There are manyanimecharacters who have become pop culture icons, never to be forgotten, even years after their series concluded. For every hero or villain who has made a sizable impact, though, there is another one who suffers from pitfalls like lack of screentime or poor character development in comparison to others.
These eight characters had boundless possibilities ahead, but their chances of success were destroyed by a variety of factors, including far too few on-screen appearances and less than satisfying character arcs. Although some of them are admired by fans, they sadly just do not measure up to other, better anime heroes.
Death Note
After L’s demise inDeath Note,two orphans from Wammy’s House rose up to take the acclaimed detective’s place and pick up where he left off in the Kira case. The two teenagers competed against one another, but Near quickly surpassed Mello with his intelligence, perception, and analytical skills.
Mello joined the mafia instead of working with Near, placing the boys on divergent paths. Ultimately, Near took over the Kira case and brought Light Yagami to justice. While Near was crowned the hero who stopped Kira’s serial killing spree, Mello was largely forgotten after his untimely death while tracking down Kira.
Kiyomi Takada, working for Light, discovered Mello’s identity and ended his life in a surprise attack before Mello could catch Kira himself. Although Mello was clever and fought tirelessly to surpass Near and crack the mystery, Near was tragically always one step ahead of him, until his death.
Rather than allowing Mello to shine on his own, he is removed from the story all too quickly. When he is present,he is always obscured in the shadows of Near’s accomplishments, and never given the true chance to stand on his own as a character and reveal his own talents and personality.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
There are so many standout characters in the Golden Wind arc ofJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure,from the stern but caring Passione leader Bruno Bucciarati to the protagonist, Giorno Giovanna, who possesses one of the most creative Stands in the series. Among these heroes, Pannacotta Fugo’s character development leaves something to be desired.
Passione is more of a family than a gang, and Bucciarati would do anything to protect his men. When they decided to take down the organization from the inside, he offered everyone a chance to leave, and Fugo chose to accept the offer. No one judged Fugo for stepping away, but it did eliminate him from the story too soon.
Fugo’s Stand, Purple Haze, isone ofJoJo’sbest Stands, and its ability to emit a deadly virus spells instant demise for Fugo’s opponents. He only used Purple Haze onscreen in a couple of episodes, which is a shame, because a Stand as skilled and lethal as Purple Haze could have helped Passione take down Diavolo quicker, with fewer casualties.
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan’scharacter development is one of the shonen anime’s most renowned qualities, because every hero and villain feels as if they could be a real person, not just a fictional personality. AmongAttack on Titan’sremarkably human cast though, Mikasa is one of the weaker characters, but certainly not in a physical sense.
Mikasa is frequently said to be one of the Survey Corps' strongest fighters, due to her Ackerman genetics, her unbreakable resolve, and her own dedication. Apart from her desire to protect Eren and her friends though, Mikasa’s character development rarely goes as deep as some of her comrades, like Armin’s, for example.
Mikasa possesses plenty of praiseworthy traits: her love for others, her courage even in the face of the most terrifying beasts in the world, and her eventual willingness to make the toughest sacrifice of her life for the greater good of humanity.
ThroughoutAttack on Titan,though, Mikasa could have benefited from more attention on-screen apart from her relationships with Eren and others. Her infrequently referencedAckerman powers are a majorAttack on Titanmysterythat could have also been explored more thoroughly, rather than just shown off in battles.
There is no disputing that Sung Jinwoo is strong on a level most humans can only ever dream of reaching, and fans love him for it. He rises from E-Rank to S-Rank in a short timeframe, which is a commendable feat, but his internal motivation is largely kept from viewers, which makes him tougher to understand as a character.
Sung Jinwoo was chosen by “The System” to be the designated Player, so he has a built-in path that The System pushes him to follow, complete with daily and larger-scale quests. Aside from his resolve to save his mother, Jinwoo does not have other inspirations for ranking up, so his reasons for his journey are murky at times.
The System also determines Jinwoo’s next steps on his journey, so his character arc feels less in his own hands and more preconceived. Jinwoo’s battles are thrilling to watch, but he would be easier to root for if fans could better see inside his mind and understand what influences him to make the choices that he makes inSolo Leveling.
Spy X Family
Yor Forger is a merciless assassin, a loving adoptive mother to Anya, and an adoring fake wife to Loid, all at once. She plays many roles throughoutSpy X Family,but is too often pigeonholed as one comic relief role in the series' storylines.
For example, a reoccurring gag is her insecurity when Loid becomes close to other women, which subtly hints at the very real romantic feelings that seem to be blooming within both Loid and Yor, although they both fervently deny these claims. Yor does add much-needed humor toSpy X Family,but her character can do more than provide laughter.
Her years of history as an assassin, her childhood experiences raising her brother Yuri after the loss of their parents, and her missions away from Loid and Anya are all areas fans have been eager to learn more about, whichwould certainly transform Yor into a more well-rounded heroine, not just a comic relief character.
Demon Slayer
InDemon Slayer,Tanjiro’s sister, Nezuko, could be considered a main character. The entire series revolves around her older brother’s quest to restore her humanity after she was transformed into a demon by the evil Lord Muzan. Unfortunately, though, Nezuko is not treated like a main character and spends the vast majority of the series almost absent from the plot.
Nezuko occasionally joins in on fights alongside Tanjiro and friends, and it is very impressive when she does so, such as her clash with Daki during the Entertainment District arc, for example. Her physical strength increases slowly throughoutDemon Slayer,to the point thatNezuko conquers sunlight in the Swordsmith Village arc.
Aside from her few show-stopping scenes, Nezuko spends much ofDemon Slayerhidden safely in a wooden box on Tanjiro’s back or away from the battlefield entirely. She barely appears in the Infinity Castle and Sunrise Countdown arcs, and thus, viewers are left feeling unsatisfied with her growth, as her character arc is mostly unaddressed by the final few chapters.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Yuki Tsukumo may be a special grade sorcerer, butJujutsu Kaisendid not spotlight her like the other special grade sorcerers. Yuki prefers to march to the beat of her own drum and fight independently, explaining some of her absence in the story, but she definitely deserved a larger role.
Yuki unveiled her innate technique, Star Rage, and her shikigami, Garuda, butfrustratingly, she was never allowed to show off her domain expansion even once.Eventually, Kenjaku eliminated Yuki, despite her best efforts to defend herself against the villain.
There are a lot of complex aspects of Yuki’s character arc, including her relationship with Tengen, her status as a previous Star Plasma Vessel candidate, and her interactions with Choso. These plot points should have received more prominence, but Yuki died before these loose ends to her character could be tied up.
My Hero Academia
Star and Stripe is still widely considered one ofMy Hero Academia’smost wasted characters, because she left the series as quickly as she was introduced. Before her death, she was able to take on Tomura Shigaraki and All For One, but all in all,the Star and Stripe arconly lasted for six chapters of the manga, from 329-334.
My Hero Academia’sStar and Stripe Arc lasts for chapters 329-334 of the manga and episodes 139-140 of the anime.
Star and Stripe’s deathwas not for nothing. She did deal some serious blows to Shigaraki, by making her New Order Quirk cause the maximum amount of injury possible, but she also wound up killing herself in the process. Her Quirk was truly one of a kind and her resolve was nearly unmatched, but her screentime was painfully short.
Had Star and Stripe survived longer, she could have changed the course ofMy Hero Academiain major ways. Since New Order lets her create new rules for reality and alter situations to her liking, she had nearly endless power at her disposal. Had she not sacrificed herself, there is no telling what Star and Stripe could have accomplished.
