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The nature of shonen protagonists has been constantly evolving since the 2010s. They are allowed to express more empathy and more open emotions than what was the case in prior anime offerings.
While some fans may not respond well to protagonists prone to outward displays of emotion that aren't rage or determination, many have responded well to this turn of events. This is especially the case with Tokyo Revengers' main lead, Takemichi Hanagaki.
We have cataloged 10 shonen protagonists who are just as, if not moreso, emotional as Takemichi Hanagaki.
Disclaimer: These are only 10 such shonen protagonists, and this list is not exhaustive. Spoilers abound for all the anime on this list. Likewise, this list only reflects the author's opinion.
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10 shonen protagonists who wear their hearts on their sleeves
1) Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)
A list like this cannot begin without the shonen protagonist from My Hero Academia, Izuku Midoriya aka Deku. Most fans have complained that he cries too much at once, ignoring how justified a lot of it is.
Deku was born Quirkless in a world where superpowers are common, which effectively made him useless to society at large and got him bullied quite a lot as a kid.
It also goes without saying that dealing with One for All as a Quirk was no pinic, as Deku was frequently injured. Crying is a natural response when the story throws so much at him at once, like the situation Eri was going through or All Might's retirement. Bottom line, Deku is justified in being emotional a lot of the time.
2) Asta (Black Clover)
Although more comparable to Bakugo from My Hero Academia, Asta of Black Clover doesn't hide his emotions at all. He's cheerful, hyperactive, and louder than a loudspeaker. His sheer determination and ironwill, however, is a defensive mechanism against the cruel insults and insinuations he receives on a daily basis.
Much like Deku, Asta was born without magical talent. In a world where magic is prized and practically considered the norm, this made him ostracized by the rest of society. While he's not frequently shown crying, he's moreso the rock that holds a lot of his friends together and is very empathetic towards other people.
Asta even shares Hanagaki's hatred of the rich and corrupt, and always tries to see that those who do wrong actively try to atone for their actions.
3) Tanjiro Kamado (Demon Slayer)
While it almost feels like a cheat to exclude his traveling companion Zenitsu Agatsuma from this list, Tanjiro Kamado is the main protagonist of Demon Slayer, and thus takes priority.
The trauma that Tanjiro endured, from losing his family to trying to protect and cure his sister Nezuko, justifies every display of sorrow and anger he goes through.
Despite the seething rage that boils underneath the surface, showing itself around Muzan and other heartless demons, Tanjiro is most notable for his empathy. He even empathizes with demons, never belittles those that regret their actions, and shows nuance and maturity when dealing with people.
He's also very direct and honest, and more than a little naive, which makes sense for a shonen protagonist.
4) Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
Naruto Uzumaki more than wears his emotions on his sleeve, which is a little atypical in the ninja world this shonen protagonist originates from. Most ninjas in Naruto aren't loud, nor do they wear their emotions on their sleeves quite so much. The titular character is an outlier in this regard.
From his loud proclamations about becoming the Hokage, to openly weeping over Gaara's death, Naruto Uzumaki has definitely been an emotional guy. It's not all rage-filled Nine Tails with him, and his temper is something he has tried to control as he grows older. By the time he becomes an adult, he has matured quite a bit. Becoming a father seems to have helped in that regard.
5) Gohan (Dragon Ball Z)
Yes, Gohan instead of Goku. Why? Because Gohan is practically the shonen protagonist in Dragon Ball Z. If he's not the primary shonen protagonist, he's certainly one of them. As young as Gohan is, heightened states of emotion are obviously going to be common during his childhood and teen years.
Gohan not only had to deal with the trauma of losing his father at an early age, but then Piccolo's rather harsh training as well. Couple that with everything that happened to him during Dragon Ball Z: losing many friends, having to deal with ChiChi badgering him about studying, and facing off against world-ending threats? It's no wonder his emotions ran out of control many times over.
6) Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
The shonen protagonist of One Piece, and the future Pirate King, is rather optimistic and quite emotional at times. Luffy is not only incredibly kind, trying to rectify many wrongs done by others, but also quite reckless and emotional. He's not afraid to shed tears, whether it's from him and Usopp dueling or the Going Merry getting a Viking Funeral.
Of course, where he really broke down was at Ace's death. He had a mental breakdown and needed help trying to get himself back on track. Aside from that, Luffy's biggest trait is his charisma and wanting to make allies out of absolutely everyone he meets. That literally included Whitebeard himself.
7) Gon Freecss (Hunter x Hunter)
Gon Freecss is the shonen protagonist from Hunter x Hunter, and has a very odd type of morality. His anger is actually his biggest flaw, considering that when he does ignite his temper it makes him obliivious to everything else. While he values strength more than anything, it also means that it makes him rather single-minded sometimes.
Onto the point of him being emotional, he goes into a mental breakdown in the Chimera Ant arc. But aside from that incident, he broke down due to his belief that he was weak against Hisoka, and from seeing Killua after killing Pitou. Gon is complicated, but that's the point of him.
8) The Elric Brothers (Fullmetal Alchemist)
The Elric brothers are dual shonen protagonists in Fullmetal Alchemist. Both Ed and Al are very expressive, even if Ed tends to be the more immature and stubborn of the two. This is of course an outward mask, as even though he is quick-tempered and foul-mouthed, he's really selfless and kind. Just don't call him short.
Al is more calm and passive compared to Ed. Though he's a soul in a suit of armor, Alphonse desires warmth and love. Both are incredibly emotional, as shown during their reactions to Nina Tucker's fate, and Maes Hughes', among others. It's never good when either of them are angry, as it usually means they're done playing around.
9) Ash Ketchum (Pokémon)
There have been plenty of complaints about Ash Ketchum that are incredibly unfair. He's 10 and going on his own journey after all. The shonen protagonist of the Pokémon anime has often had plenty of emotional moments. One of the biggest ones was jumping in front of Mewtwo and Mew's blasts to stop them from fighting in Mewtwo Strikes Back.
There have been plenty of others, however. He's sulked when losing to Ritchie, Paul got under his skin during the Sinnoh region, among other rivals too. However, this has been changing for a while. He may be rash, but never truly selfish for long, and has always placed loyalty to his Pokémon, friends, family, and supporters above all else.
He didn't become the Pokémon champion by staying the brash kid he was in Kanto after all.
10) Yugi Muto (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
The King of Games and main shonen protagonist of the card game anime Yu-Gi-Oh! is certainly no slouch in the emotions department by any stretch of the imagination. Yugi is extremely kind-hearted and exceptionally childlike, as shown multiple times throughout the series.
As far as wearing his emotions on his sleeve? He's had his fair share of breakdowns and emotional moments, such as when his grandfather's soul was taken or when Kaiba tried to commit suicide by card game in order to save his little brother Mokuba during Duelist Kingdom.
Atem usually steps in when it's time to duel, but Yugi tends to keep him in check. This is a good thing as when the Pharoah is left to his own devices, his victims are often left in horrible states.
