Top 10 Wimpiest Anime Heroes

“Yu-Gi-Oh!” series (1998-)
Make way for the “King of Card Games”. The protagonist of the original “Yu-Gi-Oh!” series, Yugi is an innocent kid that just got a little in over his head. While Yugi is a natural at the series’ card game Duel Monsters, his confidence and stage presence comes from the spirit of the Egyptian pharaoh Atem. Outside of a duel, you would never guess that Yugi was the hero, and it’s only when Atem’s personality comes out that Yugi’s enemies actually begin to fear him. Still, in the end, Yugi is the true hero of the series, even if anyone and everyone could kick his ass IRL.

“Assassination Classroom” (2015-)
Our next entry shows how necessary it is to explore all of life’s options. The narrator and member of the titular “Assassination Classroom”, Nagisa is too kind for his own good. Unlike the majority of his classmates, Nagisa has no area of expertise and can’t exactly defend himself; relying on his friend and fellow assassin Karma for support. While later in the series he becomes an excellent assassin, you would never guess it by looking at him. A lack of physical presence and being more or less invisible are important aspects of a good assassin so, in this case his lack of presence is appropriate.

“FLCL” (2000-01, 17-)
What happens when a twelve year old is accidentally tasked with saving the world? You get Naota and FLCL. After a chance run in involving a guitar and moped, Naota’s head becomes a two way portal for robots that invade Earth. Sounds awesome right? Actually no that looks and sounds awful. Like the audience, Naota spends most of the series on a being tossed around like a ragdoll and it’s really only in the end that he gets to be the hero. While he tries to act mature and non-chalant, he’s not the defender Earth needs, or wants but, he’s there so, why not.

“My Hero Academia” (2016-)
When born into a world of superheros and villains, you have to be able to defend yourself. Being one of few people born without a special ability or ‘quirk’ as they are refferd to in this series, Izuku has quite a serious disadvantage. For a wimp with no real power, he is pretty brave however, and he aspires to be like his hero All Might, who takes Midoriya under his wing. While Izuku does end up with a powerful quirk, his real strength is his intelligence and willingness to work with a team.

“Yowamushi Pedal” (2013-)
A first year high school anime otaku, Onoda joins the school’s cycling team in order to collect more anime goods from Japan’s shopping mecca Akihabara. A rather shy and standoffish individual, it takes quite a bit of motivation for Onoda to find his cycling niche and actually be of use to the team as a whole. While he begins short and wimpy and continues to be short and wimpy, his heart is in the right place and his determination to push himself further and further makes him a hero.

“Baccano!” (2007)
When leading a band of thieves, it’s important to be calm and level-headed. Jacuzzi on the other hands is the exact opposite. On one hand, he is violent and extremely dangerous with explosives, enough to completely put a hamper in the most well oiled operation. On the other hand, Jacuzzi is seen as a rather emotional leader, even crying over his timidness and the well being of his friends. If you come straight at him, he will likely run away. Don’t worry though, the little guy will be back with explosives though.

“Accel World” (2012)
Oh how the stigma of obesity plagues our next candidate. Just like the other entries on our list, Haru is a rather timid student and awkward to the point that he almost invites bullying. That’s in the real world though, because in his spare time Haru plays the video game “Brain Burst” where he can be anything he wants to be. In “Brain Burst” he becomes the confident Silver Crow, a character who is revered for being the only flying avatar in the game. Don’t mess with him either, his digital persona is truly the top dog. It’s just a shame than in real life, people very rarely get the opportunity to let loose the hero that they really are on the inside.

“Guilty Crown” (2011-12)
If anime is anything to go by, high school is definitely the most important part of a heroes’ life. As the protagonist of this sci-fi adventure, Shu transitions from bland high school student to master warrior with the ability to wield the “Power of Kings”. He does this by joining the extremist group Funeral Parlor after gaining a taste of what it’s like to have that power. A shy and rather dumbling protagonist, Shu stumbles his way through an interesting adventure and disappoints plenty of fans in the process.

“Future Diary” (2011-12)
Why get your hands dirty when you can have your stalker do it for you? Just an average teenager, Yuki is drafted into a twisted battle royale where each player controls a diary that can see the future in some way or another. The prize? To become the new God of Time and Space. While other players want to win, Yuki has no ambition, and is trying to survive. He rarely bloodies his hands, as he takes advantage of his stalker and fellow player Yuno, who will gladly kill for him. Man up and do it yourself Yuki.

Before we are disappointed in our top pick, here is a single honorable mention.
Armin Arlelt
“Attack on Titan” (2013)

“Neon Genesis Evangelion” (1995-96)
When any anime fan thinks wimpy hero, it’s hard not to think of Shinji Ikari. After being supposedly abandoned by his father after his mother’s death, Shinji is summoned to pilot a large mecha, known as Evangelion to defend against the invading Angels. The problem? Shinji is 14 years old, and, realistically, is as heroic as you would expect a 14 year old to be. We don’t really blame him, as in real life all teenagers are pretty useless, but this is anime so his difficulty and inability to stand up for himself really stands out. Don’t worry Shinji, Asukas got this.

Do you agree with our list? Who is your favorite wimpiest anime hero? For more enticing top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.