Top 10 Anime Powers That Could Kill the User

“Outlaw Star” (1998)

Even a swashbuckler like Gene Starwind needs an edge when it comes contending with his fellow intergalactic outlaws. That’s where the caster shells come in; ammunition with enough power to turn the tide of any space battle. As it happens, the rarer breeds happen to come with some major drawbacks, since for every shot fired, Numbers 4, 9 and 13 also take a chunk of Gene’s life. This shouldn’t come as much of a shock since 4 and 9 are considered unlucky in Japanese culture, while the rest of us know that 13 always means trouble.

“One Piece” (1999-)

The Surgeon of Death is very, very good when it comes to using his Devil Fruit, especially when it pertains to slicing up his foes before reattaching them in the most unorthodox of ways, so you’d think the chance of his own power turning against him would be pretty slim. As it happens, the Op Op Fruit’s deadliest function is its ability to grant eternal youth to a singular person, so long as the user gives up their own life to do so. With psychos like Doflamingo desperate to get their hands on such a gift, you can see why Law is rather averse to letting people know the ins and outs of his devilish toolkit.

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind” (2018-19)

It’s a pretty sucky situation if you think about it – imagine being a Stand user in service to a mafia organisation, but in order to complete your mission and activate your power, you have to die. While he was unable to see the fruits of his labour, Giorno and the gang are unlikely to forget the horror inflicted upon them by this all-consuming Stand, one that devours flesh in an instant and can expand to such size it can swallow an aeroplane. On second thought…how did this guy even know his death would summon Notorious BIG when it requires his expiration in the first place? Oh, Araki.

“The Rising of the Shield Hero” (2019)

In order to finally dethrone the fanatical Pope and his false Holy Weapon, it once again falls to Naofumi to pick up the slack and tank his way to victory…though this time it proves to be a tad more painful – since his new finisher spontaneously causes every blood vessel in his body to burst. While it might look like a misfire, this turns out to be just the prelude to the real fun, since all that blood loss serves as the means to create a rather hungry mechanical monstrosity. While it was great to see the old geezer get his due, we can’t really see overuse of this attack working out well for Shield Bro…

“Death Note” (2006-07)

Turns out there’s a few other tricks that can be afforded to those that can come into possession of a Death Note. For just the small price of half your life, you can get your mitts on this pair of supernatural peepers, which just so happen to have the handy effect of revealing a person’s name like an aura. Perfect for a wannabe God of the New World with a whole list of enemies to bump off. While Light refused this little offering straight away, Misa was more than happy to half her life in order to aid in her lover’s conquest. Twice actually.

“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14)

If it meant ensuring that the wicked kitty that murdered his friend was buried six feet under, Gon was willing to do whatever it took. In a single moment of pure, blinding rage, the young Hunter managed to somehow use his Nen to achieve a much more adult form, one capable of crushing someone as powerful as a Chimera Ant Royal Guard. The results were pretty explosive, but the toll was immeasurable. If not for Killua getting his sister to use her wish-granting abilities to bring him back from the brink, this one act of aggression would have likely led to Gon’s demise.

“Fairy Tail” (2009-19)

When it comes to putting the forces of evil on ice, this technique will do the job every time. It’s also a last resort, since while it does freeze the target in a construct that is unbreakable and cannot be thawed, the price for unleashing such pure frost magic is the life of the user, where their very spirit is used as the catalyst for sealing away their foe. This is what tragically became of Gray’s teacher Ur, who sacrificed herself to subdue the demon Deliora before it could harm her precious students.

“Naruto” series (2002-17)

For a taijutsu user, this series of limiter removals is nothing short of a godsend, especially for our lads, Might Guy and Rock Lee, who are somewhat lacking in their ninjutsu capabilities. While unlocking Gates 1 through 5 can give you a dramatic boost in strength that can cleave through even the hardiest of ninja, it’s when you start digging into the last few that things start to get a little dicey. Should you open that final door, you’ll temporarily be granted enough force to even damage someone as fearsome as Madara, but not for long, since your body will be too busy burning itself out.

“Dragon Ball” (1986-89)

While we could have easily given this slot over to Vegeta and his all-encompassing Final Explosion we’re giving it over to the OG technique that seals all evil within its vortex before containing them in a designated space. Even if it’s a rice cooker. Both Roshi, Tien and Kami have busted this attack out during their early years, all in the hopes of taking down the life of the Demon King Piccolo and his child. While it certainly does its job and users have survived it a couple times in Super, those with too weak a will or too weak a life force aren’t likely to survive the process!

“Kengan Ashura” (2019)

By himself, Ohma is already a beast that can break bones, shatter limbs and generally decimate the fighting spirit of any opponents he clashes with. But for the Kengan games? That’s not enough. When the going gets rough and his opponents are more monsters than men, Ohma lets his “other self” out the bag. With its crimson skin and pulsating veins, it might make look like he’s been possessed by some kind of devil, but the truth is far simpler – he’s putting massive strain on his heart to get the blood pumping faster, pushing his body to the absolute limit. In all honesty, it’s just as deadly for Ohma as it is for his foe!