'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABgAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgYQAAEDBAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxEABAUSBgchYQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMRAQEAAgMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQAETEiQf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AmztbPtblFtisy2tGKfO7Fq2uFMLtHQw2d4hQCXDAiJrUp6Z4HqJx0mPSXXZP3xVKVLPjjDtXOMYkifmVD141st3pw11S2vaC+H7z/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In the wide world of shonen anime, there exist many protagonists with superpowers. From Goku with ki, to Naruto with chakra, and Deku with Quirks, many shonen anime protagonists have some supernatural or unique ability that makes them stand out from other characters.
Then there are those, like Twlight from Spy x Family, who don't have superpowers but are still able to fight against evil, solve crimes, or just plain survive in worlds that are hostile. While much has been made about the various protagonists that do have superpowers, this list will highlight 10 shonen anime protagonists who are utterly ordinary.
Disclaimer: This list will contain spoilers for various shonen anime, and the fates of their protagonists. The opinions reflected are only those of the author.
From Keitaro Urashima to Kyon, 10 shonen anime protagonists who are the definition of "Badass Normal"
1) Loid Forger aka "Twilight" (Spy x Family)
The Forger family in Spy x Family may have a psychic kid in Anya, but Loid aka "Twilight" and Yor aka "The Thorn Princess" aren't superpowered in any way. Loid specifically is a great spy and master of disguise, abilities honed from years of spywork in service to Westalis. As a young boy, he was a victim of the horrors of war devastating his home.
This traumatic event pushed Loid into the field of spywork to prevent any children from losing people they cared about. This is easier said than done, of course, as plenty of backroom dealings, assassination attempts, and having to pretend to be married weigh on him quite a lot.
Having to keep up a married facade with a psychic kid and an assassin wife may be his most challenging assignment as of yet.
2) Shinichi kudo/Conan Edogawa (Case Closed)
Speaking of challenging assignments, the main protagonist of the shonen anime Case Closed/Detective Conan has a lot to say on detective work. The only real extraordinary thing about Conan is that he's actually an aged down teenager named Shinichi Kudo (Jimmy Kudo in the English dub).
Poisoned by the nefarious Black Organization, Conan goes forth to catch the criminals that poisoned him while solving murders along the way. Whilst his body is that of a seven-year-old, he makes up for it with his detective skills and a plethora of gadgets.
The kid has plenty of deductive skills to rival Sherlock Holmes, and can usually get to the bottom of a case faster than many adults. This comes at the expense of being with someone he loves, plus that he's having to live with a washed up detective and uses him as a proxy for the investigations.
3) Ryo Saeba (City Hunter)
An older shonen anime protagonist who nonetheless counts towards the list is Ryo Saeba from City Hunter. A sweeper/mercenary in a shonen anime series chock full of them, Ryo stands out from the crowd via planning several steps ahead of his competiiton, and being practically unrivaled in sharpshooting. It wasn't exactly easy for him to start out, however.
As a child, he was the only survivor of a plane crash over Central America, and was forced to join a gurrelia force fighting against the government. He learned how to shoot there, and was raised by a bounty hunter after fleeing to the United States.
Ryo mastered the art of shooting to the point where he could shoot the same spot on his target repeatedly, even through cover, and formed the City Hunter organization to help people.
4) Keitaro Urashima (Love Hina)
Everyone's favorite unlucky, or lucky depending on their point of view, harem protagonist Keitaro Urashima, is probably the definition of a normal guy in a shonen anime.
Despite being a failure to get into Tokyo University, Keitaro never stopped trying and went to Hinata Apartments to stay. Unfortunately, the apartments turned out to be co-ed and Keitaro learned that the hard way.
Thus began Keitaro's humorous life in the shonen anime Love Hina. To put it simply, he's in charge of managing roughly five women of various ages who all disdain him to some degree. This isn't an easy task, given how much the poor guy has to put up with. At least they stop hating him after a while, and Naru even falls in love with him.
5) Kenshin Himura (Ruroni Kenshin)
Despite being known as Hikkori Batosai aka "The Man Slayer", the titular shonen protagonist is well known for being a wandering samurai seeking solice following bloody acts committed during the Bakumatsu era of Japan. He may possess fast reflexes with his blade, but Kenshin is still human at the end of the day.
This doesn't mean he's bad in a fight at all, it's just that he needs a sword to be able to function in combat. This is true of the manga and its adapted anime. Kenshin seeks his own type of atonement for his actions and chose to wander the earth rather than commit seppuku. It takes several traveling companions to convince him that life is worth living again.
6) Legoshi (Beastars)
For a shonen anime protagonist in a show with anthropomorphic animals, Beastars' Legoshi is a relatively normal gray wolf. Tall, awkward, and a little scrawny looking, Legoshi takes it upon himself to find out what happened to the popular alpaca Tem after Tem's body was discovered. The answer would change Legoshi forever.
As far as being a gray wolf goes, he isn't supernaturally strong or fast. Legoshi is very observant, however, and supremely self-loathing because of his massive self-awareness as a carnivore. This doesn't prevent him from battling lions to save Haru or Tem's massive murderer Riz, nor does it stop him when he is training with the blind panda Gohin to get rid of his dependecy on meat.
7) Kyon (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Being the one normal guy in a club full of espers, aliens, time travelers, and an actual goddess will be exhausting after a while. That's what the main protagonist in the shonen anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has to deal with, and Kyon wouldn't have it any other way. He does bemoan the insanity, but adapts to it and considers the SOS Brigade true friends.
How does a normal human handle monsters, aliens, and all the other supernatural nonsense Haruhi creates and summons? He usually tries to talk them down a la Naruto, and it works sometimes. He also helps do a lot of the managerial stuff that none of them have experience with. Kyon is likewise the typical example of a tsundere, though more lazy at first before gathering his courage and freedom.
8) Shoyo Hinata (Haikyuu)
Speed on the volleyball court can make or break games and teams, and Hinata knows that more than anything. This protagonist from the shonen anime Haikyuu is one of the fastest volleyball players around, but it comes at the cost of height and teamwork. Hinata may earn the be the speediest, but he's not a powerful player and needs to train alongside the rest of the team to get better.
This doesn't manifest itself as a special power, however. Speed is a natural talent and everything else has to be worked for. It's not just Hinata that works to get Karasuno High's volleyball team to the championships, having to make peace with the fact that his rival is on his team is also a problem. Regardless, he learns how to work better with others in order to win.
9) Senku Ishigami (Dr. Stone)
Hyperintelligence is great in a world where everyone has been turned to stone following a petrification event. Senku Ishigami doesn't have any power beyond being extremely intelligent. In a world where technology has regressed following the collapse of electrical grids, it's up to him and a team of others to help humanity restart in the shonen anime Dr. Stone.
Dr. Stone is notable for applying actual scientific methology and principles to good use, and Senku himself does the same. Trying to create electricity, for example, requires the use of better wires than copper. Over the course of the shonen anime, Senku does everything from getting potable water to making sure food supplies are intact and saving people from petrification.
10) Ash Ketchum (Pokémon)
Even a shonen anime protagonist with a rather large plethora of accomplishments under his belt like Ash Ketchum isn't all that special. He was a regular kid when he started off on his journey with his disobedient Pikachu, and remained so at the finish line of an over 20 year journey. While Ash has seen and caught a lot of Pokemon, many people are still very weirded out by him just being a kid.
Now, this doesn't detract from his accomplishments at all. Kid protagonists in shonen anime are extremely common, from Ash to Yugi Moto. What people are weirded out by is that the former hasn't been allowed to age past childhood, when most other shonen anime protagonists have by the time of writing.
These have been 10 shonen anime protagonists that are completely ordinary. While some have better intelligence, weapons skills, or speed, that ultimately doesn't translate into supernatural powers like inner demons or ki. It's actually refreshing when shonen anime doesn't have a character that's the strongest thing alive.
Readers are encouraged to add any of their favorite examples or others in the comments.
