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The 2020s have reshaped the expectations surrounding anime protagonists, challenging traditional notions and setting a new standard. A fresh wave of protagonists has emerged, characterized by more sophisticated character development, a willingness to explore darker narratives, and a depth that was often missing in older anime. Today’s audiences crave more complexity from their heroes, moving beyond clichéd underdog stories or stereotypical roles.
Anime titles like Jujutsu Kaisen, The Apothecary Diaries, and Gachiakuta exemplify this shift, redefining what a lead character should embody. Gone are the days when mere power struggles and grandiose battles could sustain a series. Instead, viewers are drawn to protagonists who face ethical challenges, engage in strategic development, and drive the story with their decisions.
In BNA: Brand New Animal, Michiru Kagemori stands out as a protagonist marked by upheaval, transformed into a tanuki after a botched experiment, becoming the first human to turn into a Beastman. Her unexpected metamorphosis thrusts her into the complex social dynamics of Animacity, where she encounters Shirou Ogami, a vigilante dedicated to combating political corruption and discrimination.
Michiru Kagemori Redefines Heroism in BNA: Brand New Animal
Michiru Kagemori arrives as a protagonist defined by disruption after being transformed into a tanuki following an experiment gone wrong, making her the first human-turned-beastman in BNA: Brand New Animal. Michiru’s sudden transformation into a Beastman forces her into Animacity’s volatile social order, where she meets meets Shirou Ogami, a vigilante fighting against political corruption and discrimination.
Michiru must navigate this strange, supernatural new world while finding a cure for herself. Michiru’s arc, unlike many other battle anime protagonists, focuses on her willingness and ability to adapt to her new reality. She reacts first, reassesses later, and learns in motion. Rather than embodying a fixed heroic ideal, Michiru represents a generation of protagonists navigating uncertain systems, closely aligning Brand New Animal with the new-gen appeal of reframing heroics beyond combat.
Dorohedoro’s Caiman Fights to Get Back to a Forgotten Life
In Dorohedoro, Caiman’s story begins after a sorcerer transforms him into a reptile-headed enigma and erases all of his memories. Trying to solve the mystery of his existence, Caiman resorts to hunting sorcerers and shoving them in his mouth. Caiman has a man living in his mouth, and he’s relying on this mysterious thing to tell him whether each sorcerer he hunts down is the one responsible for his curse.
Caiman’s search for his identity and memories pushes him through a world defined by the supernatural and entrenched power hierarchies. Buried histories come to the surface as Caiman’s hunt continues. Caiman’s ruthless pursuit of the truth and violence shouldn’t be written off as pure shock value. Dorohedoro‘s main character is violent, but only because he’s driven by the intense desire to understand who he was before this curse wreaked havoc and rewrote his entire life.
Dandadan’s Momo Ayase Is the Current Best Girl of Sci-Fi Anime
Gone are the days of battle shonen anime heroines getting written off as weak or fanservice. No better to prove this stride forward than Momo Ayase from Dandadan, who enters the scene with a sharp tongue and grounded worldview in a series that forces her to adapt under otherworldly pressure. Momo’s psychic abilities quickly grow, but the writing ties her power-ups to emotional resolve instead of a predictable series of arbitrary power jumps that shonen fans are tired of.
Momo refuses to let fear dictate her choices, even in the face of powerful supernatural enemies. Dandadan‘s female lead maintains narrative control, even alongside Okarun’s escalating transformations. Momo never fades into the background in Dandadan, driving investigation and confrontation while staying adaptable, even recalibrating her strategies mid-combat. Momo’s presence as a romantic interest doesn’t go unnoticed either, but it doesn’t define her the way it would have for her predecessors like Naruto‘s Sakura Haruno or MHA‘s Ochako Uraraka.
Frieren’s Story Perfectly Distills the Meaning of “Do It Before It’s Too Late”
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is widely considered one of the best new-gen anime. Look no further than its titular protagonist, and it’s clear why Frieren‘s story is so beloved. Frieren’s character arc in the series is heartfelt, defined by appreciating what she has and understanding humanity before it’s too late. For an immortal elf, victory is fleeting. Decades pass like seasons, and the human companions who once defined her journey age and die. Himmel’s death breaks Frieren’s heart and forces her to confront a truth that she purposely avoided during their quest.
Frieren never tried to fully understand Himmel and treated their adventures as routine milestones instead of realizing the finite nature of human lives versus her immortality. After Himmel’s death, Frieren’s travels become less about mastering magic and learning how to value the transient lives of her companions before they vanish. This is especially seen with Fern, to whom she becomes a mentor. Frieren doesn’t wallow in her grief or let it consume her. Instead, Frieren notes what she feels, learns from it, and applies what she feels in every aspect of her life and relations with others so that she doesn’t regret how she treated her companions later on.
Chainsaw Man’s Denji Is a New Kind of Flawed Hero
Not many protagonists have desires as simple as Denji’s, but it’s a testament to how the kid grew up in Chainsaw Man. A defining moment for Denji was the scene where he’s singing about having a union job with benefits. Not only is it simple, but it’s something to which the audience can relate. Denji wants food, a comfortable place to sleep, and basic affection from women. It would be easy to write all of Denji’s characterization in Chainsaw Man off as a joke, but it speaks to poverty, exploitation, and how low the bar sits for someone raised as disposable labor.
After merging with Pochita and becoming the Chainsaw Devil, Denji gains a grotesque power that doesn’t quite liberate him. Instead, it exposes him to further exploitation as he’s traded between figures who see him as nothing more than a tool. Denji’s arc, especially in the manga’s second part, is about consent and what it means when someone doesn’t have full autonomy over their body. Denji is self-aware enough to recognize manipulation, but lacks the vocabulary and experience with other people to fully articulate it — making him a prime target for someone like Makima. Denji’s evolution is uneven and often painful, but it moves the needle an inch closer toward autonomy.
Yuji Itadori Has Been to Hell and Back in Jujutsu Kaisen
Few anime protagonists are as enduring and self-aware as Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Yuji Itadori. JJK‘s protagonist of new-gen shonen anime, embracing everything that made Goku, Naruto, and Ichigo so compelling while introducing something entirely revolutionary to the genre. Classic shonen anime protagonists are impulsive, rushing into a dangerous situation without any foresight into how it might impact them. Yuji was the same way at the beginning of Jujutsu Kaisen when he swallowed Sukuna’s finger and had a death sentence looming over his head.
The difference is how quickly JJK forces its protagonist to confront that cost. Jujutsu Kaisen never fails to remind the audience that Yuji and the other teenage sorcerers are, indeed, teenagers fighting life-or-death scenarios daily. Yuji Itadori is forced to reckon with the devastation Sukuna caused with his body and the danger his existence poses to everyone around him. Yuji’s guilt is suffocating and propels him through the rest of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Gachiakuta’s Rudo Is Perfect For the New Generation of Dark Anime Fans
In Gachiakuta, Rudo is the product of a world that discarded him. The Pit becomes Rudo’s new home once he’s cast out after being framed for the murder of his father. This wasteland represents the consequence of a world built for those whom elite society refused and cast away like dross, the same way they’d discard their garbage. Upon entering the Pit, Rudo swears to avenge his adoptive father, get to the bottom of his murder, and drag the rest of society to Hell with him and the rest of the people they discarded. He wants accountability in a system designed to erase him and those like him.
Rudo’s ability to draw power from any object and turn it into a Vital Instrument may seem convoluted, but it externalizes Gachiakuta’s core argument that trash can be turned into treasure. Rudo fights with tools that carry history, resentment, and survival instinct. The concept of a protagonist driven by rage and revenge isn’t new — just look at Guts from Berserk. However, Rudo is different because he never lets his anger turn into nihilism. Rudo is rightfully furious with his situation, but that anger sharpens his focus instead of hollowing it out or turning it into another predictable revenge tale.
Maomao Rewrites Expectations For Female Anime Protagonists
The Apothecary Diaries wouldn’t have become the beloved new-gen title fans know today without Maomao at the forefront. Poison, disease, and political intrigue function as driving forces in this world. Maomao, however, feigns ignorance about the ongoings of the world around her to avoid getting caught up in the Palace’s higher-stakes conflicts. This willful ignorance spreads into all aspects of Maomao’s life, including her relationship with Jinshi.
She’d rather not reveal that she can read and write, lest she gets swept further into the Palace’s internal mayhem. Being the apothecary is hard enough for her, especially because she really does love poison and learning more about various herbs. Maomao approaches every situation with a sense of curiosity and clinical precision, approaching the Palace’s mysteries by stripping away all emotion until only the evidence remains. Maomao’s intervention in these situations ensures a better outcome for all parties involved because she understands the small details others overlook, from toxic cosmetics to succession politics.