Weekly Shonen Jump is the biggest and most famous Manga magazine in Japan. Most of the famous and iconic Shonen series were originally serialized in Shonen Jump -- becoming household names in the industry and, in some cases, inspiring the next generations of Manga authors.
And with so many amazing series comes the iconic protagonists who lead them. The magazine gave us some of the most recognizable faces in Japanese media with some of the most famous special attacks. Every anime fan knows Goku and the Kame Hame Ha, Naruto and the Rasengan, or Jotaro and his Star Platinum. Shonen Jump is filled with amazing protagonists, but these are the absolute best.
10 Yusuke Urameshi - Yu Yu Hakusho
Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the most influential Shonen Jump series of the Nineties, and its main character, the fun Yusuke Urameshi, is a powerful spirit detective. Yusuke was a teen delinquent, always getting into fights, smoking, and drinking.
After saving a young boy from getting hit by a car, Yusuke passes away and is given the chance to resurrect. He soon becomes Earth’s defender from the Spirit World, and Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei form Team Urameshi to fight evil spirits together.
9 Denji - Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man is a very recent series that has taken the world by storm, quickly becoming a massive hit. Denji is perhaps one of the most unconventional heroes in Shonen Jump. He has a selfish and immature goal of having intimacy with women, and he uses his devil powers as the Chainsaw Man to accomplish this.
Denji quickly goes through a journey of personal growth while doing his best to protect people from increasingly powerful devils and learning what human connection really means, some of these coming from unexpected places.
8 Yugi Muto/Pharaoh Atem - Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Yu-Gi-Oh is a worldwide multimedia franchise focused mainly on anime and the physical card game. And the lead for the first series, Duel Monsters, was the timid yet courageous Yugi Muto and his undying partner, the spirit of Pharaoh Atem.
Yugi and Atem save the world from many threats with their powerful cards, like the iconic Dark Magician and Slifer the Sky Dragon, their own Egyptian God Card. With the help of Atem and his friends, Yugi learns to believe in himself and find his own strength.
7 Light Yagami - Death Note
Death Note is perhaps one of the most famous anime series out there, a common entry point into the medium for a lot of people. And what sets the series apart from its peers is its rather sinister protagonist, the evil genius Light Yagami.
After finding a Death Note, a supernatural notebook with the power to instantly kill whoever’s name is written on it, Light aims to rid the world of crime and evil. However, this power quickly corrupts him into the evil Kira until the boy at the start of the series is long gone.
6 Gon Freecs - Hunter X Hunter
Yoshihiro Togashi’s magnum opus, the incredible Hunter X Hunter, is filled with enticing and beautifully written characters, and its lead character can be deceptively simple. Gon starts as an optimistic and joyful young boy set on finding his father.
But as the story progresses, more malicious threats appear, and the cheerful boy descends into a darker mindset. Experiencing intense pain and loss firsthand, Gon’s innocence and wonder are stripped away as he forcefully and harshly grows into an adult in a world full of conflict.
5 Naruto Uzumaki - Naruto
Naruto is a series that needs no introduction. It is a worldwide known series, and Naruto Uzumaki, the host of the Nine-Tails, is synonymous with shonen anime. As a young boy ostracized and neglected by the Hidden Leaf Village, he aims to become Hokage in order to gain the village’s approval, only to slowly learn that there are no shortcuts to one’s goals, and he has to earn said recognition.
Through many trials and hard battles, the once-hated knuckle-head ninja becomes a hero to the entire ninja world and grows both as a warrior and as an adult.
4 Monkey D. Luffy - One Piece
One Piece is the best-selling manga series of all time, the most famous and celebrated of Shonen Jump’s Big 3. With over a thousand manga chapters and anime episodes, Luffy and the Straw Hats’ story is still going strong.
Luffy is the ever-joyful and brave boy aiming to find the One Piece treasure and become the King of the Pirates. The Straw Hats Pirates have gone against the corrupt world government and fought for the freedom of many different regions. And no matter how many monumental enemies Luffy faces, he always laughs.
3 Ichigo Kurosaki - Bleach
When hearing the statements of many current mangakas, Bleach is clearly one of the most influential Shonen Jump series. And there are few characters in Shonen more famous than Ichigo Kurosaki.
While Naruto and Luffy’s undying enthusiasm and hope are inspiring, Ichigo is a rather realistic and human protagonist. His main goal is to protect his loved ones from danger, and he seeks power solely for that purpose. He is a strong-willed boy with an unending kindness. Almost every Bleach fan loves their protagonist, Ichigo, The One Who Protects.
2 Jotaro Kujo - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders
Having the anime adaptation be so recent compared to all the others, it is hard to believe that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the oldest and most influential series ever. And Jotaro Kujo, the protagonist of Stardust Crusaders, is a massive entity in the industry.
Jotaro is a Stoic and serious hero who, in time, turns into a more compassionate man while keeping his personality. There are few things as exciting as Jotaro’s Star Platinum defeating a malicious villain with a stand rush.
1 Son Goku - Dragon Ball
This is a character that needs no introduction, as Son Goku (Kakarot) is simply the most iconic anime character of all time. Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball became the father of modern Shonen Manga, inspiring the Big 3, which then inspired the current generations. Almost every anime fan grew up following the adventures of Goku and the Z Fighters.
It's hard to find a kid who hasn’t done the Kame Hame Ha move at school with their friends. Goku’s lovable and goofy personality is always endearing, which makes his furious nature when fighting more exciting.