Anime fans can look at the shonen genre for a new yet lasting take on the hero’s adventure. After all, the likes of Son Goku, Naruto Uzumaki, and Ichigo Kurosaki remained the iconic heroes that largely defined the childhood of many fans today. Young viewers today can now admire the likes of Deku Izuku, Tanjiro Kamado, and Yuji Itadori.
However, fans of these protagonists would inevitably wonder who would win if they duked it out. There have been some truly powerful characters inthe world of shonen anime, so it’s interesting to wonder who comes out on top.
Updated on Jun 04, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:With the stories of Deku already concluded and the tale of Yuji Itadori coming to an end, fans of shonen works might be interested to learn if there are other protagonists to root for - especially when it comes to escalating power levels. Surprisingly enough, the world of anime has a lot of protagonist whose powers and abilities are to admire, especially the hands of people with unique senses of justice. Among these protagonists is a teenager who can replace his limbs with functional chainsaws, a youngster whose lack of magic makes him the perfect body for the power to cancel all magical abilities, and a mercenary whose very presence seems to cause disasters.
The events ofChainsaw Manbegin with a youngDenjioffering some of his bloodto save a wounded Pochita, who ends up forming a contract with him. While at first only doing odd jobs for the Yakuza to pay his father’s debt, an unexpected turn of events would result in Denji dying, Pochita becoming his heart, and the two unite to become the Chainsaw Man. This will catch the interest of the Public Safety Devil Hunters, who hire Denji to help them kill demons.
Despite his rather brash and rude exterior,DenjiofChainsaw Manis shown to be extremely faithful and loyal to his friends. Throughout his interactions with his fellow Devil Hunters, it’s slowly revealed that Denji might just have a damaged side - to the point of wanting to be a “mindless dog” to avoid being hurt by others. However, this doesn’t make Denji any less weaker. As the Chainsaw Man, Denji has increased strength, durability, and stamina - perfect for his uncanny ability to project fully-functional chainsaws on his head and limbs. Aside from dismembering his foes, he can separate chains to pull himself or enemies, and even summon chainsaws on his feet for wall-climbing. As a Hybrid Devil, Denji is nigh-unkillable, and is resistant to most injuries.
Denji: Possible Weaknesses
The only extreme setback of Denji as the Chainsaw Man is his extreme anemia, as Pochita requires blood to sustain Denji’s Hybrid form. Any injury that causes Denji to lose blood will weaken him, forcing him to consume blood to replace any that he’s lost throughout his fight.
The sci-fi western future of Earth in the events ofTrigunis made even more memorable with the presence ofVash the Stampede, a mercenarynicknamed the “Humanoid Typhoon”for somehow always causing sheer chaos wherever he went. Not much is revealed about Vash throughout the events of the anime, making his more comedic side just as interesting as the serious face he conjures beneath his orange-tinted glasses and red trenchcoat whenever his past is mentioned.
In the series, Vash demonstrated incredible marksmanship - using his trusty revolver and a cybernetic machine-gun arm. It’s eventually revealed that Vash is a Plant, or a race of “organic” generators. This endowed him with superhuman physiology and reflexes, capable of dodging bullets. Depending on his level of consciousness, Vash can even tap into his Plant physiology to become a “generator” and create energy for different purposes: wings with monomolecular blades, flight, barriers, and even a city-destroying Angel Arm.
Vash: Possible Weaknesses
Compared to his twin brother Knives, Vash’s upbringing and exposure to life on Earth allowed him to develop a more pacifist nature as a mercenary. Vash refuses to kill unless left with no choice - a trait that others can exploit. Not to mention, despite his powerset, Vash’s continuous use of his Plant powers can darken his hair and drain his life force.
At first glance, one might look atAstaofBlack Cloverand see a sarcastic yet hyperactive mage - an obvious defense mechanism for his insecurity as he’s one of the few people in the world who can’t actually use magic. Despite judgment he’s received throughout his childhood, Asta continued to develop a strong sense of justice and an indomitable will - earning the respect of others around him, and even piquing the interest of Yami Sukehiro, who invited him to become a part of the Black Bull. To compensate for his lack of innate magic, Asta is extremely physically toned and trained in swordsmanship.
WhenAsta acquired his special Grimoire, he obtained Anti-Magic that nullifies the magic of those around him. Moreover, his lack of magic turned into a blessing, as Anti-Magic supposedly drains the mana of its user over time - something that Asta lacks. Throughout the series, Asta learns how to use Anti-Magic energy to nullify magic through fields, slashes, and direct attacks. The series also makes his swordsmanship handy for the Grimoire, as the book contains various Anti-Magic Swords explicitly developed to stop magic. In the anime, Asta slowly learns of the origins of his Grimoire - eventually making it a more intimate part of himself.
Asta: Possible Weaknesses
InBlack Clovercanon, Anti-Magic is considered a low-tier power due to its initial constraints - exhausting its user of magic to counter magic. It’s only courtesy of Asta’s lack of mana and physical strength that the naturally-heavy Anti-Magic Swords become useful to him. And even then, it’s implied that Anti-Magic only counters “magic” itself, but not necessarily the force behind it. Should Asta encounter a physically-imposing mage of a similar stature but with a more environmentally-affecting kit, then Asta might be at a disadvantage.
Death Note (2006)
WhenLight Yagamistumbles upon the mysterious Death Note, he realizes the notebook has a mystical property of killing anyone whose name is written in it. This discovery awakens a hidden spark in the youngster, where he can finally fulfill his vision of justice by being a god called “Kira” who kills criminals. Accompanying him inDeath Noteis Ryuk, a shinigami or death god assigned to observe humans who come in touch with the Death Note in his care.
However, Light isn’t powerful simply through the possession of the Death Note. His genius intellect allowed him to bypass much of the Death Note’s strict rules and even suspicions from others. Light learned he was able to use strips from the Death Note without the main book, worked a way to continue killing while under supervision, and even fooled Shinigamis into risking their lives to do his bidding. The only one to come to blows with Light’s intelligence isL, the World’s Greatest Detective, who’s had a nagging suspicion that Light is Kirabut never had the opportunity to acquire proof.
Light Yagami: Possible Weaknesses
As evidenced by his ironic and eventual death at the hands of his rival’s successor Near, Light’s most glaring weakness is his hubris. While the Shinigami Eyes will indeed halve his remaining life, securing the advantage of getting a person’s name when looking at them could’ve ended his rivalry with L much sooner. Light engaging in a prolonged battle of wits opened him to exposing weaknesses and patterns that led the Kira Task Force to close in on him.
Gintama
While many of the episodes inGintamainvolve the hijinks ofGintoki Sakataand his friends from the Yorozuya, Gintoki is more than willing to put his life on the line whenever various threats prove to be too much for them to handle. Throughout the series, it’s revealed that Gintoki was once a samurai who fought in the Joui War and actually possesses incredible swordsmanship skills. Such is his prowess on the battlefield that he’s earned the moniker Shiroyasha or White Yaksha, as his demonic appearance on the battlefield was a frightening sight.
Aside from his samurai training, Gintoki possesses an incredible physique with immense strength, endurance, and durability. He can apply his weapons specialization through his combat intuition, allowing him to contend with fierce foes should he put his mind into it. His self-taught nature has transformed him into an oddball on the battlefield, with his unpredictable combat style easily allowing him to bestevenGintama’s fiercest opponents.
Gintoki: Possible Weaknesses
While one can’t deny Gintoki’s immense strength on the battlefield, his rather lazy and laid back personality can let people get the best of him. Some say Gintoki’s greatest strength lies in his penchant for diplomacy, or at least to find the easiest way to solve a problem without having to even lift a finger. However, this does mean enemies have a lot of leeway to do damage before pushing Gintoki over to the edge of fighting, and by then it could be too late for him to stop his foes.
Trained in the Hokuto Shinken Style,KenshiroofFist Of The North Starcan utilize the full 100 percent of his fighting abilities. With this style, Ken can channel his energy into a single blow. When used on one of the 708 Keiraku Hiko (acupoints) in the body, the recipient is almost always destroyed from the inside of their body.
Some argue that Kenshiro isn’t as strong due to his lack of other supernatural abilities. However, his training, alongside his Style and natural aura, meant Kenshiro had achieved the peak of a normal human’s abilities.
Kenshiro: Possible Weaknesses
Kenshiro’s fighting technique mainly uses an opponent’s pressure points against them, meaning he might find it difficult to fight others who lack them or have them in different locations. While his strength and durability border on the superhuman, his reliance on martial arts grounds him as an immensely powerful human instead of a supernatural fighter.
Aside from his trusty fishing rod, fighters praisethe Rookie HunterGonfor his astute powers of observation that make him an effective and strategic combatant. As an Enhancer, Gon has great strength and endurance. His techniques, the Jajanken, allowed him to unleash devastating attacks based on rock-paper-scissors. These include close-range punches (Rock), a transmuted blade (Scissors), and a long-range blast (Paper).
However, Gon ofHunter X Hunterunleashed his full potential through a Vow, a limited transformation at the cost of using his Nen, and left him afterward in a comatose state. In this form, Gon can overpower Meruem, the second-most powerful entity in the franchise. While Gon can never use Nen again after this Vow, this momentary power boost reveals there’s more to Gon than his cheerful appearance.
Gon Freecss: Possible Weaknesses
While gifted as a Hunter, Gon’s weaknesses lie in his insecurity - especially with the realization that he cannot always protect his friends. When he formed a Vow to fight Neferpitou, he temporarily reached the pinnacle of his powers at the price of a reduced lifespan and his abilities moving forward. Once again an ordinary person, there’s no telling what new heights Gon can achieve should he train to become a Hunter. However, his willingness to throw even his life away for power to protect others remains a disadvantageous gamble against powerful foes.
Similar to protagonists thrust into a world of supernatural abilities,Yuji ItadoriofJujutsu Kaisendidn’t have the rest of his childhood to receive proper training in handling curses, nor how to fight cursed spirits. As such, his rise among the ranks of Tokyo Jujutsu High’s students has impressed even his teachers. While others considerhis position as the vessel of Sukunato be the sole reason he got into Tokyo Jujutsu High in the first place, Yuji quickly proved others wrong with his keen combat potential.
Even without cursed energy, Yuji demonstrates tremendous strength, endurance, stamina, and physical prowess. He can lift cars and destroy walls with relative ease, with Gojo Satoru - arguably one of the strongest cursed energy users of all time - himself claiming Yuji as one his successors. Not only that, Yuji’s martial arts skills allow him to contend with powerful cursed users simply by infusing cursed energy into his attacks. When Sukuna possesses Yuji, he unlocks the full arsenal of the King of Curses, transforming him into the most dangerous entity in any situation he’s in.
Yuji Itadori: Possible Weaknesses
Yuji’s kindness and concern for others easily become his weaknesses - something that villains frequently exploit throughout theJujutsu Kaisenseries. Not only that, but even Sukuna’s presence in his body is a liability, as there’s no guarantee of the degree of damage the King of Curses could unleash in an area in the full minute he’s on his rampage. While Yuji is a gifted combatant, his lack of experience in the intricacies of cursed energy has often been used against him, with Yuji often only prevailing through sheer willpower and physical prowess.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
After a horrific accident costEdward Elrican arm and a leg and had his brother Alphonse’s soul fuse with a suit of armor, the siblings have made a promise to find the fabled Philosopher’s Stone to bring their bodies back to normal. AcrossFullmetal Alchemist, Ed and his brother Al become State Alchemists to solve all kinds of cases across the region of Amestris, with Ed taking on the eponymous title due to his iconic metal prosthetics.
Despite his short stature,Edward Elric is one of the most gifted Alchemists of the current generation. Unlike other Alchemists, Edward can perform alchemy without the need for transmutation circles, a “gift” he acquired after the forbidden Human Transmutation cost him his arm and leg. Tutelage under Izumi Curtis provided Ed with incredible hand-to-hand combat abilities, something he can use in tandem with his quick thinking and assortment of combative alchemical transmutations - such as adding a blade to his Automail Arm, assortments of spears and spikes from the earth, and even manipulating the environment to make platforms to access opponents from afar.
Edward Elric: Possible Weaknesses
Despite Edward’s ability to unleash alchemical effects without Transmutation Circles, his mortal physique can still make fights against Homunculi and even against Father extremely lethal without the right training and preparation. It’s only through Ed’s existing combat training and prowess that he’s able to tank through the antagonist’s attacks, and even then he had to rely on backup from the army to wear down Father’s defenses.
As the story ofFrieren: Beyond Journey’s Endbegins just after the defeat of the Demon King. The adventures of its protagonist,Frieren,deal with the aftermath of the victories and losses experienced by the Hero Party she once accompanied. In this unique takeon the shonen concept,Frierentakes players on a journey of how an Elf who can live for thousands of years can start appreciating how Humans can transform their fleeting lives into unforgettable memories. However, just because Frieren’s party had just defeated the Demon King doesn’t mean she’s forgotten her combat training. As the Mage of the Hero Party, Frieren possesses some of the most powerful spellcasting abilities in their world.
Frieren is characterized as someone of extreme mana output, to the point where she learned how to suppress it in order to catch enemies unawares. This is coupled with her impressive analytical prowess, allowing her to know exactly what spell to use to deal with any situation. Some of Frieren’s other feats include defensive magic, dispelling magic, and other spells she can invent to accommodate her needs in combat.
Frieren: Possible Weaknesses
Being an Elf, Frieren is projected to have lived and will continue to live for thousands of years. However, this also results in her tendency to become aloof, tactless, and have a poor sense of time, making her appear cold to others. While her power levels allow her to protect her comrades with ease, her training as a Mage means Frieren doesn’t necessarily possess the same fortitude and combat prowess as other warriors. When caught off-guard, Frieren’s spells may not be enough to stop rampaging beasts.
