Highlights
- Characters concealing powers in manhwa create depth and intrigue, drawing readers on journeys of revelation and discovery.
- Their abilities often lead to violent domination or unexpected relationships, adding layers to the story and character development.
- Despite the desire for a peaceful life, these characters are forced to act when faced with extreme situations that threaten their ordinary existence.
Within the myriad of character tropes available and usually applied to writing manhwa, readers are quickly captivated by characters who conceal their powers while living their ordinary lives. These character types present a narrative allure that adds extra layers of depth and intrigue to their already complex characterization while simultaneously creating curious tension to propel the story’s narrative forward.
Unassuming in appearance and capable of monstrous power, these characters, through the intrigue of their characterisations, draw in readers curious enough on journeys of revelation and discoveries of their lives and the reasons for hiding their abilities, which, although they may vary, usually turn out to be central to the story in multiple ways. Regarding these characters, the ones below are the most eye-catching of the lot.
10 Seth Kang ( Boss In School)
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.9 / 5
- Creator(s): Lee Hoon Young, Kim Ui-Gwon
- Release Years: 2017-2023
- Genre: Action, Drama
The protagonist of the Boss In School manhwa, Seth Kang, was born a natural fighter with fighting abilities that surpassed the average person. Still, all of this would be hidden due to his promise to his mother.
To keep his promise, Seth Kang refrains from any fighting, even to the extent that he begins to get bullied. His chains of restraint are broken when he receives a letter from his father after his death, urging him to stop being a weakling. What follows after the letter is the tale of the violent domination of a boy whose answer to problems is violence.
9 Lee Dojoon (My Dad Is Too Strong)
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.1 / 5
- Creator(s): Gaebyeok S, Modain
- Release Years: Ongoing
- Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Lee Dojoon is the central character of the series My Dad Is Too Strong and Yunhee’s contractual father. Initially described as absentminded and disorganized, Lee Dojoon lived as a talentless civil servant until he got in an accident following his first official assignment.
Dojoon is unexpectedly transported to another world following his accident, one where, through countless deaths and ordeals, he becomes the strongest and nicknamed the Heavenly Demon. As suddenly as he is transported to another world, Dojoon returns to earth with all his abilities and skills intact. Wishing to live a peaceful and ordinary life, Dojoon suddenly finds himself a father, and now he will make sure always to keep his daughter safe.
8 Min (Phase)
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.7 / 5
- Creator(s): Jouki
- Release Years: Ongoing
- Genre: Drama, Romance, Drama
The central force of the Phase manhwa, Min, has yet to learn what a problem-free life is. Born with strange and dangerous abilities, she has had to live all her life in hiding, fearing what might happen should she be discovered.
Life seemingly becomes kind to her when, through an incidental situation, she is offered the opportunity to earn a considerable sum of money at the cost of cohabiting with the billionaire, Shuu, for a year. What follows after this decision blooms into an unexpected relationship, and it remains to be seen if she can keep guarding her secrets or if she will let it ruin them both.
7 Kim Kibong (Limit Breaker)
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.8 / 5
- Creator(s): Seongbul Yejeong, Mino
- Release Years: Ongoing
- Genre: Action, Fantasy
The world suddenly fell into chaos, and with that chaos came monsters of all forms, terrorizing the world. In the midst of it all, the story’s protagonist Kim Kibong gets sucked into another dimension where he remains for three thousand more years.
Unable to die, he trains until he maxes out his stats and abilities. In reality, only ten years have passed, and he can finally return to Earth. Now overpowered, his only desire is to reunite with his family and live an ordinary life. However, with such power, Kim Kibong can only live under the radar for so long.
6 Chung Myung (Return Of The Mt. Hua Sect)
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.4 / 5
- Creator(s): LICO, Biga
- Release Years: Ongoing
- Genre: Acton, Adventure, Fantasy
Having lived a previous life where he was known as the Plum Blossom Sword Saint who defeated the Heavenly Demon, Chung Myung awakens a century into a new body as a teenager who makes his way into Mt. Hua Sect on its last legs.
Now, living a new and different life and trying to restore the glory of the Mt. Hua Sect, Chung Myung does his best to keep the extent of his abilities under wraps, not to draw unnecessary attention to himself or his beloved sect unless an extreme situation calls for it.
5 Hayan Park (Unholy Blood)
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.3 / 5
- Creator(s): Im Lina
- Release Years: 2020-2022
- Genre: Action, Romance, Supernatural
Majorly upbeat and usually cheerful, Hayan Park just desires to live her peaceful and happy life surrounded by her adoptive father and siblings. However, with great power always comes significant responsibilities, and Hayan is no exception.
Despite being the last living pure-blooded vampire following the death of her parents, Hayan tries her best to conceal her abilities and nature. However, she throws all caution and patience to the wind after her adoptive father is brutally murdered by vampires, an act which is the last straw that sets off a bloody mission of revenge and elimination.
4 Yu Ijin (Mercenary Enrollment)
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.4 / 5
- Creator(s): YC, Rakhyun
- Release Years: Ongoing
- Genre: Action
The lone survivor of a plane crash that killed both his parents at the age of nine, Yu Ijin is forced to grow up very quickly and very painfully. Having lost all his memories and in a foreign land, Ijin is taken in by Forest and forced to become a child mercenary, eventually becoming the leader of the numbers.
Life improves for Ijin when he recovers some of his memories and is reunited with his sister and grandfather. Although an exceptional combatant and mercenary, Ijin decides to live everyday life with his family and will do all it takes to ensure that his painful past does not interfere with the life he has fortunately gained.
3 Gang Ryong (Gosu)
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.1 / 5
- Creator(s): Mun Jung-Hoo, Ryu Ki Woon
- Release Years: 2015-2017
- Genre: Action, Adventure
The final disciple of the great Heavenly Destroyer, Dokgo Ryong, Gang Ryong, is the central character of the series, who starts as a lowly tavern apprentice. Despite being an intimidating martial master whose techniques defied logic, Gang Ryong tries to live below the radar and not do anything to attract attention to himself or the tavern.
Gang Ryong only reveals his abilities when he comes across the people who are the targets of his revenge and the reason why Dokgo Ryong, his master, adopted him. Portrayed as peaceful, whether Gang Ryong can go through with his revenge remains to be seen.
2 John Doe ( Unordinary)
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.9 / 5
- Creator(s): Uru-chan
- Release Years: Ongoing
- Genre: Fantasy, Action
The protagonist of the Unordinary series, John, is a conflicted teenager who attends the Wellston Private High School and is friends with another central character, Seraphina. Before enrolling at the high school, John kept details of his past and abilities under wraps to avoid prying eyes despite being one of the strongest abilities users at the school. This decision led to him being the target of repeated bullying at the hands of higher-ranked students.
Portrayed as rebellious, John is highly resentful of the governmental system governing society. Through his actions in the story, he shows his resentment while trying to free himself from the shackles placed on him by society.
1 Raizel ( Noblesse)
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.3 / 5
- Creator(s): Son Jae-Ho, Lee Gwang-Su
- Release Years: 2007-2019
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural
The titular protagonist of the series, Cadiz Etrama Di Raizel, or simply Raizel, is a noble and the only Noblesse of Lukedonia, the domain of the Noble vampires. After entering into a slumber that lasted for eight hundred and twenty years, Raizel awakens to modern society, where he no longer understands how society functions.
He reunites with his loyal servant, Frankenstein, who is now the owner of the story’s Ye Ran High School, which Raizel attends as a student in an attempt to live a peaceful and ordinary life. Despite being the Noblesse with unrivaled power, Raizel only wishes to protect the life he now lives and will not do anything to draw unwanted attention to himself or his friends at school. Still, he is forced to act when the ordinary and supernatural clash.
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