The word ‘shounen’ conjures up images of a young, hot-blooded protagonist with lofty ideals. While the use of the term in the manga industry started in the early 20th century, the concept is timeless. Shounen stories are based on the classical hero’s journey: a young hero receives a call to adventure, undergoes trials,and emerges victorious.
We love shounen protagonists for their inspirational qualities: courage, loyalty, and determination. On the other hand, some shounen protagonists are endearing as a subversion of the usual elements: they may not evenwantto be the chosen one. One way or another, these shounen protagonists rose to the occasion.
8Kamado Tanjiro
Demon Slayer
In a 2020 survey, Kamado Tanjiro topped the list among Japanese elementary schoolchildren about the people they admired most - the poll included their parents. That’s quite a staggering feat, but it’s no wonder because Tanjiro really is a guy you can look up to.
Besides beingdedicated to his family, Tanjiro encapsulates all that is good about shounen: he is kind-hearted, hardworking, and respectful. Demon Slayer spent several years being a cultural phenomenon, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This young boy’s journey was a great source of inspiration in a trying time.
7Soma Yukihara
Food Wars
Food Wars held its action-packed anime battles in a different kind of arena. Instead of engaging in fisticuffs, the students of Totsuki Culinary Academy compete to see who canmake the best entrée. But even if he’s armed with a kitchen knife instead of a katana, Soma is shounen incarnate.
Passionate, driven, and eager to learn, Soma uses his skills honed in his father’s diner to overcome his elite opponents. Ever enthusiastic and rarely discouraged, Soma holds the academy together when it’s taken over by those who see fine dining as the only acceptable form of cooking.
6Shigeo Kageyama
Mob Psycho 100
If Shigeo Kageyama - or Mob, as everyone calls him - could have his way, he wouldn’t be on this list. Despite being an extremely powerful esper, Mob doesn’t want to rely on his powers. Instead, he enjoys the simpler things in life.
Shy, socially anxious, and unassuming, Mob nevertheless attracts attention due to his job at a spirit consultation firm. His mentor, Reigen, uses his power to exorcise entities while keeping up the charade. Mob doesn’t mind: he’s too busy thinking about his crush. What a delightful young man.
5Ryuko Matoi
Kill La Kill
Sure, the term shounen means ‘young boy,’ but it would be remiss of us not to include Ryuko Matoi on this list. Matoi starred in one ofStudio Trigger’s best anime, Kill La Kill, as a scissor blade-wielding, spite-spewing, charismatic force of chaos.
Given the high school demographic shounen anime usually appeals to, Ryuko’s journey is even more entertaining. Honnouji Academy is depicted as an authoritarian regime, one where the prefects hold all the power, and it’s satisfying to see a spunky teenager clash with them and win. She’s so punk rock.
4Thorfinn Karlsefni
Vinland Saga
Thorfinn was supposed to be a knockoff of Naruto: he starts the anime as a vengeful boy looking forward to the day he kills his mentor, the man who murdered his father. So far, so shounen. But in the second season of Vinland Saga, Thorfinn’s story takes a surprising turn.
Unable to complete his revenge, Thorfinn instead starts exploring the path of the peaceful warrior. He refuses to engage in violence again and spends his days as a farmhand. The other slaves are shocked at how far he’s willing to go in his philosophy of pacifism, but end up being inspired by his stoic nature: the redemption arc personified.
3Eren Yaeger
Attack on Titan
Eren combines elements of both the shounen protagonist and the tragic hero. Forced to live in a confined city all his childhood, Eren dreams of seeing the ocean. Deep in the mouth of a Titan, he faces a moment of self-doubt: why not give up? Humanity will never be free as long as Titans roam the earth. Just as the spark is about to go out, it re-ignites: he was born in this world, and he will see it before he dies.
Unfortunately for Eren, there is no happy ending. One of the most poignant moments in Attack on Titan is when he and his comrades finally see the ocean. It was supposed to be a happy moment, an instance of a dream being fulfilled. It was not: all Eren could think about was the war that lay ahead, which morphed him into the tragic anti-hero whose story arc divides fans to this day.
2Izuku Midoriya
My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia has established itself as one of the great shounen series: following in the footsteps of Dragon Ball and Naruto, My Hero Academia provided a protagonist that young fans could look up to. Midoriya wasn’t born great: he lacked a quirk and had no superpowers. He was bullied relentlessly, earning the nickname Deku for being useless.
A chance encounter with his hero All Might changed Midoriya’s destiny. He receivedthe All For One quirkand a legacy he was unprepared for. Throughout the series, Midoriya has worked tirelessly to control his power: when he’s forced to overuse it in times of crisis, he injures himself. This leads him to change his fighting style, subverting the damage resets protagonists in these types of stories enjoy. He also reclaims the nickname Deku - read another way, it means ‘you can do it.’
1Son Goku
Dragon Ball
Goku is the quintessential shounen hero. He is pure almost to a fault: his greatest loves are food and fighting. Though his Saiyan genes dictate this propensity for violence, Goku uses it positively - his objectives are to test his strength and protect what he holds dear.
Goku is an embodiment of the fighting spirit: when he gets knocked down, he’s neither bitter nor defeated. Instead, he sees it as a reason to get even stronger. Even after reaching adulthood, Goku can ride the Kinto Un - a cloud that only allows the pure heart to stay afloat. Good thing Master Roshi didn’t share his magazines with him.
