10 anime gods who were defeated by mortal characters

Anime gods who were defeated by mortal characters are a very common trope in the medium, particularly when it comes to battle shonen. This is because, from a narrative perspective, it puts the main cast, who are usually human beings, going up against actual deities and coming up on top. Thus it serves as a celebration of the human spirit and the thrill of overcoming colossal odds.

In that regard, there have been a lot of anime gods in the medium, and many of them have tasted defeat in one way or another. Some of them have been outsmarted and some of them have been overpowered (sometimes both situations can apply). They have been incredible challenges for the protagonists and usually required the absolute best of the latter to defeat them.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for all the series on this list. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

Yhwach and nine more anime gods who were defeated by mortal characters

1. Yhwach (Bleach)

One of the best examples of anime gods defeated by mortals (Image via Studio Pierrot).

Yhwach is one of the best examples when it comes to anime gods since he is the only active character in the Bleach series who is an actual deity. He is the son of the Soul King, the deity who created all three worlds in the series.

He is also the father of the Quincy race, who formed an army with his people to avenge his aforementioned father, because of the mutilation he went through by the noble houses of the Soul Society.

He failed in his first attempt one thousand years ago because of Shigekuni Yamamoto and the original Gotei 13, but he came back in the present and defeated the bulk of the Soul Society.

Eventually, once he absorbed the Soul King, it took the combined efforts of Ichigo Kurosaki and Sosuke Aizen to defeat Yhwach. They wouldn't have won if it wasn't for the fact that the Aizen used Kyoka Suigetsu on the Quincy king when they first met earlier in the arc.

Part of what makes Yhwach so powerful, even among other anime gods, is that he has the Almighty, a power that allows him to see every possible future and modify it to his liking.

This allowed him to break Ichigo's true Bankai when they first fought, and would made him virtually impossible to defeat if it wasn't for Ryuken Ishida's Silver Arrowhead that neutralized his power for a short amount of time, allowing Ichigo to strike the final blow.

2. Kaguya Otsutsuki (Naruto)

One of the most controversial anime gods in the industry (Image via Studio Pierrot)

There is no denying that Kaguya is one of the most controversial anime gods in the entire medium as she was introduced at the eleventh hour in Naruto. As Madara Uchiha was cemented as the final villain of the series, it was revealed that his plans were all manipulated by Black Zetsu, who was serving Kaguya for her return. She was basically the creator of the shinobi world once she arrived on earth centuries ago.

It took the combined efforts of Team 7 to defeat what was, at the time, the only case of anime gods in the Naruto franchise. Later on, her Otsutsuki clan would become a prominent part of the Boruto series, but that sequel is perhaps even more divisive than Kaguya herself.

3. Poseidon (Record of Ragnarok)

Another prominent example of anime gods defeated by mortals (Image via Graphinica)

Record of Ragnarok might be the best series to look for when it comes to anime gods defeated by mortals. While there are several examples to choose from, the case of Poseidon's loss at the hands of Kojiro Sasaki might be the option for this list. That is because the Greek god of the seas was so arrogant it proved to be his downfall.

During the bulk of the fight, Poseidon barely looked at Kojiro and assumed that he was fodder that could be beaten without any issues. However, Kojiro's endless defeats and the lessons he learned with each during his life made him a much more capable swordsman. Kojiro managed to adapt to Poseidon's overwhelming power and defeated him in the process.

It was the first victory for humanity in the tournament, and also a very good example of how anime gods can be defeated by the sheer determination and virtue of the human spirit.

4. Koenma (Yu Yu Hakusho)

A very peculiar example of anime gods defeated by mortals (Image via Studio Pierrot)

When it comes to the trope of anime gods being defeated by mortals, the deity is usually the antagonist and the human being is usually the protagonist. However, Yu Yu Hakusho turned this trope upside down as Koenma, the man in charge of administrating the afterlife, had to face his former Spirit Detective, Shinobu Sensui.

It was at the end of the Chapter Black arc when Koenma, who felt responsible for Sensui's fall from grace, decided to use his powers to defeat him. However, Sensui already envisioned that Koenma would try to stop him and planned the death of one of his followers, Tsukihito Amanuma, because he knew that his former boss would try to revive him using part of his own energy.

This resulted in Sensui knocking Koenma, and would have taken his life if it wasn't for Yusuke Urameshi as their battle continued.

5. The Pillar Men (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Kars is one of the Pillar Men and one of the anime gods defeated by mortals (Image via David Production)

The Pillar Men are the most powerful race in the entirety of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series. They have been alive for centuries, with their leader, Kars, being the one responsible for killing most of their species and creating the stone masks that led to the creation of vampires.

Kars and his two allies, AC/DC and Wammu, were searching for a way to overcome their weakness to sunlight and rule the world. However, their biggest obstacle proved to be a man by the name of Joseph Joestar.

As they were trying to overcome their weakness to the sun, they had to fight Joseph individually and they all lost, including Kars, who at that point had become the ultimate lifeform. Kars still couldn't defeat the protagonist at the end of the day.

6. Rem (Death Note)

One of the most underrated cases of anime gods defeated by mortals (Image via Madhouse).

The Shinigami of Death Note seemed a very peculiar example of anime gods because, through the character of Ryuk, they seemed near untouchable and unable to be affected by what was happening in the plot. That was until the arrival of Rem, the Shinigami of another Death Note user, Misa Amane, and how Light Yagami manipulated her to get what he wanted.

It was one of Light's most complex and ambitious plans but he understood that Rem's protective nature of Misa was a problem for him, and needed to get her off the table. In that regard, part of Light's plan was to force Rem to break her own rules, which led to her death, thus giving the protagonist a massive victory over someone who was a literal death god.

7. Ikusa Tsunagi (Fairy Tail)

One of the most notorious anime gods in the series (Image via CloverWorks)

This is one of the Yakuma Eighteen Battle Gods Magic, and was one of the hardest battles that Natsu ever faced in his entire stint in Fairy Tail. It required him to reach the depths of his potential and also get a massive push from his friends' bonds, in order to get a victory over such a powerful entity.

When it comes to anime gods, this might not be as charismatic as some on this list, and doesn't have the notorious lore of others. This can be compensated with raw strength.

8. Father (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Father is one of those anime gods who reached that status through his own ways (Image via Madhouse).

Father is a different case to other anime gods on this list. He didn't start as a deity but rather as the first Homunculus and climbed his way to the top. There was a point in the Fullmetal Alchemist series where he absorbed the powers of God himself and turned into a deity, capable of changing reality and even holding a small sun in the palm of his hand.

A lot of fans don't understand to this day how Edward Elric, the protagonist, managed to defeat him but the truth is that it was a series of circumstances. Father loses the souls of Amestris, and then at the very end he loses the souls of Xerces. Greed also severely weakens him, thus allowing Edward to have an opening to defeat him.

9. Zamasu (Dragon Ball Super)

One of the most arrogant anime gods (Image via Toei Animation).

Zamasu is a very fitting example of anime gods who were defeated by mortals, because his entire characterization is centered around godhood and his disdain for the aforementioned mortals. That is why he aimed to destroy humanity as a whole, and even went as far as stealing Goku's body in another timeline just to accomplish that goal.

While Zamasu had different endings in the Super anime and manga, he was ultimately bested by the collective efforts of Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks. It was one of the hardest battles for the main characters as Zamasu proved to be strong enough to push them to their absolute limits.

10. Hades (Saint Seiya)

Hades was another one of those anime gods defeated by mortals (Image via Toei Animation).

Saint Seiya eventually turned into a series where the main cast, a group of mortal Saints, had to go up against Greek anime gods, so it made sense that one of them would make it on this list. In Hades' case, he was the final boss of the original manga back in the early 90s, and was defeated by the combined efforts of Athena and his five main Bronze Saints.

While it is true that Athena, a goddess, contributed to the battle, Seiya's attack mortally wounded Hades, much like the Pegasus Saint of centuries ago who hurt his original body. Furthermore, Hades was eventually defeated by one of Athena's attacks, which was powered by the Cosmos of her last four remaining Saints.

Final thoughts

More anime gods have been defeated by mortals but these are some of the most prominent in the entire medium. Some of these characters have become iconic in their respective series, and their defeats are viewed as highlights of those stories as a whole.

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Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay