Anime is filled with powerful, iconic characters. But anime is also a lot more varied than the average viewer would guess; there are plenty of times when an anime character is completely useless, with other characters having to save the day.

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There might be times where characters appear to be useless but ultimately show their prowess when things get tough, but that's not always the case, either. After all, appearances might be deceiving, but nothing says that's always the case. A useless hero is sometimes just as useless as they appear to be. After all, there are different kinds of useless: characters who don't really have that many redeeming qualities; and characters who mean well but have to have other characters pick up the slack.

10 Ataru Moroboshi (Urusei Yatsura) is literally born unlucky, tends to disappoint his parents, & most people his age seem to dislike him

Ataru Moroboshi from urusei yatsura

Out of context, he'd be sympathetic if he wasn't a grouchy pervert. The one time he catches a break is when he manages to win a tag game with Lum, which was done through underhanded means. And when he accidentally proposes to Lum, he's the one repulsed by the charming alien princess (a character so popular the series was rewritten to focus on her) and treats her horribly.

Originally, he had the excuse of liking another girl, but, eventually, it was changed to him wanting his own harem. Deep down, it's implied that he does care for Lum, but this rarely comes into play. And if all that wasn't enough, he's also rivals with a baby.

9 Nobita (Doraemon) is lazy, selfish, & goes on to become such a loser in life

Doraemon and Nobita

Not only is Nobita lazy and selfish, to the point of getting a "0" on tests, but he also goes on to become such a loser in life that Doraemon had to travel from the future from making his life even worse off than it already is.

Whenever he has a problem, he usually tries to solve it with a futuristic device from Doraemon which, more often than not, ends up backfiring horribly on him. And often, it's because he didn't listen to a warning from the robotic cat not to misuse the item in question.

Students, Mr. Osomatsu

The Matsuno sextuplets are characters who don't have it easy trying to catch a break in life. In a meta-sense, they even eventually lose their status of main characters because other members of the supporting cast ended up being more popular than them.

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By the time they got a spin-off series, they were shown to be unemployed and living off their parents well into their adulthood. It gets to a point where one of the few times the brothers try to improve their position in life, they all die in a horrible accident and spend eternity fighting with each other in the afterlife.

7 Kyon (The Melanchony Of Haruhi Suzumiya) is the milquetoast hero in a world filled with espers, aliens, time-travelers, & reality-warpers

Kyon facepalming in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

All in all, he just wants to have a normal life, to the point where, even if he can't pretend these supernatural events don't exist, he seems to wish he could.

That's not to say that he hasn't been involved with great adventures, but that's usually from interactions with more powerful characters. All in all, he's a typical "chosen" hero, in the sense that Haruhi seems to have chosen him for something, and has things happen to him rather than warrant them himself, and his lazy attitude isn't helping. It's also very telling the audience never learns his full name.

6 Mother (Atashin'chi) is good at budgeting, but even that usually translates into her getting the cheapest things people wouldn't want for free

Houswife Shin Atashin'chi

The rather fish-like matriarch of this slice-of-life family series fancies herself a typical Japanese housewife. Despite this, she's rather lazy, spending her time sleeping, scolding her daughter, and meeting up with friends. She does seem fond of cooking but doesn't have much talent for it. She tends to mess up more ambitious dishes, like preparing ratatouille but replacing nearly all the ingredients, and ruin any simple dish by using the cheapest foods she can get.

She's good at budgeting, but even that usually translates her into getting the cheapest things people wouldn't want for free. One time she actually came up with a good money tip, buying a bunch of cheap flowers in bulk to make a large bouquet, but was ruined by sending her daughter without telling her what to do, leading her to waste money on a small, unflattering, but expensive bouquet,

5 Tadao Yokoshima (Ghost Sweeper Mikami) is a bit of a coward, as well as a perverted fool, & usually can't last a scene without being attacked by something

Tadao Yokoshima Ghost Sweeper Mikami

In this series, where exorcists have become a high-profit business, Tadao Yokoshima is Mikami's henchman. Despite working with ghosts, he is a bit of a coward, as well as a perverted fool, and usually can't last a scene without being attacked by something.

His main talent is somehow surviving without being paid a living wage. The manga is a little merciful towards him, as he eventually develops spiritual powers of his own and becomes an extremely powerful being. The anime literally ends with him being beaten up.

4 Miki (Ramen Fighter Miki) is essentially a classic slacker

Miki in Ramen Fighter Miki.

She technically works at her mother's restaurant but either avoids working altogether or barely does her job at all. It gets to the point where a day off for her isn't much different than a working day. In addition to this, Miki has poor memory and a very short attention span.

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She tries to fight delinquents, but not out of some sense for justice, but just because the only thing she loves more than violence is an excuse not to do any work. Aside from that, she's actually a bit of a bully herself.

3 Red Blood Cell (Cells At Work!) is clumsy & in over her head

red blood cell in cells at work

Red Blood Cell is new to her job as a literal blood cell, but she's clumsy and in over her head. Effectively becoming White Blood Cell's sidekick, she slowly becomes a better framing device than a protagonist since, although she does have a few attacks, she's generally useless in a fight.

It gets to a point in the manga where there are eventually chapters that she doesn't appear in. She might also be a sickle red blood cell.

2 Yamcha (Dragon Ball) gave up on fighting & on martial arts

Anime yamcha baseball excited

At the start, Yamcha was supposedly a powerful protagonist and something of a rival and eventual friend of Goku. As the series went on, however, he effectively turned into a target for the villains, to the point where he gives up on fighting and on martial arts.

Even before giving up fighting, he had trouble actually winning a fight. Effectively, he eventually served a prototype of similar, more powerful characters that the franchise would introduce. He's also good at baseball, but that isn't too useful of a skill in this universe.

1 Yugi Muto (Yu-Gi-Oh!) relies on a ghost to fight his battles more often than not

Yugi Muto in Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions

Yugi is a kind, selfless person who regularly showcases the importance of friendship, but, when push comes to shove, he does rely on a ghost to fight his battles more often than not, whether it's fighting school bullies, going on a date with Tea, or playing card games, and this especially gets played up in the anime compared to the manga.

Even at times when Yugi makes sacrifices for his "other self," it sometimes comes off as more of an excuse to give Yami Yugi more screentime than showing Yugi's strength of character.

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