Saitama is funny and iconic, but his reputation as a top-tier protagonist is a little inflated. His unbeatable strength is the whole joke, yet it leaves him with nowhere to grow, while others like Genos carry the real tension. He’s entertaining for sure, but as a lead, he’s more static gag than compelling character. | © Viz Media
Alucard has style, but fans often blow his power way out of proportion. In reality, most of his feats put him at building-level strength with solid regen, not anywhere close to the “universe-buster” matchups people like to debate him in. He’s tough to kill, sure, but when your biggest claim is being unkillable while lacking real win conditions, you’re more overrated than unstoppable. | © Madman Entertainment
Ken Kaneki works at first as a plain, neutral lead, which lets the rest of Tokyo Ghoul’s cast and themes stand out. But once the story shifts to focus on his “edgy badass” persona, he becomes dull compared to the characters around him. Instead of exploring the bigger conflicts, too much time gets stuck on Kaneki, making him feel overrated and less interesting than the world itself. | © Studio Pierrot
Zoro is one of the most loved characters in One Piece, but his hype sometimes feels inflated. Early on, being close in strength to Luffy made sense, but as the story grew, the gap became obvious. Fans still push the idea of Zoro being on Luffy’s level, which keeps his reputation bigger than it really should be. | © Toei Animation
Katsuki Bakugo is loud, angry, and undeniably popular, but it’s hard to see why he’s so highly praised. His personality is mostly yelling and posturing, and his growth, while present, isn’t all that unique or deep. Compared to other characters in My Hero Academia, his popularity feels way bigger than what he actually brings to the story. | © Crunchyroll
Itachi is often worshipped as one of Naruto’s greatest characters, but both his morals and strength are blown way out of proportion. His decision to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan, including kids, while sparing Sasuke for being “just a child,” shows hypocrisy that fans tend to overlook. And while strong early on, he’s nowhere near the level of top-tier shinobi later in the series, making his supposed “genius” feel overstated. | © Cartoon Network
Griffith is usually seen as Berserk’s big villain, but things aren’t that simple. His choices are brutal, yet they stem from a utilitarian mindset – sacrificing a few lives for what he believes is a better future. Since we mostly view him through Guts’ eyes, his ambition looks monstrous, though in a world without true good, he’s more of a “lesser evil” than pure evil. | © Dark Horse Comics
Julius Novachrono is a fan favorite, but his overwhelming strength made Black Clover feel unbalanced. As Wizard King, he was basically a cheat code, wiping away tension whenever he appeared. The story eventually had to scale him back just to let other characters shine and restore any sense of danger. | © Studio Pierrot
Rem is often treated like the ultimate waifu, but her popularity far outweighs what she actually brings to Re:Zero. She’s sweet, loyal, and gets a standout arc early on, but beyond that, her character doesn’t evolve much. The hype surrounding her feels more like a fandom obsession than a genuine reflection of her depth. | © Crunchyroll
Izuku Midoriya has the heart of a classic shōnen hero, but his journey from powerless kid to All Might’s successor feels pretty by-the-numbers. While his growth is consistent, it lacks the twists or depth that make a protagonist stand out. Surrounded by stronger arcs like Bakugo’s and Todoroki’s, Deku often feels overshadowed and less memorable than the story around him. | © Crunchyroll
Jotaro Kujo is undeniably stylish and powerful, but his reputation as one of the top JoJos feels overstated. In Stardust Crusaders, he spends much of the journey as a stoic figure, while others like Polnareff show more growth and emotion. He works better as a mentor in later parts, which only highlights how flat he was when he was supposed to lead the story. | © Viz Media
Goku is often seen as the face of anime heroes, but his character hasn’t grown in decades. What started as a boy’s journey of growth has settled into a pattern where he mostly just craves stronger fights, even at the expense of family and responsibilities. His cheerful personality keeps him beloved, yet his lack of depth and stalled development make him more overrated than fans admit. | © Funimation
Kirito might be one of the most recognizable anime leads, but his overpowered abilities often drain the tension out of Sword Art Online. Scenes like mastering Gun Gale Online in minutes turn challenges into easy wins instead of real struggles. He remains popular, yet his shallow growth and predictable arc make him feel more overrated than iconic. | © Madman Entertainment
Eren Jaeger gets a lot of credit as a legendary protagonist, but much of that praise comes from the strength of Attack on Titan’s story rather than his own character. His shift from fiery idealist to morally gray figure is important, yet it makes him harder to root for and exposes how selfish many of his choices are. Even the Rumbling, where he wipes out most of humanity, is often excused by fans, but it shows just how overrated his supposed greatness really is. | © Crunchyroll
Light Yagami is often hailed as a mastermind, but a closer look shows he’s more arrogant than clever. Many of his choices, like hacking his dad’s computer or taking reckless risks just to one-up L, come off as childish moves driven by ego. His downfall isn’t tragic brilliance; it’s the result of being blinded by his own inflated sense of superiority. | © Viz Media
Some anime characters get way more praise than they deserve, often carried by hype rather than real depth or development. Here are 15 of the most overrated characters fans put on a pedestal.
