There are a plethora of anime characters who specialize in destruction, capable of wiping out opponents with a single swing of the arm. They claim their victory through force alone, beating their enemy down until they submit—or worse. But when you possess enough power to casually wipe out a mountain, it's difficult to avoid collateral damage.
Then there are those whose abilities are dependent on collateral damage, these secondary sacrifices making them that much stronger. Some techniques are so strong that they demand something in return, whether it be the life of the user or innocent bystanders. Anime is stacked with powers so great that unintentional destruction is unavoidable.
10 The Death Reaper Seal Requires The Life Of The User (Naruto)
The Death Reaper Seal is an extraordinarily powerful sealing jutsu developed by the Uzumaki clan that summons a terrifying shinigami to extract the soul of the target. However, the jutsu is considered a last resort due to the fact that the user also offers their soul in exchange for summoning the shinigami.
Fans of Naruto witness the technique on two occasions: Hiruzen uses it to prevent Orochimaru from destroying the Hidden Leaf, and Minato uses it to seal the ying side of the Nine-Tails. Both Hokage give their lives to save Konoha, and they're successful. Additionally, the technique is so secretive that even Orochimaru with his encyclopedic knowledge of jutsu was shocked by its existence.
9 Nanika's Wish-Granting Can Have Catastrophic Consequences (Hunter X Hunter)
Nanika is a mysterious being from the dark continent that shares the body of Alluka Zoldyck. Her ability is a form of wish-granting and it seemingly has no limitations. So far in the anime, Nanika has made a butler an instant billionaire, teleported Illumi effortlessly across continents, and healed Gon's horrendous injuries—a task even the best Nen-exorcists failed to do. However, there are rules to such a power, and consequences should one break those rules.
Before making a wish, a person must fulfil three of Alluka's requests. The difficulty of those three requests depends on the greatness of the previous wish. So when a butler failed to fulfil Alluka's demands after the wish to become a billionaire, 65 people were killed as a result.
8 Lelouch Must Be Careful When Using His Geass (Code Geass)
Lelouch's Geass is typically very precise, with the boy genius employing it as part of a larger strategy to defeat his enemy and overthrow the Britannian empire. With the ability to command anyone to do anything he orders, Lelouch relies on his Geass to give him an advantage over those who lack his supernatural ability.
However, if such a power is used carelessly, it can have dire collateral consequences. This happened when Lelouch jokingly asked Princess Euphemia to slaughter the Japanese, unaware that he had momentarily lost control of his Geass. Hundreds of Japanese were killed in the process, devastating Lelouch and Euphemia.
7 Armin's Transformation Into The Colossal Titan Destroys Everything Around Him (Attack On Titan)
Armin's Titan ability is contrary to his pacifistic nature. The transformation into the Colossal Titan produces a massive explosion, similar to an atomic bomb. Although not the Titan's main purpose, it can be used to effectively wipe out the surrounding area and has been employed as a military tactic by the Scouts and the Marleyans who previously possessed the Titan.
Armin used the explosion to wipe out the Marleyan navy during the Scouts' infiltration of Marley. However, when used spontaneously, it causes massive amounts of collateral damage—wiping out buildings and anyone unfortunate enough to be close by.
6 Pain's Almighty Push Wiped Out Konoha (Naruto)
Pain was a complex villain possessing the legendary Rinnegan. This immensely powerful ocular jutsu granted the Akatsuki leader a plethora of abilities including unlimited summonings and the option to bring the dead back to life. Arguably his most devastating power was the Almighty Push—a jutsu that's exactly what it sounds like.
Pain used the ability to wipe out Konoha, creating a massive crater in the ground and making the Leaf Village almost unrecognizable. It's unknown if Pain had intended for this much destruction, but such a monstrous power will always cause collateral damage.
5 Dante's Gravity Singularity Erased Half Of A Mountain (Black Clover)
Dante Zogratis is one of three major antagonists introduced during Black Clover's Heart Kingdom Joint Struggle Arc. At some point in his life, Dante made a deal with the devil Lucifero which granted him access to most of the devil's power. Dante is now in possession of Body Magic and Gravity Magic, meaning he can manipulate both his own body tissue and gravity.
During his fight with Yami Sukehiro, Dante unleashed his Gravity Singularity, creating and manipulating a black hole that sucks in and destroys everything in its path. Yami dodges the attack, causing the Black Hole to erase a huge chunk of the mountain—demonstrating the true destructive ability of Dante's power.
4 Satoru Gojo's Hollow Purple Technique Erases Anything It Touches (Jujutsu Kaisen)
As the strongest sorcerer in the world, there's very little that Gojo isn't capable of. He is a prodigy in every sense, effectively wielding his Six-Eyes technique and Infinity to dominate everyone he faces. Aside from his Infinite Domain, Gojo's most devastating technique is his Hollow Purple—allowing him to completely erase matter.
He achieves this by combining his cursed Red and Blue techniques—fusing convergence and divergence to bring destruction. During his encounter with special-grade cursed spirit Hanami, Gojo releases Hollow Purple, creating an orb large enough to destroy entire sections of the surrounding forest. Maybe it was due to Gojo's intentional carelessness, but this technique wiped out more than just its intended target.
3 Overhaul's Quirk Can Reassemble and Disassemble Matter (My Hero Academia)
Overhaul's Quirk was the perfect complement to such a sadistic personality. His ability allows him to disassemble anything he touches and then reassemble it in any form he wishes. He has used his matter manipulation to heal injuries and grow back limbs—although he tends to only use this on himself—or disassemble people to kill them.
Additionally, Overhaul can influence non-living matter, often modifying the ground to create deadly spikes that pierce his enemy. The ambitious antagonist possesses great control over his Quirk, but it isn't perfect. When manipulating his surroundings, Overhaul can often overdo it, hitting his target but destroying the surrounding area in the process.
2 Escanor's Sunshine Melted The His Allies' Armor (Seven Deadly Sins)
Escanor is the Lion Sin of Pride and the one that stands at the pinnacle of all races. After inheriting the ability known as "Sunshine," Escanor's power increases exponentially alongside the rising of the sun, and he experiences a transformation that allows him to stand up to any of the Ten Commandments.
During his fight with Estarossa, Escanor creates a miniature sun that starts to melt the armor of those close to him. Moreover, after firing the sun at Estarossa, the Commandment lands in a lake that completely evaporates due to the temperature of Escanor's attack. His miniature Sun radiates remarkable heat and energy, and anything that gets too close will perish.
1 Saitama's Punch Destroyed Mountains And Formed A Canyon (One-Punch Man)
This list wouldn't be complete without the most powerful move in anime. As a parodic protagonist defined by his ability to defeat anyone with one punch, Saitama is a character without a peer. Not all of his punches are equal and truly worthy opponents require a serious punch to be defeated. The sheer destructive force of Saitama's attacks means collateral damage is inevitable and fans see the consequences on multiple occasions.
The most memorable moment occurred when Genos sparred with Saitama, hellbent on understanding the nature of his master's strength. Saitama released a death punch but stopped inches before Genos' face—destroying huge portions of the surrounding mountains and creating a manmade canyon.