8 anime characters with absurd amounts of plot armor 

Anime characters have this weird thing where they refuse to stay dead, and honestly, some of them take it way too far. Plot armor, that invisible shield writers use to keep protagonists breathing, exists in every series to some degree. There is regular plot armor, and then there is the absurd kind that makes onlookers question whether these figures signed an immortality contract with the narrative itself.

In these eight cases, logic packs its bags and departs entirely. When Kirito defeats a game administrator in their virtual world, or when Ash Ketchum endures attacks that should have reduced him to ash but instead walks away unscathed, it is clear that reality bends to preserve their starring roles. These instances are not mere lucky breaks or clever tactics; they are blatant “the story must continue” interventions that elevate plot armor to an art form.

Disclaimer: The article solely reflects the author's opinion and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

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Anime characters who survive the impossible, thanks to extreme plot armor

1) Kirito (Sword Art Online)

Still of Kirito (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Kirito’s survival throughout SAO becomes thoroughly ludicrous during his final duel with Kayaba Akihiko. Despite his HP hitting zero, which should have resulted in permanent comatose status, Kirito continues fighting long enough to deliver the fatal strike. System rules were outright ignored to accommodate his hero moment. His ability to dual-wield swords, normally reserved for the fastest players, further cements this anime character as invulnerable by narrative decree.

Among anime characters, this man has survived poison, digital death, and hackers. He’s a walking contradiction of tension, and that's exactly what makes his plot armor iconic.

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2) Goku (Dragon Ball)

Still of Goku (Image via Toei Animation)

Goku’s plot armor spans decades of the Dragon Ball continuity. During his encounter with Tao Pai Pai, a precision Dodon Ray, intended to kill, was intercepted by the Four-Star Dragon Ball tucked in his gi; not skill, not strategy, simply narrative convenience. Later, Ultra Instinct spontaneously activates when Goku hangs on by a thread against Jiren.

Anime characters in Dragon Ball typically train over time to master transformations, but Goku’s “emergency power-up” button only appears when death stares him down. In the Buu Saga, he took a Spirit Bomb to the face and walked away. In Resurrection F, he got shot by a laser after fighting gods. Plot armor? Absolutely. Goku’s basically made of it.

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3) Asta (Black Clover)

Still of Asta (Image via Pierrot)

Asta is one of those anime characters who really should be dead about twenty different times, but somehow always makes it out alive. His survival defies all anatomical logic. At the underwater temple, a magic attack so catastrophic that it vaporized the floor and turned everything to molten rock, fails to harm him or Yuno.

Then, in the Vetto battle, both of Asta’s arms shatter completely under anti-magic onslaught, yet he swings his massive sword to victory regardless. It is narrative insistence, not biology, that keeps this anime character standing. It’s like the more hopeless the situation, the harder Asta swings, because losing just isn’t in his script.

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4) Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)

Still of Naruto (Image via Pierrot)

Naruto’s entire ninja career is a masterclass in plot armor. Among all anime characters, he stands out as the king of miraculous comebacks. Naruto’s plot armor peaks in the Pain arc. Facing an opponent with gravity manipulation and revival abilities, Naruto suddenly masters Sage Mode and coaxes Kurama into cooperation at the precise moment world-ending stakes arise.

Rather than growth earned through training, the narrative prevents any definitive defeat for this anime character, ensuring he never truly loses when Konohagakure’s fate teeters on collapse.

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5) Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)

Still of Usagi Tsukino (Image via Toei Animation)

Usagi, better known as Sailor Moon, is one of those anime characters who constantly dances with death and yet never seems to stay down. Usagi’s survival against cosmic threats reaches magical heights. During Queen Beryl’s final onslaught, a single rose thrown by Tuxedo Mask improbably injures the villain at a critical instant.

Then, Usagi transforms into Princess Serenity, summoning the spirits of fallen Sailor Scouts for backup. The series often skips explanations, relying instead on the "power of love" or moon magic to bring her back. Usagi’s plot armor isn’t just absurd, it’s magical.

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6) Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)

Still of Ichigo (Image via Pierrot)

Ichigo is one of those anime characters who literally dies fighting Ulquiorra, his hollow hole emerges, signifying zero heartbeats, before an inner Hollow takeover resurrects him with extraordinary ferocity. Later, the Final Getsuga Tensho against Aizen appears spontaneously, obliterating a god-tier threat at the steep cost of Ichigo’s Soul Reaper powers.

When it turned out he had Quincy blood all along during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, it’s like the universe itself refuses to let him lose. Ichigo survives being slashed, crushed, and blasted, and always walks out of the rubble looking ready for the next round.

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7) Subaru Natsuki (Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World)

Still of Subaru Natsuki (Image via White Fox)

Among anime characters, Subaru transforms plot armor into a Return by Death mechanic. Every fatal failure resets the world to a saved point, granting infinite do-overs until the outcome pleases the narrative. While each death inflicts trauma, the mechanic nullifies permanent consequences for this anime character, making death itself a temporary hurdle rather than an endpoint.

But the real absurdity comes when he somehow wins impossible fights or solves complex conspiracies using info from failed timelines. By the time he wins over the Witch’s Cult or saves Rem from death, fans realize Subaru’s survival isn’t skill-based; it’s purely built on a time-loop safety net.

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8) Ash Ketchum (Pokémon)

Still of Ash (Image via OLM Studio)

Ash Ketchum is one of the most iconic anime characters, a 10-year-old who’s been hit by Hyper Beams, fallen off cliffs, and even literally died in the first Pokémon movie, only to be revived by Pikachu’s tears. Ash has existed under unbreakable plot armor for over 20 years.

His Pikachu routinely bests Ground-type opponents, despite the inherent type disadvantage, and Ash himself survives legendary Pokémon attacks that should obliterate any human. Whether electrocuted, exploded, or dropped from great heights, this anime character stands upright after every encounter.

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Final thoughts

Each of these anime characters showcases plot armor pushed to extremes. Some series lean into the absurdity as part of their charm, while others maintain solemn tones despite reality-warping interventions. Whether inspiring or exasperating, these protagonists survive by transforming death into a revolving door that keeps fan-favorite personalities alive for the next epic showdown.

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