History Main / UnderratedAndOverleveled

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' has Pelleas, a character who sits out most of the battles. When he finally ''does'' join a battle, he admits that he's never actually fought before, and is so scared his legs are trembling... and yet he starts out as a Level 12 Dark Sage. While he ''is'' still underleveled compared to your other characters, that's pretty impressive for someone who's never had a chance to do any LevelGrinding. This is, however, something of a plot point. [[spoiler:He got his power from making a contract with a Spirit, which is the final clue that he's not really Almedha's son.]]

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' features Palom and Porom, a pair of HalfIdenticalTwins with formidable WonderTwinPowers that allow them to wipe out regular encounters. They provide Cecil with [[GuestStarPartyMember some much needed support when he's separated from his main party]], despite being only [[ImprobableAge five years old]]. They're at least presented as magical prodigies, but their ability to take nearly as much damage as an armored, experienced knight captain with [[TheSacredDarkness the power of darkness]] is unusual to say the least.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'':
** The main characters battle an entire empire and win; they even have the empire soldiers comment on how powerful they are [[spoiler:while negotiating peace terms]]. Not long after this the main characters meet Strago and [[ChildMage Relm]]. Strago at least is justified as being pretty badass in his youth, but Relm is an 8 year old painter who somehow manages to make a strong party member. This is partially justified for both of them, as they are both mage characters whose gift with magic is justified by their [[spoiler:being descendents of warriors infused with magical power during the war of the magi]]. This, however, doesn't explain why Relm manages to be only a little weaker with her morning star than someone who was one of the world's top generals before she started to LevelGrind (Celes being a MagicKnight character herself).
** While not as severe a case as the two listed above, Setzer may also apply. Setzer is a gambler. That's all there is to him. He gambles a lot and is good with airships. He joins the party right as the main characters are about to attack a major facility in the Empire's capital city, and proves competent with a sword (or [[DeathDealer throwing cards]]).
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': When you meet Cid Highwind your team consists of a {{BFS}}-wielding SuperSoldier, a BigGuy rebel leader with [[GatlingGood a gatling gun]] [[ArmCannon for an arm]], a {{Supernatural Martial Art|s}}ist, the LastOfHerKind survivor of Magic-using {{Precursors}}, a {{Talking|Animal}} {{Panther|aAwesome}}-[[NobleWolf Wolf]], an {{Ambiguous Robot|s}} Cat and, if you've picked up the {{Optional Party Member}}s, a HighlyVisibleNinja and a [[TheGunslinger gunslinging]] {{shapeshifter}}. Cid Highwind on the other hand? He is a pilot with aspirations of becoming an astronaut. Somehow this also makes him the DragonKnight of the game and just as good at kicking butt as any of the others.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' does this with Eiko. While most of the strength of each character makes sense, Eiko is the second to last character received and the strongest healer in game... and is a little girl with no training. Her talent with Summoning is explained as her being the last of an ancient summoner tribe, but her power with healing isn't really explained at all. Though, considering that both of the summoners in the game are also healers one might presume that summoning and healing are both part of the same tradition. This still doesn't fully excuse a 6 year old with no combat experience being crushed by a giant multiple times in the first battle she ever fights and surviving.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' contribution to the list would be Tidus. The main team includes 3 experienced guardians, two of which managed to fight all the way to the Calm Lands, one completing his pilgrimage entirely, a member of the ProudWarriorRace who has been presumably training to be a guardian for years, and a WhiteMagicianGirl who can summon a flying monster at will. Tidus is a blitzball player with presumably no combat training at all. Of course they all start out at effectively the same level.
** Though the lines get blurred here because statistically all of the experienced guardians are OverratedAndUnderLeveled, since none of them are nearly as powerful as they would have to be to have survived monsters in the Calm Lands that they would have theoretically fought in their last Pilgrimages. It's possible that everyone is just weak in theory. Though early on if you take out an OptionalBoss two trained crusaders comment on your power in a way that implies that Tidus must have been at least somewhat competent despite his apparent lack of training.
* Continuing the trend, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' has the {{Kid Sidekick}}s Vaan and Penelo. while in-story they're barely more than street urchins, gameplay-wise [[MasterOfAll Vaan has strength only beaten by Basch's and the strongest magical abilities of all male characters]], and Penelo is a spellcaster on the same (quite high) level as Ashe, leaving [[MasterofNone the mystical elf-like Fran]] in the dust. And that's not even considering the ridiculously over-the-top quickenings.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' has this as well. There is absolutely no explanation as to how Hope can be a better mage than [[spoiler:Vanille]], especially when Hope is a random kid with a boomerang, while [[spoiler:Vanille]] has years of experience and, before [[spoiler:she was turned into crystal]], was one of the most dangerous people in the War of Transgression. This is after being granted magic from a god-like being. Before Hope gains his magic.
** Perhaps [[spoiler:being a crystal for a millennium]] harms one's strength, or even resets it back to baseline? Or when a person becomes a l'cie, the transformation enhances whatever skills you have to make you as powerful a warrior as possible. And since Hope had no real physical prowess it all went into magic.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' has Pelleas, a character who sits out most of the battles. When he finally ''does'' join a battle, he admits that he's never actually fought before, and is so scared his legs are trembling... and yet he starts out as a Level 12 Dark Sage. While he ''is'' still underleveled compared to your other characters, that's pretty impressive for someone who's never had a chance to do any LevelGrinding. This is, however, something of a plot point. [[spoiler:He got his power from making a contract with a Spirit, which is the final clue that he's not really Almedha's son.]]
* In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade'', you can use [[BigBad Zephiel]]'s half-sister Guinivere in challenge maps as a bonus [[BraggingRightsReward after beating the game enough times.]] In the actual story, Guinivere is a NeutralFemale who doesn't do much in the plot aside from provide exposition and become Queen of Bern in the epilogue. As a playable character, she's a Level 20 Sage with good stats in everything [[GlassCannon but HP]], plus high weapon ranks in Anima, Staves, ''and'' Light magic, something that no other Sage has. It's hard to imagine why she wouldn't help you out if she'd had those stats in the story. To a lesser extent, Eliwood when playable has incredible stats despite the fact that he spends the whole game with PlotInducedIllness.
* ''The Binding Blade'''s prequel, ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'', provides a FinalBoss example: a generic Fire Dragon, a normal, but wounded Fire Dragon literally only shows up in time for the final battle, yet it boasts much higher stats than Idunn, and puts up a much more valiant effort against the heroes, as almost all of their weapons can't even scratch it, and they need the legendary weapons to even the score.
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemNewMysteryOfTheEmblem'' has this due to bringing back characters from other games set in its world when they weren't in the original, and scattering them throughout the whole campaign, combined with [[OverratedAndUnderleveled nearly everyone else]] being nowhere near what you'd expect of an endgame squad in the game prior. Darros is by far the most notable one: in the prior games, he's a random level 3 pirate with no story relevance whose limited background basically describes him as a common raider who does it because he needs the money. When he's recruited in ''New Mystery'', he's now promoted (something he couldn't even ''do'' in his first appearance) and has fairly decent stats. Keep in mind that Palla, who was a level 8 elite trooper even at her join time in the prior game and recently fought in a disastrous war, is level 10 unpromoted in the same game.

* [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in ''VideoGame/{{Atelier Iris 2}}'' with your last party member [[spoiler:Viese]], who joins at the ''third to last chapter'' at level ONE. Somewhat justified since the plot of the chapter she joins is to backtrack to previous areas.

* PlayedForLaughs in the ''VideoGameTheLegoMovieVideogame'' with Franchise/GreenLantern. In the movie he's the completely useless obnoxious TheFriendNobodyLikes who constantly annoys Franchise/{{Superman}}. In the game he acts like, and is treated, the same, but despite that he's the most useful character in the roster, since not only is he among the rare few fliers alongside possessing a projectile attack, but he also has the unique ability to use his powers to assemble green bricks, which is quite a common puzzle element for free-play.

* PlayedForLaughs in the ''VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame'' of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'' with Franchise/GreenLantern. In the movie he's the completely useless obnoxious TheFriendNobodyLikes who constantly annoys Franchise/{{Superman}}. In the game he acts like, and is treated, the same, but is also ''[[PurposelyOverpowered the most powerful character in the game]]'' as not only is the the only character who can fly and who has a projectile, but he also has the unique ability to use his powers to assemble green bricks.

* There are several examples in ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'', but Aerie in the second game is probably the strongest example. She is a timid elf girl who has lived in the circus for her entire life, and yet is a mage/cleric who is probably more powerful than [[BigBad Sarevok]] was at the end of Baldur's Gate 1.

* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' had Riki, introduced as the "Legendary Heropon" and quickly revealed to [[FakeUltimateHero only be in the position due to a massive amount of debt]] while actually being a middle-aged man with a family. Despite this, he joins at the same level as the rest of the party and is a very competent party member, being both [[StoneWall an HP sponge]] and capable of dubuffing enemies into oblivion.

* ''The Binding Blade'''s prequel, ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'', provides a FinalBoss example: a generic Fire Dragon, a normal, but wounded Fire Dragon literally only shows up in time for the final battle, yet it boasts much higher stats than Idunn, and puts up much valiant effort against the heroes, as almost all of their weapons can scratch it, and they need the legendary weapons to even the score.

** Though the lines get blurred here because statistically all of the experience guardians are OverratedAndUnderLeveled, since none of them are nearly as powerful as they would have to be to have survived monsters in the Calm Lands that they would have theoretically fought in their last Pilgrimages. It's possible that everyone is just weak in theory. Though Early on if you take out an OptionalBoss two trained crusaders comment on your power in a way that implies that Tidus must have been at least somewhat competent despite his apparent lack of training.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': When you meet Cid Highwind your team consists of a BFS-wielding SuperSoldier, a BigGuy rebel leader with [[GatlingGood a gatling gun]] [[ArmCannon for an arm]], a {{Supernatural Martial Art|s}}ist, the LastOfHerKind survivor of Magic-using {{Precursors}}, a {{Talking|Animal}} {{Panther|aAwesome}}-[[NobleWolf Wolf]], an {{Ambiguous Robot|s}} Cat and, if you've picked up the {{Optional Party Member}}s, a HighlyVisibleNinja and a [[TheGunslinger gunslinging]] {{shapeshifter}}. Cid Highwind on the other hand? He is a pilot with aspirations of becoming an astronaut. Somehow this also makes him the DragonKnight of the game and just as good at kicking butt as any of the others.

** While not as severe a case as the two listed above, Setzer may also apply. Setzer is a ....gambler. That's all he is, he gambles a lot and is good with airships. He joins the party right as the main characters are about to attack a major facility in the Empire's capital city, and proves competent with a sword (or [[DeathDealer throwing cards]]).

* In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', PlayerCharacter Joker is at the same level of power as Morgana/Mona at the game's beginning. This is in spite of Morgana supposedly being a much more experienced PhantomThief [[spoiler:and who was also created by the game's BigGood to guide the Phantom Thieves into saving the world]]. Also, when Haru joins the Phantom Thieves after a full awakening of her Persona in the fifth Palace, she's just as strong as everyone else; while she has accompanied Morgana to the Metaverse on a few occasions, her Persona never fully awakened. The only exception is [[spoiler:Goro Akechi, who has actually been a Persona user for about two years longer than any of you, starts off with the highest join level of the party, and is indicated to actually be ''holding back'' for the entirety of his tenure in your party]]. In ''Royal'', Kasumi [[spoiler:or better said, Sumire]], starts at Level 75 (around the level the party is at by the end of the original game), despite having only fought alongside Joker twice up until this point.

* In ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoMelodyOfElemia'', Aurica will constantly talk about how useless she is, how she can't do any good song magic, and how she's a D-Class (i.e. lowest on the scale) Reyvateil who's never even been assigned a partner before joining your party. In gameplay she's perfectly fine and can become insanely powerful. (And she's just as good as Misha, who's repeatedly talked up as uniquely gifted and exceptional.) She has severe emotional issues keeping her from achieving her potential, true, but those issues can't be overcome without help, begging the question why the supposedly kind and helpful church can't be bothered to even give her a partner to support her before the protagonist comes along.

* This can occur in the first ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' if you wait to rescue Liara as long as possible. Liara's strength is not that unreasonable if she is rescued near the beginning of the game when she expected to be saved (being a mage in a world where her people are presented as the strongest Biotic users). However, if the player waits to rescue her until near the end of the game she can come out of suspended animation as powerful as now-legendary characters, but the plot will still play her as the weak and inexperienced character she was suppose to be in the beginning of the game.

This trope is a variant of GameplayAndStorySegregation in which a character is more powerful in actual combat than is justified within the story. A character is 'underrated' any time he would reasonably be expected to be weaker than his allies according to plot, whether this is due to lack of training, being too young/old for combat, using outdated/weaker weaponry, other characters commenting on this character being weaker and/or less skilled, or any other reason that would leave the audience questioning the character's strength.

* ''VideoGame/ResonanceOfFate'' manages a little of this and OverratedAndUnderleveled during the beginning of the game. Vashyron is an experienced war hero who taught the others everything they know about fighting, Zephyr is much younger, but was trained by Vashyron for some time and Leanne is the naive newbie and TheChick. Logically one would expect that their combat strength would be Vashyron > Zephyr > Leanne, but the game starts them out as nearly identical in strength (though vashryon does have a little more health, they're mostly interchangeable this early on). This wouldn't be too bad if the in combat banter of the first quarter of the game didn't make constant references to Leanne being inexperienced and supposedly weaker then the rest of the team.

** Jin definitely counts. He joins in the second game, after the team has already defeated threats that challenged entire space fleets. He is also the only BadassNormal, in a team which consists of a robot, android, multuple genetically engineered super humans, a kid with near magical powers due to [[spoiler:being effectively a GodInHumanForm]], and someone wielding high tech multi weapon system. He uses a simple sword with no special abilities or weapons. Yet he can keep up with everyone else and even cut through GiantMecha in a single slice.
** Allen. He only joins for a brief period mid way through the third game. During this time he is a bit lower level then the rest of the team, though his healing either still is an asset. However, considering the rest of the team has gone through 2.5 games worth of LevelGrinding and defeated things believed to be unstoppable before this, and Allen has no combat training at all and uses a simple crossbow as a weapon, that still makes him quite badass.
** Canaan and Miyuki in he third game also count, though not as drastic an offender as Allen. They show up only briefly in the beginning of episode 3. Both are better suited to combat then Allen, one wielding the same advanced multi weapon system of the main character (which includes shields to protect her) and the other being a genetically engineered realian, but not one engineered for combat. Still, they, while not as strong as Shion, are able to keep up surprisingly well considering Shion's 2 games worth of LevelGrinding feats.