10 Most Overrated Anime Heroes of All Time

A good hero is a character that fans can relate to, one who elevates the story and propels the anime to unprecedented popularity. Popularity is not, however, proof of quality, and there is a need to take a closer look at characters who do not meet the expectations of the medium's fans.

While some anime heroes thrive on narrative complexity, others lack depth or compelling writing, and their actions lack logical consistency but remain relevant due to the momentum of their successful anime franchises. When these characters' layers are peeled back, it becomes clear that they are lacking when nostalgia is taken out of the equation.

Popularity is a double-edged sword, allowing anime characters with superficial appeal and poor writing to escape legitimate criticism. However, to improve the medium, characters who have been elevated to the podium must be called out for insufficient character development and growth. To that end, here are the top ten most overrated anime heroes of all time.

10 Saitama - One Punch Man

Saitama, the protagonist of One-Punch Man, is a subversion of the traditional hero's journey and a satire of common Shonen tropes. He is the most powerful hero in his universe, which bores him and leaves him unmotivated. What makes him an effective satirical take on heroes also makes him one of the least compelling characters in One-Punch Man.

As the most powerful hero in the anime, Saitama can solve most problems with one punch; this eliminates all stakes when he's on screen. All the tension is lost because Saitama serves as a plot device to solve problems that are too difficult for the other characters. Moreover, while his personality/issues work well for gags, they lack any relatability.

The permanent lack of tension due to Saitama's overwhelming power forces the side characters like Genos and King to do the narrative heavy lifting. Saitama is so powerful that his fights have no technical depth; he simply hits his target with one or more punches until they are defeated. Saitama is the weak link in the anime's story.

9 Eren Yeager - Attack On Titan

Eren Yeager is the centerpiece of the titular anime Attack on Titan. Eren starts the anime as a loud, anger-driven, one-note protagonist; his goal of killing all titans shifts to killing 80% of humanity, and his personality becomes that of a cold, calculating schemer over the span of a season, much to viewers' shock.

At the beginning of the anime, Eren is the stereotypical shonen protagonist. Constantly screaming and getting himself into situations where he needed to be bailed out by more competent characters. Furthermore, because of his lineage, he was gifted with titan-shifting powers; at this point, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about his character.

When Eren foresees the future, his character appears to change instantly. The transition from his brash, incompetent teenage self to his goal-driven adult self would have been better served on screen. Eren's ability to see the future also means that he is acting according to a script, removing the character's agency.

8 Light Yagami - Death Note

In an anime lauded as a psychological cat-and-mouse game, the dynamic between the protagonist, Light Yagami, the wielder of the Death Note, and L, the detective set on apprehending him, was the cornerstone of the anime Death Note. This dynamic crumbled when L was killed off, and the "brilliance" once perceived in Light was nowhere to be seen.

Light is never portrayed as a hero. While he disposes of criminals, his misguided sense of justice is born from his desire to be the "god of the new world". Light is supposed to be smart, but his elusiveness often seems to be attributed to the Death Note as opposed to his own planning.

When L was killed, he fell into madness. Fans could no longer see the psychological cat-and-mouse dynamic on display. Light makes a series of poor decisions that eventually lead to his death. By the end of the series, Light's brilliance has faded, so his reputation as one of the smartest anime characters is unfounded.

7 Zenitsu Agatsuma - Demon Slayer

Zenitsu is a character in Demon Slayer that was introduced to a lukewarm reception. He embodies some of the most annoying traits an anime hero could have: he is whiny, cowardly, and a womanizer, constantly pestering the other characters and harassing Nezuko. All of his cool moments were relegated to when he was asleep, therefore losing all agency.

After learning of his master's demise, Zenitsu finally decides that he needs to get serious to avenge him. However, by this time, the anime was already nearing its final battle. He spends most of the series being a nuisance to the characters and a pain to watch, unless he is asleep.

Though his development is apparent in his final battle against Kaigaku, it is more of a personality shift than a steady, consistent growth. With his master's death as a catalyst, he instantly switches gears, and though this led to some cool moments, he remained largely unchanged until that point in the story.

6 Asta - Black Clover

Asta is the protagonist of Black Clover, and he is meant to be the underdog that viewers should root for. Asta dreams of becoming the Wizard King, even though he lacks magic. Instead, he trains his body to the best of his ability and acquires anti-magic, which he can use to negate the magic of others.

The problem is that Asta is portrayed as an underdog, yet he possesses anti-magic capable of nullifying others' magic, regardless of how hard they train. The story ignores how powerful anti-magic is to paint Asta as an underdog. Asta also fits the trope of a loud, generic Shonen protagonist who constantly screams.

Additionally, Asta is a static character who remains the same throughout the story. He never seems to question his goals or actions; as the world around him changes, he remains constant. This resulted in him coming across as a flat character who is endearing but not compelling from a narrative standpoint.

5 Meliodas - Seven Deadly Sins

Meliodas is the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins and the Sin of Wrath, and the anime's main protagonist. Fans who are initially drawn to his laid-back demeanor are quickly turned off by his tendency to harass and sexually assault the underage Princess Elizabeth. This harassment is never addressed seriously in the story and is treated as a gag.

Furthermore, Meliodas remains a static character for the majority of the story. The changes he does experience are temporary and caused by external forces, but his personality remains fundamentally unchanged. He is at the center of much of the action in the series as one of the strongest characters, but aside from the fights, he doesn't add much complexity.

Meliodas' character has some interesting aspects, such as his relationship with the demon king and his curse of immortality, but they are overshadowed by his constant lewd behavior, which the story does not acknowledge. What was supposed to be a harmless joke turns out to be offensive, and the anime appears to justify it rather than condemn it.

4 Izuku Midoriya - My Hero Academia

In the anime My Hero Academia, Izuku Midoriya is the story's protagonist, and viewers are expected to follow his journey from student to Pro Hero. Midoriya has been a polarising figure in anime because of his reputation as a "crybaby". While emotional vulnerability should be encouraged, his constant crying could be interpreted as a narrative crutch.

My Hero Academia portrays Midoriya as an underdog. In a world where 80% of people have a quirk, he was quirkless, but when the number one hero, All Might, gives him his quirk, his fortune changes. He began to feel less like an underdog when he gained 6 additional quirks in a world where most get none.

The emphasis shifted from Midoriya learning to master his strength to him acquiring a quirk that could easily compensate for his shortcomings. By the end of the anime, he had never mastered the core quirk completely. The stakes that were introduced, putting his body in danger if he did not master his quirk, had no consequences and seemed pointless.

3 Nico Robin - One Piece

Nico Robin is the intellectual center of the Straw Hat Pirates in the anime One Piece. Her job is to interpret Poneglyphs, explain history, and translate texts; this gives her a passive role in the story. What fans loved about her, the edge and mystery she was introduced with, faded as soon as she joined the Straw Hats.

Having a good introduction is not enough, and Robin is proof of that. After discovering her right to exist in Enies Lobby, she lost all relevance to the story. Her fruit, the Hana Hana no Mi, is very useful in combat, but she is limited to fighting nameless fodder. The story happens around her, and she is no longer a force driving the narrative.

One Piece has a severe lack of relevant female characters, which is why it is unfortunate that Nico Robin has lost much of her compelling qualities over time. After the two-year time jump, she lost her distinct visual identity and darker skin tone, blending in with the other women in the series who had similar designs.

2 Natsu Dragneel - Fairy Tail

Natsu Dragneel, the protagonist of Fairy Tail, is a divisive figure in the anime community. He is beloved for his energy and loyalty to his friends, but is also a good example of some of the most frustrating tropes in the shonen genre. Ironically, all of the anime's high and low points stem from this duality.

One of Fairy Tail's most frequently criticized tropes is its overreliance on the power of friendship. The power of friendship is a term used to describe scenes in which characters overcome an obstacle with no logical basis other than their friends' assistance. Natsu also lacks character development and remains the same throughout the anime.

Natsu is a product of his time and fits the loud, hungry, air-headed protagonist archetype to a tee. His character is therefore derivative of characters such as Goku or Luffy, without breaking the mould; he is relegated to a weak role in an otherwise colorful ensemble cast.

1 Kirito - Sword Art Online

Kirito is Sword Art Online's main character and the poster boy for bland, trapped-in-a-game isekai protagonists. His character is a blank slate with no distinguishing traits or personality, allowing him to serve as a wish-fulfillment figure for viewers. This type of characterization produces an uninteresting, difficult-to-invest-in character.

Despite his lack of personality, Kirito has a harem, a group of girls who are drawn to him for no discernible reason other than being a nice guy. He is the best player in the game, with rare abilities that can eliminate all stakes. He can be described as a Gary Stu due to his lack of observable flaws.

Kirito is too "perfect", and characters without flaws are boring and difficult to root for. A perfect opportunity to add depth to the character would be an honest exploration of the psychological toll that losing friends to the game has taken on him, but any trauma he should have is ignored in favor of fan service and spectacle.