7 Best Troublemakers in Shonen Anime, Rated

All in all, one of the best anime archetypes that the shonen genre has introduced is the troublemaker archetype. In essence, a brawler can be defined as someone who simply loves to fight, with the general pursuit of strength central to their entire journey. To be even more specific, a brawler is someone who basically lives for battle and revels in violence.

Throughout the Shonen genre, there are many characters that fall into this category, though there are few that stand above the rest as the strongest and most iconic. These are some of the best brawlers in shonen anime, although it's really up to the fans to decide who can come out on top.

7

Baki just wants to outdo his father

anime: Baki Hanma

Baki serves as the titular protagonist of one of the most prestigious anime of all time. In this series, which is completely dedicated to fighting, Baki has the unique goal of defeating his father after murdering his mother, the man who holds the title of World's Strongest Creature, Yujiro Hanma. From the beginning of the series, Baki had to fight his way to the top to eventually reach his father's level, which just goes to show how integral to this story the fight is, as it is the main aspect that defines the main character.

6

Kashimo reincarnated only to fight the strongest

anime: Jujutsu Kaisen

Kashimo is one of the most interesting characters Jujutsu Kaisen. Known as the strongest wizard of the Edo Period, Kashimo became incredibly bored with his life because his power was so far above everyone else's, leading him to make a deal to be reincarnated after many centuries just so he could fight Sukuna, the man known as the strongest wizard of all time. His nature as a troublemaker is seen through his Cursed Technique, Mythical Beast Amber, which makes him much stronger but covers his body with an electric cursed energy that tears him apart, meaning it is only a one time use technique.

5

Zoro aims to become the world's greatest swordsman

anime: One piece

Zoro has always been the Straw Pirates' resident stoic warrior and embodies the brawler mentality better than anyone. From the beginning, his goal has been to become the world's greatest swordsman, a title he can only call his own after defeating legendary swordsmen such as Dracule Mihawk. Because of this, Zoro honed his Haki to be one of the most powerful in the series, to the point where he is now one of One Piece's strongest characters. Fighting exceptionally powerful opponents and growing exponentially in strength, Zoro became a ruthless warrior.

4

Might Guy almost killed God through Taijutsu alone

anime: Naruto

Throughout his life, Might Guy has always been mocked for his lack of fancy jutsu abilities, leading him to rely solely on his Taijutsu, or hand-to-hand skills. However, the fruits of this labor paid off in his fight against Madara's strongest form, where he demonstrated his unmatched power with the Eight Gates against the strongest character in the entire Naruto series. In this fight, Guy single-handedly brought Madara close to death many times, proving himself to be a combative fighter who had perfected his own path to power. In this battle, which many call the best of the series, Kakashi realized that Guy had surpassed him and Madara himself recognized Guy as the strongest.

3

Kenpachi lives only to fight

anime: Bleach

When one thinks of brawlers in anime, chances are they immediately think of Kenpachi Zaraki from Bleach before anyone else. This is because Kenpachi lives for battle, as seen in his eye patch that he wears, which dampens his power somewhat so that he doesn't end fights too quickly. Even then, most enemies are too weak to deal with him. Kenpachi's desire for battle is perfectly reflected in his Bankai, which allows him to release massive waves of spiritual energy that can topple entire buildings, making him the quintessential brawler when combined with his natural strength and exceptional swordsmanship.

2

Garou has an incredible power to adapt

anime: One Punch Man

While Saitama himself only wants to fight someone strong enough to fight him, Garou embodies the brawler mindset much better. Since his introduction, Garou has fought some of the strongest foes in the series, and while many of those fights nearly killed him, his ability to adapt allows him to come back even stronger. Additionally, he often returns using his enemies' techniques as part of his own arsenal. The peak of Garou's power was shown with his Cosmic Garou state, which was unlocked after his monsterization reached its peak, eventually spawning an enemy strong enough to take on Saitama.

1

Vegeta is the strongest brawler of all time

anime: Dragon Ball

There are few, if any, anime franchises that put as much emphasis on fighting and finding strength as Dragon Ballwith Vegeta himself being a shining example of this. Unlike his rival, who focuses more on fighting prowess and technique, Vegeta is all about power and attack in his fighting style, looking to do as much damage as possible with sheer, overwhelming force. While he's always been this way, his newest state, Ultra Ego, is a perfect example of his riotous mindset as he throws all tech to the curb and deals damage because the more it takes, the stronger he gets.