Dragon Ball is famous for its high power levels. At first, it was impressive to watch fighters pummel each other in yearly tournaments, but soon, the story called for cataclysmic power levels from protagonist Son Goku and his never-ending line of villains. Eventually, no matter his various defeats and deaths, it felt like Goku was seriously overpowered. He left Super Saiyan in his dust as he gained Super Saiyan Blue and even Ultra Instinct, making him Universe 7's ultimate champion.
It's not easy to clear a bar like that, but some anime characters still pull it off. Either compared to Goku directly or relative to their own anime universes, some anime characters are even more OP than Goku has become in Dragon Ball Super. In certain cases, those characters manage to hit even harder than Goku, or they have unusual and downright unfair attributes that Goku lacks. The end result is always the same: a hero or villain who breaks the combat system's rules to become nigh-unbeatable.
Solo Leveling: Thomas Andre's Most OP Moments, Ranked
These OP moments cemented Thomas Andre’s reputation as a national level hunter in Solo Leveling.
Sung Jinwoo is an Unstoppable, Reality-Bending Warrior in Solo Leveling's Later Arcs
Jinwoo is the Face of Overpowered Self-Insert Fantasies in a Good Way
Few anime characters embody the idea of an OP hero more than Solo Leveling's leading man, Sung Jinwoo. That is practically the entire point of the Solo Leveling adventure, with Jinwoo being a straightforward power fantasy for gamers as a cool guy who never stops leveling up. It's true Goku keeps reaching new heights, but this idea is more formal and more easily measured for Jinwoo. He went from an E-rank hunter to an S-rank one, and in later story arcs, he's transcended the hunter ranking system altogether in the eyes of fans.
So far in the Solo Leveling anime series, Jinwoo has certainly not surpassed Son Goku, but it's clear he is steadily catching up as a fellow OP anime star. Fans can easily see how Jinwoo will leave Goku in the dust, what with his ever-growing army of Shadows and his ability to take on Monarchs in battle. Goku may get stronger after fighting his foes, but Jinwoo can level up and claim his fallen enemies as his minions, from Igris to the orcs to the Ant King.
Rimuru Tempest Has an Army's Worth of Magic Spells and Vast Political Influence
Rimuru Maxed Out the Concept of an OP Isekai Hero
Rimuru Tempest is another name that simply must be included in any list of overpowered anime characters. He's the star of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, widely recognized as both one of the best and most OP isekai protagonists. Lore-wise, Rimuru is quite compelling and entertaining with his noble mission to create an inclusive nation of monsters. Notably, Rimuru has become quite adept at statecraft and international politics, allowing him to influence the world in ways Goku cannot.
Solo Leveling: Sung Jinwoo's Most OP Anime-Only Moments, Ranked
From E-rank to unstoppable, Jinwoo’s journey turns every battle into a showcase of instinct, strategy, and a presence that dominates the battlefield.
As for combat power, Rimuru's arsenal is more richly varied than Goku's own. Rimuru doesn't go Super Saiyan or use Kaio Ken, but he can morph into a variety of creatures, cast a stunning number of spells, and absorb his foes. Some Dragon Ball characters can absorb others, such as Cell, but Rimuru can do it too, and more so than any Dragon Ball character. Rimuru is also tougher than Goku, in light of his rapid regeneration and limited vulnerabilities as an OP slime.
Pride is an Unbeatable Mass of Shadows
In Pride's World, He Fears No Enemy Except Edward Elric
Pride the homunculus from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is OP in a totally different way than Goku is. Pride and his fellow homunculi aren't the type to level mountains or deliver bone-shattering punches, but Pride is terrifying by other means that would even unnerve Goku himself. Above all, Pride is OP because his true body is a mass of shadows, one that can be contained but never harmed. His Selim Bradley body is unkillable, and that goes double for his true form.
A living shadow fears no attack, while Goku has died more than once from attacks that would mean little to Pride. And unlike Goku, Pride can spread himself all over the place to spy on Father's enemies with ease thanks to his many eyes. Bright light or complete darkness might hold Pride at bay, but it's rare for Pride's enemies actually to use those temporary weaknesses against him. Even when that works, those moves just keep Pride away, not actually harm him.
Haruhi Suzumiya Doesn't Realize She Can Reshape the Universe
Her Godly Desires Are Rooted in Her Boredom
Many OP anime characters are action stars or supervillains who dominate the battlefield, but not all. For every Goku, Satoru Gojo, ort Saitama, there is a Haruhi Suzumiya. She is the central character of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, who makes the concept of being overpowered more refreshing. She's not a warrior longing for a real challenge. Rather, Haruhi is a godlike being seeking some fun in life, no matter what form the universe may take.
Haruhi can create and destroy worlds and timelines with utter ease, but the funny part, she doesn't even know it. That's the most memorable part of Haruhi's character and the anime she calls home, with the other members of the SOS Brigade trying to manage divine powers that no one can fully understand or handle.
Eren Yeager Commanded a Legion of Titans
He Also Had Previous Titan Shifters to Command
In a head-to-head battle, it's anyone's guess whether Eren Yeager or Goku will win. That's because Attack on Titan's antihero fights not just with his own Titan Shifter powers, but an endless army of Colossal Titans who once made up the three walls. Goku's power levels are the stuff of legend, but Eren's Founding Titan's power makes him the commander of the biggest army the shonen world has ever seen.
My Hero Academia: All Might's Most OP Moments, Ranked
These moments proved just how great of a hero All Might is.
What also makes Eren more OP than Goku is the fact that he can flatten the entire world in just a few days with so many bodies to command. Goku is just one man, while Eren's plodding army can spread out and pulverize entire nations in a matter of hours. On top of all that, Eren wields the strength of all former Titan Shifters. That reinforces the notion of him being a one-man army who can tap into any and all of the Titan power that Ymir created 2,000 years ago.
Yhwach Can Use The Almighty to Jump Into Any Desired Timeline
Yhwach Used That Ability to Make a Fool of Ichibe Hyosube
Bleach's heroes already had their hands full when ex-Captain Sosuke Aizen went rogue and fused with the Hogyoku. It took all Ichigo Kurosaki had with Kisuke Urahara's aid to take Aizen down, only for Yhwach to show up about 17 months later. King Yhwach of the Quincy empire is Bleach's most overpowered character and one of the most OP fighters in all of shonen, even when Goku is involved. Arguably, Goku does hit harder than Yhwach with sheer offensive power, but Yhwach can do things Goku cannot even imagine.
Thanks to the power of The Almighty, Yhwach may view all timelines in battle and enter one at will to control the flow of battle. Thus, he simply cannot be defeated on the field of battle, not with him hijacking the web of possible realities like that. It feels like Yhwach is breaking all the rules, and no one in Dragon Ball can compete with such an ability.
Jibril Ranks First Among All Flugel in Disboard's World
Only Tet's Game Rules Keep Jibril in Check
The isekai anime No Game No Life is famed for its thrilling battles of wits when Sora and Shiro outfox their foes, but in the backstory, there's another kind of power. In the present, Tet's rules in Disboard ensured that clever gameplay matters above all, but the prequel anime movie sets all that aside. In those long-lost days, the sixteen races fought devastating wars, with the Flugels ranking near the top. The strongest of them all is Jibril, the battle maniac who shows no mercy.
In today's world, Jibril was kept in check by Tet's rules. That's fortunate, because otherwise, Jibril could wipe out entire nations by herself with her astonishing powers. Her speed, destructive strength, and durability are practically peerless, and it all compares well to what Goku can do. Goku is powerful too, but he is totally mortal, while Jibril is something else entirely.