Top 10 Best Shonen Protagonists OF ALL TIME

Shonen Manga are Japanese comics mainly marketed toward the young teen male readership. There are several great protagonists in Shonen Manga in the last few decades. Ranking the top 10 among them would be difficult but I have listed the top 10 from the series I have watched.

10. Joseph Joestar

Anime: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures

Joseph Joester is the protagonist of the second part of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures. The first part of Jojo wasn’t really impressive to me since both the protagonist Jonathan and the story was a bit cliche for my liking. The true experience of Jojo started in the second part for me and Joseph as the protagonist played a huge part in that.

He is a hotheaded, impulsive, and confrontational guy. Also, he is a fairly goofy and funny character. Every moment of him on screen is a treat to watch. He isn’t a deep philosophical character but he is just fun to watch.

9. Naruto

Anime: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures

Naruto is the protagonist of Naruto Anime. He is one of the most iconic protagonists in the world, probably only next to Goku in that aspect.

He is an optimistic, ambitious typical Shonen Protagonist who is fun to watch. Also being the chosen child in the Ninja World, he perfectly embodied the themes the author wanted to tell. He had a Nine-Tailed Fox inside him which alienated him from others. Despite that, he pushed against the odds and become the savior the world wanted.

Till the Pain arc in the series, Naruto was just perfect for the story that Kishimoto wanted to tell. The great Ninja arc did make him lose a few places here as there were many thematic inconsistencies with his character in that arc. But his influence in the anime world is unquestionable so he deserves a place here.

8. Gon

Anime: Hunter X Hunter

Gon is the protagonist of Hunter X Hunter written by Togashi. At first glance, Gon might seem like a typical good-hearted Shonen Protagonist but Togashi took that formula and subverted it.

Gon wants to become a Hunter in hopes of meeting his father, Ging. Gon’s story is of a 12-year-old who is thrown into the harsh morally complex world and humanity’s flaws are exposed threw him. Gon is extremely selfish to the point he would allow someone to get killed to reach his goal which could be seen in his encounter with Hisoka in the first arc. He even got Killua injured to win the Dodge ball game in Greed Island.

And Chimera arc is the perfect culmination of all of Gon’s flaws leading to that iconic anime transformation. Gon isn’t enjoyable as other characters in this list throughout the story and hence is ranked low.

7. Edward Elric

Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist

Edward Elric is the protagonist of the series, Fullmetal Alchemist written by Hiroma Arakawa. Elric with his brother did the taboo thing in the alchemy world to bring a dead person back alive and as a result, lost an arm and a leg while his brother lost his physical body. The story revolves around Elric trying to get his brother’s body back but constantly having to battle the morally tough decisions in achieving that.

Edward Elric is intelligent, knowledgeable, and doesn’t have a goal related to physical strength. He had to choose several tough moral decisions but he moves forward sticking to his ideals. I really liked his character conclusion a lot and one of the reasons I rated him this highly.

6. Eren Yeager

Anime: Attack On Titan

Eren Yeager is the protagonist of the series Attack On Titan, written by Hajime Isayama. Eren Yeager lives in a secluded wall outside which is surrounded by Titans and he has to figure out a way by which his friends could forever live in peace.

Initially, Eren wasn’t that unique but as the series progressed and the world expanded, he became one of the most unique Shonen protagonists of all time. Not everyone will get behind his ideals and personally, I was never the biggest fan of his way of thinking. That is one of the reasons I placed him low.

5. Hinata Shoyo

Anime: Haikyuu

Hinata Shoyo is the protagonist of the series, Haikyuu written by Furudate. Hinata Shoyo is a high school student who wants to become a Volleyball player but his short height ends up as a great obstacle to achieving that. The story tells his journey of how he overcomes the impossible obstacle to his dream.

Hinata is simple-minded, energetic, and has a never give up attitude like most Shonen protagonists but Hinata stands out for me in the way the underdog theme was handled. One of my issues with the Shonen series, in general, is the way they handle the Underdog aspect of a story. Haikyuu perfectly handles it and even till the end of the Manga, Hinata’s journey feels quite realistic.

4. Yusuke Urameshi

Anime: Yu Yu Hakusho

Yusuke Urameshi is the protagonist of the classic Yu Yu Hakusho written by Togashi. Yusuke isn’t what I would call a deep or a complex character but he is just funny, strong-willed, short-tempered, and quite simply enjoyable to watch. I still find it surprising that Yusuke still feels fresh and enjoyable as a protagonist even after so many years.

I value the way ending of a character pretty highly and Yusuke had a very mature and satisfying ending. One could argue Gon was the most complex of the two written by Togashi but Yusuke is just more enjoyable to watch throughout the anime.

3. Light Yagami

Anime: Death Note

Light Yagami is the protagonist of the series, Death Note. He finds a notebook that allows him to kill anyone whose name is written in it. This story tells a story about Light Yagami who starts using that notebook to get rid of the world of criminals but ends up getting warped by the power of the notebook.

Light Yagami’s battle of wits with L is one of the best rivalry in Anime ever. At first, his actions may seem like the morally right thing but as the story progresses audience cannot get behind his actions. Light becomes ruthless and his utilitarian ideals make his decisions questionable. That is honestly the beauty of Light Yagami’s character.

2. Gintoki

Anime: Gintama

Sakata Gintoki is the protagonist of Gintama, written by Hideaki Sorachi. Gintoki is a unique character in this list as unlike others Gintama has no real story at all. Gintoki is lazy, static, not proactive, has no dream, isn’t prideful, etc. But weirdly for the story that Gintama tries to tell, Gintoki is perfect.

Gintoki doesn’t try to be heroic but he will save those within his sword’s reach. His life journey is quite simple and relatable and one that everyone can get behind. Also, his father-daughter dynamic with Kagura is probably one of the best dynamics in anime for me. Gintoki is one of those rare characters that touch you emotionally.

1. Luffy

Anime: One Piece

Luffy is the protagonist of the series One Piece, written by Eiichiro Oda. Luffy sets on a journey to find One Piece and become the Pirate King. Luffy might seem like a traditional Shonen Protagonist who is full of enthusiasm, simple-mindedness, and has the never give up attitude. But the difference is that Luffy reminds you why those characteristics are so actually so prevalent. He is just so damn enjoyable in those aspects.

Having said that Luffy isn’t shallow either, the entire theme of One Piece is built around him. Luffy has a very positive yet genuine outlook on the theme of freedom which I really like. Also, Luffy isn’t a morally justified hero either so he has the freedom to do morally questionable things too. His fights, comedy, emotional moments, and his flaws are much more enjoyable than most Shonen protagonists.

Luffy is a force of nature who changes the world around him and he is so unpredictable even after 1000 chapters. Luffy is undoubtedly the best Shonen Protagonist.

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