The realm of anime is filled to the brim with some of the best fictional heroes of all time. Watching these characters fight against the odds to come out victorious in their battles, regardless of what their scale might be, is a sensation that never ceases to be entertaining. These protagonists have become iconic parts of pop culture in their own right, elevating the shows they're featured in to a whole new level.
Given the very nature of anime itself, it goes without saying that the vast majority of anime characters are recognizable through their silhouette alone. However, this isn't true for each and every anime protagonist, with the following characters being pretty memorable heroes that have relatively unremarkable silhouettes.
10 Edward Elric – Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is easily one of the greatest anime of all time. The faithfulness of this adaptation coupled with the strong story led to this anime becoming pretty legendary in its own right.
A big part of what made Fullmetal Alchemist such a masterpiece is its main protagonist, Edward Elric. His silhouette doesn't really seem all that imposing...until his full character design and mechanical limbs are revealed for everyone to see.
9 Yuji Itadori – Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the biggest phenomena that has absolutely burst onto the scene, courtesy of a stellar anime adaptation. At the heart of this show is Yuji Itadori, who is as cliched a shonen protagonist as one can get.
His character design seems pretty normal, given his origins as a high school student. However, on his route to becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer, there are several ways that Itadori becomes a force to be reckoned with.
8 Eren Yeager – Attack On Titan
Eren Yeager is one of the most fascinating characters in Attack on Titan. This character starts as a person hungry for vengeance...only to realize the price he has to pay to secure the future for his friends and family.
At a glance, his character looks similar to most others in the series, especially if people only compare his silhouette. While his design does change in Season 4, this happens multiple times and can genuinely confuse certain people if multiple silhouettes of Eren's different designs are placed side-by-side.
7 Yusuke Urameshi – Yu Yu Hakusho
Yu Yu Hakusho is a classic shonen anime that any fan of the genre should check out. The show stars Yusuke Urameshi, a high school student who sacrifices his life to save a child, only to be brought back as a Spirit Detective.
Since he started off as a high school student, it's only a given that Yusuke's character design isn't all that crazy. However, that doesn't really matter in the long run, with the character developing into a likable and powerful protagonist.
6 Mob Kageyama – Mob Psycho 100
With the release of Mob Psycho 100's third season right around the corner, there's no better time to get into this amazing series. The story of Mob Kageyama as he tries to live a normal life without relying on his Esper powers is equal parts hilarious and engaging.
Since he tries not to use his Esper powers all that much, it's only a given that Mob's character design is pretty meek and unassuming. However, it's when he unleashes the true extent of his powers that viewers realize just how powerful this character really is.
5 Izuku Midoriya – My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is one of the most popular anime around, with the power of One for All slowly developing as Midoriya trains extensively. He's a fitting protagonist for the show, although he can feel a bit too cookie-cutter at times.
His silhouette is bound to be somewhat basic, given his origins as a high school student with no Quirk. However, he's slowly managed to make All Might's power his own and is bound to reach astronomical heights of power in later seasons.
4 Spike Spiegel – Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop is revered by many fans as one of the best anime of all time. The legacy of this anime has remained steadfast for decades, which shows just how brilliant this show is.
At the heart of this show is Spike Spiegel, the protagonist with a heart of gold whose wit and charm make him one of the best parts of the show. It doesn't matter that his silhouette might be tough to identify since almost everything else about this character is nigh perfect.
3 Shinji Ikari – Neon Genesis Evangelion
Shinji Ikari holds the distinguished honor of being one of the more annoying protagonists in anime history. Of course, his cowardly attitude makes sense when people put themselves in his position.
Since he's a regular kid, it makes sense that his character design is anything but spectacular. However, it's the manner in which this character develops throughout Neon Genesis Evangelion that makes him such a different and fascinating anime hero.
2 Tanjiro Kamado – Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer is one of the biggest anime around right now, with Ufotable's stellar animation catapulting the popularity of this series to new heights. It helps that Tanjiro is a pretty serviceable protagonist, although he might not break any new ground.
Since he starts out as a humble village boy, it's clear that his character design was not going to be over-the-top in any way. Even when he receives his katana, there are simply too many sword-wielding anime characters out there for his silhouette to be notable in any way.
1 Shirou Emiya – Fate/stay Night
Fate/stay Night is an incredible series that has branched off into several substories that are worth exploring. At the heart of this series is Shirou Emiya, one of the most underrated shonen protagonists of all time.
It seems that there's somewhat of a pattern developing here, with Shirou Emiya looking fairly unremarkable due to his origins as a normal high school student. However, over the course of the story, he develops his fair share of powers that make him a formidable foe in combat.