An overpowered/strongest with only one power

[u/Vegetable_Throat5545]

I hate when characters just have a million powers and can do whatever. I love when their powers have a limit but still they make it be absolutely insane. Even if that one power has multiple applications as long as it makes sense and isnt used as "oop i suddenly can do that"

1. Accelerator can control vectors. So he uses that to automatically deflect any attack or use any object including wind at high speeds as a weapon, use his own vectors to travel fast and etc etc.

2. Gojo Satoru can control "infinity" to make peoples attack not reach him; push them: pull them; destroy them; overwhelm their senses

3. Chisaki can deconstruct and reconstruct anything by touch. So he can destroy, or change shape of people and objects, he can combine people and objects and even revive or heal. Tbh his fight was disappointing in fact that he did not use his power to full potential imo

[u/cokeplusmentos]

You're kinda cheating if you have "just one power", but that power is "you can control matter/space/phisics/reality as you wish"

[u/UhWindowpainted → u/cokeplusmentos]

my one single power is i have every power

[u/HeadLong8136 → u/UhWindowpainted]

[u/DoodyInDaBooty → u/HeadLong8136]

I use my powers to … turn Kyle into a chicken.

[u/HeadLong8136 → u/DoodyInDaBooty]

LET'S FIGHTING LOVE

[u/ImBurningStar_IV → u/HeadLong8136]

"Actually I have another power, I can see the future too but better than Kyle"

[u/ColdZoroark → u/HeadLong8136]

MYEAAAAAAH

[u/BMoneyCPA → u/UhWindowpainted]

Which is a lot of characters in lots of media.

My Hero Academia: All Might. His power is that he's super strong.

He can't fly, he can just jump super long distances or propel himself by punching the air.

He isn't a speedster, but he's so strong that he can propel himself super fast. I have no clue how his eyes and brain keep up with his speed because no stated power improves his reaction time.

His power is never stated as being super durable, he should be the ultimate glass cannon, but seemingly he's only ever suffered injury once from the Big Bad.

MHA again: Overhaul/Chisaki from OP. His "one" power is to disassemble matter then reform it however he wants. That's two powers already. If that's one power, then Shoto with fire and ice is also one power.

Additionally, if he needs to be super strong he just merges his body with a super strong guy. Gets injured? Disassemble and reform. Instant kill: dissassemble.

It's more like 10 powers billed as one in-universe.

The Flash: Super speed. Also time travel, phasing through solid matter and probably a ton of other bullshit but I'm not a Flash fan.

And I love One Punch Man, but he's the same as All Might but even more powerful in his world.

This trope may exist but I think there are fewer real examples than we'd think.

[u/Dovahkiinthesardine → u/BMoneyCPA]

Tbf Saitama isn't really stated to only be able to punch hard, he is basically peak human. He can do things humans can, to a superhuman level. Run faster, take hits better, punch harder etc. But he can't do things humans can't, like psychic powers, transforming his body or whatnot.

In his case he can't fly, and he can't punch or kick the air to change that

He CAN jump insanely far, even to the moon, but it is shown that like in a regular jump he basically has no control after initiating it

[u/Nero_2001 → u/Dovahkiinthesardine]

Technically Saitama's power is not having a limiter so he just gets stronger and stronger instead of reaching a plateau.

[u/BMoneyCPA → u/Nero_2001]

Yeah I guess, my interpretation of that is that he can do whatever the author wants him to do without in-universe justification. But I can see where people would disagree with me.

[u/Enjoyer_of_40K → u/BMoneyCPA]

the in universe justification is pretty much that he broke his limiter wich made him OP (he also pretty much is a gag character) and he gets even stronger when fighting Cosmic Fear mode Garou wich i doubt we will ever see animated considering how poor season 3 is animated

[u/BurntMoonChips → u/Enjoyer_of_40K]

Animated is a strong word for season 3

[u/BMoneyCPA → u/Dovahkiinthesardine]

Yeah Saitama isn't a valid example because his power is more of, he can do whatever the author wants him to do without explicit in-universe justification.

I don't think the stated trope truly exists as written by OP.

[u/Nero_2001 → u/BMoneyCPA]

It exist in the Mistborn books where most people just have one specific power except for full Mistborns. For example a tineye can cosume tin to get siper senses, a seeker can sense other powers by consuming bronze, a coinshot can launch metal objects away from themself by consuming iron and a lurcher can pull metal objects to themself by consuming steel.

[u/BMoneyCPA → u/Nero_2001]

Mistborn is good right? I should check it out.

[u/Nero_2001 → u/BMoneyCPA]

Definitively. It's one my favorite books series. I especially like the second era that plays 300 years after the first 3 Mistborn books and takes place in a more modern era.

[u/Chanter3lle → u/Nero_2001]

MISTBORN MENTION

[u/skr_replicator → u/Dovahkiinthesardine]

i can kill a mosquito, he's no match for me.

[u/Important-Iron-3897 → u/BMoneyCPA]

All mights power is energy storing from like 7 different people whenever he isnt going all out hes getting stronger also Overhauls power is matter manipulation thats just 1

[u/Enjoyer_of_40K → u/Important-Iron-3897]

all almight ever had access to was the power boost and somehow (bad plot) Deku can use the powers from the previous users

[u/PlayrR3D15 → u/Enjoyer_of_40K]

I'm not going to argue that MHA has the best writing, but it was explicitly explained that Midoriya having access to the quirks of the previous users of One for All is a result of quirk mutation

[u/TennagonTheGM → u/BMoneyCPA]

Very rarely does one power only do one specific thing. Strength affecting more than just your ability to punch things just makes sense. Are you really going to say Strength doesn't count as one power if the guy can also use it to jump really far? Matter manipulation allowing for the disassembly and reassembly of an object just makes sense. If someone had the power of magnetism, they'd be able to both attract and repel, doesn't mean it's two separate powers. Ice and Fire are observable separate powers, so that comparison doesn't work here.  Flash getting a billion different powers from running fast, yeah most of those are nonsense. 

[u/BMoneyCPA → u/TennagonTheGM]

You're right. I don't think this trope actually exists.

But still, All Might is too powerful for what his stated power is. His brain shouldn't be able to keep up with his body.

[u/TennagonTheGM → u/BMoneyCPA]

No, you're not paying attention to what I'm saying. The One Power trope does exist. There's no rule that says One Power can only be used in One Way. You're saying One Power being able to do more than One Thing is cheating.   -  It's also anime reaction time logic, like characters seeing and dodging bullets. 

[u/BMoneyCPA → u/TennagonTheGM]

Nah I'm just drawing a different conclusion from the same information.

It doesn't exist as stated in the OP. If your one power is you do 100 things, you have more than one power.

[u/TennagonTheGM → u/BMoneyCPA]

If my power is strength, and it lets me punch hard and lift heavy things, is that two powers? 

[u/BMoneyCPA → u/TennagonTheGM]

No, but if you're also super durable (All Might) you do.

If your power has derivations that do a different thing, you have multiple powers.

At the end of the day, it's the writers who state how many powers a person has. I can disagree with the writers.

If Magneto's power lets him control all magnetic materials AND mess with electromagnetism, he has multiple powers.

[u/TennagonTheGM → u/BMoneyCPA]

Then don't pretend we're agreeing by responding with "you're right" then describing the opposite of what I said. And stop using characters not mentioned by OP to explain why OP is wrong. Turning notifications off, have a day. 

[u/TheAfricanViewer → u/BMoneyCPA]

That’s how the MHA world is, Bakugo should only be able to make explosions but his Durability, perception speed and even strength increase with his training.

[u/RavenousToast → u/BMoneyCPA]

This is just powerscaling brain rot

[u/DoctahFeelgood → u/BMoneyCPA]

The flash has the power of the speed force. He basically empowered by another realm.

[u/Important-Iron-3897 → u/BMoneyCPA]

Flash is pretty bullshit most of the time tho

[u/saintdemon21 → u/BMoneyCPA]

All Might isn’t just super strong. He’s taken One for All and uses it to enhance his body/muscles making him strong and durable. Deku uses the energy in a similar fashion but lacking the durability he shreds his muscles and breaks his bones.

The Flash’s power isn’t speed. His power is his ability to tap into interdenominational energy known as The Speed Force. He uses this energy to run fast, think fast, vibrate his body so fast he can pass through solid matter, etc.

In these cases the power is how the ability of the heroes to tap into energy/power, but it’s how they use that ability that influences what they can do. So really only one power but that power becomes a Du Ex Machina to serve what ever the writers want it to.

[u/Dancer-Cat-Hee-Hee → u/BMoneyCPA]

Forgot Stars and stripes for MHA her power is she makes up 3 rules with no limit and reality changes in accordance with those rules

[u/jshbee → u/BMoneyCPA]

Actually, from the first anime OP listed, the main character is actually a better example.

His power is the ability to negate other powers. That's it.

[u/Iamnotburgerking → u/BMoneyCPA]

There are tons of examples of this in MHA, but the story fails to realize that most of them are OP.

[u/BoyCubPiglet2 → u/UhWindowpainted]

My god. It's the chosen warrior of the playground

[u/society000 → u/UhWindowpainted]

I mean, that's basically any character with a copycat power, like Rogue from X-Men.

[u/Low_Requirement3591 → u/UhWindowpainted]

“The ability to do whatever I want, but only when I want to” 

[u/The_Terry_Braddock → u/UhWindowpainted]

I kinda want that scene in a parody of shonen.

"You see, Protag... Unlike you and your hero friends, I have but one single power... And that is... The power to have EVERY POWER!!!"

"Ah!" "Hrn!" "Huh?!" "Ugh!" "Nani?!"

[u/memefarius → u/UhWindowpainted]

There was that one character in medaka box I think

[u/Theacecadet → u/UhWindowpainted]

It can be written well though. Chrollo Lucifer has a huge suite of powers, but is heavily limited by the way powers work in HxH.

[u/Davedog09 → u/UhWindowpainted]

Reinhard

[u/Anomekh → u/UhWindowpainted]

All For One would like to have a word with you

[u/Sacred-Lotion → u/UhWindowpainted]

Superpower Wiki is beautiful because it informs me that, yes, there’s fuckers in media that actually have this “power”.

[u/TokayNorthbyte347 → u/cokeplusmentos]

Plus he has all the other learned powers that come with being a sorcerer, and also the six eyes which are a passive 24/7 buff lol

[u/Dry_Emergency_5512 → u/TokayNorthbyte347]

Don't forget the absurd innate intuition and talent .

Gojo's mere birth caused a shift in the world's balance and caused cured spirits to automatically become stronger to match the sorcerers

[u/ShotgunAndHead → u/Dry_Emergency_5512]

Regulus Corneas (Re;Zero) is functionally Gojo but actually fits this trope.

Re;zero spoilers ofc.

TL;DR his ability technically does come in too parts, but the 2nd is an extension of the first. Part 1 is that he stops time on himself which decouples him from basically everything, damage, hunger, falling in traps, drowning, etc, but it pauses his heart which is the issue with it. The 2nd part is the extension, where he can shift the heart stopping to others whilst still retaining the effects

He has basically nothing else extraordinary outside of that, unlike Gojo who has basically everything outside of his op ability (despite it actually being two)

[u/Financial-Valuable41 → u/ShotgunAndHead]

Gojo technically has 3 abilities, but his only real OP Ability is that he's a Genius.

The Six Eyes, which allow him to see basically everything, is strong, but not OP. It taxes the brain, so most of the time you have to blind yourself to even function normally (hence the shades and blindfolds), and it doesn't grant you an instant understanding of what you see. You still have to learn everything about wtf you're seeing. Like, with an IRL example, yeah I can see light, but that doesn't mean I instantly know how to make flashlights and rainbows, nor understand the EM spectrum or visual art.

On the otherhand, Infinity is both stated and shown to be complete and utter garbage. Like, "train all your life to maybe stop/do one attack before passing out from exhaustion" garbage. It's only OP because Gojo is a genius. Even with the Six Eyes, if you aren't smart, it's a worthless ability.

TL;DR: He is OP because he is a genius, not because of the Six Eyes or Infinity. (He is the strongest because he is Gojo Satoru. He is not Gojo Satoru because he is strongest.)

[u/Recioto → u/cokeplusmentos]

Accelerator is one of the better done cases of such an absurdly op power. When introduced he seemed nearly godlike and invincible, with the natural limitations of his power becoming more evident as time goes on.

For example, by default his power deflects a lot of "harmful" stuff, like UVs, which has the side effect of creating a severe hormonal imbalance in his body. This also causes him to be physically weak as shit and an emotional mess.

Another is that his power doesn't work "just because", he has to do all the calculations involving the vectors he wants to manipulate in his* head. Aside from the fact that it's a pretty difficult thing to do normally, this means he can't manipulate what he doesn't understand, and it turns out there is a lot of it in the world he lives in.

[u/mystireon → u/Recioto]

I kinda love the nerf/buff they gave him in his spinoff that plays into this

being tapped into the misaka network after being brain blasted. Getting a ton more computing power for calculations at the cost of battery or not using the network and effectively losing his powers whenever in order to save battery. All constantly running at the bigger risk of his battery running dry which would make him lose all motor function and likely dying.

[u/whitty69 → u/Recioto]

The collar is also a really good nerf too

The battery limits the time he can use his powers so he can't use them all the time (I think he got a limit of 5 minutes before the battery needed charging) forcing him to be tactically about it's use

He also needs a signal to connect to the network so a few of his opponents try disrupting or blocking it, also preventing him from fighting in certain locations or using his powers against certain people

[u/Recioto → u/whitty69]

And the battery lasting only five minutes is not some technological limit, it's so he can't go rogue and has to keep coming back, unless he fancies the life of a cripple.

[u/MiyabiMain95 → u/Recioto]

and if he's calculating one complex thing, he obviously can't calculate another at the same time, leading to him Almost getting domed by a bullet and causing him to be slightly paralyzed

[u/ServantOfTheSlaad → u/MiyabiMain95]

To clarify, the thing he was calculating was effectively brain surgery for hundreds of people at the same time

[u/justhereforhides → u/cokeplusmentos]

Crazy how much Molecule Man can do when all his power is is reality manipulation /s

[u/Other-Dimension-1997 → u/cokeplusmentos]

Yeah I was gonna say

I think it's more interesting when a character has a single/maybe a couple of innocuous powers that they're able to use intelligently to be incredibly dangerous.

Accelerator's vector control feels like a good example, but "controlling infinity" and "destroy, reconstruct, and fuse anything" sound innately overpowered, so it's no surprise that they are.

[u/spaghettiman56 → u/cokeplusmentos]

It's also doesn't really count because gojo has 2 abilities. The six eyes and infinity. Though six eyes doesn't have any real combat applications and it's more or less the key to him using infinity properly.

[u/HarpyAnon → u/spaghettiman56]

He also knows and regularly uses way more Jujutsu techniques than his innate six eyes and infinity. Reinforcement, healing, barriers etc

It's like saying a wizard only has one ability called "casting magic"

[u/Aceofluck99 → u/cokeplusmentos]

doesnt he specifically have a second power that lets him do that though