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[deleted]

In terms of actual heroes I’d say Luffy Naruto and Tanjiro. In terms of influence on anime in general it’s always Goku. Your favorite characters are all inspired by Goku


_AnarchiX_

Sun WuKong Supremacy!


[deleted]

See mythological Goku ( sun wukong ) even inspired Goku haha


biohumansmg3fc

Goku solos all of fiction because he invented himself


Izanagi_end

Define all of fiction?


biohumansmg3fc

The bible? (Im totally getting canceled)


SaintKaen

Corny ah


Izanagi_end

I don't really care if you say the bible, since no one can prove or disprove it


Gangters_paradise

Johnny joestar


Funko87

Joseph ftw


ryderredguard

Idk holhorse was pretty cracked


penton47

Kaneki (manga version)


UselessGojo123

Oh for sure. He’s the most grounded and realistic protagonist. Everyone else on this list, I could name one or two character traits that define them, and that’s kinda all they have going for them writing wise. Which makes sense cause they’re Shonen protags. But Kaneki is actually written like a character from a novel, which is actually very fitting for the character


ZombieDemon321

Kaneki in the manga must have a lot more character traits than in the anime then.


UselessGojo123

The anime is universally considered garbage by fans. They cut a lot out of the first season, which is still arguably the best. But for the second season, they didn’t think they’d get any more seasons, so they had Sui Ishida make an alternate storyline to wrap it up, which they started producing. And then found out later that they would indeed get a third season, so they had to keep what they already did with the second season, but then change the ending so that it could continue into the third season. The anime is terrible. Tokyo Ghoul should be read, not watched. Plus the artwork is phenomenal, Sui Ishida is tied with Hirohiko Araki for most talented manga artist imo


ZombieDemon321

I knew the manga was better but not that Kaneki as a character was better in the manga. I have not REALLY read the manga yet but I have read through the fight against Jason and that brother of Touka which is awesome. Recently started to read the manga from very beginning and have not continued yet. I think I'm on either chapter 1 or maybe 2 or 3. Probably only chapter 2.


UselessGojo123

Oh definitely continue. It’s one of the best manga I’ve ever read. And don’t forget to read Tokyo Ghoul RE: once you finish. It’s technically a separate manga, but it’s just a continuation of the story, they should be read in sequence. And it’s not even that long, just over 300 chapters all together. And yes, the Jason and Ayato (Touka’s brother) fights are phenomenal and show Kaneki really come into his own as a fighter. But definitely read the whole thing, it’s gonna change how you read manga. I also recommend Choujin X, it’s by the same author, but somehow simultaneously more lighthearted and darker than Tokyo Ghoul. It’s not close to being done yet, but I can see it being better than Tokyo Ghoul once it’s finished


Odd-Jury-1357

He’s the most realistic of all of them for sure


goowheelia_

Personally, 1. Kaneki Ken, for being a realistic, interesting, and truly powerful character at the center of a tragedy. He really pulls you into the world he lives in and everything that happens to him constantly feels like a punch to the gut, and yet he keeps moving forward. 2. Monkey D. Luffy, for being simultaneously the smartest and dumbest character in his show. There is no One Piece without Luffy. Plus I think he really continued the idea that Goku created, positivity can be just as interesting of a trait for someone to hold onto. 3. Goku, for being OP, a lot of fun, and having just such an insane presence that I really think characters like Eren, Naruto, and Natsu clearly took inspiration from. Honestly, without Goku pretty much none of these characters would exist. He really started and proved to showrunners that people love to follow a MC that seems over powered as fuck.


Kunalthecool

this is the correct list


CryptidProject

Ben 10


ArLOgpro

Based


[deleted]

I can only say my favorite And it’s Luffy He’s dumb but he can recognize when people aren’t being honest with themselves. He has the idea he’s not a hero because he’s selfish but liberates countries and people every arc. Despite the misconception he does in fact grow as a character and a captain but still maintains his goofy freedom loving nature. He’s just a great protagonist because he gets me interested in the world he’s in, because he is interested in it. And carries that theme of adventure One Piece thrives on.


Fenrir_Hellbreed2

I also love that he's not constantly looking for a fight to the detriment of others like Goku but also doesn't shy away from it like a lot of MCs do. Like, he won't mess with anyone unwarranted but give him half a reason and he'll beat wholesale ass without a second thought.


[deleted]

Mess with people who feed him You’re done


Fenrir_Hellbreed2

There's a certain Celestial Dragon who can attest to that. Anime Luffy rocked that man's shit straight back to the manga panel.


Aggravating-Hope-973

Charloss or doffy?


slowpurr

i think it's charlos. that was when charlos shot hachi in sabaody and then luffy punched him... fucking love that scene, it's so satisfying 😭


Fenrir_Hellbreed2

Exactly what I was referring to. Motherfucker had every bit of that coming and I still watch anytime I see that clip pop up anywhere.


TayHomie94

Lol those things are Kidds jobs. No one goes looking for a fight at the detriment of his people like our boy Kidd. He'll mess with anyone unwarranted and get his ass mollywhopped without a second thought😆


Fenrir_Hellbreed2

Oh yeah. I'm only at the trip to Marineford and I can already tell Kidd's got a chip on his shoulder the size of the East Blue and zero qualms about making it everyone's problem.


TayHomie94

Oh shit, hope that didn't feel like too much of a spoiler of sorts😅. He did definitely always have that egotistical delinquent energy even at Sabody and you know how those characters get it usually. He's actually a cool character tbf though, no more said than that🤐. Enjoy the One Piece journey friend!


Fenrir_Hellbreed2

Nah, you're good. I've caught bits and pieces up to current. Biggest spoilers I know of are the end of Marineford and the two big Gear 5 fights. I also don't mind spoilers too much (still try to avoid them as much as I can though) and I can't really get too mad about stuff that's years old getting spoiled when I'm taking my sweet ass time catching up (took a break after Impel Down due to burnout and now I'm basically doing a rewatch because my 4yo daughter is obsessed with the show right now).


_Buster_cash_

All you really need to know is that Kidd has beef with literally everyone in a 10 island radius. I think he's picked a fight with every single faction short of the Revs and blackbeard


Izanagi_end

One big growth point was when him and his crew were up against Kizaru, and he told everyone to run instead.


squirtlekid

100% agree


Pratham_8011

Hes just waaaaaay too dumb for me


yboy_thomas_x0

This was extremely well said


Captain-bb

This is why I love Luffy as well.


jefferydamerin

Love or hate luffy this is a fact


DragonFire673

Never a dull moment with him around


BitesTheDust55

Senku is easily my favorite of these


ShinyRufflet

Same even though I’m a big MHA fan it’s Senku number 1 for me as well.


[deleted]

Senku is great tbh


AmmahDudeGuy

If this sub allowed picture comments, I would have left here an image of Chad senku


TuShay313

*cue emotional eye stare and two page epic high five*


MidAnim3Wxtcher

Who let Kirito in here ?


Traditional_World783

“i’M duh bLaCk sWorDsmAn”


Crystal_Furry17

*Zoro wants to know your location*


Winter_Carpenter_505

*Nami wants to know your location so she can drag Zoro there*


alienliegh

And possibly rob you she's undecided


gtc26

One of his (many) GFs /s


Spare_Bad_6558

his sister?


FeeProfessional8878

😂😂😂😂


Speed_Niran

Tbh he only likes asuna,


gtc26

I know. I was JK


Ingatkahit

Shlawg thought he’s on the team 😭


Ok_Cress859

😭😭🙏🙏


Antique-Tear-8899

i love sao but fr who let him on the list 😭


AmmahDudeGuy

Yeah honestly, Sao is a good show but not because of its characters


Antique-Tear-8899

i think it had insane potential but didnt really fulfill its potential. it is still really good but i think it couldve been way better


_monke_man_

i like the concept of sao but holy fuck some of the scenes are just typical cringey OP protagonist pulls all the girls or some shit


7vincent7

Right? Get him outta here


xanderealm

Ichigoat isn't here 😭


sirgav25

For me it’s natsu and luffy love both of them


EntireSet5918

LUFFY for ever


LordWobblyCock

Why is kirito here, replace him with a good character


Adept-Woodpecker9366

Kaneki isn’t the best but he has some of the best character development ever


7thHakaishin

Ichigo but he is not here and I wanna say naruto off feats alone but goku is the OG unc of all these guys so respect always goes to him and the DBZ series.


Lance4494

Ichigo grows quite a lot throught the series, not just power scaling, but mentality and the way accepts everything around him.


ibleedsuccess8

Goku


Caliembroidery

Probably Luffy. Eren is close but he was annoying a majority of the story until the end he got better. Dub goku is pretty peak but technically that’s not the real goku and the current goku we get in dbs is the real goku the dbz dub basically changed him.


Dareal_truth

Goku


Vast_Charity4119

Wheres ichigo?


deatheater2915

Aint even a bleach fan and know that mf belongs here 4 more times than Kirito


One-Stop-3553

Agreed.


ConnorRoseSaiyan01

Personal opinion: Naruto


Ok_Cress859

W 😭🙏


Calm__observer

Why is ben 10 on this list????? 😂 the first one


7vincent7

Thas eren


Calm__observer

I know im just joking, but look like ben 10 right 😂


7vincent7

Yeah lol 😂


affluent_krunch

The best written character is Ken Kaneki (manga version). He has the most growth and I'd say the best arc. Eren Yeager is also up there. Most influential is for sure Goku.


Neanderthal-_-

From this list it’s kaneki


Abram7777

Luffy>eren>naruto>senku>goku


CreatureTheGathering

Eren


TayHomie94

Kirito has as much depth as a basic ass Isikai protagonist, why is he here?💀 I'd say the best is either Luffy, Naruto or Tanjiro for their likability.


Forsaken_Leader_4370

Right not to mention their are a number of isekai mcs that would be better on this list and even be contenders for number 1 for example I honestly think Subaru is a better mc then anyone here, theirs also rudeus who’s pretty good or kazuma which would still be better picks then kirito


TempestDB17

Just saying most of these wouldn’t exist and none of them would even a fraction as popular if it weren’t for goku


Specialist-Sea2916

If I can only pick of these guys then senku because he’s seen as this guy who can’t make a mistake but still gets taken off guard from time to time but top protagonist of all time gotta be akira tendou


JumiKnight

For me, it's Luffy all the way


Itachi-of-Konoha

Yusuke Urameshi


Edgaras1103

thorfin


Pewward

I love luffy, he's funny, silly, and a total badass when he gets pissed. Also probably my favorite japanese voice


Educational_Term_436

Simple there isn’t one Every MC has there ups and downs Goku is loveable but could be consider annoying Eren, was chill and wanting revenge only for him to go complete genocide route in S4 Deku has a cool ability and good development but mostly cry’s like a baby when Bakugo is around (plus the MHA fandom) It really depends on which you think is the best For me it’s a tie between S1-3 eren and deku (maybe goku as well but eh)


LegoBricksAndMemes

Tbf the mha fandom has nothing to do with Deku as a person


milk_lizard73

Luffy. He seems simple on the surface but he’s actually pretty complex. He doesn’t want to be a hero, he wants people to be free. Freedom doesn’t always equal chaos, that’s why him and Blackbeard contrast each other so well. They both want to be the most free man, but BB wants to just do whatever he wants. Luffy wants freedom but he will still do the right thing, you see this when he visits every island. He’s not a hero, he’s a pirate, but that’s the whole thing. There are ofc bad pirates but not all of them are, same thing with marines. The fact that marines are so quick to compare all pirates to someone like doffy, when they have people like akainu ruling over them a man who believes in absolute authority. With BB he’s a man who believes in chaos. Luffy I straight down the middle. I think he’s a great MC and we can learn something from him.


AnteikuAnimeReviews

Luffy Ken Kaneki Goku Eren Naruto Kazuya Midoriya Natsu Tanjiro Senkuu Edit: Kazuto not Kazuya. XD


glue--eater

Bro thought he could sneak Kazuya in there 💀


King_thelunarian

Luffy and Naruto are great, but for some reason I want to say deku. I also really like kirito.


Local_Depth6740

For me one of the best protagonist that is not on this list has to be Shinei Nouzen from 86, he has such a good backstory, the way he deals with things and goes through a lot of things like trauma and sometimes even depression,seeing almost all of his friends die and having to carry them with them until the end is admirable. From this list I would like to point out Deku, if your still hating on Deku for being a “crybaby”, please get a life, he is still a teen going through a lot at such a early age, he’s had one of the best shonen character develops I’ve seen. But on this list it has to be either Kaneki for seinen or Naruto for shonen since there some of my favorite protagonists.


Splinter_Cell_96

My PFP, personally. But from the choices, it's either Senku or Kirito


Izanagi_end

Always good to see people who actually like Kirito


Splinter_Cell_96

SAO was my first serious anime watch as an adult, so it's automatic to me. And if anyone wonders why I added Senku, I'm just into science that much.


Izanagi_end

That's similar to me, since SAO is why I got me into anime. And Senku is good, I gotta start the new season soon.


Impossible_Work4696

no matter what the gen-z's will say, Kirito will always be at the top of my list cause whenever he gets pissed off, he turns into an unstoppable force of nature


Izanagi_end

I like him because he's just human


Andysomething

Exactly my thoughts. Despite how sci-fi the series is, I love how grounded it is. That especially applies to the characters, especially Kazuto. He feels so realistic to me, especially through his struggles with depression, and personality.


Sapphosimp

Senku my beloved


Certain_Park_3990

how about jojo's-oh wait


UnredeemedRevenant

Where's my man Yusuke?


NovelAd2942

Second this


Bignerd21

Not on here, but Yuji Itadori.


Freakoid702

You mean Gojo right?? The protagonist of Gojo kaisen?


No-Tax-9149

Only between Eren and Kaneki. Everyone else isn't like them, maybe better for your tastes but not better definitively.


Super-Shotgun-69

Blud think he part of the group 💀 (kirito) Goku, Naruto, Luffy are the best here.


IBHomage

Senku.... dude is bringing humanity back from the stone ages.


CantStopThinkingKill

Naruto up until the pain arc or early war. And Gon. Love Gon’s mix of being pure of heart and an absolutely, fucked-up monster.


Lost-Truck6614

How you got Kirito and Senku but no Ichigo?


ohokaysurewhynot

It's kinda difficult, but probably Kaneki for me. Specifically manga Kaneki, we don't mention the anime


rabyJA

Luffy isn't a hero. He wants all the meat and heroes give food away. What Luffy is is the best friend you could ever want. Sure, he's a bit selfish, but if you need anything, he will ride for you with no questions asked. He'll call you on your shot when you aren't being honest with yourself. He will fight the world itself for you if he considers you a friend. His only lofty ideal is that he wants people to be free to do what they need to do to be the best version of themselves. And that's what makes him my favorite


theAbsurdSam

I thought the first one was Ben10 for a second lmao. But I’m going with Yuji baby. Also Idk how people like luffy so much hes the most annoying. Voice and everything


Coolguy020609

Hey it’s me!


Consistent-Pea958

Guts [https://youtu.be/vZa0Yh6e7dw](https://youtu.be/vZa0Yh6e7dw) [https://youtu.be/lBdnti4\_UUg](https://youtu.be/lBdnti4_UUg)


Ok-Wolverine-5218

Senku and natsu


why-names-hard

Personal favorite of this bunch is Senku


FluidConsumer6

Out of these it’s Luffy but overall I’d say Ichigo.


cavieloo

None of these, I choose Hououin Kyouma


Germany328

I haven’t watched 4th from left top row, or 2nd + 3rd from left bottom row, but other than that, I *really* like Luffy’s character. I’m a diehard dragon ball fan, but I know a really damn cool character when I see one, and Luffy is just that


President__Pug

Where’s my boy Asta at?


Gyxis

Asta is such an average one-dimensional mc. The other characters carry black clover. He’s basically Luffy if he yelled more, but luffy’s personality fits his show more than asta does with his.


Sumthin_Ironic

I have to look at best written. How he reacts and interacts with those around him. I haven't watched AoT so I have to go with Mr Deku for best written protag


MoonoftheStar

Not Deku.


Chochahair

Eren


Z3raZer0

Natsu, that’s just me though


Funny_Opportunity58

Eren Yeager. Protagonist doesn’t necessarily mean hero


sckrahl

Natsu isn’t even the best protagonist of his own story, Lucy is written better 95% of the time


vitali101

Where is Kazuma?


steaksauc3a1

Goku and ichigo are my favorites


non_exisitant_dude

Please tell me I’m not the only one who thought eren was Ben ten


Top_Salamander_313

I can’t speak for main character, but we all know which anime is the best!


SameAd4748

For me it’s Naruto. He has that vibe, especially in the early parts of the show that “xyz is impossible, all cards are against you, you have no chance……. Who cares imma do it anyways” and I agree other characters had this vibe too. But Naruto was the one that embodied this most for me.


OptimalReception9892

Love the mad scientist vibe of Senku. He's my pick. Also, I don't recognize the character above Senku. Who is that?


Gambit275

Senku, dude's in a league of his own


Ramenmayonaise

Luffy, he grows exponentially as a person but always strives to improve, tanjiro as a second.


SuperDeeDuperVegeta

I don’t know all of these, but out of the ones I do easily Eren.


PovThatOneSanjiFan

Best protagonist is Valt Aoi. (And yes Beyblade is shonen) But from here I like Natsu, Naruto, Luffy.


Total-Ad-8878

Big 3 Luffy Goku Naruto in that order


professorclueless

I like Midoriya the best out of all of these, followed closely by Naruto


Icy-Inevitable4821

Eren is the beat antagonist, idk about protagonist


Accomplished_Art6370

Luffy, i'd say Goku but na bro does too much stupid sht


IncognitoDio

My fav is Goku, but best protag has to be Naruto. Going from bad rep to nobody to hero to leader of the village. Plus all the people he saved and he wasn't ever a dick about it. He's just an all around nice guy with a hot wife, too.


NaranciaSimp4Ever

I really like Tanjiro, probably one of my favourite if not favourite protagonists


Sakosaga

This shouldn't be a popularity contest. Naruto is the only clear answer when you compare him as a character to everyone else. I won't entertain Luffy. Even though he does good things z he's still a pirate at the end of the day. The only other character that can probably beat out Naruto, maybe Ichigo but he's not on this list. I pick these for true selfless protagonist that will do anything to try to save as everyone. Who should have went down a path of evil but didn't. Goku doesn't win because he'd destroy the universe for a good fight even if he wants to save people, he's still selfish and who let Kirito on this damn list, funny. Erin compared to the rest isn't even a question in terms of scale honestly.


Arts_Messyjourney

OP woke up and chose violence


PeterLeRock101

Naruto, proved all his haters wrong


NaiveEnvironment1145

Goku, Naruto, Natsu, Luffy, Kirito, Deku, Tanjiro, and Senku, don’t really give a fuck about Kaneki or Eren, because I don’t give a fuck about AOT or Tokyo Ghoul!😄🤩😎👌


Green_3-0

Luffy because he never gave up


LimeadeAddict04

I'm a big fan of Tanjiro. I might be a little bit biased sins KNY is my favorite animanga


IdontKnow-DoYouKnow

I can’t make a fair choice because I’ve only watched My Hero Academia so far😅


iwatchpornat2xspeed

me


skopeandstuff

Eren


Adventurous-Bid6159

Naruto and Midorya. They are the only ones that were hated, then loved. That alone makes them the best protagonists


Sea_Frosting_9510

Tbh I liked goku the best, before the character assasination that is Super


Safe_Handle_7513

Natsu is great but lucy is better I like kirito and tanjiros stories but they are very vanilla as characters Naruto was awesome until his series draged on So I'm going with eren


Capable_Swan6848

Luffe


UltraPrincess

Kirito is objectively the funniest


Background-South7700

Luffy


HiroZebra

Dangggg we really heading into this territory senku, I just vibe with him ( and his leek head)


yobitchasspanda

Luffy


Turbulent-Talk4838

Deku, eren, and luffy I can't pick between those three


Unique_Visit_5029

From my experience Kaneki


groplarp

For me Luffy is No. 1 and Natsu No. 2


Various-Tea6483

Ichigo


Blutruiter

None of them, it's Vash and by a long shot.


fireplayer2788

Eren is a literal mass genocide murderer. Killed almost the entire planet. & Left a football field stadiums worth of people to repopulate the world.


Skeletoninafleshmek

There ISNT an objectively correct answer, and my subjective answer is luffy. This is NOT worth fighting over lol


Few-Jelly-5054

Ichigo or Eren


sengariph

Kasuma.


BFenrir18

Out of these Goku for sure. Overall tho Gon would be a good pick if he was in the list, great character.


SomeGuyM99

Where are Ichigo, Gon, Jojo and Light Yagami?


AccomplishedValue836

Gotta rule some out because I just can’t name them, but Deku really pushes the whole ‘do your best’ and ‘be the best version of yourself’ theme and I think thats important for a Protag. He significantly grows as a character and doesn’t make the wrong decisions ever.


KingKamron8

Natsu is my favorite, but objectively, it's probably Eren if we are talking about character writing.


Clunk_Westwonk

Kirito. Funniest choice is the best choice.


shreksaxaphone360

Gintoki


Entire_Whereas9531

Eren or Kaneki. Personal favorite out of these: Senku


Alert_Eggplant6219

Deku cuz its the only anime i watched


INutToAnimeSluts69

Tough call. I would say kenshin or Vash the stampede but they not on the list. Maybe Natsu cuz I’m a FT nerd


Zestyclose_Fan5250

Naruto or natsu


Totodile-of-Games

Either Senku or Goku.


Daniella_okafor

No doubt Naruto


Sad-Vegetable-5957

Luffy hands down why is this even a contest it’s a landslide victory the moment he showed up on this list


Minorutanakaa

Naruto, I’m bias towards the show


Jukebox_Gamer

Out of these, I gotta say Natsu or Senku. Best protagonist ever, though, is Okabe Rintaro.


Spiderman99_99

Yusuke from yu yu hakusho