10 Times Anime Proved ‘Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover’

When it comes to anime, the plot often relies on the factor of visible deception for many characters to build up more tension and drama. What this essentially did was create some of the best “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” moments in the world of anime – giving us epic battle sequences and satisfactory outcomes when the presumed underdog triumphs.

Without further ado, here are some of the best moments when anime characters proved that they were more than what they seemed. Moments like when undercover Luffy dominates the Dressrosa Tournament, to a weak and ill Tanjuro, beheading a large bear in seconds.

1 Old Man Lucy Entering the Dressrosa Tournament in One Piece

This was one of the most hilarious gags from the Dressrosa Arc in the One Piece anime – wanting to win Ace’s Mera Mera no Mi, Luffy enters the tournament under the guise of an old man wearing glasses and a fake white beard and moustache. During colosseum matches, he removed his glasses and wore a helmet instead. To everyone watching, he appears to be an eccentric old man who wandered into a brutal fighting tournament by mistake.

However, it soon became a terrifying reality for the other competitors. Beneath the ridiculous disguise is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, one of the most dangerous young pirates in the world. “Lucy” effortlessly overwhelms seasoned fighters and dominates the competition with overwhelming physical power.

2 Android 20 Thought Piccolo Was the Weakest Among the Z Fighters

Upon arriving to confront the Z Fighters, Dr Gero – better known as Android 20 – focuses primarily on warriors like Vegeta, Goku, and the Super Saiyans – for him, Piccolo doesn’t seem like much of a threat. However, Piccolo proves everyone wrong after he fuses with Kami.

Piccolo reaches a completely different level of power and becomes one of the strongest fighters on Earth – his battle against Android 17 proved that he can compete with enemies far beyond what Gero anticipated.

3 The Goofy Reincarnated Hashirama Showing His Class in Naruto

This was both hilarious and terrifying at the same time from the Naruto: Shippuden Episode 366 anime episode. After the reanimation of the four previous Hokage, Hashirama Senju started acting all goofy and friendly towards everyone – the funniest gag segment from the episode none of us expected, and even Suigetsu and the others.

However, as soon as Tobirama became enraged at Sasuke and lifted a single finger to scare him with sheer presence, Hashirama in turn overpowered Tobirama by his presence instead. That one small gesture was enough to stop Tobirama in his tracks and leave the others visibly sweating. That one gesture showed us why he was the kindest and the strongest Hokage in the series at that moment, and was known as the God of Shinobi.

4 Tasuke’s Owner Thinking Close Combat Was Geto Suguru’s Weakness

When the unnamed cursed user, referred to as Tasuke’s owner, attacked Geto during the Hidden Inventory Arc, he noticed that Geto was using his cursed spirits from a distance – leading to the assessment that Geto was weak at close combat. However, that came back to bite him soon enough.

As he got closer to Geto, the unnamed cursed user was brutally punched and defeated within seconds. The expectation that he would crumble once deprived of his cursed spirits reveals how dangerous it can be to stereotype a fighter based on their primary ability.

5 Knuckle Bine Asking Gon to Punch Him Freely in Hunter X Hunter

Knuckle Bine from the Hunter X Hunter anime initially appears relaxed and confident during his encounter with Gon – he saw Gon and Killua as young Hunters, enthusiastic kids who still have plenty to learn. And that’s why he offered them to punch him freely. Forget about Killua, Gon was enough to make him realise his mistake.

Knuckle quickly realises that treating Gon like an ordinary child is a mistake – a powered-up punch from the protagonist knocked out a sweating Knuckle to the ground. The scene perfectly captures one of Hunter x Hunter’s recurring themes: age and appearance are terrible indicators of actual combat ability.

6 Zamasu Underestimates Goku as a Saiyan in Dragon Ball Super

Zamasu was filled with pride, and he couldn’t stand how Goku was acting around casually with the God of Destruction and Angels in the Dragon Ball Super anime series, being just a mortal. In Zamasu’s eyes, Saiyans are flawed, primitive beings beneath divine existence – he cannot comprehend how a mortal could ever rival a god.

However, Toriyama quickly flipped the script as Zamasu and Goku started sparring. Goku pushes him to the brink and demonstrates strength that exceeds everything Zamasu believed possible from a mortal warrior – the encounter becomes one of the key reasons Zamasu develops his obsession with humanity and ultimately launches his Zero Mortals Plan.

7 Askin Nakk Le Vaar Thinking Yushiro Was Just a Child in Bleach

While Askin Nakk Le Vaar and Yoruichi were fighting in the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime Part 3, a young Yushiro Shihoin appeared. From the get-go, Askin treated Yoruichi’s brother as a kid, even calling him a girl. That was as far as he was going until he had to swallow his own words.

Yushiro demonstrates astonishing speed and mastery of advanced techniques, moving so fast that even elite opponents struggle to track him – he launched a barrage of attacks on Askin, one of the strongest Bleach characters, catching the powerful Quincy off guard. Despite the unfavourable outcome of the clash, this was one of Bleach’s biggest ‘Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover’ moments.

8 Sekke Mocking Asta as a Weakling in the Black Clover Series

After failing every other test for the Magic Knights Entrance Exam in Black Clover, Asta’s only hope was the combat test. Sekke offered to be his opponent, but cockily mocked the protagonist for being weak in magic and challenged him to come at Sekke with all he had; this was probably one of the fastest-to-bite-the-dust moments in anime.

With one swing of his sword, Asta destroyed Sekke’s barrier magic and knocked him out. The contrast between the two serves as one of Black Clover’s central messages: talent and appearances mean little compared to relentless effort and conviction.

9 Overconfident Naruto Standing Against Kabuto to Protect Tsunade

Naruto appeared as an overconfident young Shinobi when facing Kabuto and Orochimaru to protect Tsunade, widely viewed as an impulsive genin with more enthusiasm than skill. Kabuto, on the other hand, was an elite shinobi who had earned the respect of Orochimaru himself.

Despite that, what changed the narrative was Naruto’s determination and never-back-down attitude. Naruto took punches and Kunai stabs from Kabuto and stood like a wall in front of Tsunade, and delivered one of the most memorable Rasengan from the early main Naruto series.

10 A Weak Tanjuro Kamado Beheads a Bear in Seconds in Demon Slayer

During a flashback in the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie, Tanjiro remembers the time his father, Tanjuro Kamado, and he went to the forest one night. Tanjuro Kamado was stricken with sickness, always coughing and sick in bed; however, that night, Tanjiro saw a different form of his father.

Tanjuro sliced the head of a large bear threatening the Kamado family, despite being sick and weak all the time. What makes the matter more intriguing is that Tanjuro wasn’t even a Demon Slayer; in our opinion, this was one of the best ‘Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover’ moments in the series.

CHARACTER	ANIME SERIES	IMDb RATINGS (As of June 1, 2026)
Monkey D. Luffy	One Piece	9/10
Piccolo	Dragon Ball Z	8.8/10
Hashirama Senju	Naruto: Shippuden	8.7/10
Geto Suguru	Jujutsu Kaisen	8.5/10
Gon Freecss	Hunter X Hunter	9/10
Goku	Dragon Ball Super	8.3/10
Yushiro Shihoin	Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War	9/10
Asta	Black Clover	8.2/10
Naruto Uzumaki	Naruto	8.4/10
Tanjuro Kamado	Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle	8.4/10

What are your thoughts on our list of anime characters who proved that ‘Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover’ in their respective series? We’d love to hear your picks and opinions in the comments below.