Anime/Manga characters that...

[Kopikatsu]

...didn't become so ungodly powerful by the end of it that it physically hurt to look at them.

I don't mean like Shoujo or anything, I mean a full blown battle-Shounen that the protagonist didn't have the power to end the world by farting too hard.

The only one I can think of is Touma Kamijou from To Aru Majutsu no Index.

In a world/city where people have the power to shoot a 1 billion volt cannon, send you into the center of the earth by touching you, summon a 3000C fire demon, or simply draw a sword quickly enough to cut clean through a windmill half a mile down, the main character has a single ability...that does not get stronger, evolve, or get any more useful.

Imagine Breaker. His right hand(ONLY his right hand) can dispel any supernatural effect. Okay, great...except sufficiently powerful attacks take longer to be dispelled, thus he'll be hit before it's gone, most higher-level Esper/Magic attacks can regenerate themselves faster than they can be 'cancelled' (Like the 3000C fire demon) are large enough that he can't block it all with just hand hand, or anything else really. However, it also has the drawback of disabling healing magic if he's anywhere in the vicinity, removes all of his luck (Which was so bad when he was a child, they called him 'The Plague' because of just how horrible it was), and removes God's miracles from himself.

Anyway...so...any other really sad protagonists like that? After reading TAMnI, I got a thing for weakling heroes...

 

[Nostalgia Ripoff]

Well, I don't know for sure, since I haven't watched in a while, but I think Tsuna from Hitman Reborn is one. From what I remember, all he could do was fly by shooting fire from his hands, and well, shooting fire from his hands. But, like I said, it's been a while. It could have changed.

This was his biggest attack he could do and he still hasn't perfected it where I stopped,

 

[Kopikatsu]

Well, I don't know for sure, since I haven't watched in a while, but I think Tsuna from Hitman Reborn is one. From what I remember, all he could do was fly by shooting fire from his hands, and well, shooting fire from his hands. But, like I said, it's been a while. It could have changed.

Oh yes, it changed. He went into like Hyper Will mode, then Dying Hyper Will Mode...basically, he turned into Goku/Ichigo with new transformations.

 

[Gigaguy64]

Himura Kenshin is a good example.
the man was really strong, but his desire not to kill and his own body held back his potential.
And because he was using a style not meant for his body type, he was literally killing himself every time he used his style's more advanced moves.

I know i can think of a few more but Kenshin is the best one i can think of.

 

[Nostalgia Ripoff]

Snip

Oh God, really? That's just killed the show for me. It was getting pretty generic even where I stopped. Now it sounds like Naruto with the Mafia.

 

[Serenegoose]

Togusa from Ghost in the Shell. In a world full of cyborgs, spider tanks, power armour and master hackers, he's a cop with a mullet and a pistol and a family. Total badass, too.

 

[Blank Kold]

Well, I don't know for sure, since I haven't watched in a while, but I think Tsuna from Hitman Reborn is one. From what I remember, all he could do was fly by shooting fire from his hands, and well, shooting fire from his hands. But, like I said, it's been a while. It could have changed.

He was just "unleased" in this last episode. He completely annihilated the dude that was kicking his ass a few minutes ago.

 

[NeutralDrow]

A fighting shounen show with that sort of character? Well, assuming it requires an ending (I rather doubt the protagonists of the Big Three are totally invincible)...

I haven't finished Yu Yu Hakusho, but I don't think Yusuke's become a god by the end of it. Oh, and Ed from Full Metal Alchemist certainly isn't. Lina Inverse of Slayers is powerful, but there's always stronger threats (and she's technically had the power to end the world from day 1, but it's something that has the chance of killing her and ending creation besides). Ranma is almost the best fighter in the show by the end, though I think Happosai and Cologne are technically stronger.

 

[Bon_Clay]

Well, I don't know for sure, since I haven't watched in a while, but I think Tsuna from Hitman Reborn is one. From what I remember, all he could do was fly by shooting fire from his hands, and well, shooting fire from his hands. But, like I said, it's been a while. It could have changed.

Oh yes, it changed. He went into like Hyper Will mode, then Dying Hyper Will Mode...basically, he turned into Goku/Ichigo with new transformations.

Sounds about right, I stopped watching when it kept dragging on and on after they got sent to the future. Only Hibari's awesomeness was able to redeem it, and even that only lasted so long.

OT: Hmm....that's a tough one. Generally they are either set in a world with relatively more realistic ways of fighting, or they go full blown craziness that escalates every arc. Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin never really got too overpowered even though the sword fighting was pretty crazy.
Technically Vash from Trigun has the power to blow up some entire cities, but he rarely uses this power in the series. Most of the time he's at a big disadvantage in situations he gets in because he refuses to kill anyone, similar to Kenshin. This self imposed limitation kinda works to balance out their power.

 

[Kuranesno7]

I remember this old manga Blame!, where the protagonist had for like 90% of the story a peice that was essentially a kamehameha in pistol form. While it was powerful and could go through damn near anything, the trick was that the recoil was an incredible *****, like his most powerful shot with the thing left his arm so broken that only a piece of skin kept it from falling off.
That dude (I think his name was Killy) would be my pick for this thread.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I don't really think I would say Vash the Stampede or Kenshin Hiruma are weak...yes, they're weakened by their ideals, but like...Touma Kamijyo for example. He got his ass beat constantly. Really, he only got slightly better when he started learning how to 'read' the opponents moves, but even then, he still wasn't amazing and it was his allies like Stiyl(Who still wants to kill Touma) and Kaori(Also still kinda wants to kill Touma) who fought the really stupidly powerful opponents. VtS and KH are Boring Invincible Heroes. Yes they get beat up, but they never actually -lose-. I think Kenshin lost one time agaist Sojiro, and that was only because his shoe broke and he had to get it fixed later.

As for Yu Yu Hakesho...yes. GOD YES. Yusuke becomes like above an S-rank demon and totally owns people by glaring at them until their head popped off.

I would agree that Full Metal Alchemist is a great series. I'm kind of sad it ended...but the Mangaka should have another series out, so all is well.

Lina Inverse...yeah, she's eh. Giga Slave is grossly overpowered, but yeah the drawback of ending the universe is kind of...bad.

I've actually heard of Blame! and seen a few pages of it...maybe I'll try to find it again.

 

[Sacman]

Lain from Serial Experiments Lain she can literally do anything... or nothing depending on how you look at it...

 

[Tallim]

Shiage from No Index is even weaker than Touma as he is a true level 0. He fights Meltdowner one of the level 5s. Hasn't made his way into the Manga or the Anime yet