It’s common for characters in anime to survive unbelievable situations – a trope often called ‘plot armor.’ This is so frequent that things like the power of friendship or the seemingly endless good fortune of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece have become running jokes among fans. Sometimes, battles are so evenly matched that plot armor feels like the only thing that determines the winner.
Many action anime show the hero struggling against a stronger villain, but ultimately winning because the story demands it. We also see plenty of close, evenly-matched fights that stay suspenseful until the very end. Often, the villain‘s defeat feels forced, serving only to move the hero’s story forward and creating moments where the hero seems unfairly protected by the plot.
Overhaul’s Loss Felt Too Convenient in My Hero Academia
The fight against Overhaul in My Hero Academia would have been much closer if it had just been Mirio and Deku facing him. But things became complicated when Eri’s power came into play. She’s incredibly powerful, arguably one of the strongest characters in the series. It’s unfortunate that her abilities weren’t fully explained or resolved by the end, which makes her introduction feel especially problematic in retrospect.
Eri’s abilities completely changed the course of the battle, and Overhaul would have won without her. Her powers essentially eliminate any real danger for the heroes, which is a bit strange – it feels like the characters are protected simply because the story needs them to be. Ultimately, the ending felt disappointing after such a thrilling and emotionally engaging fight.
Diavolo’s Fight Against Giorno Was Unsatisfying in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
The fight scenes in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure are consistently excellent, but the series sometimes relies on plot armor to protect its characters. A major instance of this happened during the final battle of Golden Wind, between Diavolo and Giorno Giovanna. The problem wasn’t the fight itself, but the fact that Diavolo impaled himself with the Requiem arrow and was rejected, which ultimately triggered the events leading to their confrontation.
The reason given for what was happening felt forced – the idea that everyone’s souls were returning to their bodies seemed like a stalling tactic. This also awkwardly introduced the concept of Requiem Stands, which appeared to come out of nowhere as the series concluded. While JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure often embraces bizarre explanations, this particular instance felt especially weak and unsatisfying.
Goku Learned Ultra Instinct Against Jiren in Dragon Ball Super
The Dragon Ball series is responsible for many of the common themes and clichés seen in anime. A particularly noticeable example of a character being saved by unbelievable luck happened during Goku’s battle with Jiren in Dragon Ball Super. Goku had never faced an opponent who pushed him so hard, and it seemed like he might actually lose.
Goku’s Spirit Bomb couldn’t defeat Jiren, and its failure actually backfired, creating an opening that unlocked Goku’s Ultra Instinct transformation. This sudden power-up allowed Goku to finally win the fight – a classic example of a convenient plot device saving the day.
The Heart of the Cards Was Seto Kaiba’s Demise in Yu-Gi-Oh!
People jokingly call it “Heart of the Cards” when someone wins through sheer luck. It’s the most likely reason Seto Kaiba lost his first real duel against Yami Yugi – drawing all five pieces of Exodia from a forty-card deck is almost impossible!
Yugi won mostly because, as the main character, the story seemed to protect him. It wasn’t that Kaiba had a weak deck – his was quite powerful as well. The problem was that Yugi’s deck contained a lot of cards that could instantly change the outcome of the duel whenever he drew them.
Haku Could Have Defeated Naruto and Sasuke
Team 7’s first major challenge came in the form of Zabuza and Haku. Haku was particularly difficult to fight because of his unique ability to create and move through ice mirrors, which were surprisingly resistant to fire. This allowed him to move incredibly fast and attack from anywhere, making him a hard target to hit and often confusing his opponents with his quick, unpredictable strikes.
The fight could have realistically gone Haku’s way, but the story required Naruto and Sasuke to continue their journey. Ending things so soon for them and their friends wasn’t an option. Although it felt forced, the plot ensured Naruto unlocked his powerful Nine-Tailed Fox abilities when he saw Sasuke severely injured.
Zoro Should Not Have Survived the Mihawk Fight in One Piece
As a huge One Piece fan, I have to admit, the series is known for its moments of unbelievable luck for certain characters! One that always sticks out to me is Zoro’s fight with Mihawk at Baratie. It was a brutal battle, and Zoro actually broke his sword! Honestly, if he wasn’t one of the main crew, there’s no way he would have survived that fight – it just wouldn’t have been possible!
Okay, so everyone says Mihawk completely dominated that fight, but honestly, that really doesn’t give Zoro enough credit! He was going up against the world’s strongest swordsman, and he seriously held his own. He took some absolutely brutal hits – life-threatening stuff, really – but he never backed down. That said, I couldn’t help but notice Zoro was remarkably durable, almost like the story needed him to be. It was a little hard to ignore, to be honest!
Light Yagami Almost Took Over the World in Death Note
The intense rivalry between Light Yagami and L was the most captivating part of Death Note, constantly keeping audiences guessing. However, the show lost some of its spark after L’s death. While Near was a compelling character in his own right, he couldn’t recreate the thrilling psychological battle that had hooked viewers from the very beginning.
The way Near discovered Mikami had written Takeda’s name felt forced, a convenient plot device to reach the real Death Note and compare it. Light’s defeat felt too quick and ultimately didn’t deliver a satisfying conclusion to such a complex and long-running battle of wits.
Fairy Tail Rushed Through Natsu’s Battle Against Achnologia
Fairy Tail often uses the strength of friendship and convenient plot devices more than many other recent action anime. A prime example is Natsu’s fight with Achnologia, which felt particularly contrived. The battle was relatively even and could have gone either way, even without the sudden appearance of the Seven Dragon Slayers’ power. It seemed the story needed that extra boost, even though it wasn’t necessary.
What’s most annoying about this situation is how Natsu gained this power. It makes much more sense for someone like Laxus, who already knows dragon slayer magic. It feels like Natsu just got it because he’s the main character, rather than through any real effort or skill.
Aizen Only Lost Because of Ichigo’s Last-Minute Power-Up in Bleach
I’ll never forget the moment Aizen revealed himself as the mastermind behind everything in Bleach – it was a total game changer! He was just unbelievably powerful, way beyond anything our heroes had dealt with before. What really blew my mind was his ability to mess with what people thought was real, thanks to his control over Suigetsu. It was like nothing we’d ever seen!
Ichigo narrowly won the fight, largely due to a convenient and unexplained power boost that felt like a last-minute save. While the battle was evenly matched up until that point, Ichigo’s ultimate attack, the Final Getsuga Tenshou, seemed to come from nowhere – almost as if a more powerful version of himself from the future appeared. Ultimately, it felt like the story needed Ichigo to win, and this ability provided a way for him to do so, despite the lack of clear explanation within the series’ established rules.
Jinwoo Beating Igris The Bloodred is Peak Solo Leveling Plot Armor
A key element of Solo Leveling is that the main character is often protected from serious harm. However, there are instances where this feels particularly noticeable. One example is during the season one finale, when Jinwoo fought Igris the Bloodred. Igris, a knight in bright red armor, served as the final boss of that dungeon.
The dungeon’s final boss initially seemed far too strong for Jinwoo, but he quickly turned the tide once he got serious. The fight that followed is considered one of the best choreographed in Solo Leveling. Igris, one of Jinwoo’s companions, lost the battle intentionally, as Jinwoo needed to unlock his necromancer class and become the Shadow Monarch. Thankfully, Igris remained loyal and continues to play an important role in the story.
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2025-12-12 05:13