Summary
Most people are quite familiar with shonen anime, given that most breakout hits in this realm adhere to recognizable tropes.Everything from scintillating encounters to mind-blowing battles is the normin this particular form of anime, trying to target a demographic that is wowed by these tropes and can’t get enough of them.
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One thing that irritates most fans is that shonen anime protagonists end up being pretty young, which can be pretty irritating to behold at times because of just how powerful these characters are despite being at an immature age. So, it’s refreshing to see protagonists who are pretty oldyet still play a major role during the events of their respective series.
5Gintoki Sakata: 29 Years Old (Gintama)
Gintamaisone of the funniest shonen anime of all time, featuring a wealth of jokes that actually land because of smart writing. Both the manga and anime have jokes that are tailor-made for their respective mediums, breaking the fourth wall time and time again to add to the hilarity. However, the real reason whyGintamasucceeds as a shonen series is because of the charismatic allure of its protagonist, Gintoki.
At a glance, this silver-haired individual seems like nothing more than a generic shonen character who doesn’t bring anything new to the table aside from a heightened penchant to joke around. However, as viewers get to know more about him, they’ll slowly learn about his backstory and why he only uses a wooden katana, no matter how vicious his opponent may be.
4Kenshiro: 34 Years Old (Fist Of The North Star)
Whenpeople talk about classic shonen anime, it’s only a matter of time beforeFist of the North Starcomes into the equation. This series depicts pretty much all the classic tropes that have slowly been phased out of modern shonen anime, including a strongman no-nonsense protagonist who uses his fists to solve all his problems while making his foes look stupid in the process.
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Watching Kenshiro obliterate his enemies makes for a great time, with this character being in his early twenties at the start of the series despite looking incredibly old. As time passes and the series goes through a timeskip, Kenshiro reaches his mid-thirties as this legendary and influential shonen series finally draws to a close.
3Vegeta: 48 Years Old (Dragon Ball Super)
The two main Saiyans ofDragon Ballare pretty old in their own right, with Vegeta edging Goku out by five years. The Prince of all Saiyans is a powerful adversary who was initially introduced as a villain who had no regard for sentient life and only wanted to achieve the highest level of power at all costs.After being humbled by Goku over and over again, Vegeta finally mellowed and even started his own life back on Earth!
Despite going through a midlife crisis and embracing his villainous roots once again, Vegeta couldn’t deny the fact that he loved his wife and son. He became a heroic figure who still treasured his pride but didn’t shy away from giving in to the thirst for battle whenever he had to confront a worthy foe.
2Inuyasha: Over 200 Years Old (Inuyasha)
Inuyashaisa classic shonen series that needs no introduction, with the adventures of Kagome and Inuyasha being pretty interesting in their own right. While still being fairly comedic,Inuyashadoesn’t shy away from being grim when the situation calls for it, leading to a series that will keep fans engaged while having some jokes to lighten the tension whenever required.
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The eponymous protagonist is half human and half dog-demon, being a riveting character with unique motivations that are slowly explored over the course of the series. The backstory of this protagonist coupled with the great (if somewhat disturbing) chemistry he shares with the female lead makesInuyashaan excellent watch that shows what the classic era of shonen manga was all about.
1Yami Yugi: Over 3000 Years Old (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
The idea of a card game turning into one of the most popular shonen anime of all time is hard to believe, but the alluring character designs and scintillating drama present inYu-Gi-Oh!made it a cultural phenomenon that fans still can’t stop referencing to this day.The protagonist, Yugi Mutou, is a boy who doesn’t really have a strong personality and ends up being pushed around by people around him who exploit his weak nature.
However, things change after he solves the ancient Millennium Puzzle, causing the spirit of a Pharaoh to inhabit his body and kick things into gear whenever his host’s body is pushed into a corner. Yami Yugi is dark and foreboding and has no regard for human life, and it’s interesting to see the dynamic he shares with his host as they slowly bond throughout this legendary shonen series.
