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One of the most common tropes in shonen anime is the stubborn character, whether they be a protagonist or play a supporting role throughout the series. This stubbornness can come in many forms, from showing determined grit and never giving up to actually digging one’s heels in and refusing to change.
It’s an interesting trope that can be played in a myriad of ways, with positive, negative, and lukewarm options all present in the medium’s current examples. While not every shonen anime has a character that falls into this archetype, quite a few of the most popular ones around do.
Here are the 10 most stubborn shonen anime characters, ranked from least to most stubborn.
New-gen series and old classics dominate the list of most stubborn shonen anime characters
10) Mirio Togata (My Hero Academia)
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Kicking off the list is My Hero Academia’s Mirio Togata, who shows a unique brand of stubbornness amongst others on this list. It’s revealed that his Permeation Quirk is inherently useless due to some specifics on how the Quirk works. As such, a young Mirio was essentially told that there’s no way he could be a hero with a power that's so difficult to use.
However, he spends his whole life working at it, eventually becoming one of the most skilled and famous heroes at UA currently. He becomes so skilled that he was, at one point, considered one of the top prospects for inheriting One For All from All Might.
There’s little doubt Mirio’s determination makes him one of the most stubborn shonen anime characters.
9) Inspector Zenigata (Lupin III)
Lupin III’s Inspector Zenigata is the series’ tenacious, unyielding, and somehow ever-present voice of good amidst Lupin, Fujiko, Jigen, and Ishikawa’s criminal antics.
Despite how many times the bad guys are rewarded and he and the good guys are punished, he continues fighting for what he believes is right and tries to bring Lupin’s gang to justice.
Even after incidents which seem impossible for anyone to survive, Zenigata returns in the next episode with a bandage on his face and some scuffs on his jacket for all the harm he received. This indefatigable presence and dedication to justice undoubtedly solidifies him as one of shonen anime’s most stubborn characters.
8) L (Death Note)
Death Note’s L is the antagonistic hero of the series, being directly opposed to the shonen anime’s evil protagonist Light Yagami. L’s stubbornness throughout the series comes from his viewing his fight against Kira (who is secretly Light) as a game of cat and mouse. He expresses a determined desire to not lose this fight, and is always seen working towards this victory.
He’s also established to be someone childish who hates to lose, as well as someone who doesn’t know any limits whatsoever. While it may be for a less-noble sense than others on this list, L no doubt qualifies as one of shonen anime’s most stubborn characters.
7) Light Yagami (Death Note)
Light displays a similar tenacity when it comes to his stubbornness throughout the series, also being unyielding in his desire to cleanse the world even after becoming friends with L.
He’s also described in the series in the same way L is above, emphasizing just how naturally stubborn he can be when he sets his mind to something.
One major point of emphasis Light’s character has in this regard is his willingness to kill those who oppose him, even if their death is unnecessary to cleanse the world as he wants. This alone should prove his single-minded determination and stubbornness to fans.
6) Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)
Ichigo Kurosaki’s stubbornness as seen in the hit shonen anime series Bleach stems from a desire to protect his friends, regardless of what he has to face in order to do so.
From invading the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo to fighting what is essentially a God, there’s nothing he’ll shy away from if it means helping or saving his friends.
The determination with which he approaches such a philosophy is also admirable, pushing himself to the brink of death or even actually dying at several points in the series.
One of the most significant of these moments comes against Ulquiorra, where Orihime’s crying out his name causes Ichigo to come back to life as a Hollow so he can protect her.
5) Yuji Itadori (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Despite having only one season released so far, it’s apparent to many fans that Jujutsu Kaisen’s Yuji Itadori is one of the most stubborn characters in all of shonen anime.
His desire to help people throughout his entire life as a way of honoring his grandfather’s final wishes constantly shines through, and it is why he agreed to his jujutsu life in the first place.
The Junpei incident especially demonstrates Yuji’s tenacity, where he constantly shows an unyielding desire to defeat Mahito and take revenge for his former friend. His actions in the series overall further support this claim, but the Junpei incident is one specific moment which highlights this side of his character.
4) Gon Freecs (Hunter x Hunter)
Hunter x Hunter’s Gon Freecs is undoubtedly one of the most stubborn characters in all of shonen anime. The series’ first major arc alone establishes this, showing the young Hunter-hopeful to not yield even after having his arm broken by an opponent.
This extends to real combat situations as well, where fans at one point see him give up his lifespan for the power to defeat an enemy. It’s a harrowing moment which emphasizes both how deeply Gon feels for his friends, as well as how focused and stubborn he can be when setting his mind to something.
3) Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
Luffy is shown throughout One Piece to always be determined to finish or achieve whatever he puts his mind to, even when he’s being continuously beaten down while trying to achieve it.
One of the best examples of this comes during the Enies Lobby arc, where he literally refuses to let himself fall to the ground until he’s finally able to defeat Rob Lucci and rescue Nico Robin.
He’s also shown to be unwavering in his beliefs and attitudes outside of combat as well, being incredibly harsh with Otama when the young Wano girl began talking about the late Ace.
While situations like these show the unintended crassness of this side of Luffy, the good intentions of this stubborn shonen anime protagonist are present and apparent.
2) Asta (Black Clover)
Asta from Black Clover is so well-established to be an incredibly stubborn shonen anime character that he himself professes his magic as being his ability to never give up and stop trying.
He lives this lifestyle throughout the entire series as well, refusing to back down against opponents who could clearly kill him and constantly proposing to Sister Lily despite the unchanging rejections.
His life and very manner of being has even been put at risk by this quality before, with the young Magic Knight having lost his arms against Vetto because he wanted to continue fighting. While an incredibly admirable trait of Asta’s, it’s also one that can clearly be deadly in the wrong circumstances.
1) Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
Finally, the number one most stubborn shonen anime character is Naruto Uzumaki. His nickname within the series even includes synonyms to stubborn, emphasizing how infamous he is for never changing his mind or course of action once he’s set on it.
His Ninja Way is easily the most demonstrative aspect of his character for this quality, with Naruto never changing it even when it poses a risk to his life. There’s also his constant and unyielding desire to connect with his enemies and come to an understanding, which he does against all but the most evil of characters.
