How to Write “The Strongest” (& How Not)

Satoru Gojo, All Might, Isaac Netero, and so many more. Many manga/anime have a character considered as “The Strongest”, serving as some sort of motivator or mentor for other characters. When writing this archetype, there’s plenty of nuance that comes into play. How can you properly portray this archetype, and what aspects of it make these characters so great? Also, what could make them NOT so great?

0:00 Intro
2:06 Satoru Gojo - JJK
4:25 Ryomen Sukuna - JJK
6:32 Toshinori Yagi (All Might) - MHA
8:50 Enji Todoroki (Endeavor) - MHA
11:11 Isaac Netero - HxH
13:05 Meruem - HxH
14:59 Beerus - DB
18:31 Son Goku - DB

Edited by my editor Josh

#mha #jjk #dbz #hxh

[AhmedHussain-juxd]

Goku isn't the strongest in his verse, but whenever there is trouble you look to him for help. He embodies the spirit of the strongest

[nfgmillion]

I feel most isekai anime fail at writing “ The strongest” type of characters.

[ifoundavalidname]

Are you nah I’d win because you’re the strongest or are you the strongest because nah I’d win

[Loschel...]

Mob from Mob Psycho 100 is an interesting case too. Its clear that he is the strongest from the start but he knows that he cant solve all his problems with his power. Very nice analysis btw ;)

[markcampbell]

My favorite OP villain has to be Mereum because how OP he is isn't the main factor of his character arc. He evolves and how he's defeated speaks to the overall theme of the arc of how evil humanity can be in order to stay on top of the food chain. Togashi really knows how to make amazing villains throughout his works.

[ShurikanBlade]

The best part about Almight is 100% how he is written. Almight embodies strength because he wanted to be a beacon of light around the world but sadly due to this most of the problems in the narrative all arose because Almight wanted to take the burden alone. Heroes became complacent because Almight handled it all, citizens became bystanders who would ignore crime or not reach out a hand because Almight would probably come eventually. After Almight loses his power you see how uneasy everyone is because the gap between Almight and Endeavor is just that big. Almight wanted to change the world but his strength only created a temporary band aid solution where everyone just relied on him. It shows that too much strength in one individual even if for good can be bad

[Tacoman]

I know Saitama struggles with being the strongest in his universe cause he finds no joy in being so. Being at the absolute pinnacle of power means no one can stand up to you, and when you are a person who finds excitement in fighting, you'd get bored pretty easily from how easy it becomes once you're at the top. You can definitely see how that plays out in the Boros fight, where Boros found what he was looking for, while Saitama didn't even use most of his strength. And Boros realizes that, and was pretty disappointed that Saitama didn't even have a challenge. But later on, we see why he keeps fighting. He fights for his friends. Saitama needs Genos more than Genos needs Saitama. Genos really brings out the best in Saitama.

[nickeel]

Goku served as a great example of what it means to be the strongest....version of yourself. He's inspiring and is like 90% of the reason why I started going to the gym

[Jane-qhyd]

One interesting thing about Gojo and Sukuna which differentiates them in the series is how they use power to solve their problems. All Sukuna knows is power. He rejects love, and when Jogo cries and asks what that feeling is, Sukuna states that he wouldn't know it himself, as he never felt this type of vulnerability before. During his era, when confronted with opposition, his first instinct was to massacre those around him, and usurp his way to the top of the food chain. Whenever confronted with a problem, his one and only solution is strength

On the other hand, Gojo, despite being just as strong, doesn't use his power in the same way Sukuna did. Gojo has shown a clear distaste for the higherups and the world of jujutsu, and has even expressed the desire to kill them, very much like Sukuna did to those who ruled before him. However, Gojo stops himself from doing so, and molds the world around him by teaching the new generation of sorcerers to be better. When Gojo gains his full power in hidden inventory, he becomes this unstoppable force. Geto stopping him from massacring the members of the cult that got Riko killed was the event that prevented him from becoming an usurper like Sukuna.

[Aerowarrier]

I like Beerus’s strength cause it explores another type of the “Strongest.” He’s someone who achieved that so long ago and has been secure with it for so much time that being the strongest has stopped being part of his character. If you sit at the peak for so long you eventually have to stop reveling in your power and just find something else to do, and that’s the point Beerus has been at for millions of years. He is not his power because that story was told eons ago, and like I do wish we could’ve gotten some idea of what he and Champa did when they were mortals, but that time is so far removed from who they are now that it wouldn’t matter to see it

[ggwpBC]

I feel like there are mainly four ways to write "the strongest" characters, basically four themes that are mostly intertwined to some extent but to get good results you need to have one of them as the central theme:

1 - The Status Quo. The strongest character is - to a good extent - the embodiment of the status quo of the world, in which case the initial plot should be about trying to dodge them and eventually getting rid of them entirely (or temporarily) so the actual plot can kick in. It's extremely important that you show how they maintain the status quo, and immediately kick the plot in 5th gear as soon as they are out, and show how things change without their support pillar. This character will most often work as a good or at least neutral party (Gojo, All Might, etc), since it can allow you to slow boil the reader into the plot, and then go crazy on the second act. However, it also works for villains, in which case you actually focus more on dodging this immovable wall/unstoppable force and the finale is the about taking them down (i.e. Homelander, Injustice Superman);

2 - The Ceiling. Basically, they are the ceiling of the series, but also something meant to be surpassed (i.e. Freeza, Beerus, Jiren, Madara, All for One, etc). Either through communal effort or through personal growth, these characters are fated to be surpassed.

3 - The Superman. I mean, it's in the namesake. This theme is all about the burden of being the strongest. It's better used by heroes (Superman), whether they can maintain their morals or be corrupted. Often more than not these stories will be philosophical in nature, and personally I find it best when the strongest takes a spiritual guide-like role. That said, Meruem is a good example of a villain who falls into this category.

4 - The calamity. These are the Sukunas. Basically, characters that are closer to being forces of nature than just a person who happens to be very strong. They need to be stopped but not simply through effort, but through war. They are sorta like the Ceiling types, but overall it is not a case that the heroes surpass these beings, they SURVIVE them. It's not a triumphant victory.

Finally, as a bonus, this doesn't qualify as a theme on it's own, it needs to be a sub-types of either 1, 2 or 3, but a great way to add nuance to your strongest. This is the theme of the "strongest who can't win". Simply put, have the character be the pinnacle of everything, basically omnipotent, but within the machinations of the lore, they fail at all of their goals (or at least nearly all, you gotta give them some good wins at the start to make the strongest title believable). It's the idea that once you have everything, you can't do anything. The best way to do this is to give them goals that can't be met through sheer force - make them win physical battles, but always lose in the grand scheme, lose politically, lose socially, ideologically, etc, etc.

[ramlaww]

"The Strongest" in my opinion is so much better written as a sort of force of nature that is disconnected from the other characters; like Saitama funny as it is. He is too strong, so strong that if he cared he would end the show in three episodes tops. This is unlike characters like Gojo like you mentioned, he is too strong and literally needed to be locked in a prison realm for so many chapters just to let other characters struggle. (I will say though, Gojo is not omnipresent, so Gege did allow him to be absent beforehand.)

In OPM Saitama is moreso used as a character to write around as someone who is genuinely just bored because he knows nobody can beat him, it makes the writing so much more interesting, and I'm not saying OPM has no flaws in its writing, but the idea that "The Strongest" simply isn't meant to be focused on is so great. Writing "The Strongest" in like Saitama is also a very interesting way to avoid power creep, there is no creep, no endlessly scaling villains (aside from Garou) but regardless, having Saitama exist already forces the writer to not fall immediately into power creeping every single new villain, it lets the other characters and villains have interesting fights.

[Bathrius]

Not talking about Yujiro Hanma in a video like this is honestly a crime

[BunnyUmi]

Still think its more epic to say "Strongest of today vs the Strongest of yesterday"

[Joey_P_]

Thank you for not spoiling the mangas on any of the animes you talked about especially JJK.

[hunterfox]

One of the things I really like with all might is we actually get to see how the character has to grasp with no longer being the strongest, their burden, their privilege, and where they should or could end up after no longer being so vital. It's nice to see as the strongest is typically only surpassed or killed by the end and those characters don't typically get much to do after by then.

[Usernameis]

Another character that comes to mind is Whitebeard. He uses his strength to protect others and his found family. Found family being a relevant theme in one piece and specifically that saga. He’s been the bar of strength for a while now. His display on Marineford and the way he died really solidified his place as the strongest. His strength and ideals also serves to put Blackbeard up as Whitebeard and Luffys foil and rival. I think once Blackbeard solidifies his power in the future, him and Whitebeard will be a good contrast for the Strongest archetype.

[Tyrantofthewind]

I think Sukuna is an excellent example of how to do the strongest because he fulfills a lot of criteria that lesser villains fail to live up to. Why is he the strongest? He is the strongest because of his intelligence, savagery, cunning, power, and ability to seize big moments as well as his understanding of jujutsu. Why does he CONTINUE to seek power? Two reasons: he enjoys jujutsu and the different aspects of it, and to maintain his agency. Since he is a hedonistic monster, people will try to stop him, thus he needs to stay ahead in order to maintain that power. But after these fundamentals, Sukuna has a number of contradictory traits that make him seem more realistic (humans are often full of contradictions). He dresses as a monk and yet is hedonistic. He is incredibly calculating, breaking down curse techniques sometimes before they have even been used against him, yet chaotic, picking fights with curses and humans alike. Additionally Sukuna talks tons of shit but never actually proclaims himself to be the strongest (he is in fact called the strongest and honored one by the narrator - Gojo called himself that), and shows respect (or his version of it) to those who entertain him.

Sukuna is just an interesting character with depth OUTSIDE of his motive. Which all to often is the only thing villains have going for them.

[chriscutler]

Meruem didn't die to disease, he died to radiation poisoning. Radioactivity so powerful he himself became radioactive.

[ayatotakeda]

I could be clowned on for this, but i think Escanor is a good representation of the strongest. I love the way that his power shapes his pride.