Magical powers and supernatural abilities come in a wonderful variety in works of fiction such as Japanese anime, comic books, and live-action TV. One of the most mystical and fascinating magical powers is the realm of psychic abilities, referring to any supernatural ability that stems from the user's own mind. Psychics can do almost anything with their brains, either for good or for ill.

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There is no single type of psychic, though. Some psychic anime characters can use their gifts to read or even control other people's minds, while other psychics can use their minds to move objects via telekinesis. Other psychics might have entirely different powers, such as the ability to launch blasts of psionic energy with their focused mental power.

10 Anya Forger Can Read Minds

Spy X Family

Anya Forger in Spy X Family wide-eyed and smiling.

Mind reading is the classic psychic power that nearly everyone is familiar with, and the petite Anya Forger is a gifted mind reader who can even read an animal's mind, let alone a fellow human's. At times, Anya's psychic powers feel like a burden, but she also wishes to follow her foster father's example and become a cool spy hero with those powers.

Anya often read minds to cheat on tests or cheer up the people around her. Anya also reads minds to save the day, such as when she read a terrorist's mind to learn the location of a sneaky bomb trap and warn Loid in time about it.

9 Manalay Has A Telepathic Quirk

My Hero Academia

mandalay is happy

There are surprisingly few psychic characters in My Hero Academia, given how everyone has supernatural powers, but the realm of psychics does have a few representatives here. One example is Hitoshi Shinso with his Brainwashing Quirk, and an even better example is Mandalay.

Mandalay is a member of the Wild, Wild Pussycats, and she can use her Telepath Quirk to send psychic messages to one or more people within her range. She often does this to quickly coordinate evacuation efforts and warn groups of people of impending danger.

8 Sosuke Aizen's Zanpakuto Has Psychic Qualities

Bleach

Aizen Reveals His True Nature In Bleach

There are no psychic kido spells in the realm of Bleach, and Hollows don't read minds, either. But Captain Sosuke Aizen, being the clever schemer he is, stands as an exception. He wields a zanpakuto named Kyoka Suigetsu, which can perform what he calls "perfect hypnosis" on one or more targets at a time.

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Aizen's shikai can psychically affect the target's five senses, and the effects can last for years on end, too. With this astounding psychic skill, Aizen can fool his enemies in battle or even trick them into attacking each other, such as when Toshiro impaled Momo by mistake.

7 Shigeo Kageyama Is A Talented Psychic

Mob Psycho 100

mob psycho shigeo powers

The unassuming boy Shigeo Kageyama, also known simply as Mob, wants to live an ordinary life without monsters, mayhem or magic. But he has little choice in the matter. Trouble keeps finding him, so Shigeo does his best to exorcise spirits and curses with his new boss, Reigen.

Mob is a vastly powerful psychic who can fight, and destroy, practically any curse or spirit he comes across, even before reaching 100%. If Mob does go Plus Ultra with his 100% form, his psychic powers can level the entire landscape and win any battle.

6 Mavis Vermillion Has Psychic Techniques

Fairy Tail

mavis vermillon in the forest

The Fairy Tail guild's founder, the brilliant Mavis Vermillion, is a master of mind magic and strategy. First, she hungrily read every book found on her home island's library, then explored the big, wide world with her illusion-based magic at her disposal. This is how she fought the Blue Skull wizard guild and won.

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Creating illusions is just the start. Even after she got preserved inside a crystal, Mavis could use her psychic magic to project her spirit elsewhere and communicate with people near and far. This is how Mavis coordinated Fairy Tail's team during the Grand Magic Games tournament.

5 Sabrina Trains Psychic Pokémon For A Reason

Pokémon

sabrina in pokemon

Many gym leaders in the Pokémon world have a personality quirk, hobby, or outfit that matches their Pokémon team's theme, and Sabrina takes it to the next level. This kuudere girl doesn't just train Psychic-type Pokemon; she has psychic powers herself.

Sabrina awakened these powers in her youth, and today, she telepathically speaks with her Pokémon and can even move their pokeballs with telekinesis. On a personal note, Sabrina tends to act cold, aloof, and almost robotic, but a Haunter's goofy antics finally convinced Sabrina to show her warmer side and laugh out loud.

4 Negi Springfield Has Telepathic Abilities

Mahou Sensei Negima!

Negi Springfield looking confident in Mahou Sensei Negima!

The young wizard Negi Springfield can cast an astonishing variety of spells and use various magic items, so he's not a specialized psychic, unlike characters like Sabrina or Mandalay. Still, Negi knows the value of telepathy, and he has used it for both serious and comical purposes.

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Early on, Negi touched Takamichi's forehead to read his thoughts and determine what he really thought about Asuna, his admirer. Also, Negi can use pactio cards to telepathically speak with everyone he's made a contract with, which is immensely useful.

3 Saki Hanajima Has Spooky Psychic Gifts

Fruits Basket

Saki Hanajima from Fruits Basket

There's a good reason why Tohru's friend Saki Hanajima likes to dress in black and act so mysteriously. In her girlhood, Saki awakened her psychic abilities, which allowed her to sense other people's electromagnetic waves. Soon things went wrong, and Saki was feared as a dangerous witch.

Now Saki is more confident with who and what she is, and she even has a little fun with it. She can intimidate anyone who annoys or threatens Tohru at school, for example, and she might also read Kyo's electromagnetic waves and comment on them.

2 Tatsumaki Is A Telekinetic Powerhouse

One-Punch Man

Tatsumaki folding her arms in One-Punch Man.

Surprisingly few heroes in the world of One-Punch Man actually have supernatural powers, so Tatsumaki, or the Tornado of Terror, stands out all the more with her immense psychic gifts. Rather than read minds via telepathy, Tatsumaki focuses on the telekinetic side of things.

Tatsumaki can easily lift and throw any item with her mind, and she only needs to make a few hand gestures to coordinate her powers more precisely. She can also fly with these powers at great speed, and crush any monster into oblivion. It's no wonder Tatsumaki is the Hero Association's highly respected #2 hero.

1 Ino Yamanaka Can Mess With People's Minds

Naruto

Ino Yamanaka uses Mind Body Transmission, Naruto Shippuden

Strictly speaking, basic genjutsu is a close analog for psychic illusions, manipulating the target's chakra flow in their brain to make them see, hear, and feel nonexistent things. However, the blonde Ino Yamanaka and her family members can push this pseudo-psychic talent to the next level.

Ino can perform her clan's hidden technique, the Mind Transfer Jutsu, to take control of the target's mind and will. Ino and her father Inoichi can also read minds, visualized as either character floating in front of the other person's oversized brain.

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