An anime character's goal is the most important aspect of their personality. It informs who they are, the most important thing in their lives, and oftentimes even what might have happened to them in the past.
Therefore, it comes as a shock that there are many individuals who've all but forgotten what they set out to accomplish in the first place. Although still performing reasonably on the field of battle, these characters have almost completely neglected why they fight to begin with. It makes them more difficult to respect and fairly shallow in the grand scheme of their respective series.
10 Big Mom Let Luffy Distract Her From Laugh Tale
One Piece
Big Mom was among the most powerful characters in One Piece. At first, her goal was to use her extensive resources in order to find the poneglyphs and arrive at Laugh Tale before anyone else. Many of her children genuinely believed that she would become Pirate Queen.
However, when Luffy attacked Whole Cake Island, Big Mom became much more obsessed with killing him than actually finding Roger's treasure. When pursuing him to Wano, she briefly suffered from amnesia and even forgot who she was.
9 Alucard Distracted Dracula From His Dark Mission
Castlevania
When Dracula attempted to destroy all humanity in Castlevania, Alucard and his comrades stood to oppose him. At first, the vampire proved much too strong for his son to defeat, and his newfound allies were only of minimal help.
However, when Alucard lured Dracula into his childhood room, he remembered his wife and what it was like to raise their son. For a moment, Dracula completely forgot his genocidal campaign, which allowed the heroes the chance they needed to drive a stake through his heart.
8 Endeavor Forgot About Surpassing All Might
My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia's Endeavor once defined his entire personality by strength. He dedicated everything he was toward surpassing All Might, which included who he chose as a partner and how he raised his children.
However, when All Might retired, Endeavor forgot all about his original mission to become the best. Having stumbled into the role of Symbol Of Peace, Endeavor's new mission turned toward atonement and standing up for the weak. In this regard, he embodied All Might's spirit even though he never passed his combat ability.
7 Oliva Let Pride Distract Him From Defeating Guevara
Baki
The fight between Oliva and Guevara was one of the most important moments in Baki. However, rather than having an earnest match, both men agreed to an elaborate series of conditions that made the fight needlessly complex and dragged it out.
It took Baki lying in bed with Oliva's girlfriend to remind him that his ultimate goal was not showing off. He needed to defend his title as the strongest man in America. Incited into taking action, Oliva told Guevara that they would fight normally, then defeated him in only two hits.
6 Iroh Helped Zuko Forget About The Avatar
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Zuko was the most dynamic character in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Although debuting as Aang's main threat in the first season, Uncle Iroh showed him that there was more to life than pursuing the Avatar or pleasing his father.
Before long, Zuko all but forgot about Aang in favor of a happy life in Ba Sing Se. Azula may have briefly convinced him to reclaim his former mission, though Zuko eventually betrayed the Fire Nation when helping Aang against Combustion Man. Zuko eventually redeemed himself.
5 Meruem Stopped Being A Monster Before Netero Confronted Him
Hunter x Hunter
Shortly after birth, Meruem became the greatest monster in Hunter x Hunter. Whether violently usurping the NGL or murdering his subordinates for minor transgressions, he was every ounce as monstrous as his appearance suggested.
However, Meruem's inability to defeat Komugi in Gungi made him realize the extent of human ingenuity and that they were more complex than he originally anticipated. The King spent so much time playing with Komugi that his royal guards were concerned that he'd forgotten his quest for dominance. In the end, their fears were well-founded.
4 Light's Mission Went From Killing Criminals To Accumulating Power
Death Note
When Light Yagami first started killing in Death Note, it was under the pretense that he was making the world a better place. However, as investigators came closer to uncovering his identity, Light took increasingly drastic measures to protect himself. For example, he forced the wife of one of his pursuers to take her own life.
Light took such glee in outsmarting his opponents that, eventually, he'd forgotten the notebook's original purpose. He viewed it as means of eliminating his enemies and accumulating power rather than bringing justice to an unfair world.
3 Gowther Made Everyone Forget Who Mael Was
The Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins' Mael was once one of the strongest archangels in service to the Supreme Deity. Realizing the threat he posed, Gowther used his memory-altering powers in order to manipulate both Mael and everyone else into thinking he had a different identity since the beginning.
This persona came to be known as Estarossa, the middle son of the Demon King. Estarossa's curse was so indelible that not even the Demon King himself realized his true identity until it was revealed near the end of the series.
2 Weather Forecast Had His Memory Disc Stolen
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Weather Forecast had an extremely difficult life in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. After Pucci manipulated an angry, racist mob into killing his girlfriend, his memories were stolen. For over a decade afterward, he wasted away in a state prison with no hope of release.
Since Forecast didn't know who he was, there was no sense of urgency to escape his cell. However, after Versus helped to restore his identity, he immediately confronted Pucci in hopes of avenging his fallen lover. Forecast may not have killed the priest, though his Stand succeeded where he once failed in an alternate reality.
1 Sanji Never Mentions The All Blue
One Piece
When Sanji was first introduced in One Piece, his stated mission was to find the All Blue. As the perfect intersection of all the world's seas, he anticipated that there would be fantastic reagents to cook a feast beyond compare.
However, Sanji has seldom actually mentioned the All Blue ever since entering Grand Line. Instead, he's more obsessed with women and uses his cooking toward that end. Sanji's lack of focus was particularly problematic during the Onigashima invasion when he chose the villains' pleasure district over helping his own comrades.