The Bleach anime introduced fans to Ichigo Kurosaki, the punk teenager who became a Soul Reaper overnight. Over many episodes, fans grew to love and admire Ichigo as a tough tsundere who loves his friends, all while trying to overcome his grief. Ichigo has become one of the best anime MCs and is still better than his spiritual successors, Tanjiro Kamado and Yuji Itadori. But other anime MCs still have him beat.
For as compelling and cool as Ichigo may be in Bleach, certain anime MCs are even more memorable and creative in their designs. These characters sometimes beat Ichigo at his own game, while others offer something entirely different and even better than what Ichigo does. Ichigo may still be relevant and popular in the 2020s, but he must step back so other MCs can shine brighter still.
The Best Shonen Anime Series of Every Year of the 2000s
The 2000s were a great decade for shonen fans. Here’s a look at the best series from each year.
10
Naruto Uzumaki is the Shonen Symbol of Hope and Peace
Ichigo is a Great Hero, But Naruto is More Inspiring
All three MCs of the shonen “big three” are well-respected and beloved for a reason. Ichigo, Naruto, and Luffy are all icons of courage, heroism, and the power of friendship. The best among them is Naruto Uzumaki himself, who blew anime fans away with his stunning story of overcoming loneliness to become Hokage.
Naruto dared to dream big even when the odds were stacked against him, and he succeeded against all odds. He may have annoyed people with his bratty prankster ways, but his most heartfelt moments hit incredibly hard. Ichigo’s own tender moments meant a lot in Bleach, but Naruto’s moments of vulnerability and sympathy are even more incredible.
9
Edward Elric Has a Theme of Overcoming Past Mistakes
Edward Elegantly Blends Humility With Science and Alchemy
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a good example of how shonen anime doesn’t need aggressive power scaling for its characters or fight scenes. Edward Elric may not have Hollow powers or bankai, but he is still more worthwhile than Ichigo in other ways. For one, Ed’s balance of martial arts, alchemy, and science is unlike anything else seen in the medium.
Ed’s personal arc is even stronger, with him and his brother Al learning hard-won lessons on humility and the dangers of toying with forbidden powers. Their perspective is practically unique in Amestris, a world that often encourages reckless power trips. Ed was humbled and had to overcome his grief the normal, human way without bringing his mother back from the dead.
8
Kaguya Shinomiya Has the Best Arc in the Romance Genre
Ichigo’s Love Life Has Nothing on Kaguya’s
Ichigo, as an anime MC, can be compared to characters in other genres, such as Kaguya Shinomiya in the seinen romance realm. Ichigo’s heartfelt arc is a good one in Bleach, such as grappling with grief and learning to open up to people after walling off his heart. Kaguya, however, does it better as an ojou-sama who learned love is worth more than any family fortune.
Bleach: Strongest Characters In The Anime, Ranked
The Bleach anime is packed with powerful Shinigami, Sternritter, and Espada. Here are the strongest characters.
Kaguya is the finest romance MC, with her character arc revealing many nuances and developments over the course of three seasons. She was once elite and sheltered, and it made her cold, but that’s over now. Kaguya is brave enough to be her best self and explore romance with Miyuki, all while facing her many insecurities.
7
Rimuru Tempest Stands as the #1 Isekai MC
Rimuru’s Power Scaling Puts Ichigo’s to Shame
The isekai genre is notorious for its many OP protagonists, and many of them feel like forgettable self-inserts. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime went above and beyond with its own MC, the famed Rimuru Tempest. He actually earned his fame as an overpowered lead who is exciting rather than dull as someone who can’t be challenged.
Like Ichigo, Rimuru is a well-meaning fantasy hero who keeps getting stronger, but Rimuru dreams bigger than Bleach‘s star does. Rimuru crafted and led an all-new monster nation built on tolerance and peace, the first of its kind in this new world. Rimuru kept it up with the power of friendship, kindness, and good humor, balancing all that with his outstanding powers quite well.
6
Uryu Ishida is Even More Inspiring Than Ichigo in Bleach’s Story
Uryu Overcame Prejudice and Revenge to Befriend Ichigo
Even in the Bleach anime, some main characters are more compelling than Ichigo himself if viewers think about them the right way. Bleach has a few MCs who share the spotlight, with Uryu Ishida being the best of them. That’s because, far more so than Ichigo, uryu overcame his hatred of a rival tribe to embrace a fruitful friendship.
Uryu is a special kind of shonen rival, seeing how he could have lost himself to hate and revenge while choosing kindness instead. He set a stellar example that the rest of the Wandenreich didn’t follow, with Uryu even betraying his own people to save the world from doom. Along the way, Uryu also charmed Bleach fans as a secondary MC who takes himself seriously while also having a charming side, from his crush on Orihime to sewing.
5
Saitama is a Study of Depression and New Friendships
Saitama Doesn’t Always Know What to Do With Infinite Power
Anime like Frieren and One-Punch Man do a stellar job exploring the psychological side of being OP. That made the bald hero Saitama wonderfully compelling in ways Ichigo cannot match. Saitama thrills anime fans with his fights, but more importantly, he’s relatable as someone who feels lost and empty.
10 Best Shonen Anime Of The 2020s, Ranked (So Far)
From action epics to touching romances, shonen is having a brilliant decade so far. Let’s highlight the best 2020s shonen anime released so far.
As a shonen anime, Bleach always gave Ichigo a mission and a purpose, but One-Punch Man didn’t do Saitama the same favor. Saitama, interestingly enough, was on his own to fill the emptiness inside and stave off low-key depression. He felt lost in a big world that seemingly didn’t need him, so his progress as a hero and friend to Genos means that much more.
4
Guts Made Seinen History as the Lone Struggler
Guts Proves That Hope Survives Even the Nastiest Darkness
Some of the finest seinen manga and anime series feature outstanding and wonderfully deep characters, such as Monster and Vagabond. There’s also the matter of Berserk, introducing fans to the iconic Guts. Like Ichigo, Guts is a tough guy with a sword and a fondness for the power of friendship, though he’s not the type to gush about it.
Guts is the epitome of a struggler; a haunted and scarred warrior and victim who perseveres against nightmarish odds. He has endured what no person should have to, all while slaying monsters, saving lives, and searching for both true love and bitter revenge. The Berserk manga depicts this best, though the 1997 Berserk anime also did a fine job establishing the origins of Guts’ brutal mission.
3
Thorfinn Karlsefni’s Redemption is the Stuff of Legends
Thorfinn Grappled With Inner Demons Ichigo Can’t Imagine
Vinland Saga, alongside Berserk, is one of the most famous seinen stories with an MC who puts most shonen leads to shame. Not unlike Guts, Thorfinn Karlsefni is a grim, blade-wielding warrior who carved a bloody swath through countless battlefields. And like Guts, Thorfinn yearns for more than violent victory — he needs his life to mean something.
5 Things Naruto Does Better Than Every Other Shonen Anime
These areas are where Naruto absolutely dominates all shonen anime. No one comes close.
More so than Guts, Thorfinn focused on the purpose of life and the necessary pain of redemption. Guts’ demons are on the outside, while Thorfinn’s are inside him, challenging him to face the reality of what he’s done. The resulting redemption arc is one of anime’s best of all time as Thorfinn decides to build something new rather than tear down what’s around him.
2
Light Yagami’s Character is a Gripping Conflict of Good and Evil
Light Challenged Viewers to Ponder Many Ethical Questions
Light Yagami is still prominent and notorious as a dark shonen lead who challenges viewers on ethical and philosophical levels. Death Note is about crime thriller sequences and tough moral questions, not power scaling, and that makes it a standout. Light doesn’t need punches or swords to be an even better MC than the likes of Ichigo or Tanjiro.
Light’s genius intellect, acting skills, and idealism made him a gripping and suspenseful lead early in Death Note. Then, Light forced viewers to grapple with all the ethical grayness as Light became the same kind of criminal monster he vowed to destroy. Even now, it’s not easy to decide if Light is a humanitarian who lost his way, or a monster who was enabled by Ryuk’s gift.
1
Eren Yeager Blurs the Line of Hero and Villain in Incredible Ways
Eren Will Always Be Remembered For Going Too Far For a Good Thing
Eren Yeager dominated Attack on Titan first as a vengeful Titan Shifter, then as an apocalyptic antihero who resorted to outrageous means to an end. Eren was radicalized when he learned the truth of Marley and Eldia, and that began his best arc of all. Bleach‘s Ichigo kept doing more of the same, while Eren explored brave new territory.
Whether Attack on Titan fans defend or denounce Eren as an extreme antihero, there’s no denying how impressive and memorable the whole ordeal was. Eren invited viewers to figure out how far people like him should go to defend their own group, and answers aren’t easy to come by.
Bleach
- Release Date
-
2004 – 2012-00-00
- Network
-
TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC, BS TV Tokyo
- Showrunner
-
Tite Kubo
- Directors
-
Mitsutaka Noshitani, Junya Koshida, Hodaka Kuramoto, Yasuto Nishikata, Hiroaki Nishimura, Kazunori Mizuno, Akira Shimizu, Rokou Ogiwara, Kazunobu Shimizu, Akane Inoue, Hikaru Murata, Tomoko Hiramuki, Kazuo Nogami, Taiji Kawanishi, Shigeki Hatakeyama, Eiko Nishi, Takushi Kimura, Koji Aritomi, Ogura Shirakawa, Kiyomu Fukuda, Yukio Okazaki, Mitsue Yamazaki, Yasuhiro Matsumura, Eitarou Ano
-
Masakazu Morita
Ichigo Kurosaki (voice)
-
Fumiko Orikasa
Rukia Kuchiki
