10 worst character arcs in anime, ranked

Generally speaking, character arcs in anime feature a transformation or inner journey over the course of the story. The characters begin as a certain type of person and gradually evolve into someone different, in response to the changing developments in the story.

While there are great character arcs in anime such as Naruto Uzumaki, Shigeo Kageyama, Eren Yeager, and others, there are those that failed to live up to expectations. Be it due to a lack of development, lazy writing, or fillers, these characters never witnessed much growth and their character remained stagnant.

Here's a look at the worst character arcs in anime.

Ranking the worst character arcs in anime

10) Yuki Tsukumo (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Yuki Tsukumo in Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen's Yuki Tsukumo kicks off this list of worst character arcs in anime. Introduced as one of four Special Grade Sorcerers, Yuki did not live up to the hype built up for her. She was first shown during Gojo's Past Arc as an independent sorcerer and later arrived during the final bit of the Shibuya Incident.

However, barring these two instances, she had limited screen time and saw little development. She played a role in teaming up with Death Painting Choso to fend off Kenjaku from reaching Master Tengen.

She was defeated by Kenjaku and her time in the story drew to a close there. Had she survived, she could've been key in the present happenings of the story.

9) Jotaro Kujo (Jojo's Bizzare Adventure)

Expand Tweet

Another one of the rather disappointing character arcs in anime is Jotaro Kujo's. Stoic, aloof, collected, and extremely intelligent, Jotaro served as the main protagonist in Part 3 of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure titled "Stardust Crusaders". He was also a major support in Parts 4, 5, and 6.

Throughout the series, Jotaro has been portrayed as a tough guy with a golden heart. He cares deeply for those he holds dear. Despite this, he doesn't speak much and finds it difficult to express himself in more articulate terms. Jotaro remains composed in the toughest of cases and always looks for solutions.

However, throughout the series, his character sees little to no growth. It is mostly the same, with regular fights and flashy moves. As a character, he stays put. Possibly making him open up more would give him a more human touch.

8) Garlic Jr. (Dragon Ball Z)

Garlic Jr. in Dragon Ball Z (Image via Toei Animation)

Garlic Jr.'s arc from Dragon Ball Z is likely one of the most disliked character arcs in anime. With it being a filler arc and not even part of the original series, it was seemingly added to take the story another way, which didn't succeed in doing. Garlic Jr. was defeated by a 4-year-old Son Gohan by the end.

Even though he was introduced as a filler, it felt as if the arc was meant to plug a gap in the series. There was no real development of any kind, and was solely aimed at showcasing Gohan's aptitude for battle. Since antagonist Garlic Jr. himself received less attention, the arc, in its entirety, did not do well.

7) Tenten (Naruto)

Another among the underwhelming character arcs in anime is Tenten's character arc. Despite being a supporting character, she looked to be amongst the weakest in the series.

Every other character improves drastically and gains massive power-ups, but Tenten's abilities remain quite stagnant. Additionally, her personality doesn't grow either, being quite plain throughout. Even Sakura, who fans deem "poorly written", seems to have more development in the series.

6) Megumi Fushiguro (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Megumi Fushiguro in Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

Rather surprising, but Megumi Fushiguro's character arc takes its place on the list of disappointing character arcs in anime. Introduced as a series deuteragonist, he was quite involved in the initial bits of the story. However, he went through quite a disheartening series of events.

He was tipped to be capable of surpassing the likes of Gojo Satoru and Ryomen Sukuna one day, with his Ten Shadows being deemed one of the strongest techniques. Unfortunately, he never overcomes his mental block which prevents his growth. After being taken over by Sukuna, he loses the will to fight or even live.

5) Tamaki (Fire Force)

Tamaki in Fire Force (Image via David Production)

Another face among the underwhelming character arcs in anime is Fire Force's Tamaki. When she was introduced, viewers witnessed glimpses of a great and powerful character who could give the series' other cast members a run for their money.

But as the show progressed, she was reduced to mere fanservice. Tamaki always landed in situations that displayed her in a lewd manner. Her being embarrassed by these situations is realistic, but it also shows that the writing constantly forces her into such predicaments for audience titillation.

This is disrespectful to Tamaki as well as female viewers, and might proceed to strike a sour note of the concerned scene. Further, Tamaki is often overshadowed by the series' male characters, appearing to mostly come up short in comparison.

4) Gon (Hunter x Hunter)

Expand Tweet

Gon from Hunter x Hunter is another face who joins this list of disappointing character arcs in anime. He serves as the protagonist for a major bit of the series and is the deuteragonist of the Yorknew City Arc. In such a role, it is expected that he would develop as the series progressed.

However, that doesn't seem to be the case. Comparing him at the beginning of the series versus the very last episodes, his personality remained quite the same. His values, opinions, behavior, and persona didn't see much change. In contrast, Killua's character evolved immensely.

It seems like most of the other main characters underwent subtle to substantially noticeable changes. Gon and Killua's friendship pushed the latter to better himself but Gon remained in one place throughout.

3) Kirigaya Kazuto (Sword Art Online)

Kirigaya Kazuto in Sword Art Online (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Kirigaya Kazuto aka Kirito's character too finds itself among those character arcs in anime which were quite underwhelming. Protagonist of the Sword Art Online, the boy seems to have it all. Due to landing a beta spot in the beginning, he gains an advantage over other players, which can be understandable.

However, since then, he seems to be automatically skilled at any new game he enters. He likely had to grind to develop his character's stats, but that looks to be the only time he puts in work for his strength.

Personality-wise, from start to finish, Kirito's character remains basic, with barely any changes. No doubt he is popular for his strength and abilities, but he could've been greater had his character been more fleshed out.

2) Misa Amane (Death Note)

Misa Amane in Death Note (Image via Madhouse)

Starting strong but almost immediately falling through is Death Note's Misa Amane. Hers is ranked quite high when it comes to disappointing character arcs in anime. She is a character fraught with lost potential. Misa looked unstoppable when she took the step to gain Shinigami Eyes, something Light hesitated on.

But that was quickly wasted as she became obsessed with him and allowed herself to become a tool in his hands. She remains the same till the series' end, with no significant change in character. Had the creators made her develop with the story, she would have been a formidable force for sure.

1) Star and Stripe (My Hero Academia)

Star and Stripe in My Hero Academia (Image via Bones)

Topping this list of wearying character arcs in anime is Star and Stripe. In all of My Hero Academia, her Quirk looked to be ridiculously overpowered, given her ability to set a rule on anything by touching it and calling out its name.

However, Star and Stripe was gone as quickly as she arrived. Hyped as America's No. 1 Hero, she rushed to Japan's aid at All Might's request. But she could only do so much against Tomura Shigaraki before passing away. Had she survived, her teaming up with All Might and Deku would've taken the series to another level.

Moreover, her interaction with other Heroes and Class 1-A would have been a sight to behold. It would've been intriguing to see how well she would work with and inspire the Japanese Heroes to fight back. All this together puts her arc on the disheartening end of character arcs in anime. However, on the plus side, she didn't allow Shigaraki to steal her Quirk and destroyed a lot of his stored Quirks.