Shonen anime are carried by their protagonists and supporting casts. While a great premise definitely plays a big role in a series becoming popular, having characters who readers and viewers can root for and watch grow is a must. Over the years, we've had a variety of amazing shonen characters come around, with many becoming some of the most recognizable anime characters around.

Goku, Luffy, Naruto, Ichigo, and more all enjoy a certain level of notoriety. But as we look to the new generation, which characters from modern series really stand out as the most iconic? This group of shonen characters have made a name for themselves over the last decade or so.

Senku Ishigami - Dr. Stone

While a lot of your typical shonen protagonists can be a little slow when it comes to anything outside of combat, Senku breaks away from this trope. Instead, he's a genius who's mentally tough, often solving problems with his quick thinking and resourcefulness.

Senku is a great character to root for, offering a fresh take on the shonen protagonist archetype that we're not necessarily used to, but glad to see regardless. He's a fun character to root for, and like many before him, is a big reason why his series became as popular as it did.

Denji - Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man looks like it'll end the year off on a high note. With the continued success of the new Reze Arc movie, it feels like the future is bright for the series. But before the anime adaptation and the hit movie, the biggest draw to the series was its lovable protagonist.

Denji is an easy character to root for, having grown up in poverty. He's a little naive and not always the quickest on the draw, but he's a good-natured person who you want to see succeed.

Eren Yeager - Attack on Titan

Aside from being one of the most well-known anime characters in recent memory, Eren also stands as one of the most controversial. Eren starts off as an incredibly sympathetic character at the start of Attack on TItan, and while he stays that way for most of the series, he definitely earns some detractors by the time all is said and done.

Still, he's an interesting character who fans won't forget about anytime soon. Sometimes rash and standoffish, Eren truly cares for the people closest to him and always does his best to overcome any challenge set his way. All the discourse around him and his actions only proves that he's one of the most well-written characters of his generation, and you can be sure that people will still be talking about Eren decades down the line.

Satoru Gojo - Jujutsu Kaisen

While Yuji Itadori is Jujutsu Kaisen's traditional "main character", Gojo definitely has had the bigger impact on the anime community. It's safe to say that he's the series' most well-known character and stands as one of the most recognizable characters of his generation.

It's not hard to see why Gojo is as popular as he is. He's a great character with some incredibly memorable moments that stick with you. He's more than just a typical overpowered character, and fans really grew to care and root for him throughout the course of the series.

Tanjiro Kamado - Demon Slayer

The Demon Slayer world is unforgiving, with plenty of characters having suffered either at the hands of demons or just society at large, and dealing with trauma because of it. But the series protagonist, Tanjiro, manages to stay an empathetic, level-headed person in spite of all the tragedy that surrounds him.

Tanjiro's relationship with his sister, Nezuko, is a big part of why fans love him so much. The Kamado siblings' bond is the heart of the series, showing off just how kind and caring they are for not just each other, but for the people around them as well.

Deku

A common trope for shonen protagonists is that they have to work at getting stronger, going through all sorts of trials, and overcoming hardships to be the best version of themselves. Deku's journey throughout My Hero Academia has been no different, but with Deku being quirkless at the start of the series, it made him seem like a much more relatable and approachable character.

Deku works his tail off to gradually master One For All, breaking out of his shell and becoming more comfortable with himself and the people around him in the process. He might not seem like the toughest shonen protagonist at times, but he's a great character who's captured the hearts of anime fans all over the world.

Sung Jinwoo

There might not be a bigger anime than Solo Leveling right now. While fans eagerly await season 3 of the anime, the impact of the first two seasons can't be understated. And a big reason why the series has quickly become so popular is its protagonist.

Sung Jinwoo is a fairly reserved character who isn't as headstrong as other shonen protagonists. He always strives to get stronger and is shown to be kind and caring. While some might find him a little boring, Sung Jinwoo keeps Solo Leveling interesting and has been part of some of the best anime moments of the decade.

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