Overpowered or "OP" becomes a dreaded term when used to describe a protagonist of any story. Why bother exploring the story of a character already at the top of their game, right? Fortunately, some anime that feature OP main characters still shine thanks to ridiculous shenanigans or overwhelming threats that will make any audience root for the protagonists.
For viewers who just don't have the time to experiment, some anime with overpowered main characters feature powerful first episodes that could grab anyone's attention. Fortunately for fans, there are so many great anime with OP MCs, they can easily spend months working through all of them.
Anime with powerful protagonists who have clear weaknesses or equals will not be included, and the same applies to shows that do not emphasize their leads' overpowered nature. Shows like Dragon Ball, Naruto, and Rurouni Kenshin will not be included.
Also, Chinese Donghua shows have been omitted; that said, The Daily Life of the Immortal King is well worth a watch for anybody craving an OP MC animated series. The show is available on Crunchyroll.
Updated on January 25, 2026 by Mark Sammut: Winter 2026 is well underway, and the lineup has a few overpowered protagonists. So far, none of them seem likely to rank among the best all-time shows, especially if you don't consider Sentenced to be a Hero as a qualifying example (and I don't).
If you want a great recent OP MC anime, check out Secrets of the Silent Witch, which I have added to the rankings. I've also created a quick picks section and placed it at the end of the article.
What Makes An Anime Protagonist Overpowered?
Not all overpowered MCs are born equal, and not all absurdly powerful characters qualify as OP. While their abilities play a part, a character's OP status is entirely dependent on context. Let's take the most cliché example of a strong character who is not OP: Dragon Ball's Goku. In a vacuum, the iconic shonen protagonist has seemingly no ceiling, to the point of reaching the level of a god in recent arcs. He can pull off incredible feats that put to shame most OP MCs; however, within his universe, Goku nearly always goes up against opponents who either match or surpass him. Hell, he is not even the strongest character in Dragon Ball.
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To qualify as OP, a protagonist's overwhelming strength has to not only be beyond question but also acknowledged by the story. They might have enemies, but they have no rivals who present anything close to a threat. Whether they can accomplish anything or can just do a single thing really well, they stand unopposed.
Why Are OP Anime MCs So Popular?
Ah, the age-old question: why are there so many overpowered anime protagonists? How are people not bored with these shows yet? Well, simply put, power fantasies sell. The most beloved and long-lasting anime are battle shonen stories, and they offer another type of power fantasy that emphasizes the MC's endless struggle to achieve their dream and maximize their potential. OP MC anime fast-forward through the "struggle" part and jump directly to the end-point, allowing viewers to enjoy a carefree adventure where victory is never in doubt.
At the end of the day, most anime is designed to offer an escape from reality, and these types of stories are the ultimate form of this concept. You get to live vicariously through a character who can accomplish incredible feats without really trying, and their "normal" everyday skills are praised rather than ignored. Their effortless charm naturally attracts the attention of the opposite sex, and they do not need to do anything besides exist.
35 Clevatess
Clevatess
Clevatess
- Release Date
- July 2, 2025
- Network
- AT-X
- Writers
- Yūji Iwahara, Keigo Koyanagi
- Japanese Title
- Clevatess: Majuu no Ou to Akago to Shikabane no Yuusha
- Studio
- Lay-duce
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator(s)
- Yūji Iwahara
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Clevatess is a different type of OP MC anime, as the protagonist (Cleavatess) self-imposes a few weaknesses when he takes on his human form. A powerful demon feared by humanity, Cleaeatess wipes out a batch of heroes who were set to kill him, and he responds by laying siege to their castle and destroying everything. However, the long story short is that he becomes the parent of a young child of royal blood. Alongside a zombie hero and a milkmaid, Cleveatess travels through the land, trying to determine whether humanity is worth saving or not.
Clevatess very much falls in the dark fantasy side of things, bringing to life a world that is unwelcoming to pretty much anybody. Cleveatess is not exactly a force for good either, as he is primarily driven by a desire to preserve his own monster kind. He can be cruel, vicious, ugly, and vile; however, he is also fair, in a twisted way. Clevatess is a great show and an easy recommendation for anyone craving a dark fantasy.
34 I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Season 2
Azusa
I've Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years And Maxed Out My Level
- Release Date
- 2021 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- AT-X
- Directors
- Ryuta Imaizumi, Mamoru Hatakeyama, Ryuta Yamamoto, Takahiro Okawa
- Japanese Title
- Slime Taoshite 300-nen, Shiranai Uchi ni Level Max ni Nattemashita
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator(s)
- Morita Kisetsu
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Stories with overpowered protagonists tend to lean into action, and that is the logical direction to pursue. However, this concept is surprisingly perfect for slow-life fantasies, as the main character's OP nature removes any real stakes and just lets them enjoy their freedom.
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level is one of the better "slice of life" power fantasies, as Azusa mostly spends her days goofing off with other girls that she has adopted. Occasionally, a fight with a dragon might break out, but these moments are few and far between. Generally, this anime is all about good vibes.
33 Kaiju No. 8
Kafka Hibino
Kaiju No. 8
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Japanese Title
- Kaijuu 8-gou
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Naoya Matsumoto
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Full admission, I went back and forth on whether to include Kaiju No. 8, just because Kafka is not so overpowered that he has no challengers. The anime is set in a world where massive and strong monsters regularly terrorize cities, so it would not make sense for the titular kaiju to be beyond unstoppable.
That said, Kafka can feel unbeatable at times, and he is only really matched by the absolute most powerful monsters, only one of which presented any sort of challenge during season 1. The protagonist is also constantly growing stronger as he gains more control over his transformation, so he has not reached his ceiling yet (in the anime).
Finally, Kaiju No. 8 is just an entertaining action shonen anime. Who doesn't like watching kaiju smash things and, then, be smashed themselves?
32 I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability
Lloyd Saloum
I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- Japanese Title
- Tensei shitara Dainana Ouji Datta node, Kimama ni Majutsu wo Kiwamemasu
- Studio
- Tsumugi Akita Animation Lab
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator
- Kenkyo na Circle
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
While not completely unheard of, anime with overpowered children are surprisingly rare, especially action-heavy ones that regularly showcase the protagonist’s incredible abilities. I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince is not only an exception, but it also revels in the absurdity of a young boy demolishing powerful demons and mages like they are nothing. More importantly, the show has the budget and direction to craft set pieces that enable Lloyd, the MC, to go for broke and outshine most of his reincarnated contemporaries.
Very much self-aware, I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince blends over-the-top battle sequences with hilarious facial reactions, typically courtesy of villains who are utterly baffled by the child protagonist’s god-like displays of magic. Born into royalty but having no responsibilities due to being 7th in line for the throne, Lloyd can just spend all his time studying magic, and he is obsessed with the practice. In the first episode, he overwhelms a powerful demon so badly that the latter is reduced to a whimpering mess. It is great.
31 Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord
Yumiella Dolkness
Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2024-00-00
- Network
- AT-X
- Directors
- Shunji Yoshida, Yui Kanbe, Kim Seung-deok
- Japanese Title
- Akuyaku Reijou Level 99: Watashi wa Ura-Boss desu ga Maou dewa Arimasen
- Studio
- Jumondo
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator(s)
- Satori Tanabata
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Villainess isekai anime have become popular in recent years, and that is likely to remain the case since the subgenre took over the light novel scene in the mid-2010s. For the most part, these stories feature competent protagonists, but they usually fall just short of being overpowered. Villainess Level 99 is a pretty notable exception, with Yumiella being an absolute powerhouse who basically breaks the otome game she finds herself in.
Finding herself living as a game's hidden boss, Yumiella wants to just keep her head down to avoid a negative conclusion; however, she also decides to train very hard to ensure she can protect herself and the world if necessary. Before long, she has maxed out her stats, making her so overpowered that she terrifies the story's supposed heroine.
30 Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest
Hajime Nagumo
Arifureta: From Commonplace To World's Strongest
- Release Date
- 2019 - 2025-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Japanese Title
- Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou
- Studio
- Asread, White Fox, Studio Mother
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator
- Ryo Shirakome
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Based on a well-liked light novel, Arifureta's anime adaptation got off to a rather bad start, with season 1 garnering quite a bit of criticism for its pacing and omitted content. While not amazing, season 2 was an improvement, and that upward momentum was maintained by Fall 2024's third cour. On paper and in execution, Arifureta is the quintessential weak-to-strong isekai. The story even begins with a protagonist who is left to die by his classmates, only to quickly show them and become one of the most powerful people in their new world (and it happens pretty quickly, too).
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Flawed as the show can be at times, Hajime is a pretty entertaining protagonist. He is charismatic enough to justify his ever-growing harem, all the while demonstrating constant cunning and maturity regarding political situations. While he steamrolls most enemies, Hajime makes clever use of his powers.
29 Zenshu
Natsuko Hirose
ZENSHU
- Release Date
- 2025 - 2025-00-00
- Japanese Title
- Zenshuu.
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Creator(s)
- Kimiko Ueno, Mitsue Yamazaki
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
The most OP isekai anime MC of Winter 2025, Zenshu's Natsuko has a power that allows her to give life to her drawings, and she has a vivid imagination that is filled to the brim with entities that could destroy armies without too much effort. A young animator who experienced early success but is struggling with her follow-up effort, Natsuko chokes on a piece of food and, somehow, winds up in the world of an anime movie she watched as a kid. As this story is known for ending on a dark note, Natsuko wants to help out the heroes and, hopefully, pave the way to a nicer conclusion; fortunately, she has a special pen that turns her into a borderline god.
Zenshu deserves credit for balancing an excessively powerful ability, introducing restrictions that ensure Natsuko cannot just draw away any threat without breaking a sweat. The pen decides when it can be used, and Natsuko has to constantly come up with new drawings. These limitations allow the story to maintain a degree of tension.
28 Bofuri: I Don't Want To Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense
Maple
BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense
- Release Date
- 2020 - 2023-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Japanese Title
- Itai no wa Iya nanode Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu
- Studio
- Silver Link
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator
- Yuumikan
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
Not every story set in an MMO is isekai; sometimes, an anime just wants to follow a girl who inadvertently breaks a game, driving the creators mad in the process. Bofuri is just a blast, delivering a stress-free experience that contains plenty of humor along with a surprising number of fights (season 2 in particular). Not experienced with games as she starts her first virtual reality MMORPG, Maple decides to invest all her stats in defense, just to ensure she does not get hurt. Due to a bit of luck and a lack of foresight from the developers, she ends up destroying the game's balance, becoming ridiculously overpowered as she tanks everything thrown her way.
As it is just a game with no stakes, Bofuri's action sequences are, admittedly, style over substance. However, they are generally entertaining since they are driven entirely by the characters' lovable personalities, and that goes beyond Maple. The anime wisely pairs the protagonist with capable but vulnerable players, adding a touch of strategy to all her encounters. Still, the most memorable moments almost all revolve around Maple's silly OP nature.
27 Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious
Seiya Ryuuguuin
Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious
- Release Date
- October 2, 2019
- Japanese Title
- Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru
- Studio
- White Fox
- Based On
- Novel & Light Novel
- Creator
- Light Tuchihi
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
Countering the overpowered nature of Demon Lord’s Takuma is Seiya Ryuuguuin of Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious. As with other isekai stories, Seiya takes the role of a protagonist also called forth by a goddess (this time Ristarte) to save the world (this time Gaeabrande) from an evil Devil Lord. And while Seiya has power levels far greater than most heroes Ristarte has encountered, it’s his overcautious nature that drives her to her wits’ end.
Whereas the OP-ness of an isekai protagonist is usually shown with them almost shrugging off most problems, Seiya’s overpowered nature is shown in his deliberate overpreparation for most situations. It doesn’t help that Seiya is portrayed to possess more than enough power to contend with most threats anyway. In the end, Cautious Hero shows that the true measure of being overpowered may rely not on how heroes showcase awesome power but on how they can prepare to settle the most intense of conflicts with the barest minimum effort.
26 Uncle From Another World
Yousuke Shibazaki (Ojisan)
Uncle From Another World
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2023
- Japanese Title
- Isekai Ojisan
- Studio
- Atelier Pontdarc
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator(s)
- Hotondoshindeiru
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
Now, here is a very different type of OP isekai anime. Typically, these stories are unapologetic power fantasies where viewers can live vicariously through a protagonist who becomes a demi-god in their new world, demolishing fools, toppling empires, and conquering hearts in the process. It is the ultimate escapist fantasy. Usually, these shows do not involve a main character who is constantly described as an "orc" or spends years roaming on his own as an outcast, all the while being utterly oblivious to any romantic interest.
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Uncle From Another World follows Ojisan as he tries to make the most of his isekai adventure, which proves to be very difficult when the rest of the world seems to regard him as some type of monster who is so hideous that his mere presence can trigger screams of terror. Sure, he has a direct line to the spirits, granting him access to some cool spells, but who is going to protect his self-esteem?