When anime fans hear the word "shonen," chances are that certain anime will instantly spring to mind: classic examples that helped to establish both the standards and the most iconic tropes that are associated with the genre today. However, just because some shonen anime are considered “classics” to the point of being “generic” doesn’t make them any less interesting
In fact, some “generic” shonen anime can end up surprising viewers with their depth and originality. However, with hundreds of shonen anime available for viewing, it's hard to determine which shonen anime are “generic” enough to be recognizable by ordinary fans but also iconic enough to be worth watching in this day and age.
10 Fairy Tail
In the world of Earth-land where wizards form guilds to accomplish job requests, Dragon Slayer wizard Natsu Dragneel is accompanied by his friends and the Fairy Tail guild in a search for his missing father. Plot inconsistencies and character development aside, Fairy Tail boasts one of the best versions of a feel good shonen anime - especially for fans looking for decent action and a diverse cast of characters.
What makes Fairy Tail great is its consistency when it comes to giving Natsu and his friends an adventure of a lifetime. While not as grand as the likes of One Piece, the adventures in Fairy Tail continue to test Natsu and his friends’ inner talents, motivating them to work together and believe in themselves to unlock new aspects of their abilities.
9 One Piece
While it’s too early to call an anime that hasn’t ended “generic,” one could say that the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates are ultimately just that: an adventure. In One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy formed his pirate team to look for the One Piece, a mythical piece of treasure originally obtained by Gol D. Roger, also known as the Pirate King.
Now an aspirant Pirate King himself, Luffy and his friends will have to face the Navy, rival Pirates, and other powerful foes in a bid to finally find the One Piece. However, time goes on, it seems increasingly likely that viewers will never see the day when Luffy and his friends actually find it. Then again, perhaps the real treasure isn’t the destination, but the journey itself.
8 InuYasha
Perhaps the anime that really popularized the isekai genre, InuYasha follows the adventures of a girl named Kagome who gets transported back into the Sengoku Period. However, when she discovers a wish-granting jewel that soon gets broken, Kagome seeks the help of the dog demon InuYasha and his friends to recover the jewel’s shards and ensure they don’t fall into the wrong hands.
Perhaps the epitome of the shonen adventure story, InuYasha is a feel-good adventure that anyone can enjoy, particularly whenever InuYasha has to step into the battlefield and face the likes of Naraku and Sesshomaru.
7 Yu Yu Hakusho
When it comes to shonen anime with a tournament setup, Yu Yu Hakusho just might take the cake. Arguably the anime that modernized the tournament of power trope, Yu Yu Hakusho actually had humble beginnings. When troublemaker Yusuke Urameshi dies while saving a boy, he gets a second chance in life as a Spirit Detective. As the name implies, he’s then tasked with solving weird supernatural occurrences that may need his intervention.
However, things soon go awry as Yusuke and his friends become dragged into an underworld death match that could determine the fate of the world. Armed with his trusty Spirit Gun, Yusuke and his friends - each possessing unique abilities - have to defeat various foes to emerge victorious.
6 Shaman King
At first glance, the premise of a quiet boy forming a team of fighters for a grand tournament sounds like something straight out of a shonen anime, and Shaman King is both all of this and none at all. The anime tells the story of Yoh Asakura, a chill student who makes a pact with a spirit of a samurai named Amidamaru and becomes a Shaman, a spirit medium. When he befriends a boy named Manta, they become dragged into the affairs of the Shaman and the fate of both the spirit and the real world.
Yoh eventually meets various rivals and comrades throughout the series, a lot of whom join him in his quest to become the Shaman King. Alongside these comrades are their Guardian Spirits, introducing unique dynamics and abilities that can really grab viewers' attention. Complete with a unique narrative and impressive character development, Shaman King offers a great twist on the tournament concept.
5 Bleach
While it recently announced the anime adaptation of its final arc, Bleach remains a stellar shonen anime experience thanks to its complex narrative, amazing soundtrack, and impressive approach to combat. Bleach tells the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, an ordinary high-schooler who gets sucked into the world of the supernatural when a Soul Reaper named Rukia lends him the power to defeat a monstrous creature named the Hollow.
Since then, Ichigo has been dragged into the many messes plaguing the supernatural domain of Soul Society, including an all-out war. Ichigo isn’t alone in his journey, though. Aside from the Gotei 13 squads of the Soul Reapers, Ichigo’s friends and Ichigo himself soon develop supernatural abilities of their own which allow them to help Ichigo fend off threats to both Earth and the Soul Society.
4 Rurouni Kenshin
Anyone who’s watched anime before will likely recognize the red-haired samurai with the red garbs and the X scar on his left cheek. In Rurouni Kenshin, this was the usual appearance of Hitokiri Battosai, a feared assassin who participated in the Boshin War during the early Meiji Era. Nowadays, he uses his original name of Kenshin Himura and offers protection to those who need it as a form of atonement for all the crimes he’s committed.
It’s due to this atonement that he uses a reverse-blade sword to ensure his strikes never kill. However, when needed, Kenshin can unleash his inner killer and use the full brunt of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style, designed specifically to take down multiple samurai. In his adventures, Kenshin makes numerous friends and fights fearsome foes with deadly techniques of their own. Anyone looking for a decent and grounded depiction of sword-fighting will definitely love Rurouni Kenshin.
3 Naruto
Naruto is perhaps the best depiction of a heroic ninja to inspire any shonen reader out there. Depicting the adventures of eponymous ninja Naruto Uzumaki, Naruto shows Naruto’s journey from being the outcast child that bore the curse that is the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox to the Hokage, the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Its first half alone is home to a lot of character development, stellar fight scenes, and amazing techniques that had kids everywhere mimicking hand-signs and fighting poses during recess. After Naruto inspired a lot of his peers with his “Believe it!” motto and persistent optimism, it was the second half - or Naruto Shippuden - that raised the stakes and had the hero making tough decisions about the good of the people around him.
2 Detective Conan
With an anime that’s been airing since 1996, it can be difficult for new viewers to get into the adventures of Shinichi Kudo or Conan Edogawa in Detective Conan. Thankfully though, its premise is quite simple. Shinichi Kudo is a rookie detective that is accidentally turned into a child. No one knows where Shinichi went, only that Conan was effectively there and has been in the care of Shinichi’s first love Ran Mori and her father Kogoro Mori ever since.
The thing is, since Kogoro Mori is also a detective, Conan has been exposed to a myriad of mysteries in his presence. Conan’s sheer skill in deduction helps him solve these otherwise “unsolvable” crimes, and some gadgets helped him to put Kogoro to sleep and pretend that he’s the one solving the mysteries. The mystery-of-the-week nature of Detective Conan makes it one of the most amazing shonen anime to watch, even if it’s too popular to really be considered a “basic” shonen anime.
1 Dragon Ball Z
Anyone who’s ever watched a shonen anime will likely be familiar with the orange-garbed warrior named Goku and his adventures defending the world against various aliens. While his original adventures started as a child in Dragon Ball, it was in Dragon Ball Z where Goku and his friends achieved the peak of their powers and popularity.
Whereas Dragon Ball focused heavily on finding the Dragon Balls with the occasional tournament thrown in, Dragon Ball Z took the shonen genre to brand-new heights. It was Dragon Ball Z that introduced fans to the wonders of transformation - be it the famed Super Saiyan, or one of the many evolutions of Goku’s villains. Despite its age, Dragon Ball Z remains a hallmark shonen anime that’s well worth the watch.