Anime Fans Are Calling Out Shonen’s Most Tired Stereotype, Only Dragon Ball Is an Exception

In the Shonen genre, there are too many teenagers saving the world while attending classes. However, Dragon Ball is an exception.

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SUMMARY

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Shonen is the most popular genre in the anime industry. It dominates sales charts and global discussions. However, Viewers are now asking why adult characters cannot take the lead roles in these anime. The only mainstream franchise that escapes this criticism is Dragon Ball, which features a protagonist who has been an adult for the majority of its run.

There Are Too Many Teenager Anime Protagonists

If you look at the most successful shonen anime, the trend is as clear as day. One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, My Hero Academia, and Jujutsu Kaisen all have main characters who are under the age of 18. These characters deal with world-ending threats, yet they are not old enough to vote or drive.

The term “Shonen” literally translates to “boy,” which explains why this is the case. Publishers like Shueisha aim these stories at young readers. They want the readers to relate to the heroes. Therefore, the heroes face problems that teenagers face, such as school settings, exams, and finding one’s identity. Even if the end goal is to save the world, these characters do face common problems in exaggerated ways.

Critiques on social media highlight that many of these stories would work just as well, or perhaps better, if the characters were adults:

I dont understand why main character ages are always 16, 17 and 18 in fantasy ??? bro 20 is young too 25 best !!!

— 🦥 (@herw1ldheart) February 2, 2026

Why can’t shows just make them 20

— chrissi✮ (@ungodlykristy) February 3, 2026

This is why I love Dungeon Meshi, the MC Laios is 26, and his sister that they're trying to rescue is 23, basically all the characters are of age and actual adults and it's so fucking refreshing

— artistic gay dude 🏳️‍⚧️ (@DMAFTMPersonal) February 3, 2026

I always prefer +20 because there's no way a 16 years old is going to school while fighting demons and going to the club with friends and having a love life with a fallen angel. Let's be fr. Where your parents at kid????

— pirouette ✨🇦🇷 (@_sleepymes) February 3, 2026

If Naruto Uzumaki started his journey at 20 instead of 12, the themes of war and leadership would carry more weight. Characters like Satoru Gojo or Levi Ackerman are often more popular than the main protagonists because they appear like reliable adults in a show full of children.

The audience now includes millions of adults in their 20s and 30s who grew up with these shows. They want to see heroes who face adult responsibilities, rather than high school drama mixed with saving the world.

Why Dragon Ball Works With Older Characters

There is one exception to the old gen shonen anime. Late Akira Toriyama made a bold choice by allowing his protagonist to grow up and still let them be the main characters. In contrast, Naruto did grow up, but the protagonist is now Boruto, which a lot of fans did not like. Perhaps if the story continued with Naruto, it would have had more success.

Son Goku started as a child in the original manga, but by the time Dragon Ball Z began, he was a young adult with a child of his own. Currently, in Dragon Ball Super, Goku is a grandfather.

This progression works because Dragon Ball handles its protagonist differently than most Shonen. Most Shonen heroes are designed as self-inserts. They are blank slates who learn about the world alongside the reader. They react to the plot. Meanwhile, Goku acts as a static ideal.

Goku does not need to “find himself.” He already knows who he is. Because his character is fully formed, he does not need to be a teenager learning life lessons. Instead, he acts as a force of nature that changes the characters around him. Vegeta, Piccolo, and Gohan all have character arcs that are reactions to Goku’s constant presence.

This allows the story to run for decades without feeling like something is off. We are all looking up at Goku rather than relating to him.

Do you also want to see more adult protagonists? Tell us in the comments.

Dragon Ball Z is streaming on Crunchyroll

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