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Some shonen anime protagonists aren't as good as the characters around them. The quality of the series they are in can suffer as a result. Sometimes, it would simply be better if they were deuteragonists instead.
Some traits that often make protagonists better suited to be deuteragonists are as follows:
- They are overly passive.
- They are surrounded by more interesting characters.
- Their goals drag the show down.
The only limitation of this list is that these protagonists must have starred in a Shonen manga.
Note: This article solely reflects the opinions of the writer
8 shonen anime protagonists who should have been demoted to a deuteragonist role or less
1) Son Goku
Goku is one of the most recognizable anime protagonists of all time. His run in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z was legendary, so it's not as if he should have never been a protagonist in the first place. Rather, it's about a time that old-school Dragon Ball Z fans might remember: the Cell Saga.
There was a time when many fans argued about whether Gohan should've become the protagonist. There was even an infamous message in Chapter 421 of the manga that stated:
"Dragon Ball will continue for just a tad longer! From now on, taking the place of the late Goku as the main character will be his serious-minded son, Son Gohan!"
One would have to wonder about an alternate timeline where Gohan did succeed as the protagonist, with Goku either remaining dead or becoming a deuteragonist.
2) Yugi Muto
Yugi Muto is one of the two main protagonists in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series, sharing the role with his alter ego, Yami Yugi. However, he is considerably less interesting than the old pharaoh, not to mention other characters like Seto Kaiba.
One could argue that Yugi Muto is already like a deuteragonist in some parts of the story, but he's still technically the main hero of the anime.
Yugi Muto is a good character; it's just that those around him are so much more worthy of screentime. At the very least, Yami Yugi is absolutely deserving of being the show's main character, given his backstory and more aggressive personality.
3) Mirai Kakehashi
An anime based on a manga published in Jump Square, Platinum End was designed for a shonen audience. Its protagonist, Mirai Kakehashi, has the classic sad backstory that many shonen protagonists have, yet his motivations aren't too interesting on their own.
He isn't terrible per se, but he's pretty dull at the beginning of the show, and some fans might not care for his no-killing policy.
It would be hard to think of a better protagonist for the show, but some of the other God Candidates are more entertaining to watch.
Given his role in the story, demoting Mirai to a deuteragonist role wouldn't be too bad (considering how boring he is).
4) Inaho Kaizuka
Inaho Kaizuka is the main character of Aldnoah.Zero. He's another example of a plain main character, especially compared to more interesting ones like Slaine.
Some might dislike Slaine, but he has more of an engaging personality, which would've made him a more compelling character to follow by comparison.
Nonetheless, shonen fans are stuck with Inaho, who can be a bit expressionless at times but cares for those around him. He's not an offensive character to watch, just boring.
5) Natsu Dragneel
Fairy Tail isn't an anime known for its character development, but there are other reasons why it's a bit of a divisive shonen.
The main character is Natsu Dragneel, who is full of shonen tropes. He's a bit generic and often relies on power-ups to get through the story. Of course, some of the deuteragonists like Erza also win battles for seemingly no reason, so it isn't a problem unique to him.
Still, some fans of the series didn't like him post-Edolas, partially because the writing for the series got more questionable (even by shonen standards).
6) Boruto Uzumaki
It makes sense that Boruto is the main protagonist of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, but there is a vocal community that doesn't like him or the anime. The series had to live up to the gargantuan reputation that its predecessor, Naruto, established, and the differences between the two shows' legacies are apparent.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has mixed reviews on various websites like MyAnimeList, whereas Naruto is highly rated. There are several reasons for this discrepancy, although one has to wonder if the main show's protagonist is at fault.
Given how important he is, it would be interesting if he was a deuteragonist, with Sarada being the main protagonist instead. This is a popular opinion among fans who find Sarada to be a more interesting character, given her backstory with Sasuke and her desire to be an Uchiha Hokage.
7) Hoshimiya Eiji
Big Order does not have a good reputation as far as shonen animes go. It's hard to imagine replacing Hoshimiya Eiji as the main character, but moving him to a deuteragonist role could fix things.
Regardless, Big Order has mediocre to bad reviews across sites like MyAnimeList.net. It's a show that doesn't have the charm that something like Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has.
Hoshimiya Eiji is an overpowered but uninteresting protagonist. Kurenai Rin is a more interesting character as she has the typical Yandere characteristics, although the plot would have to change drastically. It's not like it would matter too much, given the show's hatred in various online forums.
8) Yukiteru Amano
Some people consider Yukiteru Amano the main male protagonist of Future Diary, while others see him as a deuteragonist to Yuno Gasai. It doesn't help that Yuno is far more popular than him.
Yukiteru is timid, whiny, and didn't evolve too much as a character. Unsurprisingly, he's a bit divisive in terms of how many people love him or hate him for his personality.
Yuno is arguably the most infamous example of a yandere in anime, which is a more interesting character to watch than Yukiteru. She is the main female protagonist and often carries the show.
