Just like in real life, some of our favorite characters in anime would be useless without their friends. Every team has leaders, minions, and support characters, and any of these archetypes can fall into this category. Sometimes it's because a certain character is only motivated or emotionally involved as long as they're with their friends or family, while in other situations it might be due to their powers or abilities that only function with the aid of others.
That's not to say that these characters aren't powerful or compelling on their own. In fact, many of them are fan-favorites thanks to complex backstories or a larger-than-life screen presence. No matter how much fans like any of them, though, they have to admit that these anime characters would be nothing without their friends.
10 San is Always A Part Of The Pack (Princess Mononoke)
The animators seemed to try and make San an embodiment of the forest's natural beauty, with an emphasis on wild animals and spirits. The fur mantle that she wears mimics the mane of the Great Forest Spirit and her eyes resemble those of her lupine family members.
It's obvious from the first time viewers see the Princess of the Wolf Clan that's she's deeply attached to both her mother and her fellow wolf pups. It's not that she's weak without them, necessarily, just directionless. She would not have been able to assault Irontown without her pack's help, and later on, she couldn't have helped the Great Forest Spirit without Ashitaka.
9 Tessai is A Mindless Thug Without Direction (Ninja Scroll)
What would Tessai be doing if he didn't have smarter people like Yurimaru and Genma to give him orders? His cruel rampage wouldn't last long without direction, since as soon as this demon has some time to himself he gets mixed up with some vengeful ninja and gets killed.
Tessai seems like the most lethal of the Eight Devils of Kimon initially, given his large size and intimidating stone skin, but it turns out he's the most vulnerable. He literally doesn't even last a day after being left on his own and his companions have to face Jubei without him.
8 Mirana is The Princess of Nothing When She's Alone (Dota: Dragon's Blood)
Fans get the idea that she's important when her character first appears. Miranda has all the features and manners of a deposed leader, but that's the point. Miranda still has the attitude of a princess but she openly admits that's she's had her family, her people, and her home taken away from her as punishment for a mistake.
This makes her, by her own admission, a princess of nothing. Part of Miranda's character arc is finding out that she isn't useless on her own, but by the end of Book 1, she's not there yet.
7 The Lady Amalthea: "Out On The Road Hunting For Your Own Death" (The Last Unicorn)
This movie is from the days when Studio Ghibli was known as Topcraft, but the team of animators is almost exactly the same. Are we talking about the titular character or her human form? Both, actually, and since this is one character, it's allowed. In either form, she's equally naïve when she leaves her comfort zones.
When the Unicorn first leaves her wood, she doesn't know that she needs to hide or keep a low profile, and her careless travel habits get her caught by Mummy Fortuna. Luckily, she eventually teams up with the magically inclined Shmendrick and the savvy Molly Grue, and without them her quest never would have made it past the harpy.
6 Alucard is Consumed By Guilt & Bored Senseless (Castlevania)
When he's a team with Sypha Belnades and Simon Belmont, he's focused and savage. After the battle for his home is over and his friends leave him, however, Alucard withdraws from any kind of social interaction and is all but useless.
It's this shiftless lifestyle and bitter loneliness that leaves him vulnerable to negative influences, and when things go bad between Alucard and some houseguests, he takes a bloody turn that recalls his father's descent into evil. Alucard on his own is emo enough, but unless Simon and Sypha return to him soon, he's only going to get worse.
5 Sailor Mercury: Defensive Powers & Information Gathering Only, Calls Mars or Jupiter for Offense (Sailor Moon)
Sailor Mercury's role as one of the Guardians of the Moon Kingdom gets more involved as both her powers and the series evolve, but she spends most of the first couple of seasons as a support class. Those bubbles form a handy smokescreen, but their use, without backup, is limited.
Visual cover and data collection are great when you're working for a team, but other than that, they aren't very useful. Unless, of course, you're the studious type who takes their grades and future career prospects extremely seriously.
4 Groveck Marcus is A Great Asset Only If You Know How to Use An IV Drip (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust)
In his regular human form, there's not much that can be said about the character from Vampire Hunter D that seems to be the weakest of the Marcus brothers. He's so emaciated and sickly that he's bedridden and constantly hooked into a number of IVs just to keep him alive, a stark contrast to the beefcake brothers who prefer old-fashioned melee combat.
With the addition of a special drug, however, he becomes an angelic superhero of sorts who can throw stars and lasers at his enemies. He can administer the drug himself, but this seems to be an option only available in times of desperation, so it's usually another member of the team that helps him out.
3 Princess Yue shows The Ultimate Way to Take One For The Team & Do Literally Nothing Else (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
The debate rages on as to whether Avatar: The Last Airbender is officially an anime, but until the verdict is reached, Yue has a place on this list. It was only because of the involvement of Team Avatar that she was finally able to understand her destiny to give her life so that the Spirit of the Moon could be resurrected.
She always knew about the sacred pool in a special, hidden place in which Tui and La are peacefully living, but without her friends, she never would have made the connection between her own childhood experience with the spirits and the Fire Nation attack.
2 Griffith Has Nothing to Offer Without His Friends (Berserk)
Griffith did one thing right, and it's the stronger characters that he chose to surround himself with. Even when he was a child, his pale skin, long flowing hair, and delicate features made him distinctive. As an adult, he retains that beauty and he also seems somehow ageless.
This notorious character is deliberately designed to be angelic, even delicate. He's tenderly devoted to his friends, especially Gatsu and Casca, but instead of this having a positive effect on his life, it becomes a jealous obsession that ends up destroying not only them but everyone who loved and trusted him. It's not an unintended consequence either, but a choice he consciously makes to offer his companions up as a sacrifice in exchange for his ultimate desire.
1 Togusa is A Capable Cop, But He Flounders Without Guidance in Section 9 (Ghost In The Shell)
Not to say that Togusa isn't one of the best police officers around. In fact, the Major makes it clear that she chose him to join Section 9 because he's one of the best there is, and he's almost completely organic.
Ironically, that's also Togusa's problem. He's often unprepared for the kind of tricks and attacks that cyborgs use and tends to be the target of most enemies due to this perceived weakness, especially in Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, the only direct sequel to the original 1995 movie. His attitude is meant to connect with the audience, who have even fewer cybernetic implants than he does.
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