10 Classic Shonen Anime That Are Still Worth The Hype (2024)

The popularity of shonen anime means there's always multiple new series releasing for fans to get into. While not all of them are good, enough of them are high quality that it can be easy to focus just on whatever comes out every week. However, doing that would rob fans of the experience of checking out some of anime's most beloved classics.

Of course, not every old shōnen anime is a classic. On the contrary, there are plenty that aged poorly and have been rightfully resigned to the dustbin of history. That said, there are plenty of great shōnen anime that are worth every bit of the excitement older fans place on them, ones that new and experienced fans alike should make a point to check out.

10 City Hunter Provides Grounded Episodic Adventures

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Western anime fandom is a bit too young for the era where City Hunter was a major anime franchise. The series got most of its exposure in the late '80s and early '90s, before shonen as a demographic shifted to younger protagonists. City Hunter features Saeba Ryo, a man who's willing to solve any case as long as the price is right...and if the case comes from gorgeous women. His partner Kaori helps keep him on a leash, but Ryo also has a serious side that he lets out when a mission needs it.

City Hunter is great for fans of episodic anime, as the first season doesn't contain any long-running plots. Each episode, a new femme fatale walks in Ryo's door, leading him to have to come up with a new solution to their problem. It's also great for fans of action, as Ryo pulls off some of the most absurd trick shots ever. All too often, Ryo's able to deal with the most ridiculous threats and all he needs is a gun.

City Hunter

TV-14

Anime

Action

Comedy

The adventures of Ryo Saeba, a gun-for-hire living in the Tokyo metropolis, who will take on any dangerous job as long as it involves beautiful women.

Release Date

April 6, 1987

Cast

Tesshô Genda , Akira Kamiya , Mami Koyama

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1

Creator

Tsukasa Hojo

Number of Episodes

51

9 Zatch Bell Is One Long Tournament Series

Available on DVD

This series will look familiar to millennial anime fans, as it was a smash hit when it aired on Toonami in the late 2000s. Zatch Bell focuses on Kiyo Takamine, an antisocial genius who's been thrown into a dangerous tournament with Mamodo, powerful beings from another world. Kiyo works alongside his powerful Mamodo partner, Zatch Bell, to decide who will win the tournament and become King of the Mamodos.

Zatch Bell strikes the right balance between action, drama, and comedy for a show that's a great watch from beginning to end. The show builds up the relationship with Kiyo and Zatch, as Zatch learns what sort of king the Mamodos need, and Kiyo learns how to form emotional bonds with other people. The series is also one gigantic tournament, making this a great option for fans who love tournament arcs in anime.

Zatch Bell!

TV-Y7

Action

Kiyo Takamine meets a momoto (demons from another world) boy zatch bell and set out to compete in the momoto games held every 1000 years to become their king.

Release Date

April 6, 2003

Creator(s)

Makoto Raiku

Cast

debi derryberry , jason spisak , Richard Steven Horvitz , Jeff Nimoy , Dave Wittenberg , Melissa Fahn

Main Genre

Action

See Also

Claymore-Collection (Box Set, DVD, 2007) R4 VGC Free Shipping Aus • $37.9510 Classic Shounen Anime You Should Still Watch in 2024!14 Best Swordswomen In Anime, Ranked30+ Of The Best Anime Scenes That Are Unforgettable

Seasons

3

Creator

Akatsuki Yamatoya, Hiroshi Hashimoto

Producer

Atsuya Takase, Hiroyuki Sakurada, Shinichi Ikeda, Takatoshi Hamano

Production Company

Fuji Television Network, ShoPro Entertainment, Toei Animation

Writers

Akatsuki Yamatoya , Hiroshi Hashimoto

Number of Episodes

153 Episodes

Franchise(s)

Zatch Bell!

Directors

Tetsuharu Nakamura , Yukio Kaizawa

8 History's Greatest Disciple Kenichi Makes Growth The Focus

Streaming on Hulu

History's Greatest Disciple Kenichi might be one of the most beloved shonen anime, even though it's been years since it was actively airing on TV. The lead is Kenichi Shirahama, a high school teenager struggling with bullies who decides to train at the dojo of his new friend, Miu. While the masters of the Ryozanpaku Dojo all tell Kenichi he has no talent, their ridiculous training causes Kenichi to experience incredible growth as a martial artist. It also happens to draw the ire of other powerful teen martial artists in the city.

Kenichi remains noteworthy over a decade later because it epitomizes what makes battle shōnen cool to a lot of fans. While the protagonist starts off weak, his willingness to go through any training gradually turns him into one of the strongest fighters around. Though the anime never quite finished the storyline, it's still a worthwhile watch for fans who've never gone back for it.

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple

TV-14

Action

Comedy

"Weak Legs" Kenichi Shirahama would rather spend his time reading self improvement books than fighting.

Release Date

October 7, 2006

Cast

Jessie James Grelle , Christopher Sabat , Kent Williams

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

3 Seasons

Creator

Syun Matsuena

Production Company

TMS Entertainment, Brains Base

7 Soul Eater Shows A Distinct World Unlike Any Other

Streaming on Hulu

At one point, Soul Eater was one of the most popular anime around. In the late 2000s, fans flocked to Soul Eater in a similar way they did to the Big 3 of shonen. However, the Big 3 continued running while Soul Eater ended after a single year, causing a lot of fans to forget about it. Still, it featured a cool cast of eclectic characters and has one of the most visually distinctive worlds, even today.

Soul Eater focuses on Maka Albarn, a talented young woman training to become the next Shinigami at Death Weapon Meister Academy. Working with her partner, a Shinigami weapon known as Soul, Maka needs to collect 99 wicked souls and one witch. Yet when she fails to collect a witch's soul, she's forced to start from scratch, placing her on the same level as many of the other students at her academy.

Soul Eater

TV-14

Action

Adventure

Animation

Supernatural

Set in the Shinigami technical school, the series revolves around a partnership between a weapon meisters and a human weapon. Trying to reach a ranking of "Death Scythe" they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and 1 witch.

Release Date

April 7, 2008

Creator(s)

Atsushi Ohkubo

Cast

Laura Bailey , Micah Solusod , Brittney Karbowski , Monica Rial , Todd Haberkorn , Jamie Marchi , Cherami Leigh

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

1

Writers

Akatsuki Yamatoya

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

Franchise(s)

Soul Eater

Directors

Takuya Igarashi

6 Great Teacher Onizuka Shows The Challenges Of Teachers And Students

Streaming on Netflix

Great Teacher Onizuka is a reminder that shonen anime doesn't always have to be about cool fight scenes. Eikichi Onizuka is a former gang member who decides to become a teacher in his early 20s. Though he thinks it's a quick way to a cushy adult life, he's forced to adjust his expectations when he becomes the homeroom teacher for Holy Forest Academy's Class 3-4. Not only the rowdiest class at the school, Class 3-4 has successfully made all their previous homeroom teachers quit.

Admittedly, Great Teacher Onizuka's lead has some aspects that haven't aged well. That said, beneath that is a well-written character with an earnest desire to help the students of his class. The show doesn't just deal with familiar topics like bullying, but also the relationship between teachers and parents, and the flaws of school systems. Though Class 3-4 will drive viewers just as crazy as Onizuka, even those characters eventually grow on viewers thanks to some excellent character development arcs. This isn't just a great anime for experienced fans, but a solid retro anime for new fans as well.

Great Teacher Onizuka

TV-MA

Comedy

About Eikichi Onizuka, a 22-year-old ex-gangster member and a virgin. He has one ambition that no one ever expected from him. His sole life purpose is to become the greatest high school teacher ever.

Release Date

November 3, 2003

Cast

Wataru Takagi , Jun'ichi Suwabe , Kotono Mitsuishi , Hikaru Midorikawa , Ayako Kawasumi , Chō

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Writers

Toru Fujisawa

Number of Episodes

43

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Amazon Freevee

See Also

Anime that you must watch before you die

Directors

Noriyuki Abe

Available on DVD

Sure, there's Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood available for fans if they want an adaptation that's manga-accurate. Yet Fullmetal Alchemist's original series was also one of the most beloved anime on television in the mid-2000s. Like Brotherhood, the series focused on Edward and Alphonse Elric's attempt to restore their bodies after an alchemy experiment gone wrong.

The benefit to the original Fullmetal Alchemist series is the show's willingness to spend more time fleshing out the characters. In an attempt not to catch up to the manga, the series featured a bunch of great character arcs that Brotherhood simply didn't have time for. Not only are these well-written, but they serve to make viewers relate even more to the characters, making pivotal moments hit that much harder later in the series.

Fullmetal Alchemist

TV-PG

Action

Adventure

When a failed alchemical ritual leaves brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric with severely damaged bodies, they begin searching for the one thing that can save them: the fabled philosopher's stone.

Release Date

October 4, 2003

Cast

Vic Mignogna , Aaron Dismuke , Romi Park

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1 Season

Creator

Hiromu Arakawa

Producer

Hirô Maruyama, Masahiko Minami, Ryô Ôyama

Production Company

Aniplex, Bones, Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS), Square Enix Company

Number of Episodes

51 Episodes

4 Yu-Gi-Oh! Popularized Card Game Battle Anime

Available on Crunchyroll

The original Yu-Gi-Oh is unlike any series that came after it. The series launched when the card game hadn't been figured out yet, which means the show could have far more fun with its duels. The Duelist Kingdom arc alone is worth watching just to see the protagonist often just make up solutions to his problems rather than letting his cards get him out of a situation.

Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters is fantastic for fans who aren't used to the anime, just because of how absurd it's willing to be. Where else are billionaires willing to block off part of an entire city just for people to have a place to play cards? Sure, the focus is on Yugi's attempt to help the spirit inside his Millennium Puzzle, but most of the time viewers are just watching him battling dudes while chained to a giant anchor at a ship's harbor.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

TV-Y

Kids

Action

Anime

Fantasy

Release Date

April 18, 2000

Cast

Hiroki Takahashi , Maki Saito , Hidehiro Kikuchi , Mika Sakenobe , Junko Takeuchi , Masami Iwasaki , Haruhi Nanao , Sumi Shimamoto , Ryou Naitou , Maiko Itou , Tadashi Miyazawa , Urara Takano , Daisuke Namikawa , Yuichi Nakamura , Chisa Yokoyama , Tetsuya Iwanaga , Shunsuke Kazama , Kenjiro Tsuda , Konta , Akiko Kimura , Rica Matsumoto , Sakura Nogawa , Tetsuo Komura , Chie Sato , Yuji Kishi

Writers

Shin Yoshida , Atsushi Maekawa , Akemi Omode , Junki Takegami , Yasuyuki Suzuki , Masashi Sogo , Tadashi Hayakawa , Akihiko Inari

Network

TV Tokyo , TV Osaka , TVh , TSC

Directors

Masahiko Watanabe , Naoki Hishikawa , Kimiharu Muto , Yasuhiro Minami , Kenichi Kasai , Hiroaki Shimura

Character(s)

Katsuya Jonouchi (voice) , Mazaki Anzu , Honda Hiroto , Kawai Shizuka , Kaiba Mokuba , Isono , Kujyaku Mai , Ishizu Ishtar , Otogi Ryuji , Esper Roba , Muto Sugoroku , Insector Haga , Kajiki Ryota , Dinosaur Ryuzaki , Kaiba Noah , Marik Ishtar , Yami Yugi/Atem , Kaiba Seto , Rishid , Marik Ishtar (Young) , Bakura Ryo/Yami Bakura , Rishid (Young) , Kaiba Gozaburo , Kaiba Seto (Young) , Ushio Tetsu

3 Claymore Presents A Cool Dark Fantasy World

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Not every shonen anime looks the same, even among battle shonen. Nowhere is that more true than with Claymore, a series set in a world where humanity is helpless before creatures known as Youma. The only beings that stand a chance against Youma are Claymores, women who are half-human, half-youma themselves. Clair is another member of the Claymores, who fights on behalf of the Organization to protect humanity as long as she can, knowing she'll eventually suffer the same fate as all Claymore: to give into their power, and become Youma as well.

Claymore never got to finish the manga it was adapting, but it's still an awesome dark fantasy series for fans on the hunt for that. It's got the grim atmosphere that a lot of modern fantasy series lack, and has an awesome lead in Clare. Fans looking for awesome swordswomen in their anime should definitely consider going back for Claymore, especially given its relatively low episode count.

Claymore

TV-MA

Action

Adeventure

Animation

Fantasy

In a world plagued by deadly creatures called "youma," a young silver-eyed girl, Clare, works on behalf of an organization that trains female youma half-breeds to become warriors.

Release Date

April 4, 2007

Creator(s)

Norihiro Yagi

Cast

Stephanie Young , Cherami Leigh , Christine Auten , Brina Palencia , Monica Rial , Caitlin Glass , Jamie Marchi

Main Genre

Fantasy

Seasons

1

Creator

Writers

Yasuko Kobayashi

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

Franchise(s)

Claymore

Directors

Hiroyuki Tanaka

2 Dragon Ball Is Brilliant Martial Arts Fantasy

Streaming on Hulu

The fact that Dragon Ball Z caught popularity first is a shame if only because so many fans don't go back and watch the original Dragon Ball. Where the worldwide sensation began, Dragon Ball lacks many of the excesses of Dragon Ball Z. There's no Super Saiyan, very few energy clashes, and no one's capable of blowing up the galaxy. Instead, the focus is just on a preteen boy traveling around the world with his friends to collect the Dragon Balls, seven mystical balls that can summon a dragon capable of granting any one wish.

Dragon Balladdresses many of the complaints people have about its sequel series without even trying. It's a much more grounded series, with its fight scenes looking like martial arts exchanges rather than lots of speed lines. It also allows the human characters fans love to share the spotlight with Goku, getting their own cool moments. People who haven't already gotten into the franchise should definitely start with the original Dragon Ball.

Dragon Ball

TV-14

Anime

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Comedy

Martial Arts

Son Gokû, a fighter with a monkey tail, goes on a quest with an assortment of odd characters in search of the Dragon Balls, a set of crystals that can give its bearer anything they desire.

Release Date

February 26, 1986

Creator(s)

Akira Toriyama

Cast

Masako Nozawa , Jôji Yanami , Tôru Furuya , Mayumi Tanaka , Hiromi Tsuru , Naoko Watanabe , Kôhei Miyauchi

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Studio

Creator

Writers

Akira Toriyama

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Hulu

Franchise(s)

Dragon Ball

Directors

Minoru Okazaki , Daisuke Nishio

1 Yu Yu Hakusho Represents The Peak Of '90s Anime

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Yu Yu Hakusho holds a special place in the hearts of fans who grew up watching it in the 2000s. These days though, the series is at risk of fading into obscurity since it doesn't get any new stories. It's upsetting to think about, as Yu Yu Hakusho is not just one of the greatest classic shōnen, but one of the greatest shōnen series ever created.

Yu Yu Hakusho's lead protagonist is Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who gets brought back to life only to be given the job of Spirit Detective. In his new role, it's Yusuke's responsibility to keep demons from doing too much damage to the human world. Beyond that basic premise, though, lies one of the most charismatic leads in shōnen anime, along with one of the best supporting casts in anime. The series takes time to flesh out everyone, and despite featuring more tournaments per arc than any other shōnen, still finds a way to shift genres every arc without ever making it seem out of place. This series deserves a remake...but until then, it's absolutely worth going back to check out.

Yu Yu Hakusho

TV-14

Animation

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

After a teenage delinquent is killed while saving a child's life from an approaching car, the rulers of the underworld send him back to become an "Underworld Detective" investigating demons apparitions in the human world.

Release Date

October 10, 1992

Creator(s)

Yoshihiro Togashi

Cast

Nozomu Sasaki , Shigeru Chiba , Megumi Ogata , Nobuyuki Hiyama , Yuri Amano , Hisako Kyôda , Mayumi Tanaka , Ai Orikasa , Sanae Miyuki

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

4

Studio

Creator

Number of Episodes

Character(s)

Yusuke Urameshi , Kazuma Kuwabara , Kurama/Shūichi Minamino , Hiei , Keiko Yukimura , Genkai , Koenma , Shizuru Kuwabara , Botan

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