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There are many excellent and popular shonen animes available. Not everyone, though, can become a household name. However, legendary shonen anime series such as Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach have multiple series defining moments that are well-known in the anime world.
Frankly stating, in the shonen anime community, such renown is usually reserved for series that have become legendary, such as those listed above. While there are surely more, these series, as well as their landmark moments, are among the most well-known shonen anime. It is thus not unknown that their moments are quite unforgettable.
Here are the 10 most iconic shonen anime moments that every fan should know about, ranked in no particular order.
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Big Three, Dragon Ball dominate list of shonen anime’s most iconic moments
1) Goku going Super Saiyan
While this list is in no particular order, Goku's transformation into a Super Saiyan for the first time unquestionably makes a good case for it to be in the first place. It's without a doubt one of, if not the most, memorable shonen anime moments in history, one that even non-anime fans will be able to recall.
The excitement of this anime moment is palpable, with Goku plainly feeling the strain of the group's struggles on Namek. The fight which takes place subsequently only builds on top of the transformation itself, but the transformative sequence is undoubtedly the highlight.
2) Gohan going Super Saiyan 2
Similarly, throughout the Cell Games epic, Son Goku's son undergoes a similar classic change. Gohan absolutely and utterly loses it after the death of Android 16, releasing his rage and true strength contained within, and revealing the Super Saiyan 2 form as a result.
The battle that follows is just as enjoyable as the transformation, but Gohan's transformation is by far the most impressive (like father, like son). It’s a fan-favorite moment in Dragon Ball Z, and while not as legendary as Goku’s transformation, still vastly recognizable in its own right.
3) Ace’s death
The death of Portgas D. Ace as seen during One Piece’s Marineford arc is without a doubt one of the most jaw dropping moments in the series and shonen anime overall. It’s technically a culmination of the first half of the series, with the first domino falling in the series’ first major arc, Alabasta.
The moment is incredibly saddening, with Luffy having come so extremely close to saving his brother. On top of that, it’s his own carelessness which directly caused Ace’s death, forcing the latter to jump between Akainu and the former out of a brotherly sense of duty.
4) Luffy debuts Gear Second
On a more generally happy and exciting note, the first major powerup to be displayed in the One Piece series is undoubtedly one of the most iconic shonen anime moments. Luffy's unique brand of wit and creativity is on display in the Gear Second transformation, which is both useful and aesthetic.
The fight which follows is just as iconic, showing just how far this single powerup has allowed Luffy to come in such a short time. Combined with his reason for creating it, as well as the overall themes and message of its debut arc, it undoubtedly deserves a spot on this list.
5) Aizen’s betrayal
The first Bleach entry on the list is also, perhaps, the series' and genre's most memorable moment. Betrayals always make for iconic shonen anime moments, but no series portrays it quite as author Tite Kubo does with Sosuke Aizen.
Not only does he betray the Soul Society, but he reveals himself to be alive and his murder of the Central 46 in the process, while also taking two of the most respected Soul Reapers with him. It's one of the most shocking, infamous betrayals in all of anime, let alone shonen, and is likely what many people first thought of when reading the title of this article.
6) Ichigo going full Hollow
Bleach's depiction of Ichigo fully transforming into a Hollow, as well as the fight against Ulquiorra that follows, is one of the most memorable events in the series. It encompasses shonen anime's key concepts, such as protagonists always finding a way to protect their comrades and never giving up, even when they appear to be dying.
This scene is perhaps the second most memorable moment in Bleach, after the Aizen betrayal scene, with even the detractors of the series praising its greatness. It is without a doubt one of the most popular shonen anime moments.
7) Naruto vs. Sasuke I
Naruto and Sasuke’s first round of combat serves as the emotional climax of the first half of the series, with the tension in their friendship reaching a breaking point.The entire combat scene is legendary, and, like Goku's transformation into a Super Saiyan, it brings back childhood memories for many people.
The fight is incredibly well-animated, and does a fantastic job at capping off arguably the best arc in Naruto to that point. Even non-anime fans recognize the scene, thanks to some viral tweets and meme formats which prominently display Naruto’s up close and personal beatdown combo on Sasuke.
8) Jiraiya’s death
The death of Jiraiya in Naruto: Shippuden is definitely one of the most famous events in the series. Everything about it, from the events leading up to it to the final words he delivers, makes it one of the most memorable moments in shonen anime.
As far as archetypes go, this scene is arguably the perfect death for a teacher-role character in anime. A message is left for a student, instructing them on how to exact vengeance. Jiraiya, in this context, agrees that this is his final duty before leaving. The buildup and fallout of this moment, as well as everything in between, solidify its inclusion on this list.
9) Gon meets Ging
Moving into the mid-gen era of anime and manga Hunter x Hunter’s 2011 adaptation does a fantastic job of capitalizing on Gon and Ging meeting. The anime adaptation of the series adapts Gon's full journey, from leaving to find his father to actually sitting down and conversing with him.
It's not simply a legendary shonen anime scene, but also a hugely satisfying one Few journeys have an ending as satisfying as this one, making it all the more iconic and giving its inclusion here yet another justified reason.
10) Eren’s Titan powers revealed
Eren's "death" and subsequent reveal of Titan shifting powers has to be one of the most memorable moments in all of shonen animes. It's shocking to have a series' protagonist die in the fourth episode, and even more shocking to see him return as the antagonist a few episodes later.
For many new anime fans, this moment right here must have reigned supreme in their head when they thought of the article's title, especially if Attack On Titan was their first anime. Even for those who have been anime fans since before the debut of Attack on Titan, the scene stands out as a unique and memorable manner of establishing a protagonist's abilities.
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