Best Shonen Anime

Well-made shonen anime (or shounen anime, as it is sometimes spelled) tend to be massive hits — just look at Attack on Titan or Dragon Ball. It is by far one of the most popular “genres” of anime, with countless numbers of manga adaptations and original series being created for fans. Shonen is also a demographic rather than a traditional genre, so it covers a wide spectrum of shows.

In a category with countless anime to watch, it can be difficult to choose which series to get into. Still, some shonen anime are so excellent that they stand above the rest and should be on every fan’s must-watch list until they’ve seen them all. Let’s go over the best shonen anime of all time, and the picks will cover more than just battle shonen.

While each anime’s MyAnimeList score will be included, it is just a reference and not the deciding factor for the rankings. Also, the rankings are ultimately quite loose, since shonen covers such a wide variety of shows and genres. Ultimately, the goal is to provide recommendations.

Updated October 8, 2025 by Mark Sammut: The Summer 2025 season was fantastic for shonen anime, and there is nothing to suggest that Fall 2025 will be much worse.

Best New Fall 2025 Shonen Anime

The Fall 2025 anime season is underway, and there are some great anime to watch. The biggest shonen anime are definitely sequels, as Spy x Family, My Hero Academia, Ranma ½, and To Your Eternity are all airing new seasons, while Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man have incredible movies in cinemas. One-Punch Man is more seinen than shonen, but it is also airing a new season.

If you just focus on sequels, you will likely be more than satisfied with your Fall 2025 shonen lineup. However, there is way more to life than just continuations. So, let’s highlight a few new series that might catch your eye. OK, technically, three new series, one spin-off, and a Summer 2025 carry-over.

• Gachiakuta – The most highly anticipated new shonen anime of the Summer season, Gachiakuta has been nothing short of awesome so far. Seriously, if you are looking for just a single new battle shonen, Gachiakuta should be the only one in contention, as it highlights everything good about the subgenre. The anime has great world-building, a fun power system, a cool protagonist, surprisingly great humor, and fights that are not only visually impressive but also have a great sense of scale. In terms of new action, Gachiakuta was among the very best of Summer 2025, and it should be the same for Fall 2025.
• Sanda – OK, this one is weird. Like, almost too weird for me, and I can handle a lot. Sanda is about, well, Santa Claus. Yes, good old Saint Nick. Sanda is his descendant, and he has a curse that causes him to transform into a big, old man who can resist fire and seems to be largely shirtless. Sanda has been fun, but man is it’s weird.
• Gintama – Mr. Ginpachi’s Zany Class – Spoiler warning for later down the list, but Gintama is one of the best shonen anime ever. Mr. Ginpachi’s Zany Class is a spin-off that takes Gintama‘s massive cast of degenerates and drops them into a school setting, with Gintoki being their always reliable teacher. Prepare to laugh.
• Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right – Shonen tends to focus primarily on action, but comedy and romance are part of the equation as well. Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right has a…unique…premise. Luna is a vampire who cannot suck blood. Fortunately, Tatsuta is a male student who would not mind being used as a test dummy for her to practice. Anime finds a way.
• Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 – Ever wanted what Fujimoto Tatsuki was writing when he wasn’t covering Chainsaw Man? Well, this short series should shine a light on that.

38

Call Of The Night

MyAnimeList Score: 7.95 (Season 1)

Call of the Night is all about freedom. Although he is a good student, Kou Yamori finds that he struggles to relate to other teenagers, particularly when it comes to matters of love. While suffering from insomnia, he ventures out in the night, a decision that changes the guy’s life forever when he meets Nazuna Nanakusa, a vampire.

Enamored by her approach to life, Kou sets out on a path to become a creature of the night, but he will need to first fall in love with Nazuna to actualize this dream. Call of the Night is whimsical, stylish, and funny. Kou and Nazuna have instant chemistry, and they are hardly the only great characters to exist in this world.

37

Fire Force

MyAnimeList: 7.72 (Season 1)

Based on a manga by the same author responsible for Soul Eater, Fire Force is a relatively traditional battle shonen anime, albeit one that benefits from above-average execution and consistently great animation. Except for questionable fanservice, the series mostly gets everything right, delivering a well-told plot drenched in religious imagery, intense and consequential action, likable characters, and interesting world-building that complements the story’s political and social themes.

While arguably falling just short of the absolute top-tier action anime, Fire Force is nevertheless a pretty easy recommendation for anyone who is generally fond of shonen’s tropes and traditions.

36

Noragami

MyAnimeList: 7.94 (Season 1)

A well-liked 2010s shonen anime that seems unlikely to ever completely adapt its source material, Noragami is still worth a watch, just because the available content is highly enjoyable and could entice newcomers to seek out Adachitoka’s manga. Yato is a god who has mostly been forgotten but wishes to have a shrine, something that requires followers. One day, he saves a girl named Hiyori, starting a cute friendship that ultimately benefits both of them.

Initially, Noragami leans quite heavily into humor, almost coming across as a comedic slice of life with occasional bursts of drama and action. However, the story gradually expands the world’s scope while diving deeper into the main characters’ histories, with Yato’s journey being particularly fascinating.

35

Case Closed

MyAnimeList: 8.17

One of the very few shonen stories to eclipse One Piece in episode count, Case Closed has been a fixture of the anime scene since 1996. Also known as Detective Conan, the series follows a teenage detective who is turned into a child by a mysterious organization, forcing him to find unique ways to help the police solve cases.

Putting aside the occasional development to the overarching narrative, Case Closed primarily consists of stand-alone investigations that, more often than not, last only a single episode. Although arguably not reaching the same heights as some of the other best shonen anime, Case Closed is surprisingly consistent, with most episodes serving up entertaining and easily digestible mysteries. Characters like Conan, Ran, Kogorou, and Kaito are icons.

34

Kaiju No. 8

MyAnimeList: 8.28 (Season 1)

Except for the biggest sequels, Kaiju No. 8 was Spring 2024’s most highly-anticipated anime. Based on Naoya Matsumoto’s popular manga, the adaptation benefits from Production I.G’s production value, with the first few episodes standing head-and-shoulders above most currently airing shows. Going beyond its aesthetics, Kaiju No. 8 has a premise that simply sells itself, even if it is not necessarily breaking new ground.

As Japan has a kaiju problem, the country relies on a special team to take down these monsters whenever they appear. Driven by a childhood tragedy, Kafka aspired to join this task force, only to fail the entrance exam. Now in his early 30s, the odds of him making the grade are very low; or, at least, that was the case before Kafka received an unexpected power-up that allowed him to transform into a kaiju.

Kaiju No. 8 knows its main selling point and instantly gets to it. The anime starts with a great kaiju sequence that also does a fantastic job of setting up the story’s key players, especially Kafka, Reno, and Mina. Although a bit loud at times, Kafka is a charming and frequently funny protagonist who fits the everyman role while still very much having a strong personality. As it progresses, the show transforms into an almost ensemble action show, with Kafka and Reno joining a team of very talented rookies.

33

Chainsaw Man

MyAnimeList Score: 8.46

Chainsaw Man was by far and away one of 2022’s most hyped anime, which speaks to the popularity of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga. As its title suggests, Chainsaw Man is about a man who can transform parts of himself into chainsaws. The story includes the Yakuza and devil hunters, along with a lot of gore.

Yes, this is a battle shonen anime for adults, and this goes beyond just grotesque villains. The source material touches upon mature themes, even if they are presented through Denji’s juvenile perspective. The adaptation delivered on its promise for the most part, although the show’s legacy will depend on the quality (and existence) of the sequels. Chainsaw Man could dominate the shonen anime scene for a few years.

Assuming the movie and eventual sequel season are great, Chainsaw Man should move up considerably. The manga only gets better from here.

32

My Hero Academia

MyAnimeList Score (Season 1): 7.84

While hardly the first to feature superheroes, My Hero Academia is anime’s most famous example of the theme. With six seasons and a couple of movies under its belt, the show has enjoyed a long and successful run, and Deku’s story is not done yet.

At its best, My Hero Academia offers unforgettable fights, chilling villains, decent humor, and a constant sense of growth for its protagonist. Now, the series has had a few flat arcs; in fact, seasons 4 and 5 are both considerably weaker than the rest of the show, and they can be difficult to get through since they span almost 50 episodes. Fortunately, seasons 6 and 7 are much better.

31

Ranma ½ (Both Series)

MyAnimeList Score (2024 Series): 8.04

Rumiko Takahashi is an all-time great mangaka, and her stories should ideally be experienced in their original forms. That said, for the most part, adaptations based on her works are pretty good, and Ranma ½ is probably Takashi’s most famous masterpiece alongside Inuyasha. The manga received two adaptations, one that aired during the early ’90s and a new iteration released in 2024. Both do a splendid job of showcasing Takashi’s incredible talent for humor and romance, all the while throwing in creative fight sequences.

Now, when it comes to choosing a version to watch, the modern remake is arguably the better pick. MAPPA’s animation is beautiful, and the anime really nails its pacing. That said, the classic version has two great seasons that advance Ranma and Ayane’s relationship. After that, the series enters filler territory, which means a lot of amusing but inconsequential episodes.

30

Spy X Family

MyAnimeList Score (Season 1): 8.46

A highlight of Spring and Fall 2022, Spy x Family chronicles the Forgers’ comedic escapades that can range from school break-ins to terrorist attacks with potentially widespread consequences. Tasked with befriending an important diplomat, Twilight, the eponymous spy, crafts a fake family man persona and adopts a girl named Anya, who just so happens to be a mind-reader. As Loid, Twilight also marries Yor, a woman who moonlights as an assassin.

These secrets simultaneously separate and bring this family together. Part 2 starts to develop the characters’ relationships, showing that something genuine is threatening to blossom from this artificial connection. Spy x Family season 2 aired as part of the Fall 2023 season; for the most part, the show remained very entertaining, although the story’s lack of forward movement did begin to grate after a while.

29

Bleach (Original & Thousand-Year Blood War)

MyAnimeList Score (Original Series): 7.97

At its best, Bleach compares favorably with any other action anime out there. The Soul Society arc is widely recognized as one of the strongest early sagas in shonen, and those 40 episodes feature fantastic action, world-building, and storytelling. The Thousand-Year Blood War, which started airing in Fall 2022, is another high point that brought back Bleach in a big way after a long hiatus.

While the positives outweigh the negatives, Bleach notoriously overuses filler arcs to the point that they regularly derail the show’s momentum. Sagas like The Bount arc have their moments, but they are so overly long that they drag down the rest of the series. However, as they are filler, these arcs can be skipped, and that is arguably the best way to enjoy Bleach.

Honestly, Thousand-Year Blood War is among the best battle shonen anime of all time, at least in terms of animation and fight sequences. However, when the series is taken as a whole, Bleach is pretty inconsistent.