A lot of anime characters sometimes work with delusion on their side. That is not to say that most of them are clinically delusional in the mind. But they do have some sort of insane ideologies working like a plot armor for them.
Some even have actual powers that channel the character’s inner delusions as the source. In this list, we will take a look at some of these insane individuals.
Power Of Delusion On The Side Of Anime Characters
Light Yagami (Death Note)
Of course, if we had to crown an anime character as the biggest delusion king, then that would be Light Yagami. An extremely intelligent character and one of the greatest minds in the Death Note universe, but brought down by his own preconceived notions.
Light was a model student until he came across the Death Note, which eventually led him down the path of saviour complex. He drowned himself in his own delusional reality, which made him kill his loved ones heartlessly and also turned into the reason for his own demise.
Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
Shounen anime is one of the best media to find overtly delusional protagonists, and there are quite a few of them who are absolutely legendary at this. One of the most prominent ones has to be Monkey D. Luffy from the One Piece series.
While Luffy may not be delusional due to his brain, he would be considered so due to most of the decisions he makes throughout the show, which leaves normal and calculating individuals in awe. Not to mention this also extends to his powers.
Especially the Gear 5, which allows him to contort reality and give it cartoonish properties that defy every regular law of physics, almost as if the viewers are living in a delusion.
Goku (Dragon Ball Z)
We cannot talk about delusional shounen characters and completely miss out on the one main character who was super influential for this trope. Goku is an insanely delusional character, but not in a clinical sense.
But he does make people around him question his decisions and sometimes his delusional beliefs actually put everyone in danger. He is insanely airheaded and is willing to take on any fight head-on.
He even goes out to the point of sparing the lives of enemies who are able to destroy planets because his delusions allow him to believe that they will be better next time.
Haruhi Suzumiya (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Characters in anime being gifted the power to bring their delusions to reality are not just limited to Luffy. Outside of shounen in light novels and super popular anime series like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, the topic has been explored thoroughly and is the basis of the show.
But in Haruhi’s case, she is not able to do as she pleases with her powers; that’s because she is not aware of what she can do. Haruhi is essentially a goddess in her own world, yet she doesn’t realize that herself. Putting everyone in the show in trouble by making her delusions real.
Ubel (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End)
Anime where characters’ powers rely on delusions can sometimes get a bit convoluted, which is normal considering the subject matter we are dealing with. Such is the case with Ubel, the first-class mage from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
Being a magician, she has a unique workaround for the kind of powers she uses. Her magic relies on the suspension of disbelief, thus throwing rational reasoning straight out of the window. This is further conveyed through one of her special abilities, which allows her to cut through objects that are even indestructible.
Arthur Boyle (Fire Force)
If we are talking about peak delusional characters in anime, then there can be no list without one of the greatest to ever do it: Arthur Boyle, from the anime Fire Force. His powers literally rely on drowning himself in the delusion that he is a heroic knight from a fantasy world.
The more strongly he believes in this fantasy, the stronger he gets. Being able to move and fight in ways that were completely unimaginable for Arthur previously. He truly thrives in his fantasy when he completely immerses himself in his delusion of a knight.
King Richard (Fate Strange/Fake)
The newest addition to the ever-increasing list of characters who have the power of delusion on their side would be King Richard from the recent popular entry in the Fate franchise. He is a saber-class heroic spirit based on the actual King Richard from history.
Richard in Fate Strange/Fake, much like every other heroic spirit based on actual legends, have their own anime personality, which makes the franchise so popular. But this also, in return, brings along with it Richard’s newfound delusions of overtly cheerful theatrics and comriederie in the middle of a holy grail war.
His idolization of King Arthur is also what gives him his signature delusional powers. Which is, turning anything he holds into Excalibur.
