21 Ways To Measure Anime Power Levels
Shonen battle anime: a welcome ground for fighting, tournaments, training, increasingly stronger enemies, lots of growling/grunting, and impossible stakes. They all vary in some way, but most require one major element: power levels. A power level is simple. It is how the characters of the series identify who is stronger than who. Without them, how could you fill episodes full of reactions by other characters to those power levels?
Anime worlds try to avoid copying off each other. And since the power level system is usually very central to a battle anime story, they try to create their own, with lengthy and often unnecessary explanations.
So let’s look at the top ways different anime measure power levels. (Note: I’m not using the official English translations for these anime power levels, as I don’t know them all. Feel free to add the official English in the comments).
Naruto
21. チャクラ (chakra)
Bleach
20. 霊圧 (spiritual pressure)
DOG DAYS
19. 輝力 (blaze power)
Hunter X Hunter
18. オーラ (aura)
17. 念能力 (will-power)
16. 念力 (will-power)
One Piece
15. 覇気 (spirit power)
14. 賞金首 (bounty reward – used to measure power)
Yuyu Hakusho
13. 霊能力 (spiritual power)
12. 霊力 (spiritual power)
11. 霊気 (spiritual energy)
10. 妖力 (magic power)
9. 魔力 (magic power)
8. 妖気 (magic energy)
Ruroni Kenshin
7. 剣気 (sword energy)
Miscellaneous anime (leave in comments if you know anime titles that use them):
6.超能力 (supernatural power)
5. 神力 (divine power)
4. 心力(mind power)
3. 法力(miracle power)
Dragon Ball Z:
2. 戦闘力 (battle power)
1. 気 (energy)
What is the difference between all of these terms?
I’m not big enough of an anime otaku to be qualified to properly answer this.
However this Japanese guy is, and has fully broken down all these different types of ways of measuring power levels and compares them against each other. He even created this highly sophisticated and handy graphic:
Consider his page to be one of the most valuable Japanese lessons you will ever have. It was also created on Geocities, and looks like it was made in the 90s, which of course makes it so much cooler.
Which are some of your favorite types of power levels? Which don’t you really like? Any other good ones missed here?
Founder of Jalup. iOS Software Engineer. Former attorney, translator, and interpreter. Still watching 月曜から夜ふかし weekly since 2013.
It’s probably included in the characters above, but the name for the main source of power in マギ (Magi) is マゴイ (magoi).
Where does the goi come from or is that just made up to sound cool?
I found out that the kanji for マゴイ is 魔力, but that doesn’t really help answer your question. My guess is that it’s mostly made up (although “magoi” is the name for a species of fish though to originate in the Middle East and so there might be something there).
There’s 波紋エナジー (ripple energy) from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
I will mediate on that power level diagram and try to unlock its true meaning. I feel that if you can understand that picture and its full implications you have reached anime enlightenment! (wait is that actually a good thing? never mind…)
Also this should be required listening when reading this article: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDmqDipQn9A
Anime enlightenment is always a good thing. I have faith in your determination to reach that point.
And ripple energy does sound pretty cool.
Ah! Just thought of one!
The Absolute Terror Field/synchronization level from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
That’s fairly complex! Haha I gotta know what that is in Japanese.
A.T. フィールド!
I’d have to delve more deeply to figure out synchronization level. I haven’t watched the show in fifteen years or something…yet I listened to the theme song so much I can still remember the lyrics. I think it was the first Japanese I learned purely phonetically just through repetition…
…holy crap, the immersion method works!
I was expecting something like 絶対恐怖!
And yes immersion works. Really really well.
Adshap, do you know the game shows Qさま and くりぃむクイズ ミラクル9? How well do you think you would perform if you were a guest?
Yes, i have seen them before. Let me give the cocky answer and say I think I would do extremely well haha.
I used to watch quiz shows like this with Japanese friends, and especially when it came down to anything kanji rated, I would usually blow them out of the water.
That being said, I can understand the actually pressure of the contestants on the show is probably pretty intense.
You got a spot lined up for me? Haha.
Have you ever thought about doing the 漢字検定1級?
It’s run through my mind. I’m not a fan of written tests, but I’ve been curious about the way the 漢字検定 works.
I don’t know the Japanese versions but the seven deadly sins use.
Over all power level
Magic level
Spirit level
Strength level