Anime is defined through its many exciting twists and epic battles. Henchmen are often at the forefront of these conflicts, fulfilling their masters' wishes to the best of their ability and with varying success.
Though they are frequently (but not always) weaker than those they serve, many antagonistic underlings conceal their power - and for excellent reason. By identifying the villains who keep their strength a secret until an essential moment and the cause behind their surreptitiousness, we can best appreciate how many underlings employ intelligence just as reliably as those who direct their wrath.
10 Tobi Hid His Power From The Akatsuki To Use It Later (Naruto)
Obito - then known as "Tobi" - was a member of the Akatsuki who rarely contributed to its causes. Despite this, he was at the forefront of his organization's breakthroughs, including the capture of many Jinchuriki (such as Gaara).
He kept his powers secret so that his adversaries would remain on their toes when unveiling his true allegiance to Madara Uchiha and his dream for the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Because of this, Danzo Shimura felt obligated to conserve his strength against Sasuke and died as a result of his hesitation.
9 Selim Bradley Provided The Innocuous Guise Of A Child (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Like his "father," Selim Bradley concealed his identity so that he could mingle with the human world. Consequently, he was unable to unleash the extent of his power until his master's plan was already fully in motion.
Despite his warranted secretiveness, Riza Hawkeye caught a glimpse of the "young boy's" true nature in a harrowing and nearly fatal encounter during the middle of the night. Pride's strength would only increase after consuming Gluttony during his battle against the heroes.
8 Vanilla Ice Kept His Vampirism A Secret To Take Polnareff By Surprise (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Vanilla Ice was a servant of DIO who gave his life willingly in order to prove his allegiance. He was promptly reincarnated as a vampire and had his attention directed to the heroes invading the mansion.
Because of the villain's vampiric condition, he was able to withstand dozens of attacks from Polnareff's Silver Chariot - much to the hero's confusion. Eventually, he discovered his malicious adversary's secret, pushing him into the sunlight and evaporating his entire body. Nonetheless, Vanilla Ice's careful management of his physiology delayed his death.
7 Lucci Pretended To Be A Galley-La Worker For Years (One Piece)
Lucci was a member of CP9 under the directive of Spandam. In order to obtain Tom's blueprints for the ultimate battleship, he infiltrated the Galley-La company, befriending Iceberg and posing as a trustworthy ally for many years.
In order to maintain his disguise, he was forced to refrain from using his Six Paths powers during his fight against Monkey D. Luffy after Robin had been framed for the attempt on Iceberg's life. If he had unleashed his full might during that battle, he would have killed the Straw Hat Captain.
6 Lara Tybur Pretended To Be A Humble Servant To Maintain Her Family's Secret (Attack On Titan)
Lara Tybur was the user of the War Hammer Titan and among the series' most powerful female characters. In order to guarantee that her family did not face Marleyan persecution as many other Eldians did, she kept her power a secret from the state until Eren Yeager's attack.
When she finally revealed her identity, she ripped through her opponent and would have killed him if not for the assistance the Scouts provided to the titanic invader.
5 Coyote Starrk Divided His Own Power So That He'd Have A Friend (Bleach)
Coyote Starrk had a unique problem in the Bleach universe--his power was so immense that it killed everyone around him, rendering it impossible for him to make friends.
In order to solve his issues, he divided his energy into a second entity that would become known as Lilynette Gingerbuck. Not only would this reduce his strength to acceptable levels, but it would also provide a companion to attend to his ailing spirit whenever he needed someone to talk with.
4 Golgiuis Pretended To Teleport So That His Opponents Would Be Confused (Seven Deadly Sins)
Golgius was a member of the Weird Fangs who claimed to have the ability to teleport. Ideally, this would disorient his opponents and convince them not to look for him when he used his real power, one that permitted complete invisibility.
Eventually, Meliodas became aware of this deception and defeated the Holy Knight with ease. If Golgius hadn't misled him about the nature of his strengths, the battle would have concluded much sooner in the Dragon Sin's favor.
3 Lisa Didn't Use Her Ignition Ability Until Her Cover Was Blown (Fire Force)
Lisa was designated as an uncover agent to steal Vulcan's Amaterasu blueprints on behalf of the White-Clad. After Giovanni raided the engineer's compound, her identity was exposed, and she fled the junkyard along with her benefactor.
During their next confrontation in the Nether, the spy's abilities would become known. She produced gigantic tendrils from her body by which to attack Vulcan and Obi, providing one of Company Eight's most difficult and unlikely challenges yet. Their personal investment in her liberation from the cult made victory particularly uncertain.
2 Twice Limited His True Power Because Of A Traumatic Experience (My Hero Academia)
Twice's quirk allowed him to clone himself with virtually no limits and was capable of providing the League of Villains an entire army. However, after a traumatic event that caused a major identity crisis, he refused to use it this way since he couldn't tell whether or not he was a duplicate.
Eventually, this inhibition would be shed during the Re-Destro arc, where he would learn that his current body was the real one. This revelation occurred after he sustained so much damage that any of his doubles would have been destroyed.
1 Seryu Ubiquitous' Imperial Arms Isn't As Harmless As It Looks (Akame Ga Kill!)
Seryu Ubiquitous' Imperial Arms was a small, puppy-like hound that followed her wherever she went. Its unassuming disposition and diminutive stature reflected her own, equally belying their malevolent combat potential.
She could activate its strength at a moment's notice, transforming her minion into a hulking, bloodthirsty beast that preyed upon its enemies. It was so inexorable that not even Mine could put it down without suffering untenable injuries and dying shortly after Seryu was defeated in battle.
0 Comments