Power in anime can at times come with a price far heavier than physical strength or magical skill. Characters who possess innate abilities or achieve extraordinary heights may find that these powers come with consequences that affect their lives in immense ways. The cost they pay can range anywhere from isolation to existential torment, all stemming from their power.
The impact of these abilities seeps into every corner of their lives, influencing relationships, motivations, and the paths they must walk. The power they hold can force transformation and sacrifice, and it comes with great internal struggle, showcasing how power can carry weight and come at a high price.
Saitama (One-Punch Man)
Saitama is the central character of One-Punch Man. Despite his plain appearance and seemingly ordinary demeanor, he possesses unparalleled strength that makes him virtually invincible. Every battle he takes part in requires nothing more than a single punch to defeat any opponent, regardless of its size, skill, or resilience.
Iconically, this ultimate ability is something that doesn’t bring Saitama pride or triumph; instead, it becomes a source of frustration and emptiness. He no longer experiences true excitement, fear, or even a sense of accomplishment for any battle. Every encounter becomes predictable and every victory effortless, leaving him trapped in a cycle of existential boredom.
Kyo Sohma (Fruits Basket)
Kyo Sohma is the hot-headed male lead of Fruits Basket, a teenager who is burdened with a family curse that transforms him into a cat when he’s hugged by the opposite sex. As the ostracized Zodiac Cat, he is also cursed with another grotesque, foul-smelling transformation that is triggered when he doesn’t wear his Juzu bead bracelet.
His curse is the worst out of the Sohma family, forcing him into a life of isolation and confinement. Kyo develops a deep-seated sense of self-loathing, unworthiness, and a powerful fear of rejection. While his curse is ultimately broken and he builds a life of happiness, his early years were marked by suffering.
Lelouch vi Britannia (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion)
Lelouch vi Britannia is the protagonist of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion and a former prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. He stands out as a brilliant strategist who is driven to create a world free of tyranny so that his sister, Nunnally, can live a safe and peaceful life.
After gaining an ability known as Geass, a power that allows him to command absolute obedience from anyone he makes eye contact with, Lelouch is given the tools he needs to take on Britannia and achieve his goals. He assumes the identity of the masked vigilante and leader of the Black Knights, Zero.
However, the cost of his power increases the deeper he gets. As the only one capable of controlling others with a gaze, Lelouch becomes burdened by immense responsibility. When his power grows, he learns that he must be careful with his words, or he might command someone to do something he doesn’t truly want.
Eren Yeager (Attack on Titan)
Eren Yeager is the protagonist of Attack on Titan, beginning his story as a passionate and determined young man, driven to destroy the giant man-eating Titans that plague his world. Along with his friends Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackerman, he joins the Scout Regiment, only to later discover that he has the power to transform into a titan himself.
Over time, he gains access to the Founding Titan, which allows him to manipulate other Titans and influence memories. The power of the Founding Titan becomes an immense burden, pushing Eren down a path of destruction and pushing him to make seemingly impossible decisions. His power comes at a high personal cost, leading to isolation and sacrifice.
Yuji Itadori (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Yuji Itadori is the main character of Jujutsu Kaisen and starts his story as an ordinary high school student. However, his life is drastically changed after he swallows a powerful, cursed object, one of Ryomen Sukuna’s fingers, granting him immense cursed energy and the ability to manifest the King of Curses’ power by becoming his vessel.
The price of this power is that Sukuna can use Yuji’s body as his own, placing him under great risk and emotional turmoil. As Sukuna’s vessel, Yuji feels responsible for everything that happens while Sukuna is in control, with the Shibuya Incident weighing heavily on his conscience.
Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
Naruto Uzumaki is the titular character of Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden. He’s an orphaned ninja who was long ostracized by his village due to harboring the Nine-Tails Fox within him. Throughout his childhood, he faced rejection and loneliness, but never gave up on his dream of becoming the Hokage, Konoha’s leader, and gaining the respect of his village.
While harboring the Nine-Tails gives Naruto enhanced strength, speed, and healing, it also comes at a high personal cost. His entire early life had been shaped by fear, hatred, and isolation. As he grew more powerful, Naruto was burdened with controlling the beast’s chakra and faced the danger of losing himself to its destructive influence.
Tomura Shigaraki (My Hero Academia)
Tomura Shigaraki is the leader of the League of Villains in My Hero Academia. He’s someone who has been shaped by trauma and abandonment after his quirk, Decay, caused him unimaginable suffering. His early life experiences instilled a deep resentment toward society, fueling his desire to destroy and dismantle the hero society.
However, due to the nature of his quirk, the cost is great suffering. When his quirk first manifested, the consequences were immediate and severe, leaving Shigaraki orphaned and alone until All For One took him in specifically to become his successor, and fueled Shigaraki’s hatred in his most formative years.
Sailor Saturn (Sailor Moon)
Sailor Saturn, also known as Hotaru Tomoe, is one of the Outer Senshi in Sailor Moon. She is a quiet and fragile girl who harbors incredible latent power. Despite her gentle demeanor, she is destined to wield destructive forces that bring about annihilation and rebirth, making her one of the most powerful Sailor Guardians.
Her power is profound, yet greatly isolating and burdening. Sailor Saturn’s power is tied to her very existence, bringing about her own death and rebirth alongside. She is the last Sailor Guardian to awaken and the most dangerous, making her extremely vigilant and practicing extreme restraint to prevent tragedy.
Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Homura Akemi is a seemingly stoic and mysterious girl in Puella Magi Madoka Magica. However, it becomes clear that she’s fiercely devoted to protecting her friends and willing to sacrifice her own well-being for the sake of others. Using her power to manipulate time, Homura constantly works to prevent tragedy and save others.
However, the cost of this power is devastating, with each reset forcing Homura to endure pain, loss, and the trauma of repeated deaths and failures. Along with her status as a magical girl, Homura is set on a heart-wrenching path that leads to a relentless cycle of sacrifice and isolation that ultimately leads to doom.
Natsuki Subaru (Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World)
Natsuki Subaru is the central character of Re: Zero. He is an ordinary young man who finds himself transported to a fantastical world where he quickly realizes that survival is far from guaranteed. Despite lacking innate magical ability or combat skills, he finds that he has another ability called Return by Death.
This power allows him to come back to life after dying by bringing him back to an earlier point. It grants him the chance to foresee future outcomes because he has already lived them, enabling him to make strategic choices and alter the course of events that would have otherwise led to tragedy.
However, this power comes at an unbearable cost. Each death subjects Subaru to extreme physical and psychological suffering, traumas that he doesn’t forget when he’s brought back in time. He experiences repeated loss, helplessness, and pain, and he is cursed to not share this ability with anyone, leaving him isolated and making his suffering seemingly endless.
