manages to explore in such a masterful way is something that is heavily under appreciated. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will genuinely make you sit on the edge of your seats impatient for what’s to come. At certain points in time, I found myself at complete disbelief about how the author managed to get me seriously invested at scenes that were so utterly ridiculous. The ecchi scenes are only icing on the cake with some of the sexiest girls, my personal favourite being the underground student council president, Mari Kurihara. Just look at her, so utterly beautiful.

2. NHK ni Youkoso!

Although this isn’t listed on myanimelist.com as a seinen anime, for me it qualifies due to all the dark themes the anime manages to convey such as suicide and depression. The anime is about Satou, a 22 year old shut in with severe social anxiety. A girl, Misaki comes as a saint-like figure to cure his anxiety by running her own series of experiments. After watching the anime, I heavily urge you to read the manga as while both are quite good, one has a darker tone than the other. I remember watching this anime quite vividly when I was around 14-15 years old. Currently, I am the same age as Satou but with a completely different outlook on life which really hits home on a re-watch. However, whenever I’m feeling down, I try to remember the message this anime conveyed, that we are all strugglers attempting to survive in this vast and open world.

3. Kaguya-sama: Love is War

What an original take on a genre that has already been done a thousand times over. Believe me when I say this anime deserves to get all the praise it gets and should get. Just one, ONE episode was all it took for this anime to hook me in and make me invested in the characters. I don’t remember another romance anime to make me do this in quite a while and which makes it just that much more special. I have also been enchanted by the artstyle present in this anime, and by that I mean the cuteness factor. Kaguya Shinomiya is ferocious and also unbelievably cute. The way this anime manages to juggle the two aspects of her character is also why I love this anime.

4. Kenpuu Denki Berserk (1997)

Berserk is loosely a romance anime, but there is romance so it qualifies nonetheless. I’ll admit, I’ve only read the manga and if the anime is anywhere close to the original, it already qualifies itself as an anime worthy to be on this list. I have seen clips of the older series and the newer 2016 animated series and from what I have seen, the 1997 series best resembles the dark tone of the manga.

5. Aa! Megami-sama!

After getting rejected by a girl for being too short, Keiichi Morisato receives a call and when he answers it, a goddess appears in his room. Apparently he can wish for anything he wants and it will come true. Being heartbroken and without thinking much of it, he wishes for a goddess to be by her side forever. This starts off a very odd adventure between the two as they go about their lives and face daily struggles. I love this anime because it’s such a heart-warming and feel-good series. It makes me want to better myself as a human-being and makes me realise that just as there is pure evil, there can also be pure good in the world. Belldandy is genuine and sees Morisato for who he is and judges him by his character over his physical appearance, making her one of the best waifus around. This series also has one of my favourite opening and ending songs of all time.

There will be one and only criteria for this list; the main characters on this list must be so strong, so overpowered that none of the other characters in that specific series can even compare to them. It can be argued that making a character so strong can make the story very stale and boring since there wouldn’t be any interesting fights or action combats that are not one-sided, but I assure you that every single characters on this list are intriguing enough for the anime to be worth watching.

Most OP MCs in Anime

1. Saitama (One Punch Man)

One Punch Man’s premise is very simple. It’s about a guy who is just too strong that he can defeat any super villain with just one punch. That’s it. If you haven’t heard of it, you’ve probably been living under a rock.

If we were to put every put all of the strongest Anime characters together to fight in a ring, Saitama would win because he is a gag character that can be as strong as the author wants him to be, and it wouldn’t be nonsense. Saitama is so strong that any villain he faces are bound to get one shot by him, as the title suggests. He has become so powerful that he has lost any sense of fear, excitement, and enthusiasm making him feel like he’s lost a part of his humanity. What happens when you become so good at something and there is no competition? I assume it can feel kind of lonely at the top. For this reason, the story manages to explore something so unique that no other anime can replicate.

2. Alucard (Hellsing / Hellsing Ultimate)

The dormant vampire serving as a slave to the Hellsing family is undoubtedly the strongest vampire in all of anime, and probably the coolest too. Hell, I don’t even know if you can call this vampire the hero of the story. He relishes in violence and cruelty, making his enemies think that they even have a split chance of winning then completely overpowering and degrading them. He knows exactly what his limits are and because they are so high, he can act extremely cocky and proud. Alucard doesn’t even bother defending or dodging his enemies attacks since he knows his enemies cant hurt him. Occasionally while watching this series you’ll end up rooting for the enemy side because of just how one-sided the fights can get.

3. Shigeo Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100)

Mob psycho 100 is another popular anime along with one punch man made by ONE. It follows the story of an 8th grade student with extraordinary psychic abilities. He is very similar to Saitama in the sense that he can defeat evil with very minimal effort. He can use a variety of different abilities and learn new abilities with ease as shown in the series multiple times. He can also sense energy spirits within to 20 km, astral project, and also enter into the minds of others. Shigeo’s telekinesis strengths have shown to be able to lift entire buildings and create impenetrable Force Fields. Oh and did I also forget to mention that he can fly.

Mob Psycho 100 is a comedy action supernatural Anime following the story of an eighth grader who works as a spirit cleanser for the con artist, Teruki Hanazawa. The show is very compact and action packed with some of the most hilarious gags and jokes in anime. All in all, what I’m trying to say is that this anime is very good! Don’t believe me? Just look at the IMDb and MyAnimeList scores on the internet.

4. Eikichi Onizuka (Great Teacher Onizuka)

Eikichi Onizuka is kind of an oddball compared to everyone else on this list. The anime doesn’t contain any Supernatural themes and it isn’t really a fighting anime. Despite that, Onizuka has displayed tremendous physical strength, being able to survive falls from buildings, casually sustaining a gunshot wound while rescuing a student from a kidnapping, challenging 100 people to arm wrestling and winning, and he has a second degree in black belt in karate. Onizuka was a gang leader back in his heyday as a high school student who now wishes to be a great teacher to teaching students about what is truly important in life.

5. Light Yagami (Death Note)

Light Yagami is a handsome and intelligent character that turns out into a very tragic character throughout the course of the series. One day at school, Light sees a notebook labelled Death Note and decide to pick it up and take it home. Initially Light thinks that this notebook is a joke or a prank by someone but after writing a criminal’s name down, that person dies soon after, supposedly from a heart attack. Using this notebook, light sets to revolutionise and bring upon a new world with him as God. What makes Light Yagami so strong isn’t just the fact that he has the most powerful murder weapon in history but also has one of the intelligent mind in the world.

6. Smile & Peco

These two boys are childhood friends that are also geniuses at table tennis. Smile is shy and reserved while Peco is confident and loud, so they make for a dynamic duo. When Smile is backed into a corner, a metaphorical “hero” comes to save him making all his movements precise and efficient like a robot. Peco has immense talent for the sport and aims to become the number one player in the world. His ability to soak knowledge like a sponge makes him a terrifying player. Ping Pong the Animation is an 11 episode sports anime series and can arguably be called the best sports anime series of all time.

Additional Overpowered Anime Characters

1. Levi (Attack On Titan)

Levi is undoubtedly the most competent and powerful user of the vertical manoeuvering equipment. The only person that can probably come close to even touching Levi would be Mikasa but even she would struggle in defeating him because of the numerous years of experience he has over her. Levi has been compare to an entire brigade in terms of strength and because he is an Ackerman, he has awakened power which gives him immense physical strength and instinct.

2. Madara Uchiha (Naruto Shippuden)

Madara has countless feeds to suggest that he is he was top of the food chain in terms of strength in Naruto. He not only has the rinnegan which gives him godly powers but also the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, giving him countless other crazy abilities that are impossible to list on this post. He took on the entire ninja Alliance, fought Guy with all 8 gates unlocked, defeated the five Kage, and all nine tailed beasts. He got so strong to the point that it was rumored even the author couldn’t figure out a logical way to defeat him.

3. Gotou (Parasyte)

Gotou is comprised of multiple different parasites making him the strongest parasite in the anime. He’s weird, creepy and downright maniacal.

What makes him extremely terrifying is his emotionless reaction to everything around him, feeling zero remorse for his actions.

I think I can say for most of us that it is a struggle to stay motivated no matter what our hobbies and passions are.

When I’m going through a rough patch it really helps me to watch my favourite anime to see my favourite characters go through the same things that I’m going through.

No matter what kind of hellish circumstances these characters are put into they come out on top, rising above what is expected of them. Much like these characters, I assume you have those that think it’s impossible for you to be something better or they put you down for no other reason than to make themselves feel better. It might not even be other people, maybe you have self destructive thoughts that tell you that you’re not good enough.

Personally, I have a desire to master something so that others may look to me for advice and I can be of some helping hand of sorts. Maybe I’ll never feel good enough; but that isn’t what this is about.

It’s about working towards something that makes us happy to look back on our progress and feel proud that we made it this far.

It isn’t about how hard these characters get knocked down, it’s about how many times they get back up and keep moving forward.

Most Inspiring and Motivational Anime Underdogs

1. Ippo Makunouchi (Hajime no Ippo)

Ippo is a character that has resonated with me for years and will resonate with me for many years to come. His consistent motivation into bettering himself has always inspired me to never give up, no matter what kind of difficult situation I’m going through. There have been moments in my life where I felt that my existence is pointless, that I’ve wasted so many years of my life and doing pointless things like playing games, not being more outgoing and not trying to make friends. But Ippo reminds me of my other good qualities too. I’m not gonna lie and pretend I know what it feels like to lose a dad or support my single mother on the family business, but I think there is something that is relatable about Ippo for everyone. Ippo shows us what struggle is like, what love is like, what having friends is like and how precious they can be.

2. Shirahama Kenichi (History’s strongest disciple Kenichi)

Kenichi is similar to Ippo. He’s been bullied all his life, he doesn’t have any friends and he’s not even good at school. But there is one thing that is really good at and that is, standing up for the things he believes in, standing up for his friends and protecting what is important to him. I guess that is what we all strive to have, people worth fighting for and a reason to keep growing. This is what’s so inspiring about Kenichi. He has a drive to keep improving himself so that he can back up his ideals and prove to others that his philosophy is not misguided. As the story moves forward we see people drastically change their perspective by witnessing Kenichi’s unflinching ideals. And this isn’t just the characters its the viewers who get to witness first hand; what hard work and efforts can lead to.

3. Yukio Tanaka (Beck)

We’ve all felt lonely before and I don’t think there is any other character that better showcases what it’s like to be alone than Tanaka. He is kind and gentle but too shy and timid. He thinks too little of himself so he has no goals and aspirations; nothing to look forward to in life. He has a friend but it’s more like an acquaintance as they have nothing in common. In fact, Koyuki has no one that he can relate to, which can feel extremely lonely. I feel like this sometimes because I don’t have any friends that have something in common with me. I like anime, making art and programming. It’s not like I don’t have friends but they just like the different things from what I like, and I just wonder what it would be like to talk to my friends about personal things I find cool and interesting. When Yuki really starts to shine is when he finds his love for singing and music.

4. Usopp (One Piece)

Usopp is a character that is human in a world full of monsters. He has a grand dream to become the bravest warrior in the sea. Usopp is extremely, extremely relatable. When I take a step back and look at how I would react to the situations that will stop faces every day I come to realise that I would act the same way he does. I would be just as scared as he is if not, more. It is easy to sit back and hate on this character because we are detached from the dangers of the works of fiction. On their defence it is difficult to imagine yourself facing someone that is made out of ice, magma, fire, rubber or light, itself. People that they can lift buildings slice ships and mountainsides rocks in half etc. But Usopp has never given up,he always knows that he can never run away no matter how difficult an opponent might be. He knows that others rely on him just the same way he relies on others. He undermines his value/worth and his contributions in the straw hat crew but he doesn’t realise that he is quite possibly the most versatile member of the crew. He can fix ships make weapons like the climate tact, and he is a very talented marksman.

5. Naruto uzumaki (Naruto)

I guess this was to be expected. Naruto is the definition of an underdog hated by all, lacking talent, friendless and no parents to love him. Despite how much I didn’t like the end of Naruto I can appreciate the authors efforts on creating a character so unique to show that even a person with the whole world against him can rise up and earn admiration from everyone in his village. He carries the will of those before him, fights for those who cannot fight, and he went to rescue the only friend who truly Understood his pain. The authenticity of Naruto is insane. He is brutally honest and has been through the things for most can only imagine.