Naruto is a beloved shonen anime with a massive fan following due to its inspiring protagonist and riveting story arcs. It played a significant part in popularizing anime to a bigger audience. Almost every character is appreciated for their contribution to the story and loved for the role they played in Naruto’s journey to become a Hokage.
However, a majority of fans consider Sakura, the main female character of the series, someone who does not come off as useful as others. But she is not alone in that category, as every anime has its fair share of characters who either fail to showcase potential or remain underutilized.
Yamcha Is the Butt of All Jokes in Dragon Ball
A confident Yamcha talks against a blue sky with one cloud.Image via Toei Animation
Yamcha got the shorter end of the stick as a cast member of an anime like Dragon Ball, where most fighters grow increasingly powerful with time instead of dwindling in their abilities. When he was first introduced, he showcased considerable potential as he was one of the very few who posed a legitimate challenge to Goku and even trained under Master Roshi. But soon, he started losing credibility, especially in Dragon Ball Z.
Here, Yamcha is killed by a Saibaman, one of the weakest enemies in the entire series, making his death just embarrassing. From then on, rather than becoming better after such a failure, he becomes irrelevant in the later arcs. Adding insult to injury, he even loses Bulma, as she later starts a family with Vegeta, marking a personal low point for Yamcha.
Shinobu’s Revenge Ends in A Pathetic Way in Demon Slayer
Shinobu angrily grabs her haori while confronting Doma in Demon Slyer: Infinity CastleImage via Ufotable
Kocho Shinobu gets a decent amount of screen time in Demon Slayer as the enigmatic Insect Hashira. But throughout the series, she was hardly shown fighting any proper battle with immense impact, till the Infinity Castle Arc. She mainly stayed involved in healing Tanjiro and his friends at her home, which also operates as their training base from time to time.
The only time Shinobu directly confronted a powerful demon was when she took on Doma. This is also because she is physically not strong enough to cut a demon’s head off and has to rely on poisons to wound her opponent. But even here, her role was cut short as she could not fatally wound the Upper Moon 2 and was absorbed by him in the process. Shinobu definitely contributes to Doma’s downfall, but indirectly, making her presence in Demon Slayer lukewarm.
Renji Abarai Was Just Never Strong Enough in Bleach
Renji uses Soo Zabimaru against Uryu in Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War. Image via Studio Pierrot
Renji Abarai from Bleach is, hands down, one of the strongest Soul Reapers from Soul Society, but that strength hardly ever yields any concrete result. Whenever a battle happened, Renji was the first one to get defeated or become an outright burden, where he would need assistance from others rather than helping them beat an enemy. Previously, when he would get beaten by low-level Arrancars, he himself was weak, with his Zabimaru being ineffective most of the time.
However, Renji finally achieved the upgraded Bankai form of Soo Zabimaru, which is a melee-focused weapon that can even turn enemies to ash. But even after all that, this did nothing against Uryu, who shoots through Renji’s chest and mercilessly defeats him in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. Needless to say, Renji’s upgradation led to unsatisfactory results.
Hinata Might Be Worse Than Sakura in Naruto
Hinata Uzumaki looks surprised as her hair blows back in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.Image via Studio Pierrot
The female characters of Naruto really suffer from faulty writing, where many of them just get reduced to being damsels in distress, and Hinata is one such example. Her background is strong, considering she hails from the respected Hyuga Clan, which descended from the Otsutsuki clan. She also possesses the Byakugan, a unique kekkei genkai that grants users an almost all-encompassing field of vision.
It also allows its wielders to see through solid matter and sense the flow of chakra within the body. However, even with such broken abilities, Hinata hardly had any important accomplishments in a battle, despite being a kunoichi herself. Her presence has mainly been used to showcase her having a crush on Naruto, who will eventually become her husband. In that case, her contribution is even less than Sakura, who at least saved Naruto multiple times.
Leorio Gets Carried by His Friends in Hunter x Hunter
Leorio appears serious in Hunter X HunterImage via Madhouse
In Hunter x Hunter, many characters are exceptional, with monstrous capabilities, and among them, Leorio is one of the few normal ones. He is like a dependable big brother who truly cares for his friends and keeps the group united. However, one cannot deny just how not-so-powerful he is compared to the people he hangs out with.
He managed to pass the Hunter Exam thanks to his luck and huge plot armor. Even in the final phase of the exam, Leorio passed without any issues because his match got interrupted as Killua killed Leorio’s opponent. The only defining moment for Leorio was when he confronted Ging for his nonchalant attitude towards his own son, Gon. He goes on to punch Ging with his new move, but beyond that, he has little to define his character.
Lucy’s Potential Was Wasted on Fan Service in Fairy Tail
Lucy wears her Aquarius outfit while baring her teeth.Image via A-1 Pictures
Lucy from Fairy Tail suffers from the recurring shonen trope where female characters are portrayed as burdens rather than essential assets to their teams. Even when she has the Celestial Spirit Gate Keys with which she can summon Celestial Spirits, she hardly ever wins any fights. This is mainly because she barely uses her spirits to their full potential.
It’s only after she acquires her Star Dresses that she begins to make a more meaningful contribution in combat. Since she is not very physically strong herself, she is also often vulnerable when enemies choose to attack her directly. But the biggest issue with Lucy’s character is the fact that she is mostly written for fan service in Fairy Tail. She will go through wardrobe malfunctions even in high-stakes battles, making the intention behind such occurrences obvious.
Erwin Might Have Been a Better Choice Than Armin in Attack on Titan
Armin Arlert with a stern expression and bandages around his head.Image by Wit Studio
Armin is one of the most intelligent characters from Attack on Titan, whose smartness often stays more theoretical than practical. From the moment Levi chose Armin instead of Erwin as the inheritor of The Colossal Titan, it seemed as if he could not showcase his worth as openly anymore. Apart from that, Armin also has subpar combat skills compared to others, and thus, he often becomes a liability in a series where survival depends on strength and adaptability.
But the main criticism of Armin is that, despite having the power to turn into one of the strongest Titans and produce game-changing results, he barely utilized that ability within the series. He seldom transforms into The Colossal Titan, which helped him destroy the Marleyan Navy and its ships. This reveals Armin’s lack of self-confidence, something he struggles with for the majority of Attack on Titan.
Hawks’ Story Ended Before It Truly Began in My Hero Academia
Hawks makes a weary smile in the rain.Image by studio Bones.
Hawks was introduced as one of the most dynamic and complex characters from My Hero Academia. His potential was immense because he was a living example of how faulty and corrupted the Hero Public Safety Commission was from within. They used his situation to train him into a hero who would follow their orders. What could have been developed into strong social commentary is instead brushed aside.
Hawks simply ended up becoming the new president of the Commission, sidelining him in traditional shonen anime style. Apart from that, as a hero, he also becomes practically useless in terms of ability after his battle in the Paranormal Liberation War. Later, when All For One steals his quirk, he becomes completely quirkless from then on. He is not really a valueless character, just heavily underutilized for the capabilities he carries.
Reigen Takes Advantage of Mob in Mob Psycho 100
Arataka Reigen is talking casually with a fist against his cheekImage via Studio Bones
The case with Reigen Arataka is pretty funny because when it comes to powers in an anime where abilities are obviously favored, Reigen is no doubt useless. He runs a psychic-related service business despite having no psychic powers, as he cons people by claiming he is the greatest psychic of the century. On top of that, he takes advantage of Mob, who does the real exorcism job, making Reigen practically a dead weight, both in battle and in business.
Reigen’s whole identity is built on deception, and even when a proper fight ensues, he is outmatched. However, though he is hopeless in one way, he is an integral part of the story. Reigen actually cares for Mob and puts himself in harm’s way to protect Mob in multiple instances. He successfully acts as the human conscience amidst powerful entities in Mob Psycho 100, which is also why fans love him.
Subaru from Re:Zero Is Hated For His Weak-willed Attitude
Subaru smiling happily in Re:Zero Season 3 Episode 16Image via Studio White Fox
The issue with Subaru Natsuki is that, despite being the protagonist of Re:Zero, he is one of the most useless characters in the franchise. This does not make him a bad personality, but it also does not change the fact that Subaru is carried by an overwhelming plot armor that saves him every time. Yes, he tries his best, but he also tends not to learn from his mistakes.
Subaru possesses the Return by Death ability, which enables him not only to save others but also to significantly influence the narrative. But he is also impulsive by nature and lets his heart guide his actions rather than his brain most of the time. As the hero, his growth as a person should have been faster, but he has yet to become truly valuable within his own series.