Highlights
- Shonen anime often appoint young protagonists to target a specific demographic, but most series successfully keep fans interested in the long haul.
- Many beloved shonen manga started with a likable protagonist that fans resonate with, such as Anya from Spy X Family, Gohan from Dragon Ball Z, and Conan from Detective Conan.
- Characters like Ash from Pokemon and Naruto from Naruto maintain a special place in fans' hearts due to their struggles and positive attitudes, making them popular and lovable figures.
Shonen anime is quite widespread, with many shows appearing and being canceled at a breakneck pace. There's a ton of competition in this genre, and aspiring mangaka need to come out with something really special to ensure that fans remain interested. Thankfully, most beloved shonen manga started out with a bang and kept things interesting, in no small part because of a likable protagonist whom fans resonate with.
That being said, there's no denying that most shonen anime tend to appoint a very young protagonist at the helm of things, no doubt because they're targeting that particular demographic. These ages can get ridiculously low at times...but most anime still manage to roll with it and keep fans interested in the long haul.
7 Anya Forger: 4-5 Years Old (Spy X Family)
Spy X Family is the latest shonen anime to hit the ground running, with its anime adaptation being loved by many. The unique setup coupled with a mix of great action and humor has led to many fans developing a soft spot for this show, with characters like Anya cementing themselves as one of the cutest anime protagonists of all time.
This character can read minds and has to hide it from her fake family because she's scared of how they'll react to this revelation. Her reaction to what people are thinking ends up being hilarious almost all of the time, and she's one of the main reasons why Spy X Family has become such a phenomenon!
6 Son Gohan: 5 Years Old (Dragon Ball Z)
Dragon Ball Z is one of the most iconic shonen anime of all time, transforming Dragon Ball from an adventure story into a pure power fantasy as characters reached immense heights of power and decimated their enemies. Even a child like Gohan didn't shy away from showing his real potential during the anime.
After taking a backseat role during the Raditz Saga, Gohan (along with Krillin) becomes the focal point of the show during their adventures in Namek. The five-year-old shows an immense level of power and even shows Frieza a taste of his power as he manages to beat down the tyrant in his transformed state!
5 Conan Edogawa: 6-7 Years Old (Detective Conan)
The story of Detective Conan is a unique one, and fans love checking out the various cases and how they're set up while this pre-pubescent protagonist uses his amazing detective skills to save the day while trying to convince the adults that his opinion has some relevance. However, what most people don't know about the show is that this character is actually a de-aged version of Shinichi Kudo.
After being forced to ingest an experimental drug, Shinichi reverts back into the body of a child while retaining his mental capacities. It's a unique premise that Detective Conan has used for quite some time, unraveling a wealth of cases as fans loved the ingenuity with which this detective had to solve his crimes.
4 Ash Ketchum: 12 Years Old (Pokemon)
Pokemon is a legendary IP, with its games, merchandise, anime, movies, and everything else along the same lines being a massive hit for obvious reasons. The protagonist of the anime is Ash Ketchum, a character who never ages above ten years old despite exploring multiple countries and trying to become the Pokemon Master over and over again.
After decades, Ash finally achieved this goal and won the ultimate tournament, establishing himself as one of the greatest Pokemon Trainers of all time. Even now, after all these years, Ash's struggles still hold a soft spot in the hearts of many Pokemon fans, and they hope that the duo of Liko and Roy do justice to the legacy of this beloved character.
3 Gon Freecss: 12 Years Old (Hunter X Hunter)
It's a shame that Hunter X Hunter goes on hiatus a lot since many fans are deterred from getting into the manga for this reason only. After all, Yoshihiro Togashi is easily one of the smartest mangaka of all time and has crafted a series that many people consider to be one of the greatest shonen anime of all time.
The protagonist of this tale, Gon Freecss, is a great example of a lead character who doesn't need to win all of his fights to be memorable. After all, he's still only twelve years old, and it's only natural that he'd lose against older and more experienced opponents who have a greater understanding and control over Nen than he does!
2 Son Goku: 12 Years Old (Dragon Ball)
The legendary Dragon Ball starts with Bulma happening upon a young child living alone in the woods who holds one of the legendary Dragon Balls. This is the viewer's first introduction to Goku, a beloved protagonist who slowly grew over time to become one of the most famous and recognizable characters in history.
This innocent kid has no idea that his Great Ape transformation led to Grandpa Gohan's death... until he sees Vegeta transform in Dragon Ball Z! His adventures in the early years of Dragon Ball are great, with this character finally aging after a time skip following the defeat of King Piccolo.
1 Naruto Uzumaki: 12 Years Old (Naruto)
Naruto's tale is one of sadness and abandonment, with the child having no clue about his parents and being forced to bear the ire of the villages because of his status as a Jinchuriki. However, he doesn't let this bring him down in the slightest, and somehow maintains a positive attitude despite only being twelve years old!
His stubbornness and kind nature slowly endear him to the people around him, turning him into a popular and lovable figure. He never gave up on his friends, going so far as to beat some sense into Sasuke just so that he could convince his friend to come back to the Leaf Village.