7 Classic Shonen Anime Characters Who Haven't Aged Well

The shonen genre has a massive selection of classic anime where the most iconic characters appear for the first time. From hot-blooded shonen leads who never stop fighting for their dreams to charismatic villains who crave power and sidekicks who mainly exist for comic relief and fan service, many of these classic shonen characters were well-received by viewers back then.

40 Greatest Shonen Anime Ever, Ranked

One Piece, Naruto, DBZ, Frieren, and Jojo are just a few of the best shonen anime of all time, and they have plenty of stiff competition.

As time marches on, it goes without saying that not every shonen character remains legendary forever. With their exhausting personalities, outdated humor, and now-irrelevant roles, these classic shonen characters no longer possess the same appeal, impact, and relatability they once had.

7

Naruto Uzumaki’s Poor Treatment in Boruto is Shameful

Anime: Naruto

Naruto is an incredibly likable main character. He literally checks all the boxes of a great shonen anime protagonist, from his dedication to his dreams, never-ending optimism, and, of course, his incredible powers. Unfortunately, Naruto himself has not aged well after he accomplished his Hokage dream.

Though he received a major power-up in the form of Baryon Mode in Boruto, the sequel to Naruto never fails to give poor treatment to the Seventh Hokage. To this day, Naruto Uzumaki is sealed in a pocket dimension. He also lost his lifetime partner Kurama, which significantly weakened his overall strength. Worse, he couldn’t keep up with Boruto or even Kawaki anymore with his current power level.

Naruto

Release Date: 2002 – 2007-00-00
Showrunner: Masashi Kishimoto
Directors: Hayato Date
Writers: Masashi Kishimoto

6

Sasuke Uchiha Is Weaker Than Ever in Boruto

Anime: Naruto

Kishimoto Confirms Sasuke Trained With Boruto During The Timeskip

Naruto isn’t the only shinobi who was painfully sidelined in Boruto. Even Sasuke, one of the Uchiha greats, is poorly treated in the Naruto sequel. Just like Naruto, Sasuke is an iconic shonen character, known for his signature powers like the Sharingan, Rinnegan, and more. He is Naruto’s fiercest rival, who helped seal Kaguya Otsutsuki during the final moments of the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Unfortunately, Sasuke has been reduced to a tree-like state, unable to free himself and return to the battlefield. He also lost his Rinnegan after being attacked by a Momoshiki-possessed Boruto Uzumaki, drastically diminishing his powers. And the worst part is that there’s no guarantee that Sasuke will regain his former strength and abilities.

Boruto

Release Date: April 5, 2017
Network: TV Tokyo

5

Sanji’s Behavior Around Women Is Creepy

Anime: One Piece

Sanji with heart eyes and his tongue out

Sanji is one of the coolest members of the Straw Hat Pirates. After all, he often sports a sleek black suit, fights opponents with his feet, and above all else, cooks the most delicious dishes in the series. He also receives power-ups quite often, keeping him relevant in the most intense fights in One Piece.

Sadly, one of the biggest issues surrounding Sanji is his overly hyperactive and perverse behavior around women. Many fans have voiced this concern time and again, yet Sanji seemingly becomes even more exaggerated with his perverted tendencies as the series progresses. It doesn’t help that the One Piece anime plays up Sanji’s perviness, making him an even bigger creep than in the manga.

One Piece

Release Date: October 20, 1999
Network: Fuji TV
Directors: Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Writers: Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda

Mayumi Tanaka

Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
Kazuya Nakai

Roronoa Zoro (voice)

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

4

Master Roshi’s Inappropriate Conduct Is Outdated and Unacceptable

Anime: Dragon Ball

Roshi reading a dirty magazine in Dragon Ball Z

Master Roshi’s role as the pervy old master of Goku and Krillin is mainly used for comic relief in Dragon Ball. He often spies on women and reacts to them with exaggerated nosebleeds, which, at the time, was accepted as part of the series’ lighthearted and comedic tone.

However, Master Roshi’s role is now often viewed as outdated and inappropriate by many viewers. He comes off as a comedic character whose repeated perverted behavior is widely criticized today for crossing personal boundaries. Roshi’s creepy antics have no place in a modern anime, and date Dragon Ball worse than anything else.

Dragon Ball

Release Date: 1986 – 1989
Network: Fuji TV
Directors: Osamu Kasai, Daisuke Nishio, Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Minoru Okazaki, Mitsuo Hashimoto, Yoshihiro Ueda, Yutaka Satoh, Yûji Endô
Writers: Akira Toriyama, Keiji Terui, Toshiki Inoue, Takao Koyama, Michiru Shimada, Yasushi Hirano, Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Yuichiro Oguro, Miho Maruo, Shunichi Yukimuro

Masako Nozawa

Son Goku (voice)
Mayumi Tanaka

Krillin (voice)

3

Toriko’s Power Creep Goes Way Too Far

Anime: Toriko

There was a time when Toriko’s journey as a Gourmet Hunter was one of the most beloved in the shonen genre. The world of Toriko was vast, and the characters, be it allies or foes, were unique and compelling on their own. At one point, Toriko’s popularity was even considered comparable to that of Monkey D. Luffy and Goku, both of whom are widely regarded as defining faces of the shonen genre.

Unfortunately, Toriko‘s extreme power escalation eventually reacheed intergalactic levels, and suffered from a flawed anime adaptation that struggled with pacing and quality issues. Not to mention, the series’ author also faced controversy for his uncomfortable arrest record, which deeply hurt Toriko’s reputation.

2

Ryoma Echizen Can’t Compete With Modern Sports Anime

Anime: The Prince of Tennis

Ryoma Echizen is a tennis prodigy and The Prince of Tennis‘ iconic main character. He’s famous for his signature techniques, like the Twist Serve, Drive A and B, Samurai-inspired shots, and other evolving special tennis moves that no ordinary opponent can counter.

Regrettably, Ryoma Echizen has not aged well, especially when compared to newer sports anime protagonists with more grounded techniques and emotional depth. Above all else, Ryoma’s goal of beating his father in a serious tennis match was repeatedly delayed throughout The Prince of Tennis, making the buildup feel unnecessarily prolonged and repetitive.

The Prince of Tennis

Release Date: 2001 – 2005
Network: TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
Directors: Takayuki Hamana
Writers: Masashi Sogo, Tomioka Atsuhiro, Atsuushi Maekawa

Erik Davies

Sakuno Ryūzaki (voice)
Yuri Lowenthal

Ryōma Echizen (voice)
Liam O’Brien

Eiji Kikumaru (voice)
Sam Riegel

Takashi Kawamura (voice)

1

Yoh Asakura is One of the Worst Shonen Protagonists

Anime: Shaman King

Shaman King is one of the most underrated shonen series, featuring amazing fights, cool characters, a unique power system, and an overpowered villain. Yoh Asakura is a main character who prefers to avoid brutal confrontations as much as possible.

Yoh Asakura delights in maintaining a peaceful, carefree attitude, which seems fine at first but makes him way too passive compared to more driven protagonists. This is one of the reasons why most fans fail to resonate with Yoh, struggling to finish his journey not only in the anime but also in the manga.