10 Best Anime Heroes, Ranked
Japanese animation has a long-lasting and ingrained history of telling impactful stories about legendary heroes who endure multitudes of hardships on their journeys to greatness. While facing what appears to be the most insurmountable of odds, anime heroes will always have the ability to stare impossibility directly in the face and make magic happen on-screen. There have been countless exceptional anime heroes that have delighted and charmed audiences for decades, some of which have even become so iconic as to be figureheads for the entire medium of anime.
Each anime fan is going to have their own personal picks for the best and most exceptional anime heroes, yet a select few have proven to stand the test of time and became all-time icons that forever changed the legacy of the medium as a whole. While many more heroes will shine in the spotlight as anime continues to thrive and flourish in the modern era, these heroes will always hold a special place in the hearts of audiences worldwide.
10
Arsene Lupin III
‘Lupin the Third’ Franchise
While a master thief is an occupation that feels like the exact opposite of a true hero, Lupin III has consistently proven himself to be a character of great morals and upstanding character throughout his various heists and globe-trotting ventures. Across various different anime series and feature-length films since his creation over 50 years ago, Lupin III and his band of merry misfits have delighted and charmed audiences by combining thievery with the tactful class of a refined gentleman.
Lupin III builds upon the legacy of classic thief character Arsene Lupin, acting as his grandson to be considered the world’s greatest thief in the modern era. While he ends up getting into all sorts of shenanigans with law enforcement during his heists, Lupin III and his thieving ways come from no true sinister intentions, as he truly views his work as an art form and a game for him to be the best at. The character has had a long-lasting and dynamic history in the world of anime, from being the lead in one of Miyazaki’s earliest films to experimenting with stylized 3d animation.
-
Kiyoshi Kobayashi
Daisuke Jigen (voice)
-
Yasuo Yamada
Arsène Lupin III (voice)
-
Eiko Masuyama
Fujiko Mine (voice)
-
Makio Inoue
Goemon Ishikawa XIII (voice)
9
Tanjiro Kamado
‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’ (2019–)
While a relatively new face in the grand scheme of long-lasting anime history, Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer has quickly proven himself to be a highly prolific and dynamic anime hero. In the vicious world of demons and monsters that he inhabits, Tanjiro finds himself joining the Demon Slayer Corps and becoming a highly effective warrior while on a quest to cure his cursed sister, who has transformed into a demon herself. What stays true, however, throughout the various changes and characters he meets in his ventures is Tanjiro’s pure tenacity and commitment to humanity.
Tanjiro’s evolution and growth throughout the series takes a lot of inspiration from classic, plucky shōnen protagonists of old, yet in a world that is much more ruthless and vicious than many other shōnen stories. It proves to make his story and tenacity that much more impactful for the viewer, seeing firsthand all the loss and pain that the character goes through and how it fuels him to be a strong warrior, not for his own sake, but so nobody else has to experience his pain.
8
Spike Spiegel
‘Cowboy Bebop’ (1998–1999)
Often considered by many to be a masterpiece anime TV series, a major part of why Cowboy Bebop works so well and has maintained its legacy decades after its conclusion is the sleek, effective nature of its protagonist, Spike Spiegel. Of all the likable characters and immaculate energy that the series provides, Spike continues to stand out as not only the coolest bounty hunter imaginable, but also the core piece of the story that everything revolves around.
He is far from a standard hero of perfect ethics and outstanding morals, often coming across as carefree and even lazy at times, but it’s clear throughout the series that he has a deep care for his crew when he isn’t lounging around. While once one of the most powerful fighters for the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, Spike would soon find himself going against the villains he used to work for in the name of love, now working as a legal bounty hunter to take down the most vicious criminals in the solar system.
7
Guts
‘Berserk’ Franchise
Being a part of one of the darkest anime series of all time, Berserk‘s Guts shows an unyielding level of tenacity and grit throughout the numerous atrocities and ceaseless pain that his character experiences. However, despite the unbelievable horrors and pain that he experiences, the ability for Guts to stand tall and continue to fight through little more than sheer willpower is what makes him such an impactful and memorable anime hero. While the character is often more acclaimed for the long-lasting manga, Berserk‘s various adaptations into anime fully live up to the character’s status and grandeur.
Guts himself has proven to be one of the most influential and impactful protagonists in anime history, with his legacy being felt in nearly every protagonist wielding a giant sword and sporting unyielding determination. However, as many different copycats have replicated the core and essence of what has made Guts such an icon, the original titan and monolith of this archetype still stands tall and proud as one of the crowning achievements in Japanese animation storytelling.
6
Jotaro Kujo
‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ (2012–)
Part of the inherent appeal and structure of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is that each arc of the story has its own distinct protagonist and member of the Joestar family tree to follow on their ventures. While each of these protagonists are likable and effective in their own right, Part 3’s Jotaro Kujo quickly comes to mind as the most iconic protagonist of the series. The character grew to be so beloved and impactful that he soon became a prominent player well after his time as the lead, having prominent supporting roles in Parts 4 and 6, where he continued his heroism.
There is an inherent cool factor and allure to Jotaro that gives him an edge above the other members of the Joestar family, made better by Part 3’s introduction of one of the most prominent aspects of the entire series, the stands. Jotaro’s signature stand, Star Platinum, is half of the reason why that character has maintained such a prominent legacy in the modern era. On top of being immensely powerful, the flair and electrifying presence of its power proves to amplify Jotaro’s screen presence, quickly making the character one of the most entertaining to watch on-screen.
- Release Date
-
October 6, 2012
- Showrunner
-
Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
-
Kazuyuki Okitsu
Jonathan Joestar
-
Tomokazu Sugita
Joseph Joestar
-
-
5
Sailor Moon
‘Sailor Moon’ (1992–1997)
One of the longest-lasting and most widely versatile subgenres of anime is that of the “magical girl” anime, stories largely defined by young girls possessing magical abilities that they use through an alter ego. While this subgenre has created an array of memorable heroes over the years, none of them hold a candle to what is easily the most iconic and legendary of the entire subgenre, Sailor Moon. Magical girl stories as a whole can tie a great amount of their impact and influence back to the great strides made by Sailor Moon, who cemented many of the conventions of the subgenre in stone.
Sailor Moon herself, also known as Usagi Tsukino, is a perfect representation of the kindness and charm that all magical girl stories amplify and stand for. Her dynamic between living a normal life and protecting the universe in the name of love and justice keeps her stories both high-stakes and highly relatable for audiences around the world. It wouldn’t take long before Sailor Moon would become a defining symbol of anime influence as a whole, playing a major part in the medium’s increased popularity worldwide and becoming one of the most recognizable faces in anime history.
4
Naruto Uzumaki
‘Naruto’ (2002–2007) and ‘Naruto: Shippuden’ (2007–2017)
One of the most legendary and iconic shōnen protagonists of all time, Naruto Uzumaki quickly became an icon of action anime throughout the 2000s and cemented himself as a figurehead for heroism in the shōnen genre. Throughout both the series of Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, the quick-footed ninja from Hidden Leaf Village grew from being a headstrong young trickster into a leader of strength and optimism.
What makes the character so especially effective after all of these years is directly seeing his growth and evolution from a bright child into the true leader that he’s always aspired and worked towards becoming. Naruto always had heroic qualities within him, with the difficulties, battles, and various other world-ending threats of the series simply bringing these heroic qualities to the forefront. Naruto himself plays a major part in the charm and effectiveness of the series as a whole, helping it become one of the best anime series of the past 25 years.
3
Edward Elric
‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ (2003–2004) and ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’ (2009–2010)
With Fullmetal Alchemist being one of the most critically acclaimed anime series of all time, it would make sense that series’ protagonist Edward Elric would be similarly praised as one of the most dynamic and effective anime heroes of all time. Edward’s story is relatively similar to other action anime heroes, yet it’s the lasting stakes and impact of his actions that make him such a deep and compelling protagonist.
There is genuine weight and emotional turmoil behind each part of Edward’s journey, losing multiple limbs yet finding the inner strength despite this to act as a physical embodiment of equivalent exchange. It’s easy to see oneself in the mixture of self-sacrifice and determination that fuels Edward’s mission and mentality, accompanied by his brother, and always fighting for what is right even when things seem at their absolute lowest. While many other anime series have a sense of never-ending properties to them where their heroes are constantly fighting and adventuring, the individual story and arc of Fullmetal Alchemist proves to further amplify the qualities of Edward’s story and his heroic attributes.
2
Monkey D. Luffy
‘One Piece’ (1999–)
Few anime characters have embodied such a free spirit and lovable attitude as Monkey D. Luffy, who has grown more and more across one of the longest anime series of all time to become one of the premier faces of heroism in anime. Luffy himself takes inspiration from many of the goofy anime heroes before him with a mixture of dim-wittedness, massive power, and goofball attitude that makes him equal parts lovable and capable in battle.
More than simply repeating the conventions of these archetypes, however, Luffy feels like the penultimate modern culmination of these very concepts, building upon them throughout the series to create the ultimate anime protagonist. Luffy himself is only a single portion of what makes the overwhelming heroic stature and legacy of One Piece so effective, as his interactions and dynamics with each of the Straw Hat Pirates compound his heroic qualities to absurd levels. Luffy hasn’t lost any of his luster 25 years after the beginning of the series and will assuredly continue to delight and enchant audiences until the very end.
- Release Date
-
October 20, 1999
- Network
-
Fuji TV
-
Mayumi Tanaka
Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
-
Kazuya Nakai
Roronoa Zoro (voice)
1
Son Goku
‘Dragon Ball’ Franchise
It’s difficult for any other anime hero, even some of the greatest and most acclaimed characters of all time, to equate themselves to the everlasting legacy and impact of Dragon Ball‘s everlasting icon, Son Goku. The character has widely surpassed the confines of anime itself to be one of the most iconic fictional characters of all time and a definitive hero archetype whose influence is still felt decades after his debut. Even all of these years later, there is still an endless charm surrounding Goku’s pure and kindhearted heroic qualities, whether it be during his youngest ventures as a kid or the latest releases like Dragon Ball Daima.
Goku is about as close as it gets when it comes to pure goodness and heroism in the medium of anime, motivated by his friends and the inherent good of the world and people around him. The character’s cheery and lovable attitude has made him an icon for generations, further compounded when the stories would reach ever-higher stakes on a galactic and even universal level. However, even as Goku reached insurmountably high levels of strength, he always remains the same lovable goofball hero that people around the world fell in love with, making him impossible not to root for and the makings of a perfect hero.
