Shonen perhaps remains as one of the most popular anime genres out there, especially for its ability to showcase ideals of hope, friendship, and perseverance on a backdrop of over-the-top action and amazing fight scenes. As such, in the decades of anime history, shonen anime has perhaps become host to a lot of tropes that became standard offerings for any shonen story.
And while some tropes in shonen anime seem a bit overused, there’s just some tropes in any shonen story that don’t seem to get old. Just what are shonen anime tropes that fans just can’t get enough of?
8 The Weak Protagonist
While a lot of today’s shonen anime often depict their protagonists as overtly powerful, a lot of shonen anime used to go the other way around. Their stories often begin with “ordinary” protagonists, often weak in the eyes of the anime’s more powerful characters. It’s only through some sort of miracle - be it a power-up, a gift, or an incident of sorts - that the protagonist ends up with remarkable power that stuns both allies and enemies alike.
A popular modern example of this would be Deku from My Hero Academia, who first started as a powerless human who develops a “Quirk” or a superpower after meeting All-Might, the world’s greatest superhero. Fans of My Hero Academia would see Deku struggle to train and use his newfound powers until his sense of heroism would help him rise to be one of the most admirable heroes of his generation.
7 The Brooding Rival
Regardless of the shonen anime, the protagonist’s growth wouldn’t be complete without a rival to match their skill. Since most shonen protagonists are often bubbly and vocal individuals who love talking about hope, their rivals would most likely be brooding anti-heroes that are leaps and bounds ahead of the protagonist in terms of potential. And yet somehow, the protagonist would force the rival into submission, forcing the latter to treat the protagonist differently.
If a shonen manga stars a brooding protagonist, the rival is likely a persistent and outgoing competitor instead. A popular example of the original trend would probably be Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto, who serves as the secondary protagonist and rival of the eponymous ninja Naruto Uzumaki. Unlike Naruto who’s had to struggle to master his skills, Sasuke is a natural prodigy. His dark view of the world is constantly challenged by Naruto’s take on hope, forming an interesting friendship and rivalry between the two of them.
6 Forming The Gang
Most shonen anime, especially those that lean towards action, will almost always have the protagonist somehow forming a “team” of their own. This team may come in the form of people they met along the way, rivals that they impress enough to become allies, or simply friends they’ve already had that are willing to have an adventure of a lifetime.
Perhaps the most popular example of “gathering the gang” in a shonen anime would be One Piece, where Monkey D. Luffy originally started his journey finding the fabled One Piece alone. Thing is, forming odd friendships with the likes of Nami, Roronoa Zoro, and Vinsmoke Sanji inspired Luffy to form the Straw Hats (much to their chagrin), eventually growing their ranks, and even becoming perhaps the most notorious pirate crew in the Seven Seas.
5 The Quirky Mentor
Protagonists of shonen anime often start weak, but it’s thanks to their mentors that they get to unlock their innate potential and become the heroes they’re meant to be. This often results in training montages that slowly hint towards the progress of the protagonist, and often happen just episodes before they take down the supposed big bad of the arc. Funnily enough, a lot of mentor figures that shonen anime have almost always end up being quirky.
A good example of this would be Izumi Curtis from Fullmetal Alchemist, the martial arts mentor of both Edward and Alphonse Elric. Despite her introduction as a “kind housewife,” beneath her smile is a terrifying and violent attitude that always puts the Elric brothers on guard. However, it’s through her strict tutelage that the siblings became good with martial arts, and the two of them treat them as a second mother.
4 The Technical Explanations
Almost all shonen anime with an action premise will have characters explaining the technical aspects of the combat around them. While this more or less helps contribute towards world building, some shonen anime do have extremely interesting worlds that makes the idea of technical combat quite intriguing. These technical explanations often come in the form of explaining concepts like energy sources, technique executions, and just how powerful a certain protagonist or enemy is.
Most anime tend to do this when there are bystanders to a fight, commonly during tournaments. A good example of this would be in Naruto, where a lot of the smarter characters often explain how certain techniques work. Outside fighting anime, the likes of racing anime Initial D also have these moments, where bystanders of a street race often explain how protagonist Takumi Fujiwara can drive an old Toyota AE86 and win against more modern vehicles.
3 Screaming Names Of Attacks
A shonen anime wouldn’t become completely shonen if there aren’t any characters screaming the names of their attacks. After all, how could they possibly power-up their abilities and showcase flashy techniques if they didn’t scream the name of their moves every so often? Despite the funny nature of this trope, it’s certainly entertaining to see both protagonists and villains scream their techniques as multicolored flashes clash on screen.
A popular example of technique-screaming would probably be both in Naruto and even in Bleach. In the latter, teenager Ichigo Kurosaki is dragged into the affairs of the supernatural after Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki lent him her powers. And now a Soul Reaper of his own, Ichigo would have to hone his skills and fight various monsters - and soon other Soul Reapers and supernatural beings. His iconic move, the Getsuga Tensho, happens when he swings his sword in an arc and unleashes a powerful wave attack. Meanwhile, his Bankai allows him to transform his weapon into a more powerful form.
2 Transformations And Power-Ups
Rarely does a shonen action anime exist that didn’t provide any semblance of awesomeness for its protagonist, and this often comes in the form of power-ups and transformations. In more action-packed anime, fans know the jig is up when the protagonist taps into their inner potential and “unleashes” a power-up mode or a transformation to turn the tide of battle. It’s these power-up forms that often appear well-illustrated, and are often much-awaited moments for fans.
Perhaps the quintessential example of a transforming shonen hero would be Goku from Dragon Ball Z, whose original Super Saiyan form already spelled different levels of awesome from fans. And as the series progressed, Goku and his fellow Saiyans developed numerous power-up forms that further showcased their abilities, with each Super Saiyan form being more powerful than the last.
1 The Tournament Arc
If a shonen anime features protagonists using various powers, then a tournament arc is surely on its way. After all, what better way to force a character to become the star of an episode if not for a tournament that forces them to fight a particular enemy? A lot of shonen anime often feature tournament arcs that showcase the powers and growth of their powerful protagonists, often being the cause of memorable fight scenes.
While a lot of shonen anime have featured unique takes of the tournament arc, perhaps the most memorable one to feature such an arc would be Yu Yu Hakusho. In this anime, delinquent Yusuke Urameshi is given another shot at life after sacrificing his life to save a boy. Now a Spirit Detective, Yusuke became in charge of solving various supernatural incidents plaguing the town. And after meeting new friends, their new challenge pits them against the underworld’s most powerful combatants, where losing means allowing them to enter the world and hunt as they wish.