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A lot of shonen anime characters are quite relatable and understandable from multiple points of view. The determination, the confidence, and the charming grins and other characteristics have captivated many fans the world over.
From the laziness of Gintoki Sakata to the hard work and maximum effort of Rock Lee, shonen anime fans have always had their favorite and most relatable characters that continue to amaze and astound.
That being said, here are 10 of the most relatable characters in shonen anime.
Note: As relatability is highly subjective, please take all of this with a grain of salt as it is just the author's opinion. It's only going to be one person/example per series likewise and spoilers abound for the respective anime.
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10 most relatable shonen anime characters include Gintoki Sakata, Kyon, Kusuo Saiki, and more
1) Gintoki Sakata (Gintama)
Frankly, being an adult is hard. You've got bills to pay, food to eat, a job that's usually thankless on many an occasion, and some days you just wanna curl up and sleep forever or just read some good manga all day. That's what makes lazy protagonist Gintoki from Gintama so relatable!
Gintoki is not only an adult, but frankly as lazy as they come even when compared to infamous slackers like Shikamaru Nara from Naruto. Gintoki often refers to himself as a "child stuck in a man's body," which isn't that far off the mark considering his massive sweet tooth and acting dumb around the various female characters.
2) Rock Lee (Naruto)
Do you have a workout routine? Have you ever doubled or tripled that routine? Well, Rock Lee from the battle fantasy shonen anime Naruto has constantly worked himself to the bone with 1,000 kicks, punches, sit-ups, and all manner of other workout routines to one day surpass Neji!
For the record, even though Lee got his arm and leg shattered by Gaara? The drive and desire to surpass a rival, or just go beyond your own limits, is definitely a relatable one for those people that enjoy working out a lot. Just don't overdo it to the point where the body gives out, even Lee had to learn that one the hard way.
3) Kyon (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
If you've ever been described as "the sane one" among your group of friends, then you'll doubtless find main protagonist Kyon of the shonen anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya plenty relateable. Seriously, having to deal with not only Haruhi herself but her rather odd friends (including a time traveler, an esper, and an alien) must take a toll after a while.
Fortunately, for all the frustrations and whacky antics the SOS Brigade gets up to, Kyon does care about his friends in his own tsundere way. He's a guy who wanted more out of life than he was getting, and befriending a literal god among other beings was just the thing he needed! That's relateable on any emotional level, especially for a shonen anime that features time travel.
4) Kusuo Saiki (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K)
Conversely, there are people who don't want the extraordinary, don't want the excitement, and just want peace and quiet! Enter Kusuo Saiki, the lead of the comedy shonen anime The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, a kid who was born with psychic powers he cannot control and just wants to be normal.
The mental health undertone/comparison writes itself with Saiki, though there's also the idea of just wanting a mundane life where nothing majorly good or bad happens. That's pretty worthwhile too, considering the way the world has been over the past 20 to 30 odd years.
5) Tomoko Kuroki (Watamote)
Then there's folks that want to make friends, but have such bad social anxiety they end up tripping over their words and themselves when trying to talk. Whilst some people may find Watamote's lead Tomoko Kuroki cringy, that's exactly how life is when you struggle with puberty, social anxiety, and a ton of other issues and still try to make yourself popular and make friends.
It's tremendously relatable to folks who've suffered from that, akin to Komi from Komi Can't Communicate. The hilariously over-the-top schemes to make friends can be a bit much, though some people have done worse. Being completely exhausted from staying up late watching anime and playing video games is something everyone who watches anime and plays video games can relate to as well!
6) Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)
Being betrayed by those you call friends and bullied can sting something fierce. It often turns people inward, making them feel hopeless, worthless, and generally like absolute trash. This is what Izuku Midoriya went through when his best friend Katsuki Bakugo turned on him in My Hero Academia, a shonen anime about superheroes.
The worst part is, Midoriya almost believed him. Midoriya is ultimately relatable as a protagonist for this as most folks have dealt with bullies more than once in their lives. The will to keep going and stand back up after being beaten down, something key to all shonen protagonists, is also present in Midoriya and is highly motivational.
7) Asta (Black Clover)
In a world of hyperactive, loud, and boisterous characters, Black Clover's protagonist Asta is certainly one of them. Asta and Izuku both have the same deal: they don't have powers in an extraordinary world. Asta, however, demonstrates an infectious confidence that he will succeed!
This kind of infectious confidence is usually all the rage in shonen anime, but Asta takes it up several notches. This isn't bad at all and is rather relatable to be so confident in the face of overwhelming odds, even when someone starts with a form of disability. There's also trying to see the good in everyone and talk them down from their rage, which many people find good that Asta doesn't just end people.
8) Maka Albarn (Soul Eater)
Trust issues can cut really deep, especially when it's of the opposite sex. Maka Albarn, one of the main protagonists of the fantasy shonen anime Soul Eater, has these in spades. Maka's trust issues are rather unique in shonen anime, her father cheating on her mom makes her hate/distrust men, she's rather stubborn with a quick temper, and she often feels wholly inadequate as a fighter herself.
This is relatable on a number of levels, not least of which being the inadequacy feeling. Trust issues with people, especially the opposite s*x, are highly relatable to those with mostly negative experiences with them. Quick tempers are likewise, with some folks having hair trigger tempers they can't quite control.
9) The Elric brothers (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Edward and Alphonse are the dual protagonists of the shonen anime Fullmetal Alchemist, both having lost something while trying to revive their mother. In Ed's case, it's his left leg and right arm, in Al's case it was his whole body. The two have no shortage of problems and are total opposites personality wise, but are on their way to getting their bodies back.
Now, relatability? They lost their mom and are estranged from their father, for one, which is something many who have either single parent families or parental issues can relate to.
They're both disabled, likewise, something that often comes up in conversation is how hard it is to maintain Ed's automail and Al's armor. Ed has his height as a trigger for anger. Al has a bit of naviete but also wants to be his own person, which is likewise relatable for anyone that has siblings.
10) Shinji Ikari (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
The poster boy for depression is on this list and will stay on it. Shinji Ikari from the shonen anime/manga Neon Genesis Evangelion is arguably one of the most well written or at least accurately written portrayals of a depressed teen in anime history.
From avoiding connections so he doesn't get hurt, running at every possible opportunity, and generally having PTSD, Shinji is more relatable than people might think.
Let's be frank, if most people were shoved into a giant robot and took the kind of damage and pain like the Eva trio (or even the Pacific Rim protags, come to think of it) they'd probably try to hightail it out of there too!
Combine that with Shinji's difficulties in forming attachments and his feelings of rejection by many people, and you have someone most fans want to hug. It helps that a lot of folks struggling with anxiety and depression have stated Shinji's experiences are accurate to theirs.
