10 best anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama from Mob Psycho 100

Fans often seek anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama—the protagonist of Mob Psycho 100 who is blessed with immense psychic abilities that he struggles to keep in check. Despite being one of the most powerful espers alive, the usually reserved Mob wants nothing more than an ordinary life free of supernatural disruptions.

However, Mob often gets dragged into dangerous conflicts with evil spirits as well as ghost exorcism jobs due to his mentor conning people to make money. Still, Mob sticks to his moral convictions and utilizes his abilities to genuinely help tortured souls find salvation while avoiding violence when possible.

But when Mob gets emotionally overwhelmed, his restraint shatters, leading to destructive consequences. For those who love watching Mob tapping into staggering psychic strengths when provoked, here are anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama worth checking out.

Disclaimer: the opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

Saitama, Kusuo Saiki, and 8 anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama

1. Saitama from One Punch Man

The strong protagonist of One Punch Man, Saitama, is one of the anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama, who can defeat any opponent with a single punch after undergoing intense training.

However, winning all battles with ease has left him feeling empty and seeking greater challenges. Under his bored attitude, though, Saitama uses his unmatched strength for good.

Saitama contrasts with Mob in that Saitama is unhappy due to his overwhelming physical strength, while Mob fears losing control of his psychic powers. However, both humbly shoulder their overpowered talents, focusing on purpose over glory.

2. Kusuo Saiki from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

Kusuo Saiki (Image via J.C. Staff / Egg Firm)

Kusuo Saiki is another anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama, the powerful protagonist of the comedy anime The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. He possesses a wide range of psychic abilities like teleportation, telekinesis, x-ray vision, and more since birth.

However, the overpowered Saiki does not want to be a psychic and finds his constant powers troublesome.

He goes to ridiculous lengths on a daily basis, to conceal his abilities from those around him. All Kusuo wants is to live as an ordinary high school student and not draw unwanted attention. Much like Mob, Saiki possesses unbelievable psychic strengths beyond normal humans.

3. Gon Freecss from Hunter x Hunter

Gon Freecss is one of the anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama, who lives on picturesque Whale Island until learning at age 12 that his father Ging left to become a professional Hunter.

Inspired by a Hunter named Kite who saved his life years ago, young Gon decides to follow in his dad's footsteps to understand him better while searching for adventure. Much like Mob, Gon possesses immense potential and both characters are emotionally vulnerable when it comes to their close one.

During the Chimera Ant arc, driven by grief and anger over the death of his friend Kite, he deliberately unleashes his Nen in a desperate situation, sacrificing his future potential and causing severe consequences for his own body.

4. Midoriya Izuku from My Hero Academia

Quirkless boy Midoriya Izuku, another of the anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama, is born powerless in a world where most people possess unique superpowers. But his life changes after being gifted the special Quirk "One for All" by legendary hero All Might.

Though Izuku can access great power, he struggles to control it initially due to his body's limitations, which is similar to Mob's difficulty managing his psychic powers tied to his emotional state.

Izuku and Mob both have gentle souls but harbor immense inner strength, which they learn to harness over time. The two young heroes work hard to help others and stick to their moral principles.

5. Tatsumi from Akame Ga Kill!

After moving to the Imperial Capital in hopes of earning money for his poor village, kindhearted Tatsumi joins the assassin group Night Raid.

He's one of the anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama whose determination strengthens when people he cares about are harmed, but his transformations are driven by his will and sense of justice, rather than uncontrolled emotional outbursts like Mob's.

When darkness overwhelms Tatsumi's usually gentle personality, he transforms into an almost unrecognizable warrior, fixated on meting out justice. Similarly, Mob changes completely when negative emotions push him over the edge and unlock his latent powers.

6. Natsume Takashi from Natsume's Book of Friends

Natsume Takashi (Image via Brain's Base / Shuka)

Natsume can see spirits and inherits the "Book of Friends," which contains the names of supernatural beings his grandmother Reiko subjugated. Various demons now harass him to try and steal the book for themselves.

As one of the anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama, Natsume develops the ability to interact with Yokai (supernatural entities), which is akin to Mob gaining control over evil spirits. Natsume and Mob both have to deal with troublesome spirits as part of their daily lives.

They share compassionate natures and try not to use their powers violently, though enemies force them into confrontation at times. The two prefer non-confrontation but will fight to protect innocent people.

7. Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen

Despite being the most powerful Jujutsu sorcerer alive, Gojo Satoru retains a laid-back and relaxed personality but is also confident in his abilities.

He's among the anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama who are extremely gifted when it comes to battling supernatural entities. Though laid-back in his approach, Gojo takes his duties seriously when people he cares about are threatened.

Mob and Gojo are among the most overpowered characters in their respective series. Both come off as unassuming at first glance but reveal fearsome true power when pushed hard enough.

8. Goku from Dragon Ball

Goku is the powerful protagonist of the popular Dragon Ball anime franchise. As a Saiyan, he possesses immense strength, speed, reflexes, and the ability to harness his inner spiritual energy called Ki. While usually cheerful and carefree, Goku becomes an almost unstoppable force when pushed to fight seriously.

Similar to other anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama, Goku spends most of his time nonchalantly training and occasionally helping with his two sons while saving the Earth from various villains. He enjoys fighting but readily battles enemies threatening universal peace using his prodigious abilities.

When in the heat of dangerous fights, like Mob losing restraint over his psychic power, Goku's dormant strengths awaken, making him a terrifying warrior. Both channel staggering might when provoked despite being happy-go-lucky by nature otherwise.

9. Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul

An ordinary college student, Ken Kaneki is transformed into a half-ghoul after surviving a deadly attack by the woman Rize Kamishiro.

As one of the anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama, Kaneki struggles to come to terms with his new monstrous nature, which parallels Mob's fear of his psychic powers, though Kaneki’s struggle is also about his survival and identity.

Like Mob, Kaneki is a gentle soul who abhors violence and goes through an intense inner battle to decide whether to embrace or reject his frightening new abilities. Both must handle the responsibility that comes with wielding such unstable strength that brings harm if left unchecked.

10. Yuu Otosaka from Charlotte

Gifted teenager Yuu Otosaka can temporarily take over another person's body for five whole seconds. He's among the anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama who initially see their powers as troublesome but comes around to employing their talents to fight enemies and save innocent lives.

After being convinced to join an organization that protects ability-wielders like him, Yuu joins their ranks to help others like him and gradually comes to accept his abilities, much like Mob’s journey toward self-acceptance. Yuu only wanted to live a regular high school life and saw his powers as troublesome at first, just like Mob.

But both come around to employing their talents to fight enemies, save innocent lives, and serve the greater good. However, they struggle greatly when unable to harness their gifts properly early on in their respective series.

Conclusion

These anime characters like Shigeo Kageyama share several similarities to the fan-favorite Mob from Mob Psycho 100. While gifted with jaw-dropping talents, they remain firmly grounded and grapple with fully controlling their explosive powers like Mob while maintaining normal existences.