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The 10 most popular anime protagonists, according to MyAnimeList

MyAnimeList is the most popular site that fans use to keep track of all the anime they have watched. It also allows fans to vote for their favorite characters. Since the site has millions of monthly users, it’s a great way to gauge the popularity of certain characters.

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There’s a pretty heated debate about which leads are the best written of all time. However, MyAnimeList users have cast their votes on who their favorite anime leads are. While new generation stars like jujutsu kaisen Yūji Itadori and from my hero academia Izuku Midoriya didn’t make it into the top ten, many great characters still made the cut.

10 Ken Kaneki got 45,936 favorites (Tokyo Ghoul)


Kaneki resurfaces from within Sasaki.

Ken Kaneki is the protagonist of terror in tokyo. He’s quite a fascinating character to analyze and dissect. When the series started, he was an ordinary human. This all changed when he became a one-eyed demon after a date took a horrible turn. Along the terror in tokyoKaneki frequently changed characters.

At the beginning of terror in tokyo, he was a gentle soul who wouldn’t hurt a fly. However, as a result of his trauma, he became ruthless and ruthless. The series shows the constant tug-of-war between Kaneki’s ghoul side and his human side.

9 Eren Yeager got 57,661 favorites (Attack on Titan)


Eren cut off his hand to become a Titan in exchange for an emergency

Eren Yeager is the protagonist of attack on titan. While he started out as the hot-tempered, impulsive average protagonist who became synonymous with shonen anime, Eren changed significantly throughout the story. As Eren discovered more of the truth about the world, he switched to a much darker headspace. Eren is perhaps one of the darkest shonen heroes out there.

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Along the attack on titan, Eren endured several traumatic events. Now, it’s a hot debate among fans if Eren can be considered a hero due to his choices on behalf of defending Paradis.


8 Guts got 61,517 favorites (Berserk)


guts blue sky

Guts is the protagonist of crazed. Guts is one of the best examples of the ultimate tragic hero. As the poster boy for dark fantasy anime, Guts is one of the most compelling leads. While he initially seemed more of an anti-hero, Guts became an isolationist mercenary.

Guts is defined by various traumatic events, such as betrayal and events in his childhood that no one should be forced to deal with. Guts has experienced immense character growth over the years. crazed to learn how to deal with these things. It is undeniable that Guts is one of the best written anime protagonists of all time.


7 Gintoki Sakata Obtained 66,903 Favorites (Gintama)


Gintoki Sakata is the protagonist of gintama. Gintoki is an obvious fan favorite. Fans appreciate his goofy personality. Many fans can see themselves reflected in Gintoki’s lazy demeanor. Instead of working, he prefers to read Shonen Jump with a peculiar expression on his face.

Perhaps the funniest part of Gintoki’s personality is that he dispenses sage advice to his employees and acts as if his word is gospel; however, he barely knows what he is saying most of the time. His sarcastic demeanor and the fact that he doesn’t take himself too seriously are just some of the reasons fans love Gintoki.


6 Naruto Uzumaki Obtained 75,337 Favorites (Naruto)


naruto and ichiraku ramen

Naruto Uzumaki is a fan favorite is unavoidable. As the titular protagonist of naruto, is idealistic, excitable and boisterous. These are all common traits of Shonen protagonists, but Naruto is quite unique. This is why he is one of the most recognizable protagonists in anime in general.

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Fans admire Naruto’s stamina and mental toughness. He started out isolated from the rest of his people because he had Kurama inside of him. Despite all the pain he endured, he channeled his loneliness into something positive and remained a kind and optimistic person despite those who ostracized him.


5 Edward Elric got 81,416 favorites (Fullmetal Alchemist)


Edward rests his face against his fist.

Edward Elric is the protagonist of the full metal alchemist Serie. Fans admire Ed for various reasons. Ed was forced to grow up early in his life because he lost his mother and he and his brother failed to revive her. He basically lost everything.

As a result, Ed is very self-sacrificing. Although this quality is standard for most anime protagonists, it is one of the most recognizable aspects of Ed’s character. Also, he always tries to do what is objectively right instead of choosing the easy solution. Ed also refuses to feel sorry for himself.


4 Rintaro Okabe got 86,485 favorites (Steins;Gate)


rintaro okabe from steins;gate on his cell phone and smiling

Rintaro Okabe is the protagonist of jugs; door. He is quite an eccentric guy: he declared himself a mad scientist and tends to act as if he is more important than he is. Although he is good-natured at heart, others find his social habits strange. Kurisu notes that he is quite socially inept.

Rintaro also likes to act as a special agent on a mission against a top-secret “Organization” that he claims is persisting in their efforts against him. Rintaro tends to talk to himself on the phone and engages in prolonged fits of hysterical laughter.




3 Light Yagami got 86,511 favorites (Death Note)


light yagami from death note

Light Yagami is the protagonist of Death Note. As one of the most notorious antiheroes of all time, Light’s story captivated fans because she forced them to look at morality under a microscope. After obtaining a Death Note, he appointed himself as the God of the New World.

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Light sought to cleanse the world of those he considered “vermin”. Taking on the alias “Kira”, Light sought to create a world that perfectly aligned with her own ideals. Light is certainly not a nice guy, but he is a fascinating and undeniably well-written lead.


two Monkey D. Luffy got 111,296 favorites (One Piece)


One Piece's Luffy stares at Big Mom.

Monkey D. Luffy is the protagonist of One piece. As the leader of the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy has several wacky qualities that fans love. Besides the comedic attributes of him, such as his inexhaustible appetite and his naivety, Luffy has shown that he is a capable leader. Luffy’s undying optimism and dedication to the Straw Hats boosts the team’s morale.

Luffy is fiercely protective of his comrades. Luffy’s courage knows no bounds and it takes him a lot to catch him off guard. Luffy’s sense of justice is also admirable, as he believes that his enemies should be held accountable for his actions. He refuses to kill them because that would give them an easy way out.


1 Lelouch Lamperouge Earned 151,992 Favorites (C0de Geass)


Lelouch becomes zero in Code Geass

Lelouch Lamperouge is the protagonist of Code Geass. Lelouch is undoubtedly a fascinating protagonist to analyze. At first, he set out with the lofty goal of destroying Britannia to avenge the loved ones he lost due to his reign over Japan. However, Lelouch quickly became the very type of tyrant he swore to destroy.

Like Light Yagami, Lelouch sought to create a world that perfectly aligned with his own ideals. Unfortunately, Lelouch became a ruthless authoritarian. He showed no respect for his subordinates or his potential constituents. Although, some argue that, deep down, Lelouch cared a lot about these people.

NEXT: 10 Best Written Anime Leads Of All Time

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