All forms of entertainment media have their own tropes, some that fans love to see and others that fans despise. Anime is no exception, especially the Shonen genre. Of the various anime tropes that viewers have come to expect from the popular genre, there’s one that’s become increasingly present. The idea of a pessimistic or highly emotional protagonist has persisted through several decades of anime, reaching as far back as 1995, if not further, with Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Shinji Ikari.
While this could be rather debatable, there have been numerous offshoots of this character type, with some having radical changes that have spawned categorically different tropes. One such trope is the “Crybaby Hero”, but what is this trope and what purpose does it serve in the world of anime?
What the Crybaby Hero Is
When it comes to different character types, they tend to share some common characteristics, especially within genres. Many typical Shonen protagonist types share boundless determination, a desire to be the best in their field, and a relatively tragic upbringing. Usually, they begin the story as a confident, tenacious whipper-snapper, and they’re ready to prove their worth to the world. Even if the world doesn’t recognize their potential, they still see their own potential, so they remain steady as they pursue their goal. However, the crybaby hero has core character traits that other protagonists don’t.
The crybaby hero is typically an emotional beacon of hope with high levels of empathy. They start their stories weak, and they’re prone to crying fits or cowering when faced with danger. Of course, a crybaby hero doesn’t have to tick every single one of these boxes, but they still share most of these qualities. They inspire others around them just by releasing the full range of their emotions, whether negative or positive. While some of them may still possess a desire to be number one at a given skill, hobby, or profession, it’s not their defining trait.
Some notable examples of crybaby heroes include Takemichi of Tokyo Revengers, Deku of My Hero Academia, Tanjiro of Demon Slayer, Eren Yeager of Attack on Titan, and Renton Thurston of Eureka Seven. Takemichi may even be the first protagonist to be canonically dubbed a crybaby hero. While most of these protagonists managed to be especially empathetic crybabies while inspiring others, Eren didn’t express much empathy for others, even with his season four antics aside.
What the Crybaby Hero Isn’t
Now that we’ve clarified what a crybaby hero is, let’s take a look at what they aren’t. Since well-written characters tend to be more multi-faceted, they could share certain values or traits from several different character types. The Shonen genre is filled with characters who are especially emotional, highly cowardly, or overly weak. However, this alone doesn’t make them crybaby heroes. Even if a character gets emotional from time to time and still grows over time, that doesn’t truly classify them as a crybaby hero.
Part of what makes a character a crybaby hero is how they interact with the world and how the world views them. Crybaby heroes fail to exhibit strength in the same way as others around them, yet they still manage to inspire others with the intensity of their emotions or their ability to keep fighting as tears roll down their faces. Some notable examples of characters who didn’t quite make the crybaby hero cut include Zenitsu of Demon Slayer, Mineta of Hero Academia, and Death the Kid of Soul Eater. While these characters may have been crybabies, or they may have been prone to emotional outbursts, they weren’t inspirational to others around them. They weren’t particularly empathetic either.
The True Power of the Crybaby Hero
Speaking of inspiring others, that’s one of the strongest powers the crybaby hero wields. When others witness the crybaby hero’s heavy emotions or empathy, they’re roused into action. Seeing someone that appears so vulnerable, whether physically or emotionally, forging ahead gives them a second wind. Consider the battle of Bloody Halloween in Tokyo Revengers, in which Takemichi was repeatedly overwhelmed by fear and soaked the ground with his many tears. With no fighting skills like the rest of his allies, he eventually charged into certain defeat, and it reignited the fire in his fellow Toman members’ hearts. Even Draken, the second in command and an unrealistically-strong Toman member, drew inspiration from Takemichi’s passion. The Toman members jumped back into the fray, somehow stronger and more relentless than before.
It’s not just characters in the series who catch the inspiration bug, but viewers as well. The crybaby hero trope shows viewers that not only is it acceptable to embrace your emotions but that it’s positive to do so. At times, it can seem like the best thing to do is to put on a brave face and withhold any emotions that are less than positive. However, the crybaby hero trope disregards this notion and shows those emotions to the world. Sadness and fear are part of the human experience, so they’re things everyone encounters, and there’s no shame in them.
Additionally, the empathy that many crybaby heroes portray is a positive value for viewers to replicate in their own lives. Consider the empathy Demon Slayer’s Tanjiro expresses for every demon he fights and defeats. Even after putting them to rest, he sees them as the humans they once were, and he respectfully recognizes the end of their human life. Better yet, Hero Academia’s Deku, also known as Izuku Midoriya, put his own victory and pursuit of his goal to be the number one hero aside in his battle with Todoroki at the U.A. High sports festival. Seeing that Todoroki was holding back from fully using his abilities because of his shame and hatred for where his quirk came from, Deku delivered an uplifting speech about Todoroki’s quirk. The speech was enough to permanently release Todoroki from the burden he had been carrying for so long, which resulted in Deku’s loss, but Deku had no regrets.
Expressing heavier emotions doesn’t have to serve as a roadblock to taking action or moving forward. Rather, it can be inspirational and move others. At the least, it can be emotionally healthy and fulfilling, as the crybaby hero trope has shown time and time again. Many crybaby heroes take action and achieve results regardless of their distressed demeanor. In the end, it’s just another example of how anime gives life lessons every viewer can celebrate and learn from.