Someanimecharacters are born without powers, but end up eating something to gain them. A trope used throughout various Shonen anime, while it’s not that common, it does make for an interesting first episode. Of course, it’s not just the anime’s main characters that are eating things to get stronger. Sometimes, the villains also do this for shock value.
The villains are much more horrifying with this trope because they usually eat their minions or comrades. This is often seen in selfish or greedy villains who are willing to sacrifice anything to achieve their goals. Whether they are a villain or main characters, eating something to gain powers will always be a fascinating trope to see.
8Monkey D. Luffy
One Piece
One of the most iconic anime protagonists of all time, Luffy, ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit, which gave him the properties of rubber. While it may not sound that spectacular, Luffy has managed to pull off some amazing feats with his rubber body.
The Devil Fruit also gave Luffy incredible durability because of the elastic properties of his body. Luffy can be very versatile in his fighting style, using his rubbery limbs to stretch, bounce, and absorb powerful attacks that would knock out most other characters.
7Amajiki Tamaki
My Hero Academia
Almost eighty percent of humans in My Hero Academia have some sort of special ability called aquirk. Amajiki’s quirk is unique among millions of other quirks because he gains the abilities of anything he eats. It doesn’t have to be a living thing, as he’s also able to gain the durability of diamonds after consuming them.
This makes Amajiki’s ability one of the most versatile out there. By finely adjusting his diet, he can adapt to almost any situation. It’s certainly one of the most creative and unique takes on the trope of eating something to gain powers.
6Muzan Kibutsuji
Demon Slayer
The main antagonist of Demon Slayer was once an average man ravaged by sickness and weakness. One day, a doctor comes in to give Muzan his medicine. However, it was incomplete and not what Muzan expected despite feeling better after taking the medicine.
Unexpectedly, Muzan was unable to go under the sunlight because he was turned into the first-ever demon through this medicine. Naturally, he went on many rampages throughout the nights and killed thousands of people. However, he still wishes to survive the sunlight and become a perfect being to this day.
5Momoshiki Otsutsuki
Naruto
Momoshiki is one of the Otsutsuki clan members known for consuming planets to increase their power. He takes this a step further, turning his own partner into a chakra fruit and eating him to become fused Momoshiki. This gave Momoshiki a significant power boost that temporarily allowed him to push Naruto and Sasuke back.
Momoshiki also consumed several chakra pills throughout the fight to gain more strength. He is the prime parallel to Boruto, trying to show how shortcuts are better than training and hard work. However, he is quickly defeated and proven wrong by both Naruto and Sasuke.
4Eren Yeager
Attack On Titan
Eren might be the most brutal and tragic example of a character eating something to gain their powers. Eren had to eat his father to gain the power of the Attack Titan. Throughout Attack on Titan, it seems as though Grisha is the mastermind behind it all.
However, it was actually Eren from the future orchestrating everything through the power of the Founding Titan and the Paths. Eren forces his younger self to transform into a Titan and eat Grisha so that he can get to the future he desires. Attack on Titan doesn’t hold back, but it certainlywent a bit farwith this one.
3Genya Shinazugawa
Genya is a rare Demon Slayer who was unable to master any breathing style, leaving him with the feeling of powerlessness. In his desperation, Genya ends up consuming a demon to temporarily gain their powers. In that state, Genya quite literally transforms into a demon, giving him regenerative abilities and super strength.
Genya is a tragic character who has no choice but to commit this taboo. Consuming the flesh of demons is not easy on Genya either. Additionally, he can’t reach the maximum potential of the other top-tier slayers in the series, as he is limited by the demons he eats.
2Yuji Itadori
Jujutsu Kaisen
Yuji is the classic example of the protagonist eating something to gain their powers. Yuji eats one of Sukuna’s fingers during a desperate fight, giving him cursed energy. Prior to eating the finger, Yuji was an ordinary high school student with no special powers or talent.
Sukuna is the strongest curse in Jujutsu Kaisenand has been lying dormant for many years. Unfortunately, Yuji ended up awakening Sukuna by eating one of his fingers. While Yuji certainly got stronger and gained powers, he also became a prison for Sukuna.
1Izuku Midoriya
Izuku’s case might be one of the strangest, as he had to eat a strand of All Might’s hair to gain his quirk. To inherit One For All, you must consume the DNA of a current wielder. In that sense, a strand of hair may have been the most practical thing to consume if he wanted the power.
Of course, Izuku didn’t immediately become as strong as All Might. While he has the power, he still needs a body that can withstand it. This means that every time Izuku uses the full power of One For All, his body is unable to bear the burden and explodes from the inside.
