Anime characters are a diverse bunch, especially since anime itself spans a wide variety of literary genres beyond just Dragon Ball clones. This leads to an equally wide variety of characters, but the best anime heroes all have a few key traits in common, including honesty, courage, loyalty, and the stubborn will to persevere despite the odds.
The best fictional characters have grit, the mental and physical fortitude to persist on their quest no matter what kind of opposition they face. This can help craft a highly compelling underdog lead. Which anime characters inspire viewers with their incredible grit and their refusal to ever give in to their enemies? This trait is a staple in shonen, but other genres feature tenacious heroes, too.
10 Monkey D. Luffy Will Never Let Go Of His Dream (One Piece)
Many classic shonen protagonists are noted for their "never give up" attitude. They often deliver dialogue to this effect when facing formidable opponents, which can be hugely inspiring and make the character even more impressive. Among several examples of this is Monkey D. Luffy, the pirate captain with a dream.
Luffy aspires to become the Pirate King, the same title that Gol D. Roger once held in a bygone era, and nothing will deter Luffy from pursuing this dream. Not even foes like Sir Crocodile or Captain Blackbeard can convince him to back down.
9 Megumi Tadokoro Learned To Be A Tenacious Culinary Fighter (Food Wars!)
At first, Megumi Tadokoro actually was prone to giving up, since she didn't have the courage or confidence to use her cooking skills to the fullest extent. She was intimidated and lost her nerve at Totsuki until her new friend Soma Yukihira gave her a boost. Now, she's a truly gritty underdog chef.
Megumi doesn't always win her cooking battles, but she's now a brave and confident chef who will stand up to incredible opponents without giving an inch of ground. She actually thinks of herself as a boxer, trained to keep punching until the bitter end. Her character arc is even more inspiring than Soma's.
8 Tanjiro Kamado Won't Rest Until Nezuko Is Cured (Demon Slayer)
Tanjiro Kamado the Demon Slayer is another classic shonen lead with indomitable will and utter faith in his convictions. Nothing will discourage him from seeking a cure for his Demon sister Nezuko, and he'll fight every Demon in Japan, including Muzan Kibutsuji himself, if it means restoring Nezuko's humanity.
On top of that, Tanjiro proved himself a remarkably stubborn and tenacious trainee, pushing himself to the absolute limit while running endurance drills in the mountains before finally taking the final exam. He can perform thousands of sword swings per day if it means getting stronger.
7 Tohru Honda Won't Stop Until The Sohmas Are Cured (Fruits Basket)
Like Tanjiro, the charming Tohru Honda simply can't turn her back on someone in need, and in this case, she's helping an entire family instead of just a sibling. After meeting the cursed Sohma family, Tohru resolved to break the zodiac curse and help the Sohmas find true happiness. She tirelessly counseled one Sohma after another to this end.
Tohru faces resistance from Akito Sohma, the family head, but she won't back down, not even when Akito repeatedly intimidates Tohru and her allies Kyo and Yuki. And even when Kyo's monstrous true form was revealed, Tohru refused to stop loving him. Kyo was astonished by her stubborn persistence.
6 Senku Ishigami Resolved To Revive All Of Humanity (Dr. Stone)
Senku Ishigami can't throw a punch or swing a sword, but he's still an inspiring and brave shonen hero with a lofty dream. He plans to use the power of science to restore the petrified humanity, down to the last man, woman, and child in all corners of the globe. It's a massive undertaking.
Despite his limited resources, powerful enemies, and the scale of his project, Senku refuses to give in, and he was willing to face death at Tsukasa's hands rather than change his mind. Senku's patience and persistence are paying off, and humanity's restoration is right around the corner.
5 Wendy Marvell Became A Brave And Stubborn Warrior (Fairy Tail)
Wendy Marvell, the Sky Dragon Slayer, had a character arc roughly similar to Megumi Tadokoro's. At first, Wendy was timid and couldn't assert herself, but her talents were real, and Wendy became inspired as a new Fairy Tail member. She had Erza Scarlet to look up to and she didn't want to disappoint.
Wendy was a whole new person when she fought Sherria Blendy in the Grand Magic Games arc, stubbornly staying in the fight until the very end despite Sherria having an advantage. In the Tartaros arc, Wendy bravely persisted against Ezel until she finally defeated him with Dragon Force. She refused to retreat in the face of overwhelming odds.
4 Ichigo Kurosaki Will Keep Pushing Himself Until The End (Bleach)
Ichigo Kurosaki may be a standoffish punk at times, but he has a heart of gold and strong resolve in the face of his enemies. From the very start, Ichigo was a confident fighter and hero, and he will recklessly take on any foe. He refuses to be intimidated.
Ichigo bravely confronted Byakuya Kuchiki several times, and he refused to give in when fighting stronger foes like Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. He even mastered himself when he confronted his inner Hollow and won with sheer willpower.
3 Give Up Trying To Make Naruto Uzumaki Give Up (Naruto)
"Give up trying to make me give up!" is Naruto Uzumaki's personal motto, and he doesn't just say that to sound cool. From the very start, Naruto has been a stubborn, persistent, gritty, and determined ninja, striving to match his talented rivals with sheer hard work.
It worked, and Naruto kept getting stronger and stronger. He won't back down even when facing foes such as Haku, the Six Paths of Pain, and even Sasuke Uchiha, and Jiraiya the Toad Sage was deeply impressed. This kid just won't quit.
2 Ochaco Uraraka Will Give It Her All (My Hero Academia)
Ochaco Uraraka chose Izuku Midoriya to be her role model, and she's working hard to become a great hero like him. Ochaco is determined to go pro to support her parents, and she refuses to let any villain or challenger get the best of her.
Ochaco stubbornly hung on when she fought Katsuki Bakugo in the U.A. Sports Festival, and she bravely faced the villain Himiko Toga despite the danger. She can't resist the call of duty, and will fight any foe to the bitter end. She's come too far to just give in now; what would her parents say if she quit?
1 Shinra Kusakabe Won't Forsake His Brother And Mother (Fire Force)
Shinra Kusakabe has an impressive ignition ability, Devil's Footprint, but he's not just a fighter; he's also a hero, and an idealistic and stubborn one at that. Shinra later learned that his little brother Sho survived that dreadful house fire and became a villain, and Shinra is doggedly determined to bring Sho back to the heroes' side one day.
Shinra has another quest: to find a way to restore his Infernal mother's humanity, even though such a thing has never been done before. Despite the odds, Shinra is persisting on this quest, and no friend or foe can talk him out of it. Heroes don't just give up like that.