The success or failure of an anime usually depends on a vast array of parameters and one such ubiquitously found core parameter has to be the protagonist. While not all stories revolve around or are shouldered by the protagonist, they are usually the character through whom the audience gets to witness the events of an anime.
As such, the way a protagonist is written can make or break an anime. Let’s look at the Top 5 Anime with a shitty protagonist.
Top 5 Anime with a Shitty Protagonist
5. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners – David Martinez
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunners might’ve won Anime of the Year in the Crunchyroll anime awards, but it surely didn’t maintain a consistent quality throughout the series to deserve it.
- While there are a lot of reasons for this drop in quality felt by fans, one of the primary issues was the sudden shift in the character of the protagonist, David Martinez.
While David was a very enticing underdog protagonist at the beginning of the anime. However, after the events of the sixth episode, he spiraled into an unrecognizable incoherent shadow of his former self, reinforcing his body with several Cyberware and augmentation. This led to the show pulling an Akame ga Kill-style ending, leaving a sour taste.
4. Rent a Girlfriend – Kazuya Kinoshita
Kazuya’s character as a protagonist is undermined by his indecisiveness, low self-esteem, and compulsive lying, which often puts him in jeopardy. His irrational and illogical demeanor prevents him from standing up for himself or properly assessing situations.
While he does display kindness, selflessness, and moments of courage, these qualities are overshadowed by his overwhelming amount of negatives. Although optimistic, his inability to confront his own flaws hinders his growth as a character. His business acumen might sound like a saving grace, but they are not enough to compensate for his overall shortcomings.
3. Neon Genesis Evangelion – Shinji Ikari
While Shinji Ikari’s actions can truly be considered ‘Shitty‘, they can also be justified to a certain extent. The world of Evangelion is quite excruciating and traumatizing for normal humans, and Shinji being an Eva pilot only adds extra pressure onto him.
Butt still, this doesn’t excuse the fact that as a protagonist, Shinji has several irredeemable flaws, even when you take his age and inexperience into account. His hypocrisy, indecisiveness, self-pity, and fragility often have put not just him and other people, but the entire world in harm’s way.
2. Tokyo Revengers – Takemichi Hanagaki
There is a reason why Tokyo Revengers got popular among fans and that definitely wasn’t due to the protagonist, Takemichi. The fact that Mikey was able to steal the entire show with no fan giving even the slightest bit of attention to Takemichi speaks volumes about his inefficiency as a protagonist.
- While he shows feats of courage and has proven to be very assertive and strong with his convictions no matter how hard things get, that doesn’t seem to be enough to cement him as a quality protagonist.
- He works more like a supporting character who is weak but has strong convictions and wants to help the main character develop a resolve rather than feeling like a protagonist.
1. My Hero Academia – Izuku Midoriya
There might be shittier protagonists in various genres and other animes out there, but what lands Midoriya on this spot, is how he feels very insignificant to the world of MHA, but yet somehow is forced to be at the center of all conflict. The primary culprit behind this has to be his Quirk, One for All.
Being weak and powerless as a protagonist is absolutely alright, but Midoriya’s character as a weak person is written with plenty of contradictions, plot armor, and plot convenience to the point that the story tries very hard to convince fans to like him, only to ultimately fail. After a point, the powers of One for All get so ridiculous that it starts hindering the enjoyment of the story.
Conclusion
While not all protagonists are written to be the most grounded, realistic, and interesting characters, some sure are really unacceptable. As with our picks for the Top 5 Anime with shitty protagonists, some of them might have redeeming qualities, but that isn’t always enough. For more such lists, stick with Spiel Anime.