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A power system in is an essential element for breathtaking anime battles. Check out these most innovative power systems in anime!
Power-ups often become the driving force behind action-oriented anime. Some anime opted for a simple system to complement their story, while others have complicated and hard-to-understand powers.
However, some iconic titles have ingenious and innovative power systems that became an inspiration for future mangaka and are ingrained within fans’ memories. Check out these innovative power systems in anime.
7. Overlord’s Gaming System Brought into Reality
At first, Overlord’s magic and cool abilities might seem common with other fantasy or isekai anime. But there is a twist behind its deceivingly generic power system. In a nutshell, Overlord is about an average guy who played an MMO video game so faithfully, he stayed until the server had to be shut down.
However, when the server was supposed to close for good, he found himself sucked into the game instead. But, when he checked the outside world, it was nothing like the game. Basically, he was transferred into another world twice, to the game and to an unknown fantasy world.
So where is the twist? Instead of the main protagonist stumbling into a new world with a set magic system, Overlord brings the magic system into the isekai realm. Throughout the series, the protagonist, Ainz, was under the assumption that he was brought to this new world only with his NPC servants. But he found some magic spells that were supposed to be from his in-game world. Overlord’s story follows Ainz’s journey in expanding his kingdom in the new fantasy world while also keeping an eye out for other transported players from the game.
6. The Rising of Shield Hero’s Strict Power System
When it first came out, the Shield Hero anime shocked fans with its bleak plot and the poor fate of the protagonist. Naofumi began his isekai adventure with a tainted reputation and also an awfully inconvenient magic system. As the Shield Hero, Naofumi was bestowed with a shield as his weapon. However, this weapon was forever bound to him, without any means to remove or replace it.
Naturally, the shield impeded him in defeating enemies. There was simply no way for him to deal damage by himself. So he was forced to rely on his allies in battles. Naofumi’s shield essentially forced him to play one specific character build. The shield dictated him to be a highly optimized support and rely on his party members for most damage output.
After the hardship and mockery he endured, Naofumi finally awakened the true potential of his shield. However, it would always take a toll on his body and psyche, with even more unprecedented consequences.
5. Sailor Moon’s Genre Defining Powers
Power system isn’t always exclusive to shonen anime. Shojou anime, especially Sailor Moon, have this exact concept too. Moreover, what Sailor Moon brought is much more than a superpower or magic system for the protagonist to harness. The power in Sailor Moon pretty much defined how the Magical Girls genre plays out for decades to come.
Sailor Moon’s power is first introduced when the protagonist, Usagi Tsukino, discovers that she is a reincarnation of Princess Serenity, the Moon Kingdom’s princess. With this newfound power, she took on the task of protecting the earth from various villains.
Usagi’s Sailor Moon look has become an icon for the magical girls genre itself. With items like the Moon Prism Brooch, Moon Stick, Tiaras, and the Silver Crystal, Sailor Moon has defined the magical girl genre.
The extent of her power also surpasses almost every known character in anime. Especially when she reached her ultimate transformation as Sailor Cosmos, which can manipulate space and time, even reality itself. Sailor Moon’s story is more about how kindness and selflessness combined with benevolent force can defeat any evil that exists.
4. My Hero Academia’s Unmatched Quirk System
My Hero Academia introduces a universe where superpower isn’t a rare occurrence. In this series, almost every person has their own Quirk which gives them otherworldly powers. With how massive the number of people who have Quirks is, society took a turn and gave a stage for Pro Heroes to shine.
The Quirks can be categorized into several types depending on what they do. Some allow people to harness elemental powers, others allow change and modification to the body to make them more powerful. Sometimes Quirks become an instant win for the user as long as certain conditions are met. While the Quirks can generally be categorized into types, each has its own uniqueness, bringing the author of My Hero Academia’s creativity into the spotlight.
However, the Quirk system becomes more interesting when the antagonist, All for One, comes into the story. All for One’s Quirk allowed him to take and give any Quirk, making him both a threat and a blessing to society. The thing is, not everyone was excited to have a Quirk, some Quirks were just too much of a burden to live with. Some even led people into tragic and deeply scarring experiences. However, All for One’s motives were not so benevolent as merely helping others.
3. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Its Stands
Being one of the timeless classics, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure established one of the most innovative anime power systems, the Stands. It is a personification of an individual’s life energy and manifestation of their mental strength. The Stand’s design takes inspiration from tarot cards.
Each Stand’s visual appearance and power depend on the user’s self-image. Some Stands are overwhelming in their sheer raw power, and others are rather situational. For instance, the Stand of the fan’s favorite villain in the franchise, DIO, is a muscular man coated in gold called the World. This Stand could stop time and allowed him to set up traps in battles.
However, Stands users must be cautious in using their Stands. As an extension of the essence of themselves, whenever a Stand suffered an injury, the user would receive the same inflicted wound. Ever since its introduction in the Stardust Crusaders story arc, it has become one of the most iconic power systems among shonen anime.
2. Bleach’s Personalized Zanpakuto
Bleach might seem simplistic at first glance when it comes to the power system. The first couple of episodes showcase how Shinigami power works in the story. However, it becomes way more complex as soon as Bleach goes in-depth into the concept of Zanpakuto.
Zanpakuto is the personal weapon a Shinigami has in Bleach. They come in the form of a blade, unique to each user. But each Zanpakuto has its own personality and, in a sense, is alive with its own soul. To harness the full potential of a Zanpakuto, a Shinigami must know its name. However, that doesn’t mean the blade will go into its Shikai or Bankai form at the mere mention of its name. The Shinigami must convince the sword that they are indeed worthy of holding it.
Aside from the Zanpakuto itself, Bleach often mixes this power system with the others. For instance, when Ichigo awakened his mask, he also drew strength from his hollow power. It makes an interesting internal conflict within Ichigo’s psyche.
1. Hunter X Hunter’s Intricate Nen System
The Nen system might be the most well-known power system within the anime and manga fan community. In Hunter X Hunter, the concept of Nen is tied closely with unlocking a person’s true potential. While not everyone is aware of their Nen, it inherently exists in everyone’s body, even after death.
Unlike most powers that rely on inner aura-like energy such as chi or chakra, Nen ability is unique to its user. So, there is little to no way of copying others’ abilities, making Nen extremely personalized. What ability a Nen user could do depends on their affinity with their Nen types. Moreover, the Nen affinity also depends on a person’s entire personality and characteristics. What’s more interesting is that the Nen abilities correlate with how much the user explores their own Nen. So, this power system really goes in-depth with a character’s internal journey as well as how they react to the events happening in the plot.
Hunter X Hunter does a great job at slow-rolling its power system throughout the anime. In the beginning, there’s not much discussion around Nen. It’s introduced as a rather simple concept, but later the anime reveals the complexity to the point where a character could tailor their Nen to however they wanted it to be.
The Nen system became an essential aspect of the story once the anime got to the Heavens Arena arc. This is where the anime showcases how deep the Nen system is. It combines the good qualities that fans often find in other series and mixes them into one system. The Nen system in Hunter X Hunter is one of the most innovative anime power systems.
Conclusion
A power system is one of the driving forces in action anime. When the characters have enhanced ability, it gives more flair to the action sequence as well as how the battles would play out. Also, authors often use this aspect to give further exploration to their characters, especially their internal struggles.
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