Without a doubt, Demon Slayer is one anime that has swept popularity polls among fans, both Japanese and Western ones. It’s not hard to see why – the show has everything, right from tragic backstories to stunning animation and fight sequences.
Of course, fans love its characters too, and no character is loved more than the show’s protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado. However, the personality traits that Tanjiro displays aren’t unique – they can easily be found among many other shonen heroes. So, who are these heroes?
10 Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)
Much like Tanjiro, Ken is a happy young boy who did not have much to worry about at the beginning of the series. He had friends and a loving family, and his regular school life kept him pretty busy.
Exactly like Tanjiro, an attack from a supernatural entity (a ghoul) changed his life forever. Now, he’s cursed to roam forever as a ghoul himself, so he resolves to heal the fracture between humans and ghouls, one ghoul at a time.
9 Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist)
Rin and Tanjiro are blessed with powers/skills because of their fathers. Both their parents are absent from the picture, and both only have a sibling to call their family.
Despite being slightly dumb but quick on his feet, Rin is actually pretty emotional. His likable personality means he makes friends easily, even with nuts that are extremely tough to crack!
8 Yuuichiro (Seraph Of The End)
Like Tanjiro, Yuuichiro is an orphan who seeks nothing but a family his entire life. He makes friends along the way he considers family, but something is missing – his childhood friend, Mikeala.
Unfortunately for Yuu, Mikaela is a vampire, and after being united with him, Yuu vows to find a way to make him human again. If that sounds familiar, Tanjiro utters the same words for his sister Nezuko.
7 Asta (Black Clover)
Asta is born as a mere human in a world where magic users exist in abundance. However, like Tanjiro, he never lets that get in the way of achieving his goal – to become the greatest Wizard there ever is.
Much like Tanjiro, he can power up when under extreme duress or stress (thanks to the demon Liebe who’s inside him) and wins battles he would normally lose.
6 Shichika Yasuri (Katanagatari)
Young Shichika lives on an isolated island with his sister, thanks to a punishment their father had to face. His story is similar to Tanjiro’s, seeing how his family also ends up paying the price for his father's actions.
He is devoted to his sister and looks after her as if he were her father. However, he decides to go on a perilous journey, leaving his sister behind (like Tanjiro did during his training period) and capture all the 12 swords before someone else gets their hands on them.
5 Seth (Radiant)
Seth had a sheltered upbringing, which is why he always had the privilege of sympathizing with those who never deserved his sympathy (like how Tanjiro sympathized with the demons he fought). He has a kind heart, is goofy, and is very impulsive.
Seth also has a strong sense of right and wrong and does not like how sorcerers are discriminated against. This is similar to how Tanjiro regularly faces demon discrimination since Nezuko is a demon.
4 Leonardo Watch (Blood Blockade Battlefront)
Leonardo bears the burden of powers that he never wanted, ever since he was separated from his sister. He is gentle, soft-spoken, and very likable, just like Tanjiro. He hates violence but often is forced to resort to it to defend himself.
He finds friends in an organization of superpowered individuals who fights aliens, similar to how Tanjiro befriends the Hashira from the Demon Slayer Corps.
3 Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs)
Despite having a tumultuous past, Atsushi never lets that get in his way of endless optimism and his immense faith in humanity. He often risks his life to save strangers (something Tanjiro has done on multiple occasions), without caring much for reward or recognition of any kind.
He can always be seen with a smile on his face, but on the inside, he can often be seen blaming himself for situations that are usually out of his control.
2 Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Like Tanjiro, Edward bears the burden of spending his time with a sibling that isn’t fully human. He is obsessed with finding a cure and will go to great lengths to achieve his goal.
He shows unflinching loyalty, compassion, and patience to those he is close with, even when sometimes they do not deserve these qualities from him. Like Tanjiro, he finds it difficult to ignore others' pain and suffering, often ending up empathizing with their plights.
1 Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)
Deku and Tanjiro could be long-lost twins, and everybody would believe it. They share uncannily similar stories. Both grew up without power, but thanks to an extremely kind and knowledgeable teacher, they could gather powers/skills.
They both had to undergo rigorous training to do so, and despite all the trauma they faced in their past lives, neither of them let that get in their way. Both are likable, friendly, and sometimes emotional, and neither hesitates to risk his life to save someone in need.