Fairy Tail is a long-running shonen fantasy series, and it stars Natsu Dragneel as the main lead, alongside Lucy Heartfilia, the Celestial wizard. Both of them belong to the namesake Fairy Tail guild, a place where guildmates are valued as friends. In the Fairy Tail guild, no one fights alone, and when Natsu's friends are in danger, he'll fight to the end to protect them.

RELATED: Fairy Tail: Who's the Better Fighter, Natsu or Gray?

Between that gung-ho attitude and his fire-based powers, Natsu may remind viewers of many other anime characters too, from their personality to their powers, fighting style, and role in their story. Natsu Dragneel is in good company, that's for sure. So, who else is like him?

10 Avatar Korra Roasts Her Foes When Her Friends Are In Danger (The Legend Of Korra)

5 Avatar Korra

The successor to Avatar Aang, Avatar Korra is a rather different sort of hero than that Airbender monk. Korra is determined to save the world and maintain peace, and she is strong-willed, confrontational, and fearless in battle. Korra is a bit like a bull in a china shop.

That's just like Natsu Dragneel, who is quick to rile up when his friends are threatened or when the Fairy Tail name is insulted. And like Natsu, Korra can bend fire to roast all her foes, though that's not her only element. Korra bends all four, of course.

9 Josuke Higashikata Has A Temper & A Good Heart (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Josuke Higashikata - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable

Like Natsu, Josuke Higashikata is a shonen hero, the fourth in the line of Joestar heroes (after Jotaro Kujo and before Giorno Giovanna). Josuke has a punkish streak, but he also has a good heart, and he likes to have friends to call his own. Natsu can relate to all that.

And like Natsu, Josuke has a bit of a temper, and he's quick to lash out if anyone makes fun of his unique hairstyle. As for his combat powers, Josuke wields the Stand named Crazy Diamond, which can both demolish its foes with its fists and repair items by striking them.

8 Thorfinn Karselfni Has A Thirst For Adventure (Vinland Saga)

vinland saga

As a whole, Thorfinn Karselfni is a rather complex character, and he undergoes a number of changes in his character arc. Early on, he had a real thirst for adventure, and he wanted to prove himself against the strongest enemies around. Natsu sometimes feels that way, too.

RELATED: Fairy Tail: 5 Reasons Why Natsu is Endearing (& 5 Why He's Actually Annoying)

Thorfinn is agile and deadly in combat, and at first, he was consumed by hatred and revenge. But then he grew up a little, and he began to truly value friends and family for who they were. Now, he will defend them with his very life, and he seeks to found a nation of peace in the faraway Vinland.

7 Edward Elric Is Eager To Prove His Worth & Save The World (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Edward Elric angry stare Fullmetal Alchemist

Like Natsu, Edward Elric is a shonen hero, and that means he'll have a lot of common with the Fire Dragon Slayer right off the bat. Both of them are tough young men eager to prove their worth and save the world, and they each have a rather short fuse, too.

They're also both romantically involved with a smart and beautiful young woman, and in this case, Edward fell for Winy Rockbell, his mechanic. In some ways, Winry is to Edward what Lucy is to Natsu. If Winry and Lucy met, they would definitely get along.

6 Naruto Uzumaki Lacked A Parental Figure & Had Good Battle Instincts (Naruto)

Naruto Uzumaki Has Large Reserves Of Chakra

Another shonen protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf Village would relate to both Natsu and Edward Elric on many levels. Naruto grew up without his parents, and indeed, Natsu spent most of his life lacking any parental figures aside from Igneel the dragon.

RELATED: Fairy Tail: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Natsu

Naruto is headstrong, brave to the point of being reckless, and quite fond of all his friends and fellow villagers. Naruto isn't terribly brilliant, but he has a creative and resourceful mind, and he has good instincts in battle. The same is true of Natsu.

5 Katsuki Bakugo Possesses Explosive Powers & Is Fueled By His Rivalry (My Hero Academia)

MHA Bakugo about to use his quirk

In some ways, Natsu and Katsuki Bakugo aren't quite the same. Bakugo is largely self-oriented, being obsessed with becoming the best, while Natsu fights primarily for his guildmates' sake. Otherwise, they have a lot of overlap.

Both characters use explosive and red-hot powers in battle, and they operate on cunning instinct and have a palpable reckless streak. They're also fueled by their bitter rivals, with Natsu seeing a rival in Gray Fullbuster and Bakugo competing with Izuku Midoriya. Both characters have rather short tempers, too.

4 Eren Yeager Fights To Protect His People (Attack On Titan)

Eren Yeager looking intense in Attack on Titan.

Eren Yeager is a shonen protagonist as well, and as befitting the shonen protagonist mold, he is brash, headstrong, and recklessly determined to do the right thing, much like Natsu Dragneel. Eren also lost his parents partway through the story, and now he's fighting for his friends and countrymen so they don't have to suffer loss as he did.

RELATED: 10 Anime Characters Who Could Easily Be Twins (But Aren't)

Eren has magic powers too, but instead of fire, he can morph into the fearsome Attack Titan, a lean and mean fighting machine that can tackle Reiner's Armored Titan and win. He's got a few rivals of his own, such as Jean and Levi Ackerman.

3 Ichigo Kurosaki Gets Riled Up When His Friends & Family Are Threatened (Bleach)

ichigo kurosaki bleach

In everyday life, Ichigo Kurosaki has a fairly different personality from Natsu, being a quiet and punkish guy with a no-nonsense attitude. He's also studious, unlike Natsu. But if anyone threatens Ichigo's friends or family, he will leap into action at once, all riled up. Natsu knows what that feels like.

Ichigo's name can even be translated as "one defender," and he lives up to that name time and again. Ichigo isn't fighting to become pirate king or Hokage; he wants to look out for the people precious to him, and that's the Natsu Dragneel way.

2 Son Goku Is The Influential Shonen Protagonist (Dragon Ball Franchise)

Dragon Ball Goku Thumbs Up

In many ways, Son Goku was the first, and most essential, shonen hero to ever appear. His character and the story in which he appeared set the mold for shonen fiction, and that is still true today. Natsu owes a lot to Goku, as do Ichigo, Naruto, Yusuke, Luffy, and far more.

It's not surprising that Natsu has a few things in common with Goku, from his upbeat "can-do" attitude and loyalty to his friends, all the way to his reckless tenacity in battle. And like Natsu, Goku has a few hidden powers in him, such as his true Saiyan form, complete with a monkey tail (this isn't much of a problem anymore, though).

1 Yusuke Urameshi Has A Literal Monster Of A Father (Yu Yu Hakusho)

Yusuke prepared to fire his spirit gun

Another classic shonen hero, Yusuke Urameshi set the mold for Ichigo Kurosaki, Natsu, and many other heroes in later years. Yusuke is a tough but good-hearted punk who will get right in the face of anyone who crosses his friends or family, and Natsu can relate.

In a broad sense, Yusuke even shares the "monster dad" concept with Natsu; in this case, Yusuke's demon ancestor Raizen is like his second father, and Natsu was raised by the dragon Igneel in his boyhood. Some anime dads really take the cake.

NEXT: Fairy Tail: 10 Characters Who Would Make Great Waterbenders