8 shonen anime series that everybody should check out at least once in their lifetime

Shonen animes are among the most popular shows to watch, but if you're new to the shonen anime world, it can seem overwhelming to pick the right one.

Shonen series are usually designed keeping a younger audience - particularly younger boys - in mind, but older people and women can easily enjoy these animes too. There are several subgenres within this industry, but this listicle will simply focus on eight shows that are excellent and worth recommending to anybody.

Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, and 8 other must-match shonen anime series

1) Dragon Ball Z

An iconic cast (Image via Toei Animation)

One would be hard-pressed to find a shonen anime series more iconic than Dragon Ball Z. Some fans even go as far as to call it the "father of modern shonen anime." Sure enough, many other series have taken inspiration from Toriyama's franchise.

The most obvious example is how many other shonen protagonists have taken up after Goku's traits, such as his:

Good nature
Love for eating
Being known as one of the strongest characters around

Dragon Ball Z is a show with some of the most memorable fights in all of anime. Its impact on the industry cannot be overstated, and it's ultimately something that is just as much fun to watch today as it was several decades ago.

2) YuYu Hakusho

This Shonen anime series was incredibly popular in the mid-90s. It's quite underrated in the present day since it's largely been in the limelight for decades, but that shouldn't dissuade one from checking it out.

YuYu Hakusho is a masterpiece that features the journey of a young high school boy as he becomes a Spirit Detective and fights against demons. If one wishes to see great fights and several fun characters, then YuYu Hakusho is another good choice.

It also helps that this show is considered smaller than some other extremely popular shows while having next-to-no filler at the same time.

3) One Piece

The Straw Hats (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece is similar to Dragon Ball Z in terms of popularity. Even if you're not an anime fan, chances are you've heard of it at least once in your life. Like Dragon Ball Z, One Piece is also a shonen anime, but it's worth mentioning that there are plenty of differences between the two shows.

One Piece is ultimately a pirate adventure with an incredible storyline and a multitude of lovable characters, some of whom are extremely well-written. It's not surprising that it's one of the most popular anime series of all time.

It is worth mentioning that this show has over 1,000 episodes, many of which are filler. People who despise filler are recommended to see which episodes they should skip.

4) Naruto

Any great shonen anime list without Naruto would be somewhat questionable. It is worth mentioning that there are technically two different series in Naruto:

Naruto
Naruto: Shippuden

However, both are part of the same story and continue Naruto's journey full of hilarious moments and tragedies. It's often compared to One Piece since both shows are some of the most popular animes of all time.

That said, Naruto is a bit more emotional and is more impressive when it comes to powerscaling. Which one a person prefers is strictly up to their personal preference, but if one didn't like One Piece, they should at least give Naruto a try.

5) Spy x Family

Away from the more fantastical animes mentioned above, Spy x Family is very different from the usual shonen series in several ways, ranging from presentation to the main characters' motivations.

The idea of a spy starting a family for a mission with a telepathic daughter and an assassin wife is a neat concept one won't find anywhere else. Spy x Family is wholesome and funny while also including a few cool-looking action sequences familiar to fans of shonen series.

Also, Spy x Family is far more recent than the other shows on this list, with the previous ones being several decades old.

6) Haikyū!!

Karasuno High's Boy Volleyball team (Image via Production I.G)

Haikyū!! is another show with a radically different premise than the previously suggested options. Basically, the main character is a very short person who wishes to be an all-time great at volleyball.

While volleyball isn't a sport that is played by too many people around the world, it's worth stating that Haikyū!! is well-written to the point that one might actually get invested in the sport.

The stuff that happens in this anime isn't high-stakes like the previous shows, which helps make Haikyū!! feel more grounded in reality. It's a simple coming-of-age story that's inspirational and great for anybody bored of the usual anime cliches.

7) My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia has many good character designs (Image via Bones)

Returning to the more fantastical choices on this list is My Hero Academia. It stays in a school setting like Haikyū!!, except it foregoes realism in exchange for all the students having supernatural powers known as Quirks.

However, there are still uplifting undertones as a Quirkless kid named Deku is bestowed One For All and continues to overcome whatever adversity lies in his way.

If one likes the good old heroes-versus-supervillains story, then My Hero Academia should be right up their alley. The writing can be a bit off at times, but not to the point that it prevents one from enjoying the likable characters engaging with the basic plot.

8) Trigun

Vash the Stampede is a lovable goofball (Image via Madhouse)

It's always good to have a wildcard that's different from the usual lists that often include the same Shonen animes over and over again. In this case, Trigun is somewhat relevant since it got a new adaptation set for 2023.

However, this entry is solely about the original Trigun. That show has a western feel to it, which might alienate it from non-American audiences who don't care for midwestern themes.

That said, those themes also make it feel incredibly unique and work excellently with the fun cast of characters and the protagonist's desire for pacifism. It's only 26 episodes long, meaning that Trigun is a show one could easily breeze through if they're looking for something different from the usual norm.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective.

Edited by Prem Deshpande