Oftentimes, the heroes' stupidity is played for comedic effect in anime or to illustrate a serious character flaw. This serves to humanize and further endear them to the audience, as it portrays them as complex and realistic individuals who make regular mistakes like many people in the real world.
However, there have been a handful of instances where the foolishness of the protagonists and their allies has not jeopardized everything - to the contrary, it actually saved the day. Through identifying examples, we can best appreciate how clumsy mistakes translate into unlikely strokes of genius.
10 Okuyasu Guessing Akira's Identity Saved Joseph's Life (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Akira was a man determined to kill Joseph Joestar as he arrived in Morioh. When the elder's boat came into view, he managed to sneak onboard the Speedwagon shuttle and posed as one of its staff.
Aware of the imposter's presence but unable to distinguish his identity, Okuyasu did the unthinkable; he blindly guessed by taking a completely random swing at a crewman. Providentially, he chose correctly and saved the senior from imminent danger. This was among Nijimura's greatest acts of heroism in all of Part 4.
9 Deku Risking It All To Save Uraraka Had Massive Dividends (My Hero Academia)
During the entrance exam for U.A High, it seemed as if Midoriya's odds were bleak. Using One For All would damage his body, making it extremely difficult to compete with his peers.
When a gigantic robot threatened Uraraka, he dove to her defense without the knowledge that his direct heroism was also being graded. For his courage and selflessness, he was finally submitted to the school of his dreams - and initiated a nascent romance with the girl he had saved.
8 Tatsumi Being Scammed By Leone Would Familiarize Them Later (Akame Ga Kill!)
Leone was a member of Night Raid who met Tatsumi at a tavern. Their first encounter was cordial though ultimately resulted in theft; after being finessed by the beast-woman, Tatsumi was obliged to seek shelter for any who might accept him.
He was welcomed by an imperial hostess who secretly schemed to claim his life. Ironically, Leone herself (and the rest of her Night Raid allies) would intervene for a heroic rescue. If they had not established their connection earlier through Tatsumi's misfortune, he might have been slain by the rebels in their attack.
7 Naruto's Faith In Sasuke Would Pay Off (Naruto)
Many correctly perceived Naruto to be dense for attempting to redeem Sasuke assiduously, including Kiba and surprisingly even Shikamaru. However, the hero's faith would pay dividends during the battle against Kaguya and in Boruto after the avenger was fully redeemed.
If Naruto had listened to his Konoha 11 allies and took Sasuke's life, it would have been considerably more difficult to contend with the future threats of the Otsutsuki (such as Momoshiki and Isshiki). However, Naruto had not even considered this as one of the reasons for sparing his friend.
6 Yugi Being Forced Into Pegasus' Tournament Would Save Joey's Sister (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Yugi was forced to go to Duelist Island after being blackmailed by Pegasus. Since he threw his duel against the elderly gentleman to preserve his "honor," he had no choice but to attend the villain's upcoming games because his grandfather's soul was on the line.
However, there was another prize for success - Pegasus would reward the champion of Duelist Island with a generous sum of money. After his victory, Yugi used this to pay for Serenity Wheeler's surgery (Joey's sister), saving her from going blind.
5 Seras Victoria's Attack Made Her Exponentially More Powerful (Hellsing)
Seras Victoria was once a policewoman who was called to investigate a foreboding church. Instead of heeding its ominous omens or using her allies' deaths as a distraction to flee, she was frozen in fear and subsequently attacked by a monster.
The only way to save her life was if Alucard bit her neck, turning her into a vampire. While she initially loathed this new state, it enhanced every aspect of her body and rendered her the Hellsing Organization's second most capable fighter (just beneath her master).
4 Gon Refusing To Back Down From Hanzo Earned Him A License (Hunter X Hunter)
Hanzo was a masterful warrior and a man drastically out of Gon's league (since he had yet to learn Nen). During the final stage of the Hunter Exam, Gon was unwilling to back down from his adversary under any circumstance (undaunted even by the threat of having his limbs amputated).
Since he had moral reservations about brutalizing a child and because he did not want to accidentally kill Gon outright, Hanzo forfeited, thereby earning the young hero his badge to become a licensed hunter.
3 Sanji's Decision To Give The Krieg Pirates Food Would Impress The Straw Hats (One Piece)
The Krieg Pirates were an armada of scoundrels from the Grand Line recovering from decimation by Mihawk. Touched by their suffering, Zeff and Sanji both agreed that they should be well fed despite their dastardly reputations.
For their conspicuous foolishness, Don Krieg and his men attacked the Baratie and attempted to claim it as their new ship. This gave Sanji an opportunity to prove his skills and impressed Luffy so much that he recruited him for his crew.
2 Escanor Won Against Galand By Getting Knocked Out (Seven Deadly Sins)
When Galand and Melascula entered Escanor's bar, the former issued a challenge - they would exchange blows, and the first to flee (or die) lost. The Lion Sin fainted almost immediately, boding poorly for his first impression to an audience that hadn't seen what he was capable of yet.
When the sun came up, Escanor was prepared to resume the game and became significantly more muscular than before. Ironically, Galand would break his own condition, attempting to flee the slugfest and becoming petrified through his own commandment.
1 Eren's Blind Charge Against Annie Almost Got Her Captured (Attack On Titan)
Annie Leonhart pursued Eren and his allies through the forest, murdering the Scouts who impeded her path. Unable to watch his comrades die, Eren would change course and confront the Female Titan directly.
This was a profoundly ill-advised strategy since Annie had much greater control over her giant than he did. However, it created a necessity to capture Annie, with Levi and Mikasa collaborating to lure her into a trap. Even though Annie escaped the forest, what clues were garnered of her identity sufficed in exposing her later.
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