While they may not seem like it, comic relief characters are an essential part of a story, bringing levity to a situation where it's needed. Some of the most creative and unique ones have come from anime. These characters bring the laughs by being their own brand of goofy, crazy, or just plain weird. Sometimes these characters are there for just that, but some have proven themselves to be more than someone to laugh with/at.

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Sometimes, when the chips are down and things are looking to be their bleakest, that's when these characters end up becoming the difference between victory or defeat for the good guys. Thankfully, there've been quite a few who've answered that call to action when it mattered most.

10 Aoyama Has Come Through Where It Counts (My Hero Academia)

Aoyama looks determined and goes for an attack

For the first few seasons of My Hero Academia, Yuga Aoyama was more or less the punchline to a joke, seemingly vain and overconfident, but lacking the skill or wit to back it up. For a while, that's just how Aoyama was, until his shining moment during the Provisional Hero License Exam arc.

With him and Ida close to being eliminated in the first round of the exam, Aoyama decided to fire his naval laser up to make himself a target so Ida could advance without him. His gamble ended up paying off as the rest of Class 1-A came to their aid and allowed Ida and Aoyama to pass the first round along with them.

9 Gobta Is Stronger Than He Looks (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)

Gobta the goblin

Out of all the goblins under Rimuru's protection, the one who seemed to change the least was Gobta. Even after ascending into a Hobgoblin, Gobta looked the same as he did before, and he remained kind of dimwitted and lazy. Despite all that, Gobta has proven himself as a competent ally where it counts, revealing his talents on the battlefield.

This ended up being surprising to most of his allies, though his shining moment was when he saved Albis from a sneak attack that nearly took her life. Despite his goofy behavior, Gobta can clearly fight with the best of them.

8 Sasha Pulled Off Some Pretty Quick Saves (Attack On Titan)

Sasha from Attack On Titan

The always hungry Sasha Blouse was a character that stood out among Attack On Titan's serious characters and heavy atmosphere. Her more immature behavior and love of food quickly made her a unique and fan-favorite character among the many cadets in the 104th Training Corps and one of the few who survived the Battle of Trost arc.

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While her first few encounters with the monstrous Titans almost ended with her being eaten herself, it didn't take her too long before she helped make the difference between victory and defeat. One notable instance was when she helped evacuate and save the people of her village from a Titan attack.

7 Zenitsu's Actually Pretty Strong... When He's Unconcious (Demon Slayer)

zenitsu thunder clap demon slayer

The Demon Slayer Corps of Demon Slayer live some extremely dangerous lives that could come to an end at any moment if they're not careful. With that in mind, it is strange that someone like Zenitsu would not only become one but make it as far as he has. Zenitsu is a wimpy, blubbering coward who freaks out at the slightest bit of trouble. However, whether he knows it or not, he is actually more than that.

It turns out that when Zenitsu is unconscious, he's actually a skilled fighter, and a fearless one to boot. Granted, he can only perform one move in this state, but that's been more than enough to take out some pretty threatening demons who have killed braver slayers than him.

6 Dimple Ends Up Saving Mob (Mob Psycho 100)

Mob Psycho, Dimple and Mob

In Mob Psycho 100, the evil spirit Dimple was a minor antagonist that was defeated by Mob early in the series and stuck around him and Reigen in the hopes of regaining his powers and maybe steal Mob's body when the chance presented itself. Over time Dimple became a true ally to Mob.

Despite his boasting and supposed plans to become worshipped by all, Dimple ends up helping Mob and keeps him centered when he's at his lowest. He even ends up rescuing Mob himself by reminding him who he is when he's trapped during the exorcism of Minori.

5 Mako Has Both Inspired & Rescued Ryuko (Kill La Kill)

Mako and Ryuko, Kill la Kill

Mako Makanshoku quickly becomes Ryuko's friend, mostly due to her friendly, yet wild and hyperactive personality. Throughout most of Kill la Kill, she's the over-the-top comedy relief as she winds up in need of rescue or does some hilariously weird things, but when push comes to shove, she also proves herself to be capable of helping Ryuko too.

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With her own Goku Uniform, she can be a force to be reckoned with, and her weird tangents have even proved to be inspirational. Despite her crazy antics, she's pretty "ride or die" for Ryuko too. She even risks her life to snap Ryuko back to her senses when she is brainwashed by Ragyo.

4 Matsuda Ended The Reign Of Kira (Death Note)

Matsuda holding photos of Misa in Death Note

Many came after Kira in Death Note. Though, out of all the members of the task force, the one who seemed the least likely to be a threat to him was Matsuda. Inexperienced and a little immature, Matsuda sort of sticks out like a sore thumb, and his skills as a detective leave a lot to be desired. Yet, despite that, Matsuda proved himself to be a dependable officer of the law.

Soon after Light is exposed as Kira and tries to justify his actions, Matsuda shoots him without a second thought, enraged at how little remorse Light showed for causing his own father's death. Near may have unmasked Light as Kira, but Matsuda was the one who put an end to him.

3 Might Guy Proved He Wasn't Just A Joke (Naruto)

Might Guy 8 Inner Gates, Naruto

When he first appeared, Naruto's Might Guy acted almost purely comedic and looked nearly identical to his pupil, Rock Lee. Underneath all that posturing and one-sided rivalry against Kakashi was a strong Jonin that was wise in his own ways.

On top of teaching his students well, Guy has swooped in to save the day and proven himself to be a tough opponent in battle time and time again. He saved Kakashi from Itachi, managed to beat Kisame on his own, and by using the eighth gate, Guy was able to do a lot of damage to Madara. Madara even acknowledged him as the strongest user of Taijutsu.

2 Hercule Eventually Became The Hero He Pretended To Be (Dragon Ball)

dragon-ball-z-hercule-cell-games-announcer

To the rest of Dragon Ball's Earth, Hercule (aka "Mr. Satan) is the strongest and bravest warrior to ever live. In reality, however, he's actually a big chicken and a weakling that took credit for the victories of the Z Fighters to become rich and famous. While it seemed unlikely that he'd ever change, the darkest of hours can sometimes bring out the brightest in people.

During the Majin Buu Saga, Hercule managed to be courageous for once and convinced the people of Earth to give Goku their energy in order to put an end to Kid Buu once and for all. Despite all his faults, Hercule eventually became the brave hero he had tricked everyone else into believing he was.

1 The Many Strange & Hilarious Victories Of Usopp (One Piece)

God Usopp underground lit by mysterious light as he gives his speech

Out of everyone in Luffy's crew, Usopp seemed like an odd man out, being weaker and way more cowardly than his fellow Straw Hat Pirates. Nobody would ever really suspect that a liar who freaks out at the drop of a hat would ever really amount to much, but the long-nosed sniper of One Piece defied those expectations over and over.

While Usopp is actually skilled, his real superpower is his incredible luck which has both saved his butt and created some amazing and hilarious victories for him. This dumb luck of his has even made people he's saved believe that he's actually a god.

NEXT: 10 Anime That Had A Sudden Protagonist Change