Shonen protagonists tend to have a lot in common; they are hot-blooded, courageous, and generally have a heart of gold. They also tend to enjoy fighting a lot, something that can be positive or negative depending on the situation. These characters mean well, but sometimes their enthusiasm gets the best of them.
Sometimes, protagonists take it too far and end up being more trouble than the enemy they were supposed to be fighting off. Oftentimes this is played for laughs, but it's quite ironic to see such situations happen. Here are some shonen protagonists who are pretty well known for causing as much trouble as they stop.
10 Eikichi Onizuka – Great Teacher Onizuka
Perennial troublemaker Eikichi Onizuka decides to make a rather surprising career move and becomes a teacher at a school. While his intentions are initially impure, he starts wanting to work to help the students grow, eventually reforming an entire class of renowned troublemakers.
However, his methods remain crude and fairly straightforward. Onizuka gains a penchant for solving problems with completely unconventional methods that often end in the destruction of property. The vice-principal's car is a frequent victim of such incidents, though Onizuka is often unrepentant of the destruction he causes.
9 Edward Elric – Fullmetal Alchemist
Edward Elric is the youngest State Alchemist in the history of Amestris, having achieved the title at the age of twelve. Having committed the crime of attempting human transmutation, he and his brother Alphonse roam the land in search of a way to restore their bodies.
While on their journey, the two brothers often end up getting into all sorts of trouble and have to use their alchemy to get out of it. Unfortunately, this often resorts in damage to the local area, since alchemy requires the proper materials to be used properly.
8 Kei And Yuri – Dirty Pair
The Lovely Angels Kei and Yuri work for the 3WA as Trouble Consultants, agents meant to help in a variety of areas, including catching criminals and stopping bomb threats. They are incredibly skilled in both combat and various forms of espionage, making them valuable agents who get lots of work.
However, they have a penchant for accidentally causing massive damage every time they complete a mission, causing them to be referred to as the Dirty Pair by nearly anyone who knows of their reputation. They are so well-known for this that even their clients become uneasy when they learn they are working with the Dirty Pair.
7 Mikoto Misaka – A Certain Scientific Railgun
Mikoto Misaka is one of seven Level 5 Espers in Academy City, making her one of the strongest Espers in the world. Her signature move involves firing a coin at super high speeds towards her opponent, which creates a massive electrical burst of energy. This move is the source of her nickname 'Railgun'.
However, her abilities are not without drawbacks. Using her abilities improperly can cause nearby machinery to short circuit, and the railgun attack often destroys anything in its way along with the intended target. While Mikoto's powers are impressive, they can also cause a lot of unnecessary damage.
6 Natsu Dragneel – Fairy Tail
Natsu Dragneel is a powerful mage of the Fairy Tail guild, known as the 'Salamander' due to his ability to use Fire Dragon Slayer magic. His strength allows him to defeat powerful mages, though he often causes a fair amount of destruction in the process.
In fact, causing destruction is a penchant of not just Natsu, but the entire Fairy Tail guild. This reputation is so well known that while Fairy Tail is celebrated as a powerful mage guild, they are often a source of trouble for the Magic Council.
5 Gintoki Sakata – Gintama
Once feared on the battlefield as the White Yaksha, Gintoki Sakata now leads a simple life as the leader of Odd Jobs Gin, where he performs any job with the help of his friends Shinpachi and Kagura. While many of his adventures are comedic in nature, occasionally Gintoki does have to use force in order to solve a problem.
Whether it's due to an all-out brawl or an attempt to solve problems by brute force, Gintoki and his friends often end up causing more trouble than they fix. While this traps them in an eternal cycle of poverty, they still jump into trouble regardless of the consequences.
4 Vash The Stampede – Trigun
Vash the Stampede is a kind, peaceful young man - and also a sixty billion bounty known as the Humanoid Typhoon. While he is a skilled gunman with an unnatural ability to survive even the most fatal attacks, he refuses to kill even his most vile enemies, sometimes to his own detriment.
Vash's nickname comes from the fact that he often brings trouble wherever he goes. At times, his power has also run rampant, decimating entire cities in the process. Unlike the other entries on this list, this has always been treated as tragic rather than comedic.
3 Lina Inverse – Slayers
Lina Inverse is one of the most powerful sorcerers in the Slayers universe, commanding a mastery over a legion of mighty spells, including the incredibly powerful Dragon Slave, capable of destroying even mighty dragons.
It is also capable of destroying whole towns and changing the landscape, making every time the spell is cast a major natural disaster. While Lina has saved the world several times, she has also caused trouble for a lot of people, making her reputation mixed at best, even with her close friends.
2 Monkey D. Luffy – One Piece
Monkey D. Luffy is one of the hundreds of pirates seeking out the One Piece, Gold Roger's greatest treasure. Despite being a pirate, Luffy often ends up helping out those in need, liberating those oppressed by the strong and earning the respect and admiration of many.
Of course, this often comes with a lot of destruction in its wake, as Luffy is often careless during his fights. Furthermore, Luffy's increasing strength and abilities only cause the frequency of destruction to occur even more. Luffy's adventures often end in a lot of mayhem and destruction.
1 Saitama – One-Punch Man
Saitama is the most powerful man in the world, strong enough to beat nearly any enemy he fights with only one punch. While this power makes mincemeat out of terrifying villains, it's only a bother to Saitama himself, who just wants to feel the thrill of a difficult fight.
It's also an inconvenience, as Saitama's punches are so powerful that he often blows away the surrounding area along with the monster he killed. This causes him to avoid using his full power in order to minimize the damage done. Nevertheless, his power is destructive, even when held back.