Power scales run wild in anime, yet some characters are famous for having very little raw strength. This countdown looks at figures who struggle in a fight, often surviving through wit, luck, or help from stronger allies. The focus is on how they are portrayed on screen, not on game stats or manga-only details, so the picks reflect what the anime shows.
The order builds from less weak to the weakest. Being on this list does not mean a character is useless. Many of them matter to their stories in other ways, from comic relief to heart or strategy. The contrast is the point: in worlds full of superhumans, these people stand out as very human or just plain outmatched.
#21 Ciel Phantomhive (Black Butler)
Ciel is a child noble who relies almost entirely on Sebastian for protection. He is physically frail, spends most of his time planning from a chair or carriage and rarely lifts a weapon. In a series with demons and grim reapers, his personal combat power is near zero.
What he brings is cold focus and authority. He deploys servants like pieces on a board and wins by calling in the right asset at the right time. That dynamic highlights how weak he is in a direct clash, but how dangerous he can be with support.
His few attempts at action usually end with Sebastian stepping in before real harm hits. The anime frames Ciel’s value as brains over brawn, which is why he starts this list on the milder end of weakness.
#20 Nobita Nobi (Doraemon)
Nobita is slow at running, poor at sports and often bullied by Gian and Suneo. He leans on Doraemon’s gadgets to fix problems he cannot handle himself. Without a gadget, his power in any contest is minimal.
That said, he sometimes shows kindness and small bursts of courage. The humor comes from his flaws, but the warmth comes from moments where he tries anyway. In a straight fight though, Nobita is clearly outclassed.
The anime repeatedly sets up scenarios where a tool does the heavy lifting. This keeps Nobita near the bottom for raw ability, even if he remains central to the story’s heart.
He stays memorable because his weakness is relatable. Viewers recognize the ordinary kid struggling in a world that keeps testing him.
#19 Keitaro Urashima (Love Hina)
Keitaro is not a fighter. He is clumsy, soft spoken and constantly ends up on the wrong end of slapstick. When conflict turns physical, he is the one who gets launched into the sky or flattened by furniture.
His strengths are persistence and goodwill, not muscle. Even when he trains or studies hard, the anime plays his setbacks for comedy. As a result, Keitaro sits low in power and high in misfortune.
He can endure a lot, which is a kind of toughness, but it is not combat skill. In any lineup of action characters, he would be a bystander.
That contrast is the joke. The boardinghouse may look peaceful, yet Keitaro’s daily life is a storm he can barely withstand.
His place here reflects how the show uses his weakness to fuel both humor and small steps of growth.
#18 Myoga (Inuyasha)
Myoga is a flea demon whose first instinct is to flee. He shows up to deliver warnings or trivia, then vanishes the moment a fight starts. In a series full of blades and demon energy, Myoga’s offense is effectively none.
He still matters because he carries knowledge. When the team needs a clue about a curse or a relic, Myoga pops in with the answer. He is useful, but never strong and that keeps him on the weaker side of this list.
His survival skill is knowing when to leave. The anime plays it for laughs and it underlines his role as advisor, not warrior.
#17 Shippo (Inuyasha)
Shippo is a young fox demon with small tricks like illusions and foxfire. Against serious enemies, he mostly distracts or hides. The show treats him as a kid learning the ropes, not as a force in battle.
He adds heart to the group and bonds with Kagome. That emotional value is clear, yet his combat ceiling stays low. When danger rises, Shippo usually looks for cover, which the anime frames as the sensible choice for someone his size.
His progress is slow but present. Even then, the gap between him and the main fighters remains wide, so he lands in the lower tier for power.
Shippo’s presence softens scenes and gives the team a lighter tone. He is there to remind us that not every ally in a fantasy band is a frontliner.
#16 Kon (Bleach)
Kon is a mod soul stuck in a small stuffed lion. He has limited strength and mostly serves as comic relief. In direct combat, he is an easy target unless someone stronger shields him.
He shines in small duties, like watching over a body or carrying a message. Those tasks show loyalty but not power. Whenever trouble erupts, Kon’s best option is to shout for help.
The anime plays his bravado for laughs. Under the noise, he is harmless, which places him well into the weak bracket with no shame about it.
Kon works because the show needs a light touch between heavy fights. He is a mascot with a voice, not a warrior.
That makes his ranking simple. Fun character, very little force.
#15 Hanataro Yamada (Bleach)
Hanataro is a gentle medic from the Fourth Division. He is timid, polite and short on combat ability. His role is to heal and carry supplies, not to fight captains or hollows.
He occasionally shows courage, mainly by helping wounded allies under fire. Those moments highlight his kindness. Even so, his power stays far below the series’ fighters.
When action starts, he looks for cover and a way to stay useful without clashing. That keeps him near the bottom in strength and near the top in likability.
#14 Shinpachi Shimura (Gintama)
Shinpachi is the straight man of the Yorozuya. He knows basic sword work but lacks the flashy skills of the monsters around him. In wild battles, he becomes the guy trying to survive the chaos.
His value is steadiness and common sense. He anchors scenes with reactions that mirror the viewer’s. When foes appear, Shinpachi’s best moves are teamwork and timely retreats.
The comedy often uses his normalcy as a punchline. In a cast of eccentrics and aliens, he is a regular person, which is why his power ranks low.
Still, he keeps showing up and helping, which takes a different kind of nerve.
#13 Usopp (One Piece)
Usopp starts as the Straw Hat who depends on tricks, distance and lies. He is brave on a delay, often finding courage after a scare. In close range against real monsters, he is outmatched.
He improves over time with new ammo and gadgets. Even then, among his crew he remains one of the weaker hands in a straight brawl. The anime celebrates his grit, not his raw power, which is why he sits mid-low on this list.
Usopp’s victories are about planning and nerve. That gives him a special shine, but his base strength is still limited.
The contrast is part of his charm. He is proof that heart can carry someone farther than muscles alone.
When a fight tilts his way, it is usually because he set the field in advance, not because he overpowered anyone.
#12 Kazuma Satou (Konosuba)
Kazuma arrives in a fantasy world with low stats and a bag of petty skills. He survives by scamming, planning and hiding behind stronger party members. If a duel breaks out, he is in trouble fast.
He does have useful tools like Steal and clever setups, but those are not strength in the usual sense. They let him turn a fight by outthinking, not by overpowering.
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Konosuba plays this for humor, which keeps Kazuma firmly in the weak lane. His wins come with workarounds, not with force.
#11 Subaru Natsuki (Re:Zero)
Subaru is physically ordinary. He cannot cast big spells or trade blows with knights. The only edge he truly has is a return-by-death power that resets the timeline when he dies.
That ability helps him learn and plan, but it does not boost his body. In a fight, he folds unless others protect him. The anime builds drama around that gap.
His strength is willpower and empathy, not damage. Subaru stays low in raw might and high in resolve, which is a different metric.
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When he succeeds, it is by rallying allies and making the right call, not by winning duels.
#10 Reigen Arataka (Mob Psycho 100)
Reigen has no psychic power of his own. He runs a business, talks fast and uses bluffs to get by. In a real fight, he is a normal adult facing superpowered foes.
He survives with nerve and quick wits. Sometimes help arrives at the last second, but that only underlines how little he can do alone. The show treats his lack of power as both a joke and a lesson in confidence.
Reigen’s best weapon is reading people. That is valuable, yet it does not raise his combat rank. He belongs in the weak set, even if his speeches land like punches.
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His scenes work because he believes in Mob and keeps moving forward with audacity.
He is proof that charisma can change outcomes even when strength is near zero.
#9 Yamcha (Dragon Ball)
Yamcha trained hard and has ki, but Dragon Ball escalates quickly. Once aliens and gods enter the story, his power falls behind. He is brave, just not built for the top tiers he stands next to.
The anime often uses him as a gauge for danger. If Yamcha struggles, the threat is serious. That narrative job cements his place as one of the weaker Z-fighters.
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He remains popular because he keeps trying. The gap is obvious, yet the effort is real and that keeps him from slipping lower on this list.
#8 Chiaotzu (Dragon Ball)
Chiaotzu has telekinesis and some techniques, but he is fragile in drawn-out fights. As the series escalates, his power stops climbing while the ceiling rises out of reach.
He helps most as support, distracting or disabling foes for a moment. Against big villains, that window closes fast, showing how limited his impact can be.
Chiaotzu’s loyalty is unquestioned. The anime honors that loyalty while making clear he is not built for late-stage battles.
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He lands just above Yamcha here because his toolkit is niche and situational.
#7 Jessie & James (Pokémon)
Team Rocket’s duo shows up with a new plan every week and ends the episode blasting off. They have gadgets and Pokémon, yet their schemes fall apart under the simplest pressure.
They are persistent and theatrical, which is their real power. In pure combat terms, they lose to kids and gym leaders alike. The show keeps them lovable losers.
The pair sits this high because, despite years of practice, their win rate stays very low. The gag is the point and it never gets old.
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As antagonists, they are more comic foil than threat.
That makes them iconic and undeniably weak at the same time.
#6 Dan Hibiki (Street Fighter)
Dan is a parody of martial arts bravado. He talks big, throws flashy poses and delivers techniques that look powerful but rarely are. Against serious fighters, he gets outclassed quickly.