Perhaps the single most important trait a protagonist should have is the motivation to continue striving toward their goal. This rule seems to be especially important for shonen protagonists since shonen series often tend to have a lot of action and lofty plots. A shonen protagonist who’s truly impressive is one who meets adversity head-on and continues to stand back up even after their worst defeats.
Some anime protagonists lose more than others, and those characters tend to have truly impressive determination. But even shonen protagonists who don’t lose too often demonstrate strong resolve to move forward toward their life goals.
10 Luffy Focuses On Nakama & Being King Of Pirates (One Piece)
Being the Pirate King and supporting his friends are just two of Luffy’s primary goals in One Piece, but the ultimate goal is freedom. Luffy craves freedom in every sense of the word. He just wants to be able to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to, and not worry about the details. Simply put, Luffy believes the Pirate King is the strongest and most free person in the world. It’s a simplistic goal for a simple man, although the route to get there has been complicated.
9 Naruto Uzumaki Reminds Himself He Wants To Be Hokage (Naruto)
When he was a child, Naruto Uzumaki was frequently ignored and treated as a nuisance in Naruto. Indeed, the circumstances of his birth marked him as a danger and an outcast, so it’s no wonder the other villagers tended to ostracize him. Naruto ended up identifying the role of Hokage as a position that can’t be ignored and a person so powerful and important that everyone would have to acknowledge him. This goal evolves subtly as he grows older, but it never changes.
8 Goku Uses His Losses To Focus On Becoming Stronger (Dragon Ball)
Even though he’s frequently regarded as Earth’s strongest warrior, Goku still loses sometimes in the Dragon Ball franchise, but he never lets it get him down. Goku’s life goal is to be the strongest, and he rarely passes up the opportunity to befriend someone who’s bested him.
Characters like Beerus and Vegeta are enemies he’s managed to turn into friends, both of whom inspire Goku to be stronger and vice versa. The pursuit of strength simply for the sake of it is a fitting motivation for someone like Goku.
7 Eren Yeager’s Hatred Of Titans Keeps Driving Him Forward (Attack On Titan)
While it’s not the most positive motivator, Eren Yeager’s hatred of Titans in Attack on Titan is still his biggest reason for continuing to move forward. A world without Titans is what Eren has wanted from his youth, and it continues to be his major goal until the end of the series. Whenever Eren is bested by a Titan or fails to defeat an opponent, he often expresses bitter anger that he turns outward onto the Titans since he views them as the source of all his hardship.
6 Tanjiro Kamado’s Family Remains His Strongest Motivator (Demon Slayer)
For his entire life, Tanjiro Kamado has lived for his family in Demon Slayer. He went from being the sole income provider of his family’s household to vehemently opposing anyone who dared harm Nezuko just because she became a demon. At his toughest moments, Tanjiro summons images of his family’s premature deaths and uses that to keep him going. Not only is he driven to avenge his family and prevent demons from committing further atrocities, but he’s also dedicated to figuring out if Nezuko can become human again.
5 Yuji Itadori Has To Fulfill His Grandfather’s Dying Request (Jujutsu Kaisen)
For Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Yuji Itadori, any life that has its own will is worthy of being protected and respected. His solemn respect for others drives him to treat anyone, even his opponents, with fairness and dignity. When his dying grandfather requested that Yuji use his strength to help others and save lives, he boosted Yuji’s natural reverence for life, and Yuji takes his grandfather’s dying words very seriously. Yuji believes others should receive a “proper death,” and he takes time to consider exactly what a proper death is.
4 Taichi Yagami’s Leadership Skills Compel Him To Become Wiser (Digimon Adventure 1999)
At first, Taichi Yagami thought the Digital World was a video game realm in Digimon Adventure 1999 – a space where nothing was real, and anything was possible. Because of this, Taichi didn’t treat the Digital World or Digimon with the respect they deserved.
After realizing that his life is equally as important in the Digital World as it is in the real world, he begins to think more seriously about his status as a leader. He doesn’t let his losses hold him back and does what’s best for the team.
3 Izuku Midoriya Remembers That He Needs To Carry All Might’s Torch (My Hero Academia)
As someone who never received a Quirk naturally in My Hero Academia, Izuku Midoriya had to learn how to accept his losses in My Hero Academia. Before he received One For All from All Might, he naively practiced positive thoughts and believed he could find some way to become a Pro Hero even without a Quirk. But after he inherited One For All, Midoriya began to understand that he needed to become the next Symbol of Peace. This mission is what helps drive him forward.
2 Ash Ketchum’s Love For Everything Pokémon Keeps Him Moving (Pokémon)
Whether he’s destined to be a true Pokémon Master or not, Ash Ketchum’s love for all things Pokémon is a huge influence on his life. Right from the beginning of the series, Ash has devoted himself to the journey to becoming a Pokémon Master. No matter how many times he loses over the course of the series, he never gives in, and he uses his passion for Pokémon to propel him toward his goal. And he’s made a lot of friends and learned a lot of lessons along the way.
1 Jonathan Joestar’s Strong Ethics Help Him Move Forward (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
The very first JoJo in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure was none other than Jonathan Joestar, a happy and principled youth who grew up with a solid foundation of morals. Jonathan carried his noble beliefs with him his entire life, and these same beliefs are what compelled him to put a stop to Dio Brando’s atrocities. But even before Dio became a vampire, Jonathan’s honorable nature still gave him the benefit of the doubt when Dio acted cruelly and bullied him while they were younger.
About The Author
