Am I Actually the Strongest?

Am I Actually the Strongest? (実は俺、最強でした?) is a Japanese light novel series written by Sai Sumimori. Originally published via the novel posting website Shōsetsuka ni Narō in September 2018, the series was later acquired by Kodansha, who began publishing the series in print with illustrations by Ai Takahashi. As of July 2023, six volumes have been released. A manga adaptation, also illustrated by Takahashi, began serialization on the Niconico-based web manga platform Suiyōbi no Sirius in April 2019. As of December 2023, the series' individual chapters have been collected into eleven volumes. An anime television series adaptation by Staple Entertainment aired from July to October 2023.

Plot
Haruto "Hart" Zenfis is a NEET wanting to avoid bullying and the spotlight. That is until he is summoned by a goddess and reincarnated into a world where magic rules all over. The goddess grants him a cheat power that is off the charts, and is reborn into a royal family just so he can live peacefully. But things take an unexpected turn. His magic power was measured and deemed as powerless due to a faulty assessment method right after birth. The misunderstanding royal parents regard the newborn prince as a disgrace. They claim that he was stillborn and abandoned him in a forest. He uses a wide variety of magic barriers to survive in the wild. A beautiful female Fenrir named Flay discovers Haruto, and respecting his excessive power, she offers her loyalty and services to him. Gold Zenfis (a distant relative of Hart's) approaches him and Flay to be brought into his family. Growing up, Hart lives a rather awkward life and just wants to chill out, as he navigates demon friendships, royal feuds, assassination plots, secret superhero identities, and having a little sister.

Characters

 * Haruto Zenfis (ハルト・ゼンフィス)
 * The main character, a hikikomori reincarnated in a fantasy world. He was born as Reinhardt Orteus, the first prince of the Orteus Kingdom, but would be abandoned by the royal family. He went on to be adopted by Gold and now lives as Haruto. Since the devices used to measure people's mana levels weren't designed to measure numbers higher than two digits, everybody mistakenly believes Haruto's mana level is just 2, when it's actually 1,002. As he lacks an element, the only magic he can use is barrier magic, but he can do a wide variety of things with it; creating clones or even using them as TV screens to project his memories, connect to the 21st century's internet, or act as drones. He dresses up as an unstoppable hero whose name he changes several times, including Still Pending, Hero of Justice, Black Knight and Shiva. His hero disguise resembles Zero from Code Geass.
 * The main character, a hikikomori reincarnated in a fantasy world. He was born as Reinhardt Orteus, the first prince of the Orteus Kingdom, but would be abandoned by the royal family. He went on to be adopted by Gold and now lives as Haruto. Since the devices used to measure people's mana levels weren't designed to measure numbers higher than two digits, everybody mistakenly believes Haruto's mana level is just 2, when it's actually 1,002. As he lacks an element, the only magic he can use is barrier magic, but he can do a wide variety of things with it; creating clones or even using them as TV screens to project his memories, connect to the 21st century's internet, or act as drones. He dresses up as an unstoppable hero whose name he changes several times, including Still Pending, Hero of Justice, Black Knight and Shiva. His hero disguise resembles Zero from Code Geass.


 * Charlotte Zenfis (シャルロッテ・ゼンフィス)
 * Haruto's adoptive little sister. An intelligent and curious child who finds her brother an odd person but later grows to care for him romantically. Haruto even introduces Charlotte to anime turning her into a chuunibiyo. She forms a faction of Liza, Flay, and Johnny to fight evil and bring justice as Charlotte starts masquerading as a fashion-magical girl Weiss Owl devoted to helping her brother.
 * Haruto's adoptive little sister. An intelligent and curious child who finds her brother an odd person but later grows to care for him romantically. Haruto even introduces Charlotte to anime turning her into a chuunibiyo. She forms a faction of Liza, Flay, and Johnny to fight evil and bring justice as Charlotte starts masquerading as a fashion-magical girl Weiss Owl devoted to helping her brother.


 * Flay (フレイ)
 * A young female Fenrir who once worked with the Demon lord. She was found attacking Haruto in the frontier region only to become his servant when a contract was formed between them for naming her. She has the ability to transform into a gorgeous young red-haired woman. Her rampageous moves often make Haruto anxious to let her do as she pleases.
 * A young female Fenrir who once worked with the Demon lord. She was found attacking Haruto in the frontier region only to become his servant when a contract was formed between them for naming her. She has the ability to transform into a gorgeous young red-haired woman. Her rampageous moves often make Haruto anxious to let her do as she pleases.


 * Liza (リザ)
 * A human-shaped hikikomori blue dragon who reads books until the Empirical adventures drive her out. She was saved by Haruto and became his second servant. When attending the academy as his attendant, she conceals her horns.
 * A human-shaped hikikomori blue dragon who reads books until the Empirical adventures drive her out. She was saved by Haruto and became his second servant. When attending the academy as his attendant, she conceals her horns.


 * Irisphilia (イリスフィア)
 * (Japanese); Lindsay Seidel (English)
 * A white-haired female student at Royal Granfelt Specialized Academy of Magic whom Shiva (Haruto) met and rescued prior. Haruto calls her "Iris" for short. She is suggested to be the reincarnation of Demon Lord Irisphilia. Soon after her birth, her parents and relatives abandon her due to her already self-awareness and speaking, wanting political mutual power at a young age, and [correctly] deeming her a demon. She was taken to a monastery with only a single pastor who was kind to her before his passing. Initially possessing mana at level 5, until Haruto un-tangled her magic threads increasing her mana to level 23. While also possessing multiple hidden elements. Iris is in love with Haruto, even though he harbors no romantic feelings for her at all.


 * Laius Orteus (ライアス)
 * Giselotte's second son. He is initially arrogant and prideful before losing to Haruto in a duel and gains respect for him. Laius is unaware that Haruto is his older brother. He is immensely fearful of his mother, although he can be protective of Marianne. In the process of five years, Laius shapes his body to a macho figure wanting to receive more of Haruto's attention in competition with Iris.
 * Giselotte's second son. He is initially arrogant and prideful before losing to Haruto in a duel and gains respect for him. Laius is unaware that Haruto is his older brother. He is immensely fearful of his mother, although he can be protective of Marianne. In the process of five years, Laius shapes his body to a macho figure wanting to receive more of Haruto's attention in competition with Iris.


 * Marianne (マリアンヌ)
 * Laius' older half-sister and Giselotte's stepdaughter. She has a crush in Haruto, not knowing that she actually his sister as well.
 * Laius' older half-sister and Giselotte's stepdaughter. She has a crush in Haruto, not knowing that she actually his sister as well.


 * Tearietta Luseiannel (ティアリエッタ・ルセイヤンネル)
 * An eccentric professor "Tia" who goes to the extent of comprehending Ancient Magic. She highly respects Haruto's talents and believes his level to be higher than human expectations. Constantly soliciting Haruto's courtesy regarding his groundbreaking ideas and naturally pushing for more details. After learning the hero identities of Haruto and Charlotte, Tia offers her acceptance to further evaluate the antics.
 * An eccentric professor "Tia" who goes to the extent of comprehending Ancient Magic. She highly respects Haruto's talents and believes his level to be higher than human expectations. Constantly soliciting Haruto's courtesy regarding his groundbreaking ideas and naturally pushing for more details. After learning the hero identities of Haruto and Charlotte, Tia offers her acceptance to further evaluate the antics.


 * Johnny (ジョニー)
 * An undead village chief of Pandemonium founded by him and Haruto.
 * An undead village chief of Pandemonium founded by him and Haruto.


 * Gigan (ギガン)
 * A golem that resides in the Zenfis territory with the undead.
 * A golem that resides in the Zenfis territory with the undead.


 * Oratoria Belgam (オラトリア・ベルカム)
 * A strict professor who is completely set on teaching Magical Attributes and she is always at odds with Tia's heretical beliefs seeing her as a bad example for students. Oratoria idolizes Weiss Owl's hypothesis of Hidden Attributes, convincing herself it's Haruto when in actuality it's really Charlotte.
 * A strict professor who is completely set on teaching Magical Attributes and she is always at odds with Tia's heretical beliefs seeing her as a bad example for students. Oratoria idolizes Weiss Owl's hypothesis of Hidden Attributes, convincing herself it's Haruto when in actuality it's really Charlotte.


 * Schneider Halfen (シュナイダル・ハーフェン)
 * A tyrannical noble and school vice president. He intends to put his arbitrary decisions over moral rules without warning. He makes himself Haruto's self-proclaim love rival with Iris, whom he sexually assaults. In spite of Haruto's immediate rejection of Schneidel's invitation for a duel, he profusely places an excruciating curse on him for his inexcusable actions. Schneidel later injects a drug mutating him to fight and left defeated.
 * A tyrannical noble and school vice president. He intends to put his arbitrary decisions over moral rules without warning. He makes himself Haruto's self-proclaim love rival with Iris, whom he sexually assaults. In spite of Haruto's immediate rejection of Schneidel's invitation for a duel, he profusely places an excruciating curse on him for his inexcusable actions. Schneidel later injects a drug mutating him to fight and left defeated.


 * Giselotte Orteus (ギーゼロッテ・オルテアス)
 * Haruto's nefarious biological mother and serves as the antagonist of the series. Having been abandoned by her as an infant for being mistakenly labeled to be weak, he harbors great resentment towards his mother especially whenever she offends Charlotte. Shiva fought her and placed a slave collar forcing his mother to never go against his adoptive family. However, she still firmed in dominating her own capital and even her ex-husband, Haruto's father.
 * Were it not for the fact Giselotte kept civil war at bay by simply being ruler, Haruto would have killed her already.
 * Were it not for the fact Giselotte kept civil war at bay by simply being ruler, Haruto would have killed her already.

Light novel
Written by Sai Sumimori, the series began publication on the novel posting website Shōsetsuka ni Narō on September 1, 2018. The series was later acquired by Kodansha, who began publishing the series in print with illustrations by Ai Takahashi on May 31, 2019. As of July 2023, six volumes have been released.

In March 2022, Kodansha USA announced that they licensed the series for English publication.

Manga
A manga adaptation, illustrated by Takahashi, began serialization on the Niconico-based Suiyōbi no Sirius manga platform on April 3, 2019. In April 2022, the series went on hiatus; Takahashi cited "personal circumstances" as the reason for the hiatus. As of April 2024, the manga's individual chapters have been collected into twelve tankōbon volumes.

In October 2020, Kodansha USA announced that they licensed the manga adaptation for digital English publication. During their panel at Anime Expo 2022, Kodnasha USA announced that they would publish the manga in print in Q2 2023.

Anime
On September 7, 2022, an anime television series adaptation was announced. It is produced by Staple Entertainment and directed by Takashi Naoya, with Matsuo Asami serving as assistant director, Tatsuya Takahashi supervising the scripts co-written by Tetsuya Yamada, Shōko Yasuda designing the characters, and Yukari Hashimoto composing the music. The series aired from July 2 to October 1, 2023, on ABC and TV Asahi's Animazing!!! programming block. The opening theme song is "Reset Life?" (リセット ライフ？) by Lezel, while the ending theme song is "Himi CHU★Pre-Love Magic" (ひみCHU★プリラブマジック) by Star★Shiμ'ne!!!. Crunchyroll licensed the series.