Dungeon Meshi has the perfect anime protagonist, and the recipe just works

Dungeon Meshi was one of the finest anime released in 2024, ending on many critics' lists as one of the best ones released in the year. It also received tremendous public acclaim. Dungeon Meshi was praised for its visuals, as Studio Trigger did an amazing job with the colors.

The voice acting was handled carefully as well, as each voice actor and actress delivered in their roles beautifully. However, where Dungeon Meshi excels the most is in its characters.

Dungeon Meshi’s characters break stereotypes and subvert tropes expected of them. The genre of the series is fantasy, and it is inspired by the game Dungeons and Dragons, and also from the popular movie series, The Lord of the Rings. The one character from the series who notably breaks out of the mould set for him is the main character, Laios Toden.

Laios Toden is everything an anime protagonist should not be, and that is probably why the series works so well. There is some sort of ambiguity to Dungeon Meshi, which leaves viewers constantly asking what it falls into. Many consider the series to be Shonen because of Laios, but at the same time, it is considered Seinen because of the same Laios.

He is a character that cannot be fit into a box, a bit similar to other characters popping off like Taro Sakamoto. He is the perfect anime protagonist because of how relatable he is.

While most anime protagonists are written to be strong, Laios is anything but. He is not driven and is pretty dense for most of the series' runtime. However, what makes Laios work is his simplistic way of viewing the world. Here is how Dungeon Meshi’s protagonist is responsible for the series being loved.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinion and may contain spoilers.

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Why the protagonist of Dungeon Meshi works

Laios and Marcille talking to one another (Image via Trigger)

The main reason Laios works is his aloofness. While most anime main characters set the tone of their series with lofty dreams and larger-than-life motivations, Laios is different. The series starts with his sister, Falin Toden, being eaten, but that doesn’t take center stage. What drives Laios more than his sister’s retrieval is the desire to eat all the living things in the dungeon.

The other members of his crew initially react to Laios' wishes with derision, but are eventually won over by necessity. He also chooses his curiosity over actions that will lead his crew closer to their goal, while this is heavily reminiscent of Luffy. The Leader of the Straw Hats never forgets why he is there, and he is strong enough to defeat every enemy.

Laios is trying out a monster from the dungeon (Image via Trigger)

While Dungeon Meshi tries its best to paint Laios as the Chosen One, he is anything but that. At the end of the series, it is revealed that Laios was manipulated by Winged Lion, a demon that wants to ascend to the surface. This further subverts the Chosen One narrative.

At the same time, the series still reinforces the Chosen One narrative by making Laios the only person capable of defeating the Winged Lion. This is despite the series having stronger and smarter characters. Laios’s warped way of thinking is the only thing capable of combating an otherworldly demon.

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Final thoughts

Another reason why Laios is baffling as an anime protagonist is that he has no strong emotions. His character is out of place for an adventure and action story— it is better suited to slice-of-life. He is a bit like Hiroto from Hirayasumi.

Another thing that makes Laios work is the other characters, especially his crew. They offer a voice of calm to Laios' disorder, and they are the reason Dungeon Meshi is not Shonen but Seinen.

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