When it comes to anime heroes, shonen is home to some of the greatest of all time. Shonen heroes are universally loved and no matter the series or genre, they’re almost always the fan favorites. However, it’s hard to deny that many of shonen’s greatest heroes are a bit too overhyped sometimes.
Though they’re deserving of love and praise, it isn’t unheard of for these popular shonen characters to steal the spotlight and overstay their welcome. With overpowered abilities, plot armor protecting their every move, and a lack of development outside physical strength, many shonen heroes have become overrated. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad characters. They’ve simply just grown too larger-than-life, making them less relatable than they used to be.
10 Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)
Natsu Dragneel was one of the most popular shonen heroes of the 2010s. He’s the main protagonist of the hit series Fairy Tail, as well as one of the strongest members of the titular guild. There’s no denying Natsu’s power, even early on in the series. As the story progresses, his incredible magic only seems to get stronger.
However, many fans argue that while his powers develop, his character always stays the same. Natsu is considered one of the least developed characters in the story, with less depth than even some of the supporting cast. While his strength and skills are exciting, Natsu doesn’t bring much else to the table, making him a rather poor protagonist.
9 Nezuko Kamado (Demon Slayer)
From the start, Nezuko has been one of the most popular characters in the entire Demon Slayer franchise. Pretty much everyone adores her, and it’s easy to see why. She’s cute, sweet, and charming — and on top of all that, she’s got some impressive powers. So, it only makes sense that she dominates as everyone’s favorite character.
But despite her popularity, plenty of fans claim she’s a highly overrated member of the cast. She has very little depth throughout most of the series, and though she has frightful strength in her demon form, Nezuko doesn’t contribute much to fights. Overall, it seems like she’s just there to be the cute little sister, and as a result, some feel she doesn’t exactly deserve the popularity she has.
8 Eren Jaeger (Attack On Titan)
Eren Jaeger is probably one of Attack on Titan’s most interesting characters. He starts out like any other shonen hero, young and full of hope and promise. Unfortunately, his hope slowly fades the more death and destruction he sees, and he soon becomes a shell of his former self. This shocking transformation is one of the most important of the series, and it’s easily made Eren one of the most popular characters.
However, he often gets placed on a pedestal when compared to the other characters. Fans overhype his character, overlooking the many atrocities he commits throughout the story. While it’s true he’s a complex and well-written character, his fans tend to forget that he’s sometimes more of a villain than a hero.
7 Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)
In a lot of ways, Izuku Midoriya is the typical “zero to hero” shonen protagonist. At the start of My Hero Academia, he’s essentially a nobody with no quirk of his own. However, once he gains the One For All Quirk from All Might, he slowly becomes a powerhouse that few can take on. While his story is inspiring, it’s nothing shonen fans haven’t seen before.
Sadly, Midoriya’s rise to power is pretty generic when it comes to shonen heroes. His story feels overdone by today’s standards, making him a rather forgettable hero in the long run. He may be a popular face throughout shonen now, but once the series reaches its conclusion, it wouldn’t be surprising if Midoriya became just another face in the crowd.
6 Kazuto Kirigaya (Sword Art Online)
From the very start, Sword Art Online’s Kazuto “Kirito” Kirigaya has been considered one of shonen’s most overrated heroes. This is mainly due to his ridiculous amount of power that allows him to dominate just about every battlefield he steps on.
To most fans, the way Kirito manages to easily wipe the floor with his opponents takes away any sort of excitement or suspense. Viewers know he’ll be the winner of a fight before it even begins. As a result, Kirito has become one of the most loved and hated heroes in shonen, and many still debate over whether or not he deserves his popularity.
5 Saitama (One-Punch Man)
One-Punch Man is a unique shonen that takes the typical tropes associated with the demographic and turns them on their heads in a fun and comedic way. Likewise, the series’ hero parodies many common characteristics found within the classic shonen hero. Saitama’s overpowered strength is a hilarious gimmick that many fans love.
However, his exaggerated abilities come with a price. Because Saitama is already so powerful, he feels downright invincible. There’s no room for him to grow or improve, making him much harder to root for than the typical underdog shonen protagonist. While fans can appreciate the humor behind Saitama’s parodic strength, there’s no denying that it’s also made him a bit of a one-trick pony.
4 Ash Ketchum (Pokémon)
For decades, Ash Ketchum has been the face of the Pokémon franchise, and most of the anime series has centered around his journey to become a Pokémon Master. However, many fans have complained for years that Ash is a poor protagonist and a highly overrated trainer.
In the span of twenty-five seasons, Ash has had way more losses than victories and never seems to grow or improve in any way. But despite his many failures and lack of development, the series constantly props him up as though he’s the greatest trainer to exist. Needless to say, this is pretty frustrating for fans who’ve all seen his incompetence. With such a bad track record, it’s almost hard to believe he actually won the world championship in the latest season.
3 Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
Like many shonen heroes before him, Monkey D. Luffy didn’t start out overrated. In the early seasons of One Piece, Luffy was actually a very unique protagonist that really stood out compared to the other heroes of the time. But as the series has progressed, he’s suffered the same fate as many shonen main characters, becoming far too overpowered for his own good.
Nowadays, Luffy is hardly the same character fans knew and loved. He’s much less relatable and feels way more like the usual clichéd heroes the demographic is known for. Make no mistake, though. Luffy is still a great character. However, he’s become such a powerhouse that he’s lost much of the charm he once had back in the day.
2 Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
Even years after Naruto Shippuden has ended, the titular hero remains one of the most beloved shonen protagonists of all time. He’s the quintessential underdog hero, starting out with practically nothing and rising through the ranks until he makes all his dreams come true. There’s no denying that Naruto’s story is one of the most inspiring in all of anime.
Nevertheless, this lovable knucklehead ninja has easily become one of the most overrated shonen heroes out there. With super overpowered abilities and tons of plot armor, Naruto reaches almost a god status among shonen heroes. As a result, he’s far less relatable and loses a lot of his early charm.
1 Goku (Dragon Ball)
If there’s one thing Dragon Ball fans all share in common, it’s that they love Goku. He’s the ultimate hero, with godlike strength that even the most powerful anime heroes can’t hope to match. However, even the biggest Goku fans can’t deny that his character isn’t always the best.
Though he has amazing development early on in the franchise, Goku fails to grow as the series progresses. As a result, he remains very childish and selfish, even long into adulthood when he’s raising a family of his own. While he’s still a great character overall, Goku definitely has his flaws and isn’t above criticism.
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