Top 10 Shonen Jump Heroes

Formally known far and wide as the manslayer, Kenshin sought atonement for his time as an assassin, and as such wandered the land assisting people anyway he could. Unfortunately, his destiny remained a bloody one, as to protect his newfound group of friends, he once again had to draw his weapon against those that would prey upon the weak. You have to give this guy credit though, he’s so much of a beast that even armed with the less than deadly reverse-blade sword, he still managed to curb stomp his foes.

We were hard-pressed to choose which member of the Joestar family would make the cut, but in the end we just had to give it to the series’ original Stand User. While something of a bad boy, Jotaro nonetheless joins forces with his grandfather in the pursuit of ancestral nemesis Dio in order to save the life of his mother. Stoic to the end, Jotaro is the last one you want to mess with, unless you want him to bust out Star Platinum and go ORA ORA ORA on your ass.

A children’s card game? How can that make for a deadly confrontation? Well, obviously you haven’t had your soul sent to the Shadow Realm. Sharing his body with the spirit of a pharaoh, the King of Games has been tossed from one duel to the other, with defeat often having a lethal consequence. With the power of Three Egyptian Gods under his command, an impossible hairstyle, along with “power of friendship” Yugi might be the only person who can make a term like “the heart of the cards” sound legitimately awesome.

While Gon was also a worthy contender, Yoshihiro Togashi’s original protagonist just managed to win out in the end. Formally nothing more than a bad student that loved to get into brawls, a sudden case of death somewhat changed Yusuke’s perception on life, especially when he was brought back and given a job as a Spirit Detective. With his three buddies by his side, Yusuke proceeded to take on the worst the Demon World had to offer. His unyielding determination has conquered foes no other human could handle, and when that doesn’t work, he just gives them the finger…with some rather explosive results.

For some, things may have ended on a sour note, but in his prime, this Substitute Shinigami was everything we could ever want in a shonen protagonist. After accepting the powers of a Death God in order to protect his family, Ichigo soon found himself roped into the afterlife’s war with the fearsome creatures known as Hollows. A true rebel who was even willing to invade heaven itself just to save a friend, Ichigo is a powerhouse of a character who won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Just one look at this guy tells you everything you need to know; step up to him and you are already dead. A master of the martial art known as Hokuto Shinken, Kenshiro is a nomad by nature, just doing what all men of his calibre do; protect the innocent and make villains’ heads explode with a single poke. In terms of unadulterated badassery, this walking death machine stands in the upper echelons. He may be a man of few words, but with muscles like those, he needn’t bother.

Eighty percent of the time this samurai and owner of a failing odd jobs company manages to make a complete fool of himself, often by getting involved in every kind of misadventure you could imagine. And we do mean EVERY kind. Whether its dealing with the quirky members of his inner circle, the innumerable aliens, the ghosts of his past, or even taking the piss of other anime, Gin always manages to make us burst into hysterics. Oh, and the ten percent of the time that he does get serious, he shows us that his sword skills are not to be underestimated. They don’t call him the white demon for nothing.

While he’s not what you would call a traditional ninja, this knucklehead has endeared us throughout the years with his unflinching desire to rise to the rank of Hokage, in spite of the fact he’s also the vessel of an all-powerful demon. Through trials, tribulations and all manner of explosive shinobi escapades, Naruto showed us that while he’s still not what you would call mature, his faith in his friends and refusal to surrender his dream is something to be admired. And don’t get us started on the sheer amount of jutsu this guy can pull off.

A golden age of pirates, most of whom have devastating powers in their arsenal, and a navy whose ideals of absolute justice are in many cases far viler than those they hunt. Amidst all this chaos, you have the captain of the Straw Hat pirates, whose hunger for adventure cannot be quenched. He’s not the brightest bulb, but his devotion to his crew and ideals are so infectious that before long you too will start to believe that even when up against all manner of monsters, this man will find a way to become King of the Pirates. Plus, he packs a hell of a swing.

Born to be a destroyer of worlds, yet became Earth’s greatest protector, this Super Saiyan is arguably one of the most iconic characters in Japanese culture. With an insatiable desire to grow stronger, test his mettle against those leagues above is own power level, and undeterred in his vow to protect his home from harm not only painted him as a juggernaut of a hero, but essentially turned him into the benchmark that all shonen protagonists would forever be compared to. Goes to show that even after all this years, Goku and his Kamehameha are still as relevant as ever.