Stock Shōnen Hero

I will become the best one that ever was and I won't give up!!

Ever since the global success of Dragon Ball and the cultural impact of the series' protagonist, Son Goku, shonen anime create a number of exciting series starring a spiky-haired, energetic and hard-working hero.

At the start of the series, the hero has big dreams and starts at the very bottom of the hierarchy. He discovers his own capabilities everytime he encounters an enemy. However, his greatest strength is his value of his friends. If you lay a finger on them, you are in a world of hurt.

Examples of Stock Shōnen Hero include:

Anime & Manga

• Astro Boy is one of the earlier precursors of this trope.
• Son Goku from the Dragon Ball series is the Trope Codifier.
• Asta from Black Clover is an orphan who dreams of becoming the Wizard King despite being born without any magic power. This changes when he receives a grimoire with Anti-Magic swords.
• 100% Subverted with Light Yagami from Death Note, while at first seeming to be a bored and justice-obsessed youth using extreme methods to kill criminals, he slowly develops into a villainous protagonist, eventually evolving into a Complete Monster in the end.
• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba:
  • The protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado is an extremely downplayed example. Unlike the hot-blooded and rash Shonen Hero we usually see, he is portrayed as rather calm and gentle. However, he has shown himself to be dedicated to fulfilling his goal, and is ready to charge into battle to protect those he cares about.
  • His friend Inosuke Hashibira, on the other hand, is considered a far closer example to the trope. While at first glance a Stock Shonen Rival due to him viewing Tanjiro as a rival, as well as his arrogance and his obsession with his strength, he is also rather unintelligent and hot-blooded.
  • Genya Shinazugawa is also an example of the trope. He is a foul-mouthed, hot-headed, and headstrong demon slayer with no Breathing Style, but he makes up for it by the fact that he can transform into a demon whenever he ingests their flesh.
  • Of the Hashira, it's pretty clear Kyojuro Rengoku is the closest to this trope. He is a boisterous loudmouth who is rarely seen without a smile on his face, and isn't a cynic like Giyu, a total snarker like Muichiro, or wrathful like Obanai and Sanemi.
• Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist is a downplayed example. While he is a cynical genius with a guilt complex who doesn’t want to be the best alchemist, this doesn’t stop him from being a hotheaded youth who uses violence instead of his IQ to solve problems. Not to mention calling him short is taboo.
• Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach is a codifier of the 2000s as he is one of the Big 3. He is a short-tempered teenager who is easily angered by those who tease him for his orange hair. One day, he encounters a shinigami who gave him powers of a death God to protect his family and friends.
• Natsu Dragneel from Fairy Tail. Despite being older than most Shonen Heroes, he is a hotblooded wizard who wants to find his mentor.
• Soma Yukihira from Food Wars.
• Gon Freecss from HUNTER x HUNTER, compared to Yusuke (Togashi’s other protagonist), he is portrayed as a more traditional example, being a spiky-haired and unintelligent Kid Hero.
• Inuyasha from the series of the same name is a 90s codifier. He is a stubborn, rash, and extremely hotheaded half-demon who originally wants to take the Shikon Jewel for himself, but mellows out and dumps that goal as he begins to form bonds with his friends.
• Yuji Itadori from Jujutsu Kaisen is a downplayed example. An easy-going and somewhat naive teenager, he pursues his goal to become a jujutsu sorcerer not so he can become the strongest, but rather so he can have a meaningful death.
• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure:
  • Jonathan Joestar is a downplayed example. While he is more stoic in nature than most Stock Shonen Heroes, he pursues a clear goal to become a true gentleman.
  • His grandson Joseph, on the other hand, is far closer to a stock shonen hero, as despite his high intelligence, he is a lively, hot-headed, and rash figure who keeps this side of his personality well into his elder years. Even though he slowly becomes more responsible, he still doesn't subvert his traits completely.
  • Joseph's own grandson, Jotaro Kujo, is a highly downplayed example, being a combination between this trope, the stock action hero, and the Japanese delinquent trope.
  • Josuke Higashikata is a much more closer example, just like his father Joseph, he is a mischievous teenager with an excitable personality and a heart of gold.
  • Giorno Giovanna, despite being the Big Bad’s spawn, doesn’t have his evilness. However, he is as ambitious as his father, and has a major goal to cleanse the mafia and wipe out the Italian drug industry.
• My Hero Academia:
  • Izuku Midoriya is a downplayed example of the trope. While he is meek and intelligent, he ultimately has his own goal of becoming the No. 1 Hero, whcih he works hard to achieve.
  • His rival, Katsuki Bakugo, eventually evolves into one of these, as he is extremely hotheaded and impulsive.
  • Eijiro Kirishima is a straighter example of this trope. He is a Hot-Blood who wants to prove that his masculinity.
  • Another student from Class 1-A who serves as a good example is Denki Kaminari, who is portrayed as the dumbest student in class and is also very fun-loving.
  • Mirio Togata, one of the Big Three, is yet again a straighter example, as he is overall portrayed as a hammy, cheery person who never gives up on his goal to save 1 million people.
  • All Might, the Big Good of the series, is also a great example. He is a once Quirkless individual who has wielded One For All greater than any other, and built an image as the Symbol of Peace. He is even inspired by Son Goku to some point.
• Naruto:
  • Naruto Uzumaki is a codifier of the 2000s. He started out as a hotheaded and impulsive Bratty Half-Pint who wants to become the Hokage, his village's head ninja, for recognition and respect. However, he becomes much more heroic as the series goes on.
  • Rock Lee is also a good example of a Shonen Hero from the series. He is a hotblooded martial artist who wishes to use his style of taijutsu to become a great ninja.
  • Kiba Inuzuka is yet another example. He is an Animal Lover who also wants to become the Hokage.
  • His son, Boruto Uzumaki, is a subverted example.
• One Piece:
  • Monkey D. Luffy is a 2000's codifier for the trope. He is a hyperactive, confident and very stupid pirate captain who pursues his goal of getting the One Piece. He also eats a lot, and gets angry whenever someone damages his straw hat.
  • His first mate, Roronoa Zoro, is a downplayed example. Zoro is an extremely brave person who has a big-end goal of becoming the greatest swordsman of the world. He also finds fun in fighting.
  • Sanji, the ship's cook, is also a downplayed example. He is a laid-back yet hotblooded martial artist who joins the crew for his own goal of finding the All Blue, and displays a code of honor as he never uses his hands to fight and never fights women.
  • Luffy's brother, Portgas D. Ace, is another example. In general, he is a stubborn and loyal warrior who has a massive appetite.
• Loid Forger from SPY X FAMILY is set up as the opposite of this trope in every way possible. Unlike most shonen heroes, who are hot-headed, outgoing, and dimwitted youths, he is a calm, introverted, and highly intelligent adult.
• Vash the Stampede from Trigun is a rare example originating from seinen manga as he is a pacifistic mercenary who has a goofy nature and spiky hair.
• Yusuke Urameshi from Yu Yu Hakusho is a Darker and Edgier variant of this archetype. He is a street-fighting delinquent who sacrifices himself to save a little boy from getting hit by a car and, after a number of noble merits as a spirit, receives a second chance and becomes a protector of the world. Unlike most Goku expies who are childishly innocent, optimistic and overly friendly, Yusuke is rebellious, streetwise, cynical and snarky.

Comic Books

• Scott Pilgrim
• Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, is a Western precursor.
• Each of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fit this trope in their own ways.
• Invincible from the series of the same name fits this trope. He is a strong-willed and optimistic superhero who tries his best to protect the Earth and later chose to stand up against a powerful empire when they tried to conquer it.

Films-Animated

• Given that the majority of films of the Disney Animated Canon are about making dreams come true and overcoming obstacles to achieve them, many of its heroic protagonists exhibit traits that are associated with the archetype.
  • Hercules is a social misfit who wants to become a true hero to join the gods by training extremely hard to control his powerful strength. He is also somewhat of an airhead, is Oblivious to Love and refuses to give up.
  • Mulan is a downplayed and Rare Female Example. She is an All-Loving Hero who values her loved ones, refuses to give up, trains to be a formidable soldier and to bring honor to her family.
• Po from Kung Fu Panda. He is a hyperactive Idiot Hero who dreams of becoming a kung-fu master. He ends up being The Chosen One and he masters powerful techniques — which his predecessors took years to perfect — in mere days.
• Much like Disney Animated Canon, Pixar features heroes whose personalities aligned with the Shonen Hero archetype.
  • Woody from Toy Story is a downplayed example. He is a determined cowboy doll who puts his friends and owners above his own well being.
  • Buzz Lightyear is a another example. Much like Woody, he is a Determinator who puts his friends and owners before himself.
  • Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles. He is the hot-blooded and stubborn patriarch of a family of superheroes who wanted to go to his glory days after superheroes were declared illegal.
  • His speedy son Dash is a straighter example. He is a hyperactive prankster who wants to compete in sports despite his parents' protests.
• Jinoo from The Toy Warrior is this mixed with All-American Boy. He is an energetic Kiddie Kid with a humongous fascination with toys who becomes The Chosen One after accidentally touching a magical stone that gives him the power to transform into the toy he desires.

Films-Live Action

• Cody Banks from Agent Cody Banks downplays this trope. He is a teenage secret agent who is very heroic, but he has a hard time talking to girls. He is a Determinator who tends to jump into action without thinking things through and has moments of being Hot-Blooded.
• Daniel LaRusso from The Karate Kid is a hot-blooded underdog who wants to prove his strength against his tormentors.
• Max Keeble from Max Keeble's Big Move is a downplayed example. He is a spiky-haired underdog who has a dream of becoming a true hero. He believes in The Power of Friendship, is a big drinker, has moments of being Hot-Blooded, is Oblivious to Love and refuses to back down from a fight, even if he has little to no chance of winning. In one of his heroic fantasies, he fights the evil ice cream man with karate.
• All three live-action movie incarnations of Spider-Man fit this trope in their own way.
  • The first incarnation from the Raimi trilogy is a stubborn teenager who goes through major character development across the trilogy, and tries hard to follow his Uncle Ben's words of great responsibility coming with great power.
  • The second incarnation, from the reboot duology, is a downplayed example, as shown by him being overall somewhat reserved and jaded, especially after the death of his girlfriend Gwen, while still remaining the character's wit and is even somewhat of a hot-blood.
  • The MCU incarnation is a straighter example. He is extremely excitable and cheerful, has a mentor, and doesn't listen to warnings if it prevents him from doing good.
• Forrest Gump from the movie of the same name is a downplayed example, as his story is about him living a great life and becoming famous by being himself.
• Jake Tyler from Never Back Down. He is a hotheaded and rebellious former football quarterback who got kicked out of the team for his aggressiveness. He then discovers his talents for mixed martial arts and challenges against a more experienced rival.
• Will Stronghold from Sky High. He is a teenage outcast who believes in The Power of Friendship, has a rival and is a Determinator.
• Dave Stutler from The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a downplayed example. He is a socially awkward science nerd who discovered that he is The Chosen One at 10 years old. It wasn't until 10 years later when Dave begins to embrace his destiny and trains with magic in order to defeat an ancient evil. His move, Plasma Bolt, is inspired by Ryu's Hadoken.

Literature

• Harry Potter is a downplayed example. While he can be rather serious and is intelligent, he is overall quite hard-working, cares about his friends greatly, and refuses to give up no matter what.
  • On a side note, the story of Harry Potter has been compared to various shonen manga, such as Dragon Ball (finding 7 powerful items, although with different motivations) and Naruto (orphaned chosen one who is oblivious to crush becomes savior of the world).
• Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson & the Olympians
• Sun Wukong from Journey to the West is essentially the Trope Maker, given that Goku is heavily inspired by him.

Live-Action Television

• Buffy Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Jack Brewer from Kickin' It.
• Leo Dooley from Lab Rats fully becomes this in Season 3.
• Kaz and Oliver from Mighty Med.

Professional Wrestling

• Akira Tozawa is one of the purest examples in professional wrestling. He's hot-blooded, always ready for a fight, fiercely protective of his friends, often throws caution to the wind and has a tendency to make a fool out of himself.... but he's also one of the best at what he does, and his allies are well aware of that.
• John Cena fits this to a realistic degree. He has a positive attitude, allies with his rivals with ease and even adopts "Never Give Up" as his motto.

Video Games

• Ragna the Bloodedge from BlazBlue is a subverted example.
• Crash Bandicoot.
• Chai from Hi-Fi Rush starts out as a subverted example. He is an energetic and immature Idiot Hero who dreams of becoming a rock star despite never learning to play a guitar. He also wanted to work alone as a hero. He eventually becomes a straighter example when he learns to value friendship, teamwork and hard work.
• Sora from Kingdom Hearts
• Travis Touchdown from No More Heroes is a seinen-esque take on this trope, given the franchise's gory and somewhat sexual nature. His ambition is to be the number assassin in the world.
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Spyro the Dragon
• Mario from Super Mario Bros. is an unorthodox spin of this trope. Unlike most shonen heroes, who are kids/teens or start out as kids, Mario was introduced as a man in his 20s, though he has the childlike energy to fit in the archetype.
• Tak from Tak and the Power of Juju

Web Animation

• RWBY
  • Ruby Rose is a downplayed example. She is an energetic All-Loving Hero who comes from a powerful family and wants to be a huntress out of a desire to protect the innocent, but she lacks other qualities such as being an Idiot Hero, Book Dumb or Oblivious to Love, though she is a Celibate Hero.
  • Her older half-sister, Yang Xiao Long, is a more straighter example, being extremely hotblooded and extroverted and showing a wrathful side from time to time.
  • Jaune Arc is an even straighter, being a Book Dumb and goofy underdog who has a hard time adapting to battle school life compared to his better-trained peers and wants to be a hero like his grandfather before him.

Web Comics

• Yu from BlackSun
• Maxeeno Manervolkan is a Hot-Blooded, street-talking, mischievous yet kind-hearted Kid Hero with a spiky afro. He has a dream of becoming a great Wildman in his own right to pursue a life of adventure, excitement and freedom. He is loyal to his friends to a fault, refuses to give up no matter what stands in his way, likes to get his grub on, is a C-student as well as being a scatterbrained goofball and maintains an optimistic attitude regardless of his hardships. Unlike most shonen heroes, Maxeeno is an Anti-Hero who has a huge disregard for authority, uses N-Word Privileges, is somewhat girl-crazy and sometimes gets very ruthless towards his enemies, especially if they attempt to kill his loved ones.
• Mob from Mob Psycho 100.
• Saitama from One-Punch Man

Western Animation

• Finn from Adventure Time is a deconstructed example. He is a Hot-Blooded Kid Hero who fights for the innocent. The problems happen when he loses his black-and-white perception of right and wrong in a morally gray setting and his struggles with his love life are caused by his impulsiveness and lack of guidance, leading him to making idiotic and selfish choices to the point of blowing his chances with two Love Interests. While he is still a heroic person who never stops fighting for what's right, he gradually mellows out into a more mature and levelheaded individual.
• Jake Long from American Dragon Jake Long
• Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender is a downplayed example.
  • Korra from The Legend of Korra is a deconstructed example, as her tendency to rush into battle creates more problems than she solves
• Ben 10
• Danny Fenton, aka Danny Phantom
• Callum from The Dragon Prince
• Rex Salazar from Generator Rex
• Jimmy Neutron is a Hot-Blooded Kid Hero who dreams of being the world's greatest genius. He highly values his friends, doesn't always think things through, has Anime Hair, has a rich and arrogant rival who is as intelligent as him and saves the world countless times.
• K.O. from OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
• Luz Noceda from The Owl House
• Randy Cunningham Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja.
• Steven Universe is a shojo-esque spin on this trope.
• Bart Simpson from The Simpsons is a zig-zagged example. While many episodes focused on him typically portrayed him as a mischievous and rebellious slacker, there are times where he is depicted as a Hot-Blooded, Book Dumb Determinator at his most heroic. He is also recognized by his spiky hairstyle, is very energetic (has ADHD as proof) and makes friends out of most of his enemies, including his on-and-off rival Nelson Muntz. He even saves the world in his video games.
• Jim Lake Jr. from Tales of Arcadia is a downplayed example. He is a teenage boy who becomes The Chosen One after discovering a magical amulet that grants him an armor and magical abilities.

Real Life

• It's not uncommon for people to have this personality type in the real world (albeit toned down to non-fantastical levels), whether by sheer coincidence or deliberate imitation of favorite shonen heroes.
  • Michael Jordan was an underdog in his youth, but his relentless work ethic, competitive drive, and ability to inspire teammates has led to his status as a basketball legend.