Ash Ketchum is the Pokémon anime's main protagonist. No matter how tough things got, Ash usually stayed fairly optimistic and determined to reach his goals, whether they be short-term opportunities to help others out or long-term dreams of being a Pokémon master.
As viewers watched Ash in action, they couldn't help but compare him to other heroes and heroines they watched in other anime. Much like Ash, these characters were not always the smartest or the best, but they had determined, optimistic personalities that enabled them to make the best of what they had during their journey to reach their hopes and dreams, helping others along the way.
10 Gon Is Also A Determined But Optimistic Individual (Hunter X Hunter)
Gon, Hunter x Hunter's protagonist, is another optimistic adventurer, much like Ash. Gon also has a big goal of his own, since he initially started his journey to find his biological father. Much like Ash, Gon met and made friends with many other people along the way, including Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio. He also had his fair share of enemies, butting heads with Hisoka and many more. No matter how tough the situation got, including various losses, Gon stayed fairly optimistic and determined to reach his goals.
9 Luffy Is Another Optimistic Adventurer (One Piece)
Luffy had huge dreams much like Ash did, wanting to become the king of the pirates. He started with little knowledge, but with the help of friends by his side such as Zoro and Nami, he became much more powerful as a pirate and as a person throughout the series. Luffy can be oblivious to some situations, but he will never give up on a friend in need, especially when the situation is tough to handle.
8 Bell Cranel Grew As A Person Throughout His Series (Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?)
Bell initially started his goal of being an adventurer for not-so-noble reasons: he just wanted to be one for the sake of picking up ladies. However, he quickly developed his goal of being an adventurer for more honorable reasons, such as generally helping others in need and also proving his own strength.
He and Hestia's Familia was fairly small in the beginning, but over time he gained more friends and enemies. Bell also learned to stand up and fight for others and himself when the situation got rough.
7 Sailor Moon Might Be Clumsy, But She's Dependable (Sailor Moon)
Sailor Moon, also known as Usagi, initially came off as fairly disorganized and clumsy. She still carried those traits later on in her anime, but she also became a more powerful Sailor Scout through her new identity as Sailor Moon. She and her friends became close with each other during their run in the anime and fought many dangerous villains together. No matter how tricky or tough some situations got, Sailor Moon always did her best to stay positive and find a solution that worked to solve the problems at hand.
6 Karin Is Always Ready To Lend A Hand When Others Need Help (Kamichama Karin)
Karin Hanazono might not be the smartest person, but much like Ash, she will never give up on trying to help her friends and loved ones. She cares for her friends a lot and always aspires to use the powers she has for good. No matter how tough her circumstances become, she always tries her best to help those in need, even if that means risking her own life a few times.
5 Azusa Is Always There For Her Friends (I've Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years And Maxed Out My Level)
Azusa is one of the most powerful characters in her series, but she is also one of the friendliest. She rarely turns down a plea for help, and she is always willing to help out her close friends and family.
Additionally, Azusa is a fairly resourceful and optimistic person after she reincarnated into the witch she currently is, making her interactions with her friends and other characters fun to watch. Even though she is overpowered and more resourceful than Ash, she still can get into some strange and wild situations that are fun to watch her overcome.
4 Azuma Kazuma Is An Optimistic And Friendly Person (Yakitate!! Japan)
Azuma Kazuma has one dream: make Japan's national bread. This resulted in him joining Pantasia and making friends with his coworkers, including Kawachi, Tsukino, and more. He also competed in bread competitions against several foes, including Kai Suwabara, Shachioko, and even the rival bakery St. Pierre. No matter how tough the situation got, including a few losses Azuma suffered during his run in the series, he tried his best to stay optimistic and solve any problems at hand.
3 Kyoko Mogami Is Determined To Get What She Wants And Won't Stop Until She Does (Skip Beat!)
Kyoko Mogami wanted to gain stardom for the sake of beating her ex-romantic interest Sho Fuwa in showbiz. However, Kyoko quickly learned a lot more about herself and gained a couple of friends along the way.
Her quest for revenge turned into a quest to become a great actress. As her skills in acting grew, the same went for her confidence in herself. Whether she had to deal with trying to nail some character roles or with personal troubles, she did her best to work things out.
2 Yugi Muto Is Kind And Tries To See The Brighter Side Of Situations (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Many fans know Yu-Gi-Oh! due to the epic duels, but its protagonist Yugi Muto is a kind and gentle person. It's a sharp contrast with Yami Yugi, who resided in the Millennium Puzzle, but Yugi held his own as a protagonist similar to Ash. Yugi cared a lot for his friends and did his best to fix any problems that happened. Whether it be rescuing his grandpa's soul from Maximillion Pegasus or dealing with tough duels against Seto Kaiba and other opponents, Yugi never gave up on resolving those issues. He also vouched for the power of friendship many times.
1 Pecorine Might Be Clumsy But She's Willing To Lend A Hand (Princess Connect! Re: Dive)
Pecorine from Princess Connect! Re: Dive might not be the smartest person, and she's also clumsy at times, but she has a good heart and good intentions. Much like Ash, she is willing to help others in need, and she has her own dreams and motivations that drive her many actions in the anime. She also is fun to watch with whatever antics involving her occur in the series, much like how Ash got into many sticky situations.