Shonen anime is one of the most popular genres of anime and manga to exist currently, with leading shonen anime Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Naruto having helped grow the demographic tremendously. Though shonen is not the only genre to exist, with there being shoujo, isekai, seinen, and various others, it is one of the most popular anime genres currently, and for good reason. Shonen anime include epic battles, gorgeous cinematography, complex choreography, and intense, high-stakes storylines that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. But anime is a growing industry, and more and more people are getting into it as the years fly by.
Though anime is now a bustling genre, with plenty of new shows debuting yearly, it wasn’t always this way. This can be partly due to the shonen genre, which has many popular shows to its name, including new shows such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and My Hero Academia to classics such as JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure, Ghost in the Shell, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Though shonen is a popular genre in its own right, this genre is only as popular as it is thanks to a few anime that have been released in the past four decades. Here’s to the anime that helped support the genre through and through.
10 ‘Soul Eater’ (2008-2009)
Written by Atsushi Ohkubo
Maka is a student at Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA) who collects souls to train her weapon, Soul, to become a death scythe for Death to use. Alongside Maka is a crew of other students—Death the Kid, sisters Liz and Patty, Black Star, and Tsubaki—who are also training their weapons for the same cause. Through their episodic adventure, they must collect ninety-nine demon souls and one witch soul, though it proves to be more difficult than initially imagined.
Soul Eater, though not underrated, is not given the credit it deserves for its intriguing story and wacky art style. With great cinematography, many shonen fans will appreciate the thrilling combat, diverse cast of characters that will win over viewer’s hearts, and the high stakes that Soul Eater offers in its unique world. There is no other anime like it, and it has definitely given inspiration to others.
9 ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ (1992-1994)
Written by Yoshihiro Togashi
After attempting to save a child’s life, teenage delinquent Yusuke Urameshi is struck by a car and killed. In the afterlife, Koenma—the son of the ruler of the afterlife—names Yusuke as the Spirit Detective. As the Spirit Detective, Yusuke investigates cases that involve demons and apparitions.
Yu Yu Hakusho is another fantastic shonen anime that helped push the genre back in the early ’90s. Though not as popular as its successor, Hunter × Hunter, it has inspired plenty of other anime, including favorites such as Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Naruto—all of which are popular anime today. With diverse character designs and exciting fight scenes, Yu Yu Hakusho deserves recognition for being inspirational and starting a legacy of popular shonen anime, along with praise for its live-action adaption.
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Written by Hiroshi Ōnogi
After committing a severe taboo in the alchemy world, alchemists Edward and Alphonse Elric face critical consequences: Ed loses a leg, and Al’s body is destroyed. To save his brother, Ed sacrifices his arm as well and transfers his brother’s soul into a suit of iron. The two begin their journey of regaining what was lost.
There is a lot to love about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Following the manga closely, it is a story of brotherhood that features plenty of impactful moments that will move viewers. With vibrant colors and a beautiful story, Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the best shonen anime to watch, and it deserves the praise it gets on a regular basis.
7 ‘Attack on Titan’ (2013-2023)
Written by Yasuko Kobayashi and Hiroshi Seko
Eren Yaeger has one goal and one goal only: defeat all titans in existence. However, things change when he learns that he can shift into a titan; this gives humanity an upper hand. However, the more Eren and his friends learn about titans, the more complex the truth becomes.
An intriguing world of politics, Attack on Titan is one of the more popular anime to date. Having ended in 2023, Attack on Titan proved to be one of the best shonen anime through its beautifully choreographed battle scenes that emphasize the weaknesses and strengths of the humans and titans, and its cinematography is one to marvel. Full of complexity in its unique storytelling, Attack on Titan will undoubtedly remain as one of the top shonen for decades to come.
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6 ‘Death Note’ (2006-2007)
Written by Toshiki Inoue
Light Yagami is an intelligent high school student with a bright future. Bored out of his mind, one day he finds a notebook called the Death Note which allows him to decide who to kill and how. Then Detective L appears, and Light becomes his number one suspect.
A game of cat and mouse, Death Note knows how to captivate viewers with its plot. Witty, fun, and suspenseful, Death Note is a game of chess, where one mistake can change the whole game, and the wavering scale that Light and L stand on often teeters from side to side, making viewers wonder who will truly win in the end. By no means an anime with much action, it is a good, complex anime that will never fail to entrance viewers upon the first episode.
5 ‘Hunter × Hunter’ (1999-2001)
Written by Nobuaki Kishima
Young boy Gon Freecss takes the hunter exam after learning his father is not deceased and is instead living as a hunter. Together, with Killua, Gon travels to improve his own strength and find his father.
Hunter × Hunter is a vibrant anime with a colorful and exciting cast of characters, including villains that are complex and intriguing from the get-go; so much so that Hunter × Hunter might just have some of the best villains in anime history. Aside from characters, Hunter × Hunter is a heartfelt story of loss and friendship; while plenty of anime try to follow this delicate formula, Hunter × Hunter proves to be an expert in its craft, and viewers will appreciate this shonen for that alone.
Watch on Amazon Prime
4 ‘Bleach’ (2004-2012)
Written by Masashi Sogo, Tsuyoshi Kida, and Kento Shimoyama
After being protected by Rukia Kuchiki from a Hollow, high school student Ichigo Kurosaki—who has been able to see ghosts since he was young—becomes a Soul Reaper and works to protect the innocent from Hollows.
Bleach is one of the top four shonen anime to exist. With fast-paced and well-choreographed fight scenes and thrilling storytelling, it’s no wonder that Bleach is as popular as it is. With ever-developing characters, the stakes of the show only grow higher and the arcs only grow more interesting as the story grows and develops. Despite the anime series’ notorious length, Bleach is one of the best for good reason.
3 ‘Naruto’ (2002-2017)
Written by Junki Takegami, Satoru Nishizono, and Yasuyuki Suzuki
An orphan and a delinquent, Naruto wants to become a strong and well-respected ninja. Not only that, but he wants to become the next Hokage, too. However, while his plans seem simple, becoming a ninja is no easy task, especially when the world is against you.
Naruto is a wonderful story of friendship and self-improvement. It reminds viewers that it takes inner strength to overcome larger-than-life enemies. Filled with interesting and powerful villains, great, complex battles, and a sympathetic main character, Naruto is another long-running shonen anime that follows Naruto and his fellow ninja friends as they protect their villages and the world.
2 ‘One Piece’ (1999-)
Written by Junki Takegami, Hirohiko Kamisaka, and Shōji Yonemura
Luffy is a young pirate who is determined to find the One Piece and become King of the Pirates. However, in order to do so, Luffy must have a strong and endearing crew of pirates. In the process, he and his crew find themselves facing the world government as their bounties rack up.
One Piece is the longest-running shonen—and anime—to exist currently. Though it is ending soon, One Piece is known for its spectacular journey and complex world-building with which no other anime can compete. Full of heart and story, One Piece is a wide, imaginative world with an endearing cast of characters that have complex stories. Not to mention, it blends humor and action-packed battles perfectly, making for a wonderful journey that viewers will undoubtedly enjoy until the very end.
1 ‘Dragon Ball’ (1986-)
Written by Toshiki Inoue and Takao Koyama
Dragon Ball follows Son Goku as he assists Bulma in finding the seven Dragon Balls known to grant any wish. Through their dozens of adventures and journey to adulthood, Goku and his friends grow stronger to take on the universe’s deadly foes.
Dragon Ball is the best shonen anime of all time. It has inspired plenty of other manga and anime, and it is currently the leading shonen to exist with various spin-offs, films, and video games released even today. Dragon Ball deserves its credit for its impact on the anime industry in general, being the first anime for many current anime fans. Apart from its general impact, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, and its various other shows are such fun journeys. Sure, sometimes it’s undeniably goofy, but it takes itself seriously when it needs to, and it stays true to its tone no matter what happens in the ever-expanding anime industry. Full of battle-packed sequences, lively characters, ridiculously fun powers, and just plain fun storytelling, Dragon Ball is the greatest shonen anime of all time.
