Every character needs to have some sort of weakness to keep them balanced. Otherwise, they'd be too powerful — and would most likely become less interesting. Knowing that a character is vulnerable raises the stakes, making fans wonder how they'll get past these shortcomings.
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Anime series like to give characters unconventional weaknesses in order to make their characters more unique and memorable. This oftentimes works in the story's favor, as it leads to some of the most hilarious scenes. However, none of these characters' personalities are overshadowed by their weaknesses.
10 One Piece: Monkey D. Luffy Can't Swim
As a child, Luffy ate the Gum-Gum Fruit without realizing the consequences. It gave him a body like rubber, allowing him to stretch any part of his body. After he mastered his new abilities, he became a very capable fighter. Unfortunately, anyone who eats a Devil Fruit loses their ability to swim for the rest of their life. This was especially ironic because Luffy had wanted to be a pirate since he was a child, and pirates are almost always surrounded by water.
9 Fairy Tail: Natsu Dragneel Can't Ride In Vehicles Without Getting Terrible Motion Sickness
Natsu Dragneel is one of the few characters who are capable of using Dragon Slayer Magic, as he was taught by a Dragon. Since his specialty is the fire element, he is able to wield it with ease; he can even eat fire in order to make himself stronger.
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Unfortunately, anyone who practices this kind of magic is unable to ride any sort of vehicle without getting motion sickness. In Natsu's case, he becomes so nauseous that he can't move a muscle.
8 Ranma ½: Ranma Saotome Is Terrified Of Cats
Ranma is an exceptionally talented martial artist, and his fighting ability has made him a little prideful. However, he has a weakness he doesn't want to admit: he's completely terrified of cats.
When he was a child, his father wanted to teach him a technique called the "Cat Fist." Following the instructions of a training book, Genma Saotome threw Ranma into a pit of starving cats after tying some fish sausage around him. After reading the final page, stating that anyone who utilized this kind of training was an idiot, Genma tried to cure Ranma's new fear by throwing him in again and again, tying other delicious cat treats to him each time. Needless to say, it didn't work.
7 Dragon Ball: Goku's Weak Spot Is His Tail
As a child, Goku seemed nearly unstoppable. He had incredible strength and the Power Pole, a tool that could extend or retract upon command. He was responsible for taking down the entire Red Ribbon Army, a ruthless force that every ordinary person feared. But Goku's most notable weakness was his tail, as anyone who grabbed it would immobilize him. Removing the tail took away some of his usual power, but also kept him from turning into a giant rampaging monkey every full moon.
6 Pokémon: Onix Can't Handle Water
During Brock's battle against Ash Ketchum, Onix seemed unfazed by Pikachu's attacks. As a Rock-type Pokémon, electricity did little to actually harm it. However, this giant Pokémon was severely weakened after Ash's Pikachu happened to set off the sprinkler system. The very thing that was supposed to make the gym safer was the same thing that Brock's Pokémon was weak to, making the environment less than ideal for Onix to battle in.
5 Inuyasha: Inuyasha Is Immobilized By A Single Word
Since Inuyasha is a half-demon, he has a great deal of physical strength, speed, and durability. He has defeated a countless number of demons using his bare claws or the Tessaiga, a sword that he inherited from his father.
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His most notable weakness is his necklace, known as the Beads of Subjugation. Every time Kagome Higurashi says the word "sit," he slams into the ground at full force. This tool is normally used to keep Inuyasha from recklessly harming others.
4 Demon Slayer: Doma Is Weak Against Wisteria
Doma is one of the strongest Demons, earning his position as Upper Rank 2. He has defeated multiple Hashira on his own, thanks to his superhuman abilities. But like all Demons, Doma is weak against sunlight and wisteria flowers. The second led to his demise, as he absorbed Shinobu Kocho without realizing that her entire body was completely saturated with wisteria poison. Doma didn't detect it until it was too late.
3 Fruits Basket: Yuki Sohma Turns Into A Rat When He's Hugged
Every member of the Chinese Zodiac in Fruits Basket turns into a specific animal when hugged by the opposite gender. Because of this, they have to constantly have their guard up to prevent someone from accidentally triggering their transformation. Yuki has to be particularly guarded, as many girls often rush at him in an attempt to hug him. Although Yuki has been able to consistently fend off attacks from Kyo with relative ease, he is completely helpless in rat form.
2 My Hero Academia: Yuga Aoyama's Quirk Has The Biggest Drawback
Yuga's Quirk is Navel Laser, and this power is also the source of his weakness. He is able to shoot a powerful glittering beam from his stomach, powerful enough to blast through concrete. However, he can only activate his Quirk for one second, otherwise he suffers stomach pains. This pain is so severe that it makes him hunch over, practically immobilizing him. His weakness makes it detrimental to use his Quirk in most cases.
1 Bleach: Kenpachi Zaraki Has No Sense Of Direction
Kenpachi may have a few weaknesses, but they hardly make a dent in his overwhelming power. He's so strong that most people avoid a confrontation with him. His biggest weakness is his poor sense of direction. Although he blames his inability to navigate Soul Society on his vice-captain, Yachiru, he still manages to get himself hopelessly lost. This leads to him missing out on a large portion of some battles.
NEXT: 10 Anime Heroes Who Pretended To Be Villains
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10 Fan-Favorite Anime Characters Who Were Killed Off Way Too Soon
About The Author
Jasmine Venegas
(224 Articles Published)
Jasmine Venegas is a writer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from UNLV with a BA in English, and has experience in tutoring elementary and high school students. She now writes list articles for CBR. She enjoys reading and drawing. Feel free to email her suggestions for Anime-related stories at jbsvenegas@gmail.com!
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