Tanjiro Kamado is just the kind of protagonist the Demon Slayer anime needs. He has the grit and resolve necessary to fight demons like the Upper Moons, but he also has the compassion needed to see the humanity in his demonic foes. Anime fans also adore Tanjiro's good sense of humor and his enthusiasm for the power of friendship. Then again, anime fans might also say Tanjiro is a little too basic and predictable as a good-hearted shonen lead.
While there's no reason to dislike or heavily fault Tanjiro, anime fans can still do better with main characters. That includes some leads who are roughly similar to Tanjiro while taking things further, or anime heroes who thrive by being quite different from him. In one way or another, a number of anime heroes are definitely cooler, more creative in their design, or more memorable than Tanjiro is.
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Ichigo Kurosaki is the Original Tanjiro
Ichigo Hides His Soft Side More Than Tanjiro Does
It's easy to compare the Demon Slayer anime to the hit shonen title Bleach, and that counts the two leading characters, too. Tanjiro and Ichigo Kurosaki are both tough teens who suffered when monsters attacked their family, only for those heroes to become monster-slaying swordsmen. Anime fans love how refreshingly compassionate Tanjiro is, but it also gets a little repetitive. Tanjiro feels too much like a Boy Scout, while Ichigo is more layered.
Ichigo does have a good heart like Tanjiro does, but he's more selective about showing it. After all, Ichigo's heart was broken when his mother died, and he walled off his heart behind a punk persona to protect himself. Only slowly is Ichigo revealing his true self again as he processes his grief one step at a time. It's more engaging than the deaths of the Kamados merely being the reason Tanjiro is slaying Muzan's minions.
Yuji Itadori's Kindness is Balanced By the Darkness and Horror in His Life
Yuji's Struggles Feel More Palpable Than Tanjiro's Own
Jujutsu Kaisen is another modern hit that definitely took some cues from the original shonen "big three." It has a main trio of students with their mentor like Naruto, while Yuji Itadori feels like the next iteration of Ichigo, just like Tanjiro himself. Both Tanjiro and Yuji are worthwhile shonen leads, but between them, Yuji is the more compelling one. To start with, Yuji may be kind, but doesn't overplay that hand the way Tanjiro does. Yuji feels more relatable as an outgoing modern teen with a knack for fighting.
Both of these shonen leads have endured great loss and suffering, but it hits twice as hard for Yuji. He's the one who struggles with the monstrous Ryomen Sukuna in him, and that strained relationship is eating away at Yuji's psyche. It's fascinating to see Yuji both rely on and shudder at Sukuna inside him. On top of that, Yuji's losses are more impactful, with him seeing Kento Nanami die and seeing Nobara nearly die as well. That's on top of Yuji being forced to get along without the presence of his mentor, Satoru Gojo.
Yumeko Jabami's Selfish Hedonism Contrasts Perfectly With Tanjiro's Selfless Nature
Yumeko is a Self-Indulgent Hero in the World of Gambling
It's easiest to compare Tanjiro to similar characters like Ichigo and Yuji, but he should also be compared to characters who are totally unlike him. There is more than one way to write a shonen lead, with some MCs embracing a radically different design philosophy to make things more refreshing. Rather than training and fighting to protect their friends, the likes of Yumeko Jabami in Kakegurui fight for their own pleasure.
Yumeko is just a little twisted as a borderline antihero, a girl who loses herself in the erotic thrill of high-stakes gambling. The tension and uncertainty are the point, with Yumeko feeling alive when she tests her wits against uncontrollable odds in any game of chance. It's compelling, intriguing, and refreshing to meet a shonen MC like Yumeko who's all about pleasure for its own sake while also putting on a show with non-violent clashes. Yumeko shows it's okay to be a little selfish if it means enjoying life and certain hobbies.
Ken Kaneki is the Tanjiro of Seinen Anime
Ken Knows the Entire World is Wrong
The shonen anime sphere is rife with the "monster hunter" concept as skilled warriors use their abilities to shield humanity from harm. The likes of Demon Slayer, Fire Force, and even Attack on Titan all joined this trend, but seinen can do it, too. That's why half-ghoul hero Ken Kaneki is so gripping in this dark anime adventure as an even more tormented version of Tanjiro. Ken is also a bit like Yuji Itadori as someone who was forced to accept a dark power during a moment of crisis.
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Ken is visually cooler than Tanjiro, and feels more richly written as someone who is a gentle book lover on some days and sometimes a twisted rogue who internalized all kinds of suffering. Perhaps the best part is how Ken's quest to fix the "wrong" world feels both noble and hopeless, since he doesn't have a convenient, singular villain like Muzan Kibutsuji to take down. Tanjiro can make everything right in the world by taking down Muzan, but it's far more complex and nuanced for Ken in Tokyo Ghoul.
Edward Elric's Personal Losses Hit Harder Than Tanjiro's
Ed Learned a Lesson in Humility and Restraint
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood MC Edward Elric is one of the demographic's best because he feels both familiar and original as a leading man. He does learn and grow in battle and is fighting hard to protect everyone, but Ed isn't the type to go Super Saiyan. His growth is spread more evenly among all aspects of his being, to a much greater extent than Tanjiro. Ed gradually matures as an alchemist, fighter, and human being who is ready to grow into his role at last.
Ed's own personal baggage also puts Tanjiro's to shame, not in terms of body count, but in terms of lessons learned. Tanjiro merely learned the need to fight so he can defend his loved ones, while Ed and Al learned a tough lesson about human arrogance concerning the cycle of life. Ed's and Al's big mistake with human transmutation is one of many shocking and utterly memorable personal moments in all of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It's the reason, in fact, why Ed is the Fullmetal Alchemist.
Denji's Downright Pitiful Nature Earns Him Even More Sympathy Than Tanjiro
Denji Dreams Small and Still Doesn't Get What He Wants
Denji, the leading man from Chainsaw Man, is one of shonen's finest new-gen MCs because he breaks the rules while having shockingly little to show for it. In many ways, he is Tanjiro's outrageous opposite as a self-indulgent, crude, and petty boy who annoys the professional devil hunters around him more than a little. Yet somehow, Denji is pitiable and lovable as a lost teen who keeps losing more than he gets. Over time, Denji has lost more people than even Tanjiro has, and anime fans were there to see it happen.
All this adds up to make Denji a remarkably subversive shonen MC whose formula is just familiar enough to make him comparable to Tanjiro Kamado. Both of them are heartbroken people who make modest, personal dreams to heal themselves, but they do so in different ways. Tanjiro dreams of restoring Nezuko's humanity, while Denji just wants basic food, shelter, and a girlfriend. He's sleazy in the pursuit of these dreams, but Chainsaw Man viewers still root for Denji and might see some of themselves in him. That weird yet profound relatability makes Denji a cut above Tanjiro as an anime MC.
Demon Slayer
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- April 6, 2019
- Network
- Adult Swim
