5 shonen manga with perfect endings (& 5 that disappointed everyone)

Shonen manga endings often tend to be controversial or poorly written to the point that it has become a trope of the genre. While there are multiple theories for that tendency, with a lot of people mentioning how mangaka are overworked to rush the ending, the truth of the matter is that this has been a prominent constant in recent decades.

However, there are also other prominent shonen manga that have managed to pull off excellent endings. This usually means concluding the character arcs and plot points and providing a resolution that feels rewarding and logical with the story that has been delivered.

In that regard, the article discusses five shonen manga endings that worked and five more that have become infamous for how bad they were, according to their fans.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for all the series mentioned here. Any opinion expressed in this piece belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

5 shonen manga with perfect endings

1) Dragon Ball

A good ending that could change (Image via Shueisha).

While there is an argument to be made that Dragon Ball's ending is going to change with the Super manga, it is still regarded as the story's official conclusion. In that regard, the ending serves as a satisfying conclusion for the main cast and ends with a tournament, which is one of the defining traits of the series throughout the years.

Furthermore, the ending gives Goku a successor in Uub and the idea that his time has finally ended, with him just focusing on having a great time as a fighter. It is a logical ending for his character, and this series's open-ended feel makes sense with the franchise's constant thirst for adventure.

Among battle shonen manga endings, it is also one of the most iconic in the entirety of the medium. It is a logical and apt conclusion for author Akira Toriyama's legendary manga and the ramifications this had in the medium as a whole.

2) Fullmetal Alchemist

A great ending for a great series (Image via Bones).

It is often said that shonen manga endings tend to force things for the main cast to conclude their narratives happily, but Fullmetal Alchemist shows how that can be done satisfyingly. This is depicted by the way Edward Elric sacrifices his ability to make Alchemy for the greater good, which is why The Truth rewards him by giving his brother Alphonse his old body back.

All of this, coupled with the defeat of Father, takes place in the final chapter of the manga while there is a small time skip to deliver the conclusion of the main case. There is another fact that Edward confesses his feelings to Winry and ends up getting married with two kids, which is something that the fandom has celebrated greatly.

Shonen manga endings don't have to be overly complex or cynical to be great, which is something that Fullmetal Alchemist showed here.

3) JoJo's Bizarre Adventure part 3 - Stardust Crusaders

The Crusaders won the battle of their lives (Image via David Production).

There is an argument to be made that Stardust Crusaders could have been the definitive conclusion for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and the Joestars' centuries-long battle with Dio Brando. It is also one of the longest parts of the franchise and has much of an epic adventure to face the powerful vampire, with the Crusaders' highs and lows being extremely compelling.

The ending has several Crusaders, such as Kakyoin, Avdol, and Iggy, dying in the process so Jotaro can defeat Dio and his men. While there are some criticisms regarding the way Jotaro learned to stop time, his final battle with the villain has been widely regarded as one of the finest in Shonen manga.

Moreover, the epilogue of this part has a very emotional conclusion, which is perfectly captured by the way Jean Pierre Polnareff says goodbye to Jotaro and Joseph. All the plot points were resolved and the battle that started with Jonathan Joestar concluded.

4) Yu Yu Hakusho

Yusuke got his happy ending (Image via Studio Pierrot).

There is no denying that Yu Yu Hakusho's Three Kings arc was extremely rushed, particularly in the manga, but the actual final moments are phenomenal and very fitting for the series' conclusion. That is because things come full circle for the protagonist, Yusuke Urameshi, and his character arc is completed, making him one of the most well-received protagonists in shonen manga.

Yusuke decides to abandon the Demon Realm to come back to the human world and reconnect with the humans. This shows him at the beach as he reunites with the main cast, including his friend and love interest, Keiko, who is finally getting together after so long in the series.

The protagonist, for the vast majority of the series, had struggled to find a place where he belonged and could have stayed at the Demon Realm for an endless life of fighting. But he ultimately chooses to go with the people he cares about, signaling his transition to a more mature man and satisfyingly ending his arc.

5) Slam Dunk

One of the greatest manga series of all time (Image via Shueisha).

Slam Dunk is a certified classic as far as Shonen manga goes. The final game of the series against Sannoh, the manga's strongest high school basketball team, was a memorable way to conclude the story. It had a lot of build-up and great moments for all main players but also completed the character arc of the protagonist, Hanamichi Sakuragi.

Sakuragi started the series wanting to play basketball to impress the girl he likes, Haruko, but grew and evolved as he became more passionate about the sport. The match against Sannoh is a perfect example of his evolution, constantly aiding his teammates when they were struggling, such as Akagi, and being willing to play while injured because they needed him on the court.

Shohoku ended up with a great combination of Rukawa and Sakuragi, concluding with a now-legendary high-five that signaled their development from enemies to friends. While they get eliminated in the next round, winning against the best team in the country and Sakuragi getting the development he earned through hard work makes it one of the best shonen manga endings.

5 shonen manga with disappointing endings

1) My Hero Academia

Deku's ending got a lot of criticism (Image via Shueisha).

Anyone who keeps up with Shonen manga knows that the My Hero Academia ending has been poorly received and makes a lot of sense. While the final war arc was already divisive for the fandom, the truth of the matter is that the main issues took place in the final chapter as author Kohei Horikoshi decided to do an eight-year time skip.

Izuku "Deku" Midoriya lost his One For All powers and became a teacher, portrayed as someone slightly depressed and not having his UA friends very present. It was a conclusion for his character that a lot of people found bizarre, getting even worse when All Might gave him a special suit so he can be a hero again and Deku takes it without hesitation.

It ultimately portrays Deku as someone who sees no value in himself when he is not a hero and that he cannot move forward in that role without someone like All Might bailing him out. That's why it is already regarded as one of the worst shonen manga endings in recent memory.

2) Tokyo Revengers

A historically bad ending according to many (Image via Shueisha).

When considering the general reception of the fandom, there is an argument to be made that Tokyo Revengers has one of the worst shonen manga endings of all time. That is because of the way author Ken Wakui chose to add a new storyline in the penultimate chapter of the manga, damaging the flow of the series until that point and actively forcing a happy ending that didn't come naturally.

Takemichi and Mikey, the main duo of this shonen manga, were given the chance to travel back into the past and keep their memories, thus having the opportunity to solve any issue they had throughout the story. Any hardship, any casualty, any problem that became a critical part of the series, was fixed so the main cast could have their happy ending.

It is easy to see why the ending is so despised since it feels that the entirety of the story was for nothing and the conclusion was the very definition of a deus ex machina. This ending did not live up to the expectations of the franchise's fans.

3) Bleach

A bad Shonen manga ending but one that can be saved (Image via Shueisha).

The interesting thing about Bleach's ending is that it had an extremely rushed pace and did not set up certain elements, such as Ryuken Ishida's Silver Arrow to defeat Yhwach. The general elements of a good ending were there but author Tite Kubo's confirmed health problems were a major reason for this conclusion and it shows.

Ichigo Kurosaki never got a proper chance to fight with Yhwach and use his true Bankai, the resolution against the Quincy God was rushed because of the Silver Arrow. A lot of questions weren't answered, such as what replaced the Soul King as the battery of the three worlds.

Moreover, some people weren't happy that Ichigo ended up with Orihime rather than Rukia but that is a more subjective complaint as far as shonen manga endings go.

Furthermore, the final arc had a hard time explaining Yhwach's character and his motivation, which had a lot more to do with the Soul King than the manga leads on. It is telling that Kubo has been working on the current anime adaptation of this arc and added more build-up and explanations to several key points, which suggests that the ending could be fixed.

4) Naruto

Widely regarded as one of the worst endings in shonen manga (Image via Studio Pierrot).

It can be argued that Naruto is patient zero for modern bad shonen manga endings, even if it is unfair to author Masashi Kishimoto's series. Other manga stories had bad endings before Naruto but this one could be among the first mainstream ones that had a truly bad one and had a lot of ramifications, to the point some people claim that it ruins the entire series.

There were a lot of creative decisions that people didn't like, such as making Naruto a chosen one, Might Guy not dying against Madara for no reason, Neji dying just to set up the protagonist with Hinata in a forced manner, and several inconsistencies with Sasuke's character. Moreover, situations such as Obito Uchiha's redemption and almost everything related to Kaguya are generally despised by the fandom.

Multiple small decisions such as the forced relationships such as Sasuke and Sakura, Orochimaru staying free at the Hidden Leaf Village after endless war crimes, and the way Madara was defeated amounted to increasing frustration. This shonen manga falls in the list of bad endings.

5) Jujutsu Kaisen

A controversial new addition (Image via Shueisha).

The most recent inclusion as far as bad shonen manga endings go and the case with Jujutsu Kaisen is a bit more complex. The final chapter of the manga is not awful by any means and could even work in isolation when it comes to moments such as Ryomen Sukuna's final scene, but the real problem comes with this conclusion representing most plot points.

Several characters such as Megumi Fushiguro do not get a chance to develop, and Nobara Kugisaki was brought back to life only for one scene and was ultimately wasted. Meanwhile, Uraume becomes extremely important to Sukuna in the final chapter but nothing is known about her, and Kenjaku's entire story is pushed aside.

Subplots such as other countries getting involved in the Culling Games and Tengen hiding information from the sorcerers were ultimately ignored.

The lack of information about Sukuna's past and his rise to become the King of Curses becomes a lot more horrendous when considering that his final scene basically changes his character to a degree. There is a general feeling that this conclusion, much like other shonen manga endings, failed to complete the story arcs. This has lessened the series' positive reception within the anime community.

Final thoughts

There are other shonen manga endings that have been great and awful throughout the years but these are some of the most prominent. Furthermore, these shonen manga endings have had a lot of ramifications and impacts in the medium, which is part of the discussion as well.

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Edited by Tiasha