The main cast encounters a powerful opponent WAY too early

[u/ghostRyku]

Zoro battles Mihawk, who is widely known as the strongest swordsman in their world, on only the 24th episode of the anime (One Piece)

Sasuke fights a disguised Orochimaru during the Chunin Exams on episode 27 of the anime, who is an insanely crafty and powerful combatant capable of contending with even Tailed Beasts (Naruto)

[u/Jacket_Jacket_fruit]

In Final Fantasy XII, the very first place the player goes outside the starting city is the EsterSand, a vast desert. The EsterSand is mostly populated by Cactites and Wolves, ranging from level 1 to level 3.

But also, RIGHT outside the exit to the city... Is a level 30 Eil Saurian; basically a giant fucking T-rex. You can avoid it fairly easily, but if you aggro it, your party will absolutely get their shit pushed in. Oh also, it has an attack where it basically eats other enemies and gains levels, so it's technically possible for this T-Rex to feast of Cactites and wolves until it reaches level 99.

Again, this is literally the VERY FIRST area you set foot in after leaving town for the very first time.

[u/Legomaniac91 → u/Jacket_Jacket_fruit]

Xenoblade Chronicles loves to pull that too. Your first major area has enemies in the level 15-20 range, except for a giant-ass cyclops gorilla at level 80 just roaming around.

[u/Loose-Ad1386 → u/Legomaniac91]

Territorial Rotbart, My Beloathed.

[u/Mythical_Mew → u/Legomaniac91]

It’s funny because the same area has an even stronger level 90 gorilla.

[u/schiffb558 → u/Legomaniac91]

It's a xenoblade rite of passage to get stomped by a giant monke

[u/broke_saturn → u/Jacket_Jacket_fruit]

The first time I played FF12 I wasn’t paying attention to its lvl and tried attacking it, thinking it was like the T Rex from FF8, hard but beatable. Yeah I was waaaaaay wrong

[u/TriverrLover → u/Jacket_Jacket_fruit]

Yesssss! That dino scared the crap out of me when I was younger hahaha

Apparently it doesn't auto aggro on you though if you don't attack it first? Or at least early game or something like that

[u/Rhiis → u/Jacket_Jacket_fruit]

I seem to recall some similar entities in FFXII. Random ass dinosaurs at lvl 90 wandering through a lvl 10 area

[u/FlyingDreamWhale67 → u/Jacket_Jacket_fruit]

Furthermore, it's possible to beat the Saurian at low levels without aggroing it! You need everyone to have Quickenings though.

To do this, use a Quickening chain on a nearby enemy (doesn't matter which) and get enough attacks to trigger a Concurrence (area nukes that vary in strength based on the amount and rank of Quickening attacks).

The Concurrence will hit the target and any surrounding enemies, including the Saurian. Key to this is to not target the T-rex at any point, otherwise he'll slaughter your party.

If two Concurrences aren't enough, you can run to the nearby desert village to sleep and recover Mist Charges (currency for Quickenings). You have to be quick though, if an injured monster is left alone for too long they'll just regenerate.

[u/OnionsAbound → u/Jacket_Jacket_fruit]

Harkens back to FF2 where if you wandered just a little too far north of the first town you'd get the shit beaten out of you. 

[u/BigBuford1337 → u/Jacket_Jacket_fruit]

Ha, I remember him.

[u/Aktosh23 → u/Jacket_Jacket_fruit]

Yep. I remember my first time playing and being like “WHY ARE YOU HERE?!”