Top 10 Reluctant Anime Heroes

"Space Patrol Luluco" (2016)

Luluco is a normal thirteen year old girl that wants nothing more than to live a normal life. It’s too bad for her then that she lives in the only town on the entire planet that is inhabited by both humans and aliens. Combine this with the fact that her father works for the local police force that investigates space crime with extreme prejudice, and her chances of a normal life seem pretty slim. Things take a total left turn when her father accidentally freezes himself during breakfast, forcing Luluco to work for the Space Patrol temporarily to foot the bill.

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#9: Kid Muscle

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"Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy" (2002-05)

There is only one thing manlier than wrestling: Intergalactic wrestling. Who wouldn’t want to grapple alien invaders with their bare hands to save the planet? Well, turns out it’s the one fighter that Earth desperately needs. Kid Muscle, the son of the legendary King Muscle, is the latest in the bloodline to inherit Ultimate Muscle. However, Kid would much rather sing songs about his rice bowls and laze around than save the planet.

"Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann" (2007)

There are only so many things you can do in an underground village. Drilling holes seems to be the path Simon has chosen. Contrary to what you might think, his drilling skills don’t exactly fill him with gusto, as a result, his confidence is pretty low. Luckily, he has the boisterous Kamina to encourage him at every turn. While Simon may think that his blood-brother is more suited to the job as leader, it’s that first shaky step he took that set him on the path to becoming one of the most badass heroes in anime history.

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#7: Yusuke Urameshi

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"Yu Yu Hakusho" (1992)

Dying sucks. It’s even worse when your death was so pointless that even the spirit world doesn’t know what to do with you. Yusuke, a fourteen year old delinquent, finds himself in this situation after he learns that the kid he risked his life for would’ve been fine anyway. After a series of tests he becomes a spirit detective – a job he’s not to thrilled to have. Whether it’s the offer of fight tickets or the kidnapping of his lady friend – it takes a serious shove to get this hero off his ass.

"Parasyte: The Maxim" (2014)

What would you do if your right hand suddenly started talking? If you’re anything like this hero, you’d consider chopping it off. Shinichi is a sixteen year old high school student who one day finds out that his right arm has been replaced with the parasite named Migi. Understandably shocked, Shinichi attempts to inform the police, and if things couldn’t get any worse, he runs into other deadly parasites. Realizing that he is isn’t the only one with a bug problem - and that Migi will poke his eyes out if he tries anything else - Shinichi has no choice but to fight for the survival of the human race.

"A Certain Magical Index" (2008)

We all have some bad luck, but Touma might just take the cake - destroyed belongings, spoiled food, a broken air conditioner in a heat wave, and this all in one day. Not exactly an ideal way to live but this streak of misfortune has an upside. Despite being a Level 0, the lowest possible rank for a student in Academy City, he has the ability to negate all manner of supernatural forces with his right hand including: magic, esper skills, and divine blessings such as, you guessed it, luck. It’s not a bad thing to have when you run into a dangerous fire-wielding sorcerer, though it may be the worst when it comes to having a normal life.

"Sailor Moon" (1992)

Being the leader of a team of magically powered girls, you would expect the iconic Sailor Moon to be the epitome of bravery and focus; however our first impression of her is quite different. She’s a carefree middle school student whose effort leads to bad grades. She doesn’t take the job as Sailor Moon very seriously at first, and it’s hard to see how she can become a hero when she’s screaming in the middle of battle, but thankfully Luna and her friends are there to make sure she doesn’t run away.

"Mobile Suit Gundam" (1979)

Let’s be honest here, we’d all jump at the chance to pilot a giant robot. Amuro is the first in the franchise to use one of these bad boys when he boards the RX-78-2 during an attack on his colony by the Principality of Zeon. With the help of the gundam’s enhanced specs – and some quick reading – he is able to win his first fight with only some… minor losses. However, his hasty decision to pilot the gundam strips him of any chance of returning to a normal life as he is forced into conscription by the military, shouldering him immense responsibility and expectations.

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#2: Gohan

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"Dragonball Z" (1989)

When you’re the son of the strongest fighter on the planet, you’ve got some seriously big shoes to fill, and Gohan might just be able to do that thanks to his explosive power level. This half-saiyan shares many qualities with his father but he doesn’t at first possess the same courage. Thrown into a jungle to fend for himself by piccolo, confronted by deadly saiyans, sent to another planet, and eventually pitted in a fight to save the planet – Gohan’s arc is one that goes from wimpy to pure bad ass.

"Neon Genesis Evangelion" (1995)

Once again, who doesn’t want to pilot a giant robot? Well, our number one that’s for sure. Shinji is a newly transferred citizen to Tokyo 3 and he arrives at a pretty bad time. The city is under attack by the mysterious life forms known as Angels, and he finds out that his dad didn’t ship him in for some bonding time, but solely so he can pilot the Unit-01. Combine sleepless nights, daddy issues, and a traumatizing series of battles and you have a main character who really, really doesn’t want to get into the robot.