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From Goku being the Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan God, to Naruto being a Child of Prophecy, shonen anime protagonists are usually either blessed with a mark, or have some prophecy attached to them. However, that is not the case with al. Some of them simply happen to stumble upon a momentuous incident, which ends up turning them into a protagonist.
For instance, Conan Edogawa (or Shinichi Kudo) was just in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was captured and poisoned. Similarly, Light Yagami was a random guy who happened to cross paths with the Death Note, and had no prior intentions of finding it.
Here, we have listed some popular shonen anime protagonists who were not heralded as the chosen ones.
Note: This article will contain spoilers and reflect the authors' opinions. It will also have mentions of violence and death.
Conan Edogawa to Kenshin Himura: Shonen anime protagonists who defied destiny
1) Conan Edogawa (Case Closed/Detective Conan)
Long-running shonen anime, Detective Conan/Case Closed does not have many (if any) fantastical elements aside from Conan himself. There is no prophecy or mark to identify the protagonist here.
After he solves a murder case while on a date, Shinichi Kudo is ambushed by two men who poison him. Instead of killing him, however, the poison regresses him into a seven-year-old's body, while retaining his original, developed nervous system that has capabilities far beyond his physical age.
Conan Edogawa therefore becomes the alias used by Kudo in his seven-year old form. Throughout the anime, he is not alone in his detective work, and has assistance from Professor Agasa and the Mouri Detective Agency.
2) Light Yagami (Death Note)
At first glance, shonen anime fans thought Light was a chosen one, given how he randomly discovered the Death Note. He and Ryuk also seem to get along well enough, with Light's intent to become God clearly reflecting in his actions. There's just one caveat: Ryuk did not specifically choose Light for the job of handling the Death Note.
Instead, the Shinigami had spread around quite a few Death Notes, leaving them to be picked up by any random person. This causes future problems for Light, as quite a few people get hold of their own Death Note and begin killing others, resulting in more than one Kira, much to the confoundment of both Light and L.
3)Yusuke Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho)
A punk chosen to be a spirit detective, shonen anime protagonist Yusuke Urameshi may have latent demon blood, but that's about it. He wasn't chosen by fate or destiny to be a demon king or soul king (or anything, for that matter). His demon powers don't manifest until he is killed later in the series.
Furthermore, Yusuke is a delinquent for most of the series, and has to mature in order to fully come into his own as a spirit detective. That apart, he also learns how to work with his various companions, who are all drawn to him either due to his altruistic attitude or because he beats them up.
4) Asta (Black Clover)
A kid born without magic in a magical world, Asta is not the chosen one in this shonen anime. To make up for what he lacked in magical powers, he worked exceptionally hard from the age of five, just so he could master anti-magic and acquire skills in swordplay.
This hard work pays off when he is eventually chosen by the Five Star Grimoire.
As a shonen anime protagonist, Asta exemplifies the value of hard work even in the face of no seemingly special prowess. As a result, he ends up becoming so powerful that he is able to take on foes with twice his strength.
5) Gon Freecss (Hunter x Hunter)
It was a stranger who inspired a young Gon Freecss to obtain a Hunter's license and meet his father. Hence, the beginning of his quest was marked by a sheer chance encounter. Gon makes for a good example of a shonen anime protagonist who goes all-in when it comes to hard work and fighting.
While Gon may not be a chosen one, he carries himself like one. When he's on the losing end, he always manages to bounce back. While Gon is generally nice and forgiving, he also has a more self-serving side to his personality.
This, coupled with his lack of morality, unfortunately comes back to bite him more than once through the Chimera Ant arc.
6) Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)
While it is true that Izuku was born Quirkless and chosen by All Might to carry the legacy power One for All, he was neither the first nor the only one to be chosen. Furthermore, this shonen anime protagonist struggled to control the powers.
That being said, Izuku is the only one truly able to establish a psychic connection with the past One for All users. He starts Quirkless and inherits this quirk owing to his sense of heroism. Even though past users have theorized that Izuku is a chosen one, there's no real evidence in favor of it.
7) Black Star (Soul Eater)
This loud-mouthed, show-off, god-complex ninja in the shonen anime Soul Eater is about as anti-chosen as a character can be. While none of the three main characters, including Maka and Death the Kid, are truly chosen ones, Black Star takes the cake for his arrogant attitude and penchant for being in the spotlight.
This flaw in his character constantly makes him try to draw attention to himself in the rashest possible ways.
Despite being immature, Black Star, however, cannot be deemed a bad guy, owing to his kindness. Even though he has the god complex of a rival to a chosen one, he still stands as a hero.
8) Legoshi (Beastars)
An average shy, gray wolf, Legoshi of Beastars was not a chosen one by a long shot. He simply ends up getting pulled into the investigation of Tem's death. This was thrust upon him and was not something he was destined for.
Despite this lack of a great destiny, however, Legoshi goes on to solve Tem's murder. Apart from that, he not only manages to convince Louis to leave the Lion mafia, but also beats down Riz and persuades him to give up.
9) Edward and Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
The Elric Brothers of Fullmetal Alchemist started off as regular kids who lose their mom and try to bring her back. In the shonen anime, after gaining their automail, the brothers set out to recover their bodies. It's on this journey that they get sucked into everything that's going on with the government and Homunculi.
Edward encountering Truth at the end of the anime doesn't make him a chosen one either. That happened simply because Edward impressed Truth with his understanding of the principles of equivalent exchange.
Neither Edward nor Alphonse can be deemed as chosen ones. Instead, they fit the bill of two ordinary people thrust into an extraordinary world.
10) Kenshin Himura (Rurouni Kenshin)
Kenshin was a manslayer and war veteran before the beginning of this shonen anime. He was a child slave who, after being violently freed, went on to kill countless people. His journey towards peace began only after he accidentally killed someone he considered to be a friend.
However, there is no overarching destiny that Kenshin follows. His quest for peace is what turns him into a protagonist. Eventually, after saving multiple lives, Kenshin does reach the end of his journey and finds the peace he was always on the lookout for.
