Anime heroes with magic powers often have to earn them, sometimes by going on a quest. Others are born that way, but still have to learn to wield their supernatural abilities properly with the help of a mentor or friends.
The heroes on this list have magic powers that they have to keep secret, and the reasons they do so are as varied and imaginative as their respective series are, from alien infestations to secret histories to a canny sense of self-preservation in a tumultuous world. Sometimes, magic powers are a secret even to those who wield them.
10 Shinichi Izumi Hides His Supernatural Infestation (Parasyte: The Maxim)
Shinichi Izumi essentially hides his magic power — one that he doesn't actually want — in plain sight. He kept Migi from taking over his whole body, so he's taken up residence in Shinichi's hand. They come to form an alliance to become stronger together than they are apart, and with all the other Parasites in their world, they need all the powers they can muster. The series has a nicely off-center and creepy tone as Shinichi and Migi focus on keeping their abilities a secret from friends and foes alike.
9 Alicia Melchiott Goes From Wannabe Baker To Wartime Hero (Valkyria Chronicles)
War rages in the world of Valkyria Chronicles. The Autocratic East European Imperial Alliance has essentially steamrolled their way to occupy the Atlantic Federation during the Second European War. Alicia and Welkin fight with rebel forces in the Gallian capital as part of Squad Seven. It's not until episode 21 that Alicia learns about her ancestry as a Valkyria, and only towards the end of the 26-episode series that she learns not only how to unleash her powers, but also control them.
8 Hei Hides His Contractor Powers Under A Civilian Facade (Darker Than Black)
In Darker Than Black, Hei is known as a Contractor, someone with special powers. The Contractors came out of the emergence of spatial anomalies: Heaven's Gate in South America and Hell's Gate in Tokyo. To the casual observer, Hei lives the life of a typical civilian, helped by a Doll and Mao, another Contractor who's trapped in a cat's body. They live a seemingly normal life on the surface, but Hei is a former fighter from the war on a mission to find for his missing sister.
7 Sadao Maou Hides His True Nature (And Powers) From Almost Everyone (The Devil is a Part-Timer!)
On his way to conquer the land of Ente Isla with his armies, the Demon Lord Satan himself takes a wrong turn, dimensionally speaking, and ends up in modern day Tokyo along with his general Alsiel.
He's determined to find a way back to his demon world, but in the meantime, he takes on the lifestyle of an ordinary human with the name Sadao Maou. He even takes a job a MgRonald's, a fast food joint. As he's absorbed in everyday human life, his ambitions extend to fast food franchise domination.
6 Rikuo Nura Pretends To Be A Normal Human Boy (Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan—Demon Capital)
Born ¾ human and ¼ yokai, young Rikuo Nura is human by day and yokai spirit by night. He idolizes his yokai grandfather and lives among them at home, but when he talks about spirits at school, he learns the rest of the world fears them. From then on, he keeps his yokai nature a secret from his classmates at school, who see him as a sweet teenage boy, a little on the small side. By night, though, he's having supernatural adventures on the way to becoming an ever more powerful yokai.
5 Kind-Hearted Kusuo Saiki Just Wants To Lead A Normal Life (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.)
As a child, young Kusuo enjoyed playing around with his many powers and abilities, including teleportation, transformation, flying, and psychic powers in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. But, after being pursued by another country's forces who wanted his powers, he destroyed that nation and decided to hide his abilities from then on. He attends PK Academy as a supposedly normal student, but it's not that easy to blend in, especially when he tries to help other students and ends up revealing his true nature.
4 Layfon Alseif Has Trouble Keeping His Mega Powers Under Wraps (Chrome Shelled Regios)
It's not that Layfon Alseif keeps all of his powers a secret in Chrome Shelled Regios. He does let them slip once in a while, which catches the eye of the Student Council President as well as Nina Antalk, a Military Arts student and Captain of the 17th Military Arts Platoon.
Both of them want his help in fighting the mutated beasts that exist in their post-apocalyptic world. But Layfon is trying to keep his past as an underground fighter and Heaven’s Blade wielder, along with the vast extent of his powers, under wraps.
3 Elizabeth Liones' Powers And True Nature Are A Secret From Herself (The Seven Deadly Sins)
Elizabeth Liones' search for the Seven Deadly Sins and desire to restore the Kingdom sets the events of the New Holy War in motion, but for much of the first story arc, her own true nature and powerful abilities are a secret even from her. Before her memories return, she works as a waitress, and only displays her inherent powers secretly and unconsciously. It's only when her memories are restored by Zeldris that her true powers as the 107th incarnation of the Goddess Elizabeth are awakened.
2 Haruhiko Ichijo Emerges From A Neglected Childhood To Become A Phantom Hunter (Musaigen no Phantom World)
In the surreal world of Musaigen no Phantom World, a brain virus has revealed that phantoms and spirits have been living alongside humanity all along. Young Haruhiko Ichijo is thought of as an ordinary boy growing up; in fact, he's pretty much disregarded by everyone, including his father and the mother who abandoned him. But, when it counts, his latent ability to summon phantoms by drawing them is revealed. He's also able to seal them in his drawings, making him a powerful phantom hunter.
1 Tenka Kumo Is The Unknowing Vessel For A Demon Snake (Donten Ni Warau)
Tenka Kumo is the oldest of three brothers in Donten ni Warau. After their parents are killed, and he is scarred, by a masked murderer, he brings up his brothers on his own. The family takes the job of escorting prisoners across Lake Biwa. After one confrontation with an escaped criminal, he is revealed to be a vessel for the Orochi, a giant demon snake. He turns himself in to police, and is ostensibly even executed, but in reality he's spared.
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