5 best Shounen anime protagonists of all time

Shounen is a genre that keeps growing faster than anyone can keep track of. It feels like we're always one anime away from forgetting the many great shounen anime shows that came before us.

Even though we're more than glad to welcome new Shounen anime shows, we have to give some credit to the Shounen anime that we paved the way. What better way to do that than by giving a shoutout to the Shounen protagonists who shaped anime as we know it?!

Shounen protagonists that should go in the Hall of Fame

Whether you're more drawn to a protagonist because they're super strong or drawn to them because they're the only ones who know how to figure out the mess their world is in, every protagonist is absolutely a force to be reckoned with and deserves praise for carrying their respective shows on their backs.

Without further ado, here are the five best Shounen anime protagonists we have with us today!

Emma

In the world of The Promised Neverland, it's easy for anyone to surrender to the evils of the war, especially if they know that their survival chances are practically zero if they are a child or if they're someone who wants to go against the grain to attempt to save those who needs saving. Nevertheless, no matter what she's seen and no matter what she's experienced, Emma still pushes through.

Emma is a quality protagonist because of her hope. She doesn't back down in the face of adversity. Instead, she tries to find a solution to how she can save herself and those around her. If the fellow kids of The Promised Neverland didn't have someone like Emma, it's safe to say they would've either given up completely or died very quickly.

Emma is a hero and heroism is all we ever ask for in a protagonist.

Frieren

Frieren is masterful at just about everything she does. Even if her competition is infamous villains who have killed many before, she defeats them with little to no problem. What's more, she continues to get stronger and stronger by being someone who goes out to seek more knowledge, a trump card that allows her to stay at the top of the game.

Despite her being overpowered, she, sadly, doesn't have any power over time. One by one, the majority of the people she's grown with die because of old age, leaving her more and more lonely. And, although she's surrounded by new friends, she will eventually outlive them as well. But rather than repeat her previous mistakes, she does her best to strengthen the bond with her new friends.

Frieren is a tragic protagonist who wins just about every battle she enters, but will, ultimately, lose to time. A perfectly complex protagonist.

Gon Freecs

Most anime fans joke that the telltale sign of a great Shounen protagonist is the fact that the main character never has a present father in their lives. Hunter x Hunter's Gon Freecs doesn't escape this hilarious hallmark of a good protagonist. However, this isn't the only thing that makes him one of the best.

Gon embarks on a journey to become a Hunter, someone who is strong enough to defeat every enemy that comes in his direction. Gon gets very close to having it all. So much so that he almost uncovers the mysteries behind his father's location. But just when it all looks great, Gon gets a curve ball that throws him off balance, throwing him into a downward spiral.

Gon is a dope Shounen protagonist because he rewrites the narrative that all Shounen characters have to persevere no matter what gets thrown in their direction. Gon loses his mind in a way that we think other protagonists should too.

Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama

Mob Psycho 100 protagonist, Mob, isn't what you expect when you see a Shounen protagonist. Usually, you expect someone who is flashy and wants to showcase their powers for all to see. You expect someone who engages in battles because they want to ensure they're the strongest. Simply put, you expect a John Wick.

John Wick is definitely cool in his own right, but Mob shows that there is more to being cool than just fighting people and being overpowered. He's someone who rejects being special and would rather embrace the ordinary. He doesn't hate his powers per se, but he doesn't use them unless it's his last resort. Even so, he's everything he doesn't want to be.

A Shounen protagonist who doesn't want to be a shounen protagonist is unheard of. Leave it to Mob to go against the grain!

Eren Yeager

Does he even need an introduction? Does he even need an explanation? It's Eren Yeager, the most beautifully written shounen protagonist we have in this current generation!

We watched how Eren started off as this young boy with hopes that he could reverse whatever curse humanity has found itself in. He has the special power to turn into a Titan and desires to have humanity use him as a weapon to get further to the answer to all the chaos. However, on his journey, he takes several missteps, missteps that lead him down a malicious path of no return.

If Emma is a hero, Frieren a tragedy, Gon a realist, and Mob someone who wishes to reject what he was born into, then Eren is a blend of all this and so much more.