10 Iconic Anime Heroes Who Lost Their Powers and How They Gave New Perspectives

In the context of storytelling, power scaling refers to characters acquiring new skills, talents, or magical abilities. Initially weak characters may transform into powerful beings, with some even possessing inherent dual-natured powers for an edge. Not all action anime universes follow the rule that powers cannot be lost, but there are instances where a character might lose their abilities. This could happen when they fail to control their power or if it’s taken away by another entity.

When heroes find themselves powerless, it’s a humbling experience that offers an opportunity for self-discovery, allowing the character to understand their identity apart from their powers. Once they regain their abilities, they’ll have a fresh outlook on life. If their powers never return, they’ll gracefully transition into a new endeavor. On the other hand, when villains lose their strength, it plunges them into the deepest despair because power is all they value. This humbling experience will affect them like no other.

Armin’s Mind Was His Strongest Weapon Anyway

In the captivating world of Attack on Titan, when an individual undergoes the transformation to become a Titan Shifter, their powers persist until another Titan consumes them, thus passing the abilities onto the new consumer. Spectators have witnessed this occurrence on numerous occasions, such as when Bertholt Hoover’s pure Titan devoured Armin, granting him the colossal Titan form. Although Armin demonstrated his use of it in Attack on Titan, he did not retain the powers for the entire 13 years.

For several years, Armin had the ability to transform into the Colossal Titan, but when Eren was killed, all Titan powers disappeared forever, leaving the Eldians as ordinary humans with no way to regain their Titan abilities. This included Armin, who lost his Titan powers and the stunning transformation he underwent. However, fans of Attack on Titan know that Armin’s intelligence is his greatest strength, and that can never be taken away from him.

Ozai Also Ended Up Imprisoned After the War

In the series “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” benders have the ability to enhance their elemental powers over time, but they don’t naturally lose these abilities completely. On the other hand, individuals who aren’t born with these abilities cannot acquire them. However, there are exceptions to this rule, such as Fire Lord Ozai, who initially possessed Firebending abilities. In an attempt to incinerate the entire world, he lost control of his powers. But when faced with Avatar Aang, who unexpectedly regained his late-stage powers, Ozai was ultimately unable to use his Firebending capabilities anymore.

Following Aang’s victory in the battle with his Avatar State, he made a bold move by applying Energybending to confront Ozai’s soul directly. This action carried a high risk of Aang’s own destruction, but he triumphed in the end, causing Ozai to lose his Firebending abilities. With Ozai no longer capable of physical defense, he was captured and incarcerated. Although being an exceptionally powerful Firebender may not be essential for someone to become Fire Lord, Ozai’s heinous actions ensured that he would inevitably face dethronement and imprisonment regardless.

Gaara Also Lost His Life, But Not for Very Long

The diminishment of Gaara’s abilities wasn’t complete, but it was significant enough to affect both what he could perform and how he performed it. When we were first introduced to Gaara in Naruto, he was similar to Naruto Uzumaki as a jinchuriki, using the One-Tails’ power to boost his sand-based techniques. With this power, Gaara was a formidable combatant, capable of even transforming into his beast form, as viewers of Naruto witnessed during Operation Konoha Crush.

In the early stages of Naruto Shippuden, the Akatsuki seized Gaara. This event led to the forced extraction of the One-Tailed Beast, causing Gaara to lose his abilities and almost his life. However, Chiyo miraculously revived him. Unfortunately, the One-Tailed Beast couldn’t be reinstated, leaving Gaara in a state where he had to adapt. Fortunately, he still possessed his personal sand jutsu techniques, and most crucially, Gaara proved more than capable of compensating for the absence of the One-Tailed Beast.

The Truth Admitted Defeat to Ed as a Result

In the anime “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood”, Edward Elric predominantly relied on a blend of martial arts and alchemy for combat. It was generally assumed that he would employ alchemy to save the world from antagonists, as is common among shonen anime protagonists who usually utilize their peak abilities to vanquish evil forces. However, the Elrics had other strategies in mind. Initially, Edward used his bare fists to defeat Father, which significantly reduced the role of alchemy in the climactic battle.

Edward willingly confronted Truth one final time to orchestrate an exchange that Truth hadn’t foreseen from a human. By giving up his alchemy, Ed retrieved Alphonse’s physical form, and the triumphant Truth surprisingly conceded defeat. In doing so, Ed accomplished what was deemed impossible – recovering something previously lost without forfeiting everything else in the process, reuniting the Elric brothers. Although he could no longer practice alchemy, Ed found peace with this reality.

It Was Time for One For All to Go

In “My Hero Academia”, Deku transitioned from being Quirkless to regaining his Quirklessness again. To conquer most adversaries like Overhaul and Muscular, he relied heavily on One For All. However, defeating Tomura Shigaraki demanded a distinct approach. Instead of solely attacking physically, Deku had to tackle the root of Tomura’s villainy within him as well.

Through giving up One For All and his inherent Quirks, Deku triumphed, eliminating a new embodiment of evil from the world. Fortunately for him, Deku didn’t mind becoming quirkless temporarily and losing his hero career. To accomplish what no one else could, he had to let go, and luckily, his superhero costume returned in the manga’s conclusion, allowing him to rejoin the action.

Light Still Endured Weeks in Incarceration

In the fictional universes of shows such as Death Note, cunning intellect and powerful notebooks are key sources of power. The antihero, Light Yagami, possessed an abundance of this intellectual prowess, making him nearly invincible as Kira when he utilized his own notebook. However, when Misa was taken captive, Light found himself in a tight spot. Facing certain destruction, Light chose to surrender and attempt to demonstrate that he was not Kira anymore.

Afterward, Light executed his most brilliant scheme yet, a plan he had concocted with Ryuk and Rem earlier. Light orchestrated events so that he would misplace his notebook and memories, and Misa had previously done something similar. Since the next Kira was already operating, L was compelled to release Light. Ironically, losing his abilities and memories caused Light to genuinely seek out and apprehend his unknowing minion, Kyosuke Higuchi, honestly.

Yakone Passed on His Plans to His Sons

In the style of an observer, I might phrase it like this: Just as Fire Lord Ozai lost his firebending to Aang in Avatar: The Last Airbender, so too did crime lord Yakone lose his bending abilities to a grown-up Aang in The Legend of Korra. Yakone sought power from the corrupt underbelly of Republic City, as his son Tarrlok described it, and for a time, it seemed he would escape justice using his masterful Bloodbending. However, Aang managed to apprehend Yakone and permanently take away his bending powers.

In essence, Yakone’s narrative didn’t end at the halfway mark; it was filled with more events following his loss of bending. Unlike Ozai who was imprisoned, Yakone chose a different path, settling in the Water Tribe where he wed a local woman and fathered two sons, Noatak and Tarrlok, both with Bloodbender abilities. However, it was a chilling testament to Yakone’s depth of wickedness that instead of viewing his sons as cherished children, he manipulated them, using them as tools for his criminal empire as Bloodbenders.

Not Even Ultra Instinct Can Be Taken for Granted

In many Dragon Ball storylines, the character Son Goku continually grows stronger through training, learning new abilities, and acquiring additional Super Saiyan forms. Representative of a typical shonen anime protagonist, Goku is always eager to enhance his power. However, to maintain suspense and equilibrium, there are instances where Goku temporarily loses his powers – such as when his tail was amputated to prevent him from transforming into an alien ape.

Goku suffered a significant setback when he temporarily lost his Super Saiyan 3 form, a crucial power he needed to compete with his toughest opponents. What’s more, he also had to give up on Ultra Instinct, a powerful ability that his body couldn’t sustain. As Whis explained, this was because Goku is not yet on par with the truly divine beings, highlighting the vast difference between Saiyans and such entities.

Ichigo Spent 17 Months With No Powers

In the anime, Ichigo Kurosaki found himself awakening to various abilities from the very first episode, when Rukia Kuchiki transferred her own powers to him. As events unfolded, Ichigo transformed into a Soul Reaper, obtained his authentic zanpakuto, and even managed to control his half-otherworldly powers. However, despite his growth, Ichigo reached a point where he lacked the strength needed to overcome Sosuke Aizen.

At that very instant, Ichigo’s father, Isshin, appeared and began training him, marking the first instance of Isshin significantly influencing Ichigo’s development as a Soul Reaper. Transformed in his Mugetsu form, Ichigo employed the Final Getsuga Tensho to accomplish the unthinkable – vanquishing the indestructible Aizen in conjunction with Kisuke Urahara. Alas, Ichigo forfeited his abilities, yet, as many anticipating fans would have assumed, he eventually managed to reclaim those powers before the subsequent key narrative segment. It appeared, however, that Ichigo was not destined to relinquish his powers at that juncture, despite the storyline suggesting Ichigo’s loss was irrevocable.

Inuyasha’s Brother Had No Such Problems

Instead of typically losing their powers just once, the half-demon character Inuyasha often found himself powerless on multiple occasions. As a being with human origins, Inuyasha would lose all his powers during each full moon, serving as a constant reminder of his weaker human nature. Despite this, Inuyasha took care to conceal this weakness from his adversaries. However, he felt comfortable enough to reveal it to his trusted companions like Kagome and others.

The first instance when Inuyasha found himself powerless was when a demon assaulted during the night, targeting the fragments of the Shikon Jewel that Inuyasha’s group had amassed so far. This left Inuyasha feeling extremely vulnerable, as he was unable to protect his companions. He was disheartened by his incapacity, but this was the harsh truth he had to accept. It served to differentiate him from his half-brother Sesshoumaru, who, being a pure demon dog, did not experience such limitations.

2025-06-04 23:08