Anime shows are not just categorized on the basis of their genre, but they are also classified on the basis of the target audience they are meant to attract. For instance, shojo anime are made keeping young girls in mind, seinen shows are made for adult men, and similarly, shonen anime are made especially for adolescent boys. And among all the anime categories, shonen is the most popular and consists of the shows that lead the world of anime.
There are several shonen shows that promise a powerful storyline, better action, and animation. So, it’s hard to list out the best ones for an anime enthusiast. Anyway, here are a few shonen shows you won’t regret investing your time in.
10/10 Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Hirohiko Araki started a masterpiece in 1987, which is entertaining shonen fans to this day. The list of reasons why you should watch it could be endless, but to name a few, watching this series feels like you are enjoying multiple shows in one. Each arc of the series makes you experience something different. The characters of the series, especially the villains, will never fail to keep you on edge. If you have a certain picture of the show in mind, it’s definitely going to change because it’s completely unpredictable.
It’s hard to provide a synopsis of a shonen series, especially one like Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. But you can describe it as the story of the Joestar family, who are gifted with unique psychic powers and enormous strength. The show will walk you through the adventures of the members of the family.
9/10 Assassination Classroom
Not just one of the best shonen anime, but Assassination Classroom is one of the best anime of all time. At first, the story looks simple and straightforward, but as the show progresses, it gives you some really staggering twists. The comical bits will always keep you chuckling, but ultimately, it leaves the fans crying, which might be hard for some of us to take.
Assassination Classroom is the story of Class 3-E students of Kunugigaoka Middle School, who are tasked with the important job of eliminating an alien known as Koro-sensei, who is known to have blown up 70% of the moon. Now, he has joined the school as the class teacher of the students of Class 3-E and has promised to blow up the entire Earth after a year.
8/10 Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer is the greatest show running at the current time, and the biggest credit for its unmatched success goes to Ufotable. The studio has done such marvelous work that it feels like you are watching an anime from the future, especially in the Entertainment District Arc. No doubt, fans are waiting for the show’s return and expecting it to be released in 2023.
The story of Demon Slayer is simple, but the overly powerful main villain and his minions with unique powers keep the show entertaining. Demon Slayers are powerful heroes who keep their lives at stake to fight the demons who threaten humanity. Tanjiro is the main protagonist of the series, who works to save humanity and looks for a way to revive his demon-turned-sister to normal.
7/10 Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen runs kind of on the same line as Demon Slayer; however, instead of Demon Slayers, the heroes are known as Jujutsu Sorcerers, while the demons are known as Curses. There’s nothing you will find worth complaining about in the series. The show will be returning with a new season in 2023, so give it a watch if you haven’t already.
The negative emotions of living beings release Cursed Energy, which further gives birth to the Curses, entities who are foes of humanity. But someone has to stand against the curses, and Jujutsu Sorcerers are the people with unique powers who work on eliminating the curses no matter what it takes.
6/10 Naruto
This list cannot be complete without mentioning Naruto. What makes this show special is that it gives a nostalgic hit to those who were kids in the 2000s while its content remains so fresh and diverse that people enjoy the show to this day. Especially if you’re a fan of martial arts and adventure anime, there’s nothing ever made to match the greatness of this series.
Naruto is the tale of a young boy named Naruto Uzumaki, who becomes the vessel for the Nine Tales after it attacks his village and makes him an orphan. But to Naruto’s bad luck, people start to feel hatred towards him because of Nine-Tales being sealed into him. He then decides to become the greatest Hokage one has ever seen.
5/10 Attack On Titan
If complex stories give you headaches, then it’s better to skip Attack on Titan. The show’s story is way too twisted for everyone to understand. But if you do like such stories, you’ll definitely consider AOT the greatest shonen anime of all time. From action scenes to music, character development, and animation, AOT has proved its brilliance in every aspect.
AOT is set in a messed-up world where humanity is on the verge of extinction because of the large humanoid figures known as Titans. Eren Yeager is among those who have lost everything to these monsters, and now, he is dedicated to freeing the world from Titans by joining the elite team of soldiers known as the Survey Corps.
4/10 One Piece
Most people don’t watch One Piece because it makes them sweat to watch more than 1000 episodes. It might take a few episodes before you start loving it, but once you do, there’s no turning back. It is a complete package of humor, action, adventure, and everything that you might expect from a perfect shonen. Even more surprisingly, the manga of One Piece is still running.
One Piece narrates the story of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew members, who are on a quest for the greatest treasure known as One Piece, left by the legendary pirate Gold Roger. But putting the hands on the treasure is not a piece of cake. Luffy has to fight other powerful pirates who search for the treasure themselves.
3/10 Dragon Ball
Although it’s not the first anime ever made, Dragon Ball brought a revolution in anime history, bringing out the potential of Japanese work. Even people with no knowledge of the anime world have watched at least a few episodes of this legendary show. The anime adaptation first started in 1986 and got several sequels after that, which people still enjoy.
Dragon Ball will take you on an unforgettable adventure with Goku, a Saiyan who wants to collect all the seven Dragon Balls that could grant the bearer anything they wish for. But the beings from the whole universe desire the Dragon Balls, so Goku has to become the strongest one to obtain them all.
2/10 Hunter X Hunter
At first, Hunter X Hunter seems like a beautiful, happy-go-lucky story of young Gon, but then the show grabs on to a darker theme. You can well imagine its greatness by the fact that other shonen shows like Naruto, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Bleach, and many others were in some way influenced by the series. The manga of Hunter X Hunter was on hiatus for several years, but just recently, the new chapters have started to release.
Gon Freecss wants to become the greatest hunter, just like his father, who left him when he was just a child. But becoming a Hunter could be the toughest thing one could imagine, yet, Gon is prepared to face any challenge coming his way. So, he leaves home like his dad, and now he is on his own journey to reach the height of greatness.
1/10 Death Note
Finally, we have Death Note, a masterpiece adapted to anime in 2006, which is still considered a paradigm of thriller and mystery shows and will always be. Many people enter the world of anime with Death Note, which may be why it becomes so addictive and hard to forget. In just thirty-seven episodes, Death Note will give you an experience that no other anime could ever give.
Have you ever wondered what you would do if you somehow obtained the power to kill someone just by writing their name? This is the kind of power Light Yagami gets from a mysterious notebook called the Death Note. He decides to use the notebook to make the world a better place and kill criminals and bad people. But the world’s greatest detective, L, tries to stop him from becoming the self-claimed god of the new world.
