Shounen anime is easily one of the most popular genres in anime. Since the word "shounen" roughly translates to young boy, the genre, which typically caters to young boys aged 12 to 18, does not have an abundance of bloody violence shown on-screen.
However, there are always exceptions. In this list, we look at some of the most violent Shounen anime of all time.
Note: This list is subjective and reflects the author's personal views. It is in no particular order and contains spoilers for each of the anime series listed.
A quick look at some Shounen anime considered to be the most violent of all time
1) Attack on Titan
The series follows Eren Yaeger who aims to eliminate every titan from the face of the Earth. After his mother was eaten by a Titan, Yaegar began to hate the Titans, thereby deciding that he would bring about their downfall by using their powers himself.
So he, along with his best friends - Mikasa and Armin - joined the Survey Corps to gain the skills and knowledge needed to combat the Titans, thus allowing them to liberate Paradis and save humanity from them.
Attack on Titan impacted the Shounen anime community immensely, owing to how bloody and violent it was. This gore was a stark departure from what is normal in the genre, since Shounen anime does not usually resort to this, due to their young audience base.
2) High School of the Dead
The anime follows Takashi Kimuro as waves of zombies suddenly begin attacking his high school. Takashi is forced to murder his closest friend after he was bitten by a zombie and inevitably transformed. He then swore to guard Rei Miyamoto, his best friend's girlfriend, as they made their way through the death trap that is their school.
High School of the Dead comes clinches the second spot when it comes to violent Shounen anime owing to the constant bloodshed that is caused due to killing zombies with various lethal weapons.
3) Demon Slayer
While coming home after selling charcoal in the local village, Tanjiro Kamado, the protagonist, witnesses the deaths of his family members. His mother and all of his siblings, besides Nezuko, are killed by the King of Demons, Kibutsuji Muzan. He then decides to embark upon the journey to become a Demon Slayer, strong enough to kill Muzan and make Nezuko human again.
The beautiful, yet macabre fight between Demon Slayers and Demons holds fans captivated in this Shounen anime.
4) Akame ga Kill!
Akame ga Kill! is no stranger to cruelty, violence, and gore. Owing to the fights between rebels and the government, the deaths here are bloody and gruesome, with people being burned alive and cut open with katanas.
Night Raid is a group of assassins and a small section of the Revolutionary Army created to make the rebellion against the Empire much easier. Tatsumi, after discovering the truth of the nobles in the Empire, joins Night Raid to avenge his friends.
The story follows him as he fights alongside these skilled assassins and eventually develops close relationships with each of them. Night Raid will stop at nothing until the Empire is either completely destroyed or the corruption is killed off.
5) Hunter x Hunter
Disguised under bright colors and a jolly main character, Hunter x Hunter is replete with dark, violent undertones.
It features Gon Freecss and his close friends Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio as they each attempt to become Hunters to fulfill their personal goals. Becoming a Hunter, however, is an incredibly difficult task and is not a career for the faint of heart. In this Shounen anime, one is sure to find an abundance of assassinations, murders, and immensely bloody battles.
6) Jujutsu Kaisen
Thanks to the presence of Curses around the world, Jujutsu Sorcerers are forced to fight in horrifying battles. They manipulate the Cursed Energy in their bodies to create special abilities that allow them to exorcise these Curses.
Itadori Yuuji is a high schooler who, in a spur of the moment action, ends up swallowing one of Sukuna's fingers, resulting in Sukuna's soul being manifested within his body, forcing him to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Itadori teams up with various other students at the Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School as they try their best to rid the entire world of these dangerous Curses.
7) Baki
Baki is filled with brutal underground and non-underground fights. Each character in this Shounen anime, spends their entire life gaining strength and power to be able to fight the strongest people in the world.
Baki Hanma is the primary protagonist of the Baki series and is an underground fighting champion. After conquering the underground fighting scene, Baki is determined to defeat his father and become the strongest man in the world. To accomplish this goal, he must take down five of the most dangerous members of death row, in hand-to-hand combat.
However, Baki is informed that not only will he be going after them, they will also be coming after him. Each fight in this Shounen anime is incredibly bloody, but this does not seem to bother the characters, as they are able to power through the pain and keep going.
8) Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is, as the name suggests, one of the most bizarre Shounen anime of all time. While the series can be funny, once the fighting starts, everything can get bloody very quickly.
The story begins to unfold when the Joestar family becomes indebted to Dario Brando, following a carriage accident. Following his death, the Joestars adopt Dario's son, Dio Brando. However, Dio develops a manipulative and cruel personality, and decides to try and steal the Joestar Fortune.
This Shounen anime series features the entire Joestar Family engaging in violence in an attempt to take down Dio.
9) Naruto
Needing no introduction, while Naruto is definitely not the bloodiest Shounen anime on this list, it certainly merits a mention.
The series follows Naruto, a young orphan determined to become the greatest Shinobi in Konohagakure - the Hokage. He joins Team Seven with Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura when he becomes a genin, and struggles with the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox sealed within his body. However, none of these things can deter him from achieving his goal, and becoming the Hokage.
Almost all of Naruto revolves around violence as the Shinobi constantly fight against one another, using their special Jutsus and strategy.
10) One Piece
Given how long One Piece has been running for, it makes sense for it to have an abundance of violence. The Shounen anime has already seen countless bar brawls, Devil Fruit fights, Haki duels, and more, and the numbers will only proceed to go up as the anime's long-reign continues.
The series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew, the Straw Hats, as they go against the World Government and travel across the Grand Line in hopes of finding the legendary One Piece. Problems never cease to find the pirate crew as they go on their adventures, battle enemies stronger than themselves and uncover the dark mysteries that plague the world around them.
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