Anime Zeros to Heroes By: Melissa Sterckx Possible Spoilers Ahead
Not all heroes are born with great abilities. Some of them need a little time to develop and discover their strengths. Strength is not only about physical abilities. The greatest strength comes from the heart and from the mind. A weak mind can never truly control and master the strength of the body. The four amazing characters we are looking at today had to learn this the hard way. They have all made the brilliant transition from weakness to strength.
Yona – Yona Of The Dawn
Raised in a life of luxury, Yona is the princess of the Kouka Kingdom. She is oblivious to the world outside of her own. Completely ignorant of the people to which she would one day rule over. Her greatest weakness was that she only cared about herself. On the eve of her 16th birthday, Yona witnessed the murder of her father, Emporer II. She fled the Hiryuu castle and began the journey to the Wind Tribe for safety. Along the way, Yona came to learn a lot. This is the beginning of her growing strength. She discovered that her father was a really aloof king and that the people were not happy under his rule in appeasing others. Yona seeks the help of the legendary Dragon Warriors and learns how to defend herself in a fight. She discovers what true friendship is and vows to help the people of the Kouka Kingdom, even risking her own life many times in the process. She found incredible strength to put others before herself.
Atsushi Nakajima – Bungo Stray Dogs
Plagued by an abusive past, Atsushi finds himself as an 18-year-old young man with major self-esteem issues. Life in the orphanage was rough. He was verbally and physically abused by his carers and the other orphans on a regular basis. Atsushi was kicked out of the orphanage at this age. Starving and without shelter or proper clothing, he comes into contact with two police officers who give him a job and lodgings. He eventually discovers that he has the ability to change into a white tiger at night, and while this might seem like his strength, it actually comes in the form of him gaining his own self-worth. As the show moves on, we see Atsushi overcoming the oppression of the orphanage, having more self-confidence, making friends, and being happy. It is this self-confidence that allows him to control all the powers of the tiger and show his real and intense strength.
Madoka Kaname – Puella Magi Madoka Magica
In a world of different dimensions and timelines, we meet Madoka, a regular 14-year-old schoolgirl who is gentle, shy, and weak. Madoka becomes a magical girl and we watch her powers, as well as her self-esteem, grow throughout the series. However, being a magical girl is not just about pretty dresses and hanging out with her friends. With each passing timeline, Madoka’s strength and powers greatly increases. She decides that she wants to rid the world of all witches throughout the different dimensions. In her quest to do this, she becomes the most powerful of all the magical girls.
Shu Ouma – Guilty Crown
It’s the year 2039 and Japan has lost its independence to an international corporation called the GHQ. Shu Ouma is a 17-year-old high school student who starts out in the series as being socially awkward and self-centred. He joins a resistance group called ‘Funeral Parlour’ in the hopes of helping to liberate Japan from the clutches of GHQ, but he is really only doing it to impress a girl he likes. During a clash between Funeral Parlour and GHQ, Shu comes into contact with the Void Genome and gains the Power of Kings. With this power, he can draw out a void from someone else in the shape of any weapon or tool that he needs. As the series goes on, Shu briefly loses his power only to regain it with it being stronger than ever before.
Not only have these characters gone on to be the strongest versions of themselves, but they have also become the strongest members in their stories. Yes, some of them were given incredible powers, but without believing in themselves and growing their inner strength they would not have taken control of their powers and pushed them to their full potential.
