Top 10 Anime Losers Turned Badass

#10: Shinichi Izumi

“Parasyte” (2014-15)

Starting off as painfully average, Shinichi’s life took a bit of left turn when an alien body snatcher ended up possessing his hand and slowly turned him superhuman. Sure, there was plenty of bloodshed and tragedy along the way, but thanks to the heartfelt connection with his crush and the bizarre friendship with his new interstellar passenger, he managed to remain a good man at his core – who just happened to be able to unleash flesh blades at a moment’s notice and hold his own against the worst the galaxy had to offer.

#9: Coby

One Piece” (1999-)

The first real ally that the Straw Hat Captain encountered, Coby was a good kid, but was walked over by literally everyone he encountered. At least until Luffy knocked some sense into him and he learned to stand up for himself. In many ways his journey ran parallel to Luffy’s, since after joining the Navy, Coby slowly grew into a capable soldier who retained his compassionate ideology unlike the rest of the World Government scum. After the two-year time skip, he’s at a point now where he’s a legitimate force to be reckoned with, capable of punching his way through just about anything.

#8: Ikoma

“Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” (2016)

While not exactly weak in terms of will and temperament, compared to the gutsy soldiers and mechanics who ensured humanity’s survival against the Kabane, this Steam Smith wasn’t exactly top of the range. This of course changed when he found himself infected by the new-age zombies, becoming a hybrid that could go toe to toe with their brute strength, all the while utilizing his intellect in order to craft weapons capable of giving the human survivors an edge. Plus he now looks like an undead rock star, so bonus!

#7: Tsunayoshi “Tsuna” Sawada

“Katekyo Hitman Reborn” (2006-10)

As far as wimps go, Tsuna was pretty much at the bottom of the barrel. Bullied, tormented and just failing at life. Pretty much the last person you’d expect to make it as a mafia boss. Yet, thanks to the tutelage of the hitman Reborn at his side, Tsuna actually managed to assemble quite the family of shounen warriors, all the while proving his own worth as someone who can hold their own in a fight thanks to his mastery of the Dying Will Flame. You can make fun of his frail demeanour all you want; you’ll get wiped out by the X Burner all the same.

#6: Konohamaru Sarutobi

“Boruto: Naruto Next Generations” (2017-)

Never thought we would see this little scamp rise up to not only become such a competent ninja, but also just a likeable and endearing character in his own right. Essentially taking the role of Iruka for a new generation of shinobi, Konohamaru has continued to show his worth as a teacher by offering crucial advice to his squad of bombastic apprentices, not to mention actually managing to lay the smackdown on some of the sequel series’ bad guys with surprising finesse.

#5: Ken Kaneki

“Tokyo Ghoul” series (2014-18)

He was just a skinny bookworm looking for someone to share his love of literature with. And if she happened to be smoking hot, all the better. Alas, Kaneki’s dream girl turned out to be a bloodthirsty Ghoul, one so very eager to devour him in the wrong kind of way. Surviving the attack but gaining Ghoulish attributes in the process, Kaneki’s world becomes a series of nightmarish clashes with other humanoid monsters and merciless hunters, all the while his own hunger for flesh slowly dominated his psyche. The poor boy could only take so much, eventually becoming a ruthless fighter in his own right that even the most sadistic of Ghouls should think twice about messing with.

#4: Thorfinn

“Vinland Saga” (2019)

Revenge can do a lot of things to a person, and in this instance it can turn an innocent child with delusions of grandeur into a soulless killer that’s willing to brave all manner of battlegrounds, just for the chance to drive their knife into the man that murdered their father. Thorfinn’s instincts and fighting prowess are truly astounding to behold, with his duel wield skills second to none. That being said, this particular badass badge came at a heavy price, since vengeance has now clouded his mind so much that’s he’s pretty much doing the exact opposite of what his father tried to teach him.

#3: Akira Fudo

“Devilman Crybaby” (2018)

Another day, another weak-willed but ultimately decent young man suddenly becoming a horrific hybrid with ungodly power. After being set upon by a horde of demons and unwittingly having his soul bonded to the creature Amon, Akira goes from a beanpole who cries at everything to ripped bad boy who spends his day watching nudey movies in the school hall. Oh, and transforms into a hellish creature that tears apart demons whenever they pop up. He might still cry on the odd occasion, but you certainly wouldn’t try to pick a fight with either of his forms.

#2: Hajime Nagumo

“Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest” (2019)

There had to be an isekai character in here somewhere, and while his transition is far from complex, slow and nuanced compared to others in the genre, Hajime’s shift from white knight to zaddy gunslinger is as radical as they come. Seriously, the dude was a polite nerd that others either ignored or bullied, and in the space of a few episodes became a rogue with an itchy trigger, that now spends his days shooting down anyone who crosses him, devouring every demonic beast he kills, and chilling with his ever expanding harem. Top lad.

#1: Simon

“Gurren Lagann” (2007)

While escaping the colossal shadow left behind by Kamina was a daunting task, this digger nonetheless did and matured into a badass more than worthy carrying the title of Team Dai-Gurren’s leader. After all, it takes someone special to live up to the legacy left behind by his iconic big bro, earn the affection of an S-Class girlie like Nia, pilot a galaxy sized mecha, and save the goddamn universe. All he while refusing to even go near a shirt. The stone’s on this guy are planet sized.