Highlights
- Sacrifices made by anime protagonists often lead to supernatural powers and abilities beyond the ordinary.
- These sacrifices come at a great cost, such as losing humanity, souls, or even one's sense of self.
- Despite the consequences, these protagonists are driven by a desire for justice, revenge, or protecting loved ones.
For most anime protagonists, a recurring theme of their characterization is usually modeled around the trait of selflessness, basically their innate ability to make sacrifices for the greater good of those close to them.
These sacrifices, however, do not necessarily always translate to negative or even positive consequences. There are numerous instances where these sacrifices allow these characters to obtain abilities and powers far beyond the scope of the ordinary. In this regard, below are some protagonists who receive supernatural powers through sacrificial acts.
10 Madoka Kaname (Madoka Magica)
Starting as an ordinary high school girl in the series, Madoka is drawn into the world of magic, where magical girls fight against witches to protect humanity. She first hesitates to become a magical girl due to the dangerous and deadly nature of a magical girl’s responsibilities.
After witnessing the gruesome and horrifying fates that befall most magical girls, including her friends, she decides to sacrifice herself and, in doing so, becomes an entity known as the ‘Magical Girl Messiah.’ By offering herself, she gains tremendous power, but the cost of such power is her humanity.
9 Ciel Phantomhive (Black Butler)
Heir to the noble house of Phantomhive, Ciel Phantomhive is driven by vengeance. His life drastically turns when his parents are killed, and he is captured by a cult group that tortures and experiments on him.
On the verge of death, Ciel agrees to a contract with a demon named Sebastien Michaelis. By agreeing to this contract, he gains extraordinary power and becomes linked to the demon, Sebastien. This newfound power, however, comes at the sacrifice of his soul. With his abilities, Ciel begins the hunt for the people responsible for his suffering.
8 Yusuke Urameshi (Yu Yu Kakusho)
At the outset of the series, Yusuke is a delinquent teen who is usually getting into fights, but things take a surprising turn when, in trying to save a child from getting hit by a car, he sacrifices himself.
By doing this, Yusuke is allowed to return to life by the Realm of the Afterlife as a Spirit Detective, and by becoming this, he is granted supernatural abilities such as spiritual energy manipulation, aura manipulation, and even heightened senses.
7 Clare (Claymore)
Clare is a central character in the anime Claymore, and she is a warrior and hunter of Yoma, a shape-shifting species in the series that disguises itself as humans and feeds on human flesh. These warriors are known as claymore and possess extraordinary abilities and combat skills that allow them to kill off Yoma.
Clare, however, only becomes a Claymore to seek revenge for her family's murder by Yoma. She gains supernatural power but loses her sense of self, walking a fine line between humanity and savagery.
6 Guts (Berserk)
A prime example of sacrifice, Guts is a man with superhuman abilities, and his journey is one of relentless determination to survive against impossible odds. Branded as a sacrifice by demonic entities called Apostles, Guts is sacrificed to an entity known as God Hand during the ritual of the Eclipse.
Afterward, he obtains the Berserker armor, granting him superhuman abilities and senses, but the cost is insanity, hence the name ‘Berserker.’ Even his primary weapon, the Godslayer, can only be wielded under immense physical pain, with Guts putting his life on the line at every use. Indeed powerful, Guts’ abilities come with a heavy price.
5 Rin Okumura ( Blue Excorcist)
Rin is a central figure in this series's world of the supernatural. He is the son of Satan, the most powerful demon of hell, but lives as a human, oblivious of his heritage. Rin unlocks his dormant demonic abilities after the death of his adoptive father at the hands of Satan.
Only after can he access these powers, but it is at the cost of losing his humanity. Throughout the series, Rin constantly struggles with his unique identity, fighting to keep his humanity intact to become an exorcist who can protect those he cares about.
4 Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)
Starting as an oblivious high school student, Ichigo is one of the anime's most powerful characters. He is easily noticeable due to the color of his hair and has a strong sense of justice.
Upon a fated encounter with Rukia, another central character, Ichigo, is able to awaken as a Soul Reaper due to Rukia transferring all of her powers to him to protect his family against a Hollow. Through Rukia’s sacrifice of her powers, Ichigo gains the abilities and capabilities of a Soul Reaper and is able to sense the spirit world and, from there, begins his journey as a Soul Reaper.
3 Alucard (Hellsing)
Alucard is a prime example of a protagonist who sacrifices to gain power. Formerly known as Count Dracula, Alucard, in his quest for power, willingly makes a pact with the Hellsing Family, an organization of vampires.
By making such a pact, he becomes a vampire, thus gaining immense supernatural abilities surpassing an average vampire, but this is at the cost of his humanity. No longer human, Alucard becomes a servant of the Hellsing Family and uses his powers to protect humans.
2 Gon Freecs (Hunter X Hunter)
Motivated to find his father, Gon sets out to become a Hunter, a reputable title given to individuals who excel in treasure hunting and territory exploration. His father is also one of such Hunters and a world-renowned one at that.
Gon, however, undergoes a significant change during the Chimera Ant Arc, where his rage and desire for revenge overcomes him, and his morality is tested. He sacrifices his life force and future to gain power for revenge. However, the cost of such power proves too high in the end.
1 Edward Elric (FullMetal Alchemist)
Edward Elric, a central figure of the series, is the Fullmetal Alchemist, an alchemy prodigy who became state-certified at a very young age. Edward’s alchemy abilities, however, are not all due to his talent but rather as a result of engaging in forbidden alchemy as a child.
After the death of their mother, Edward and his brother, Alphonse, try to use alchemy to revive her. In trying to do so, they perform forbidden alchemy, which results in the loss of Edward’s limbs and his brother’s entire body. By giving up his limbs, Edward gains the ability to perform alchemy without a transmutation circle, putting him at a level above ordinary alchemists.