I’ve noticed a trend in anime and web novels of having a protagonist who is overpowered. This power is most commonly related to fighting ability. Through either magic or martial might, the protagonist is able to instantly and effortlessly defeat their opponents. That isn’t to say that their powers are restricted purely to combat applications. The protagonist might be able to heal grievous injuries with the snap of their fingers or predict the future with perfect clarity. These protagonists are so far beyond everyone else that they are guaranteed to win any conflicts they get involved in.
The issues with this set up are obvious. If there is no challenge or risk of failure, there can be no tension or drama. It doesn’t matter how interesting the villains are or how complex the situation is if the protagonist can just stroll up and instantly wreck everyone. I believe there to be a few ways that this type of weak story can be avoided.
The simplest and probably most difficult method would be to make things funny. The outcome of a fight might be guaranteed but it is entirely possible to engage audience members by having the protagonist go about the fight in a humorous way. Although like all humor there are pitfalls. Personally, I am very tired of the joke of “ha ha the protagonist one shot that enemy who was acting really full of themselves”. It worked the first few times I saw the joke only for it to get stale really fast.
A good example of effective use of humor from an overpowered protagonist would be the series “The Villainess is an SS+ Rank Adventurer”. The protagonist, Juliette, is a fun and whacky character who also happens to be the most powerful sword fighter in the world. Her methods of dealing with enemies have included: stepping to the side and tripping her opponent who’s currently moving faster than sound, using an immortal duck as a projectile weapon, and exorcising a ghost with a makeover. These are all accompanied by over-the-top inner monologues that are a delight to read. I find the fights really engaging in this series because I don’t know what whacky, funny, or clever way the protagonist defeats her opponents.
Another way to make overpowered protagonists interesting would be to give them conflicts that can’t be resolved with their powers. Sure, perhaps the protagonist can disintegrate a mountain with their mind, but if their goal is to bring about tax reform that power is going to be of limited use. Overwhelming destructive power is probably really useful for seizing and maintaining power, but there is a limit to how much threats of death can be used to get what you want.
A good example of a goal that an overpowered protagonist would struggle to accomplish is found in the book “Ivil Antagonist”. The protagonist, Ivil, is essentially a reality warping goddess who is considered the most dangerous individual in the solar system. She’s also Empress of Mars on top of that which gives her a whole heap of political and social power on top of the literal power she possesses. However, her goal for the book is to find true love. While she uses her vast powers to impress or help out her romantic interests, it’s made clear that this isn’t something she can do with the snap of her fingers. The protagonist herself understands that a good romantic relationship isn’t something that can be forced and her power actually makes it difficult for her romantic interests to not feel intimidated by her. She does use her powers to effortlessly crush any enemies she comes across, but that’s a secondary concern since destroying her enemies isn’t the protagonist’s main goal.
Overpowered protagonists occupy a weird niche in fiction. They go against what is considered the best way to create a protagonist by making it exceedingly difficult for them to be challenged. My opinion is that writing an interesting story with an overpowered protagonist is very difficult and shouldn’t be attempted unless a writer is willing to put in the extra effort.