Summary
For mostanimefans, their very first experience with anime was with shonen, which is one of the most popular forms of the medium and is generally considered the most accessible. In the many years of anime’s presence in the pop culture milieu, there have been somestandout battle shonen protagonists, like Ichigo fromBleach, Luffy fromOne Piece, Naruto fromNaruto, and so on.
What about the many other heroes that were good, but might also have been forgotten? This list will include several classic titles, but will focus on anime that are within the battle shonen subgenre and have had their heroes become mostly forgotten. This means a show likeSket Dancewill not be eligible.
The Law Of Uekiisa mid-2000s showthat went under the radar for a lot of people. It followsKousuke Ueki, a middle schooler who has been drawn into a tournament where the winner becomes the next ruler of the heavenly world.
Ueki was a very cool hero who was one of the more human of the lot. Sure, he was blessed with powerful abilities, but he was also a hero who put a lot of thought into his fights.The Law Of Uekialso had a great supporting cast, and it is always nice to meet a protagonist who is looking to promote their own brand of justice for the good of the world.
2019
42
Streaming Services
Crunchyroll
Radiantis a relatively recent show, airing in 2019, but it also feels like a forgotten series with a forgotten protagonist that most never even heard of. In the story,Seth, the main character, is a sorcerer. This is someone who has survived an encounter with a ‘Nemeses;’ survived, but has been cursed by them. These people are typically shunned by society, but Seth wants to change all that.
WhileRadiantis not thegreatest anime of all time, it did present Seth pretty well, and it wasn’t afraid to tackle a few less uplifting themes, which gave the characters some heft.
Delinquent animecan be a lot of fun when done right.Beelzebubwas one of those series that got the right balance. It is a gag anime that features the son of a demon lord being raised by a terrifying delinquent,Oga.
The show was able to properly balance its humor with more traditional battle shonen tropes, including training arcs and enemy groups. Throughout all this, Oga was portrayed as a character who seemed one note in the beginning, but really came into his own as the show went on, and as he grew closer to baby Beelzebub.
1997
Flame Of Reccais an old series that had a lot of the 90s shonen story beats: A young boy discovers he has amazing powers and this causes him to enter a world of friends and enemies with supernatural abilities, and he finds himself fighting in a tournament.
Many simply wroteFlame of Reccaoff as aYuYu Hakushoclone, but this isn’t true. While there do seem to be influences,Rekka Hanabishiis different from Yuusuke Urameshi. Unfortunately, not enough people will get to know that, as he has been mostly forgotten in the annals of history.
2006
52
Yoshimoriis a young boy from the Sumimura family tasked with protecting his town from the evil Ayakashi. He carries out this duty with his childhood friend and crush, Tokine.
However, Yoshimori would rather stay home and make baked goods than go about fighting off demons in the dead of night. Yoshimori was a great protagonist, and a nice contrast from some of the more brash and loud protagonists that dominated battle shonen at the time, but sadly,Kekkaishinever caught on in the same way those other series did.
2010
48
Hulu, AppleTV
Nura: Rise Of The Yokai Clan, otherwise known as Nurarihyon No Mago was a show that suffered from a less-than-stellar anime adaptation as opposed to the manga. It tells the tale ofRikuo, a young boy who is part-yokai and is supposed to be the leader of the Yokai clan.
Since itdeals with Yokai, who are typically considered to be terrifying ghosts, the show contained some horror elements, as Rikuo sought to protect the her friends, both human and yokai, against some dark enemies. Rikuo was a fun protagonist with an interesting design. For those who like their shonen a little darker,Nura: Rise Of The Yokaiis a good fit.
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple
There are a fair number of shows that have a protagonist whostarts out really weakand then grows to be remarkably strong. Titles such asHajime No Ippo, and more recently,My Hero Academia,use these tropes, butKenichidid it really well at a time when such concepts might have been thought of as ahead of their time.
Kenichiis an inspirational main character who looks to grow stronger and use his powers responsibly while also protecting those around him. It was a shame that the series only had 50 episodes and ended on something of a cliffhanger. It would be nice ifKenichireturned, although it is unlikely.
Torikowas considered in some circles as part of the ‘big three’ of anime (depending on the person, this could also beOne Piece, Bleach, Naruto,orDragon Ball) and it was marketed as strongly as possible. While it caught on in the West, it declined in popularity in Japan.
That said,Torikohas a great manga and featured an immersive world, whileTorikohimself was a powerful protagonist. The anime wasn’t as well done as the manga, and for being a contender for big three, Toriko just sort of faded into the background while the other top shonen of the day continued to expand their legacy.
Reborn!
Shonen has seen the rise of the ‘sensitive but strong’ protagonist with the likes of Midoriya and Tanjirou, butTsunayoshiwas one of the biggest pioneers of that main character style way back in the late-2000s.
Hitman Reborn!is an underrated gem that started out as agag anime, but then blossomed into an incredible battle shonen with an interesting power system and a very nice cast of characters. Many fans have now forgotten the show, but at 203 episodes, it is deserving of a watch by any fan of shonen.
As far as protagonists go,YatofromNoragamihas a lot in common with Kenshin Himura fromRurouni Kenshin; a seemingly unserious individual who jokes around a lot, but is actually really powerful and comes with a whole lot of baggage from the past.
Yato is a minor god whose whole aim is to get a lot of followers, but with no shrine dedicated to him, he is in danger of being forgotten. Things change when he meets a young girl, Hiyori, and his new partner, Yukine.Noragamihas a lot of heart, but like Yako in the show, is in danger of being completely forgotten in the modern era of anime.
