Review - What are the Best Power Systems in Anime and Their Reasons

There are many power systems spread across different animes. After all, this is what differentiates most Shounens, since they are largely formulaic, with repetitive stories.

In this discussion, there are some that never fail to make an appearance, such as the Stands from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and the Nen from Hunter x Hunter. However, these are not the only power systems that should appear here - after all, the world of anime is too vast for that.

A contest of strength?

Before continuing, I would like to make something clear. This is just a discussion, and our word is by no means final, because, after all, the “best” is subjective. With that out of the way, we can proceed smoothly.

What makes a power system interesting? You could say that his destructiveness makes him more appealing to people, and yes, for some, it really is just that. However, animes like Dragon Ball are commonly criticized for their lack of creativity in fights and for the winner being decided from the beginning only by force.

At this point, you might be asking yourself, “But isn’t it only natural for the strongest fighter to win?” In a way, yes, you are full of reason, but this thought excludes one of the most important aspects in fights: strategy.

The sin of excluding tactics is something repeated in several Shounens, and DBZ is not the only aggravating factor. And that's not all: many anime create simple power systems, paving the way for more strategic fights. For example, in Demon Slayer, breathing styles are nothing more than martial arts and allow the characters' strategy to shine in the face of this simplicity. Other animes start following this example, like Naruto, but, unfortunately, as the story progresses, they lose their way. Naruto started as an anime about ninjas with fights full of strategies and ended up as one about descendants of aliens capable of destroying cities.

This brings us to our point: if strategy is so important for engaging fights, the best power system would be the one that allows the greatest expression of tactics, right? Something that would allow a weaker fighter to beat a stronger one, making the anime less predictable. That's where Nen and the Stands come into this discussion. These two powers are so flexible and creative that every fight is completely different from each other.

In Hunter x Hunter, the Nen system is notable for its complexity and balance. There are several categories of Nen, such as Emission, Manipulation, Materialization, Transmutation, Fortification, and Specialist, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. This forces characters to use their skills intelligently and strategically, making each battle unpredictable until the moment it ends.

Likewise, in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the Stands have an incredible variety of powers, from direct physical abilities to more abstract abilities, like playing video games or collecting trash. However, each Stand also has its own limitations, forcing characters to be creative and strategic to defeat their opponents. Togashi and Araki, the authors of Hunter x Hunter and Jojo, respectively, often write their protagonists with weaker abilities (or more limitations) than their opponents so that battles can be won using tactics and intellect. The two systems have similarities: Nen is the representation of the vital energy that all living beings have, and the Stands are our own soul. All characters have different abilities, which vary depending on their personalities.

Due to their creativity and popularity, several extremely popular anime drew inspiration from HxH and Jojo, realizing that malleable and diverse abilities gave them more avenues for storytelling. Some examples of this are Jujutsu Kaisen with Cursed Energy, Boku no Hero with Quirks and Chainsawman with demons and their contracts, these animes follow in the footsteps of the classics and created power systems that enrich their stories and battles.

In addition to its direct impact on battles, a good power system should interact in interesting ways with the world around it. In Avatar: The Last Airbender, although it is divisive whether or not it is an anime, the warp system is an excellent example of how powers can be integrated harmoniously and meaningfully into the world. Each nation has its own form of bending – water, earth, fire and air – and this profoundly influences its culture, architecture and even its politics. This creates a cohesive, rich world where characters' powers are not just tools of combat, but integral parts of the narrative and setting.

Another shining example is Chakra in Naruto. At the beginning of the series, the use of Chakra is well-founded and detailed, showing how it influences the daily lives of ninjas, their techniques and even their social and political relationships. Although it deviated a bit throughout the series, the initial concept of Chakra helped create an engaging and believable world where the characters' powers had real, palpable weight.

In the end, we didn't choose the best power system, we just highlighted several positive points and demonstrated what makes a great system (although we have our favorites). But, as we wrote before, we are not the owners of reason and the decision of what is best is relative. As long as an anime presents flexibility and complexity in its battles, it could be in the discussion for a great power system. After all, as we mentioned before, a simple power system can generate different results in the narrative, from creating engaging combats in Demon Slayer and its breathing techniques or making the anime a numbers contest with Ki from Dragon Ball Z. Everything it depends on how the narrative will be created.

So tell us, with everything that has been said in this matter, which would be the best system for you? Do you agree with the criteria we have established? Tell us in the comments!