From Loser to CHAD: Top 7 Anime MCs with unforgettable Character Development
I love me some good underdog anime.
Like fiction in general, the anime medium is full of stories and journeys of incredible characters who weren’t given the world…
They took it!
From being shunned, bullied, tortured, to becoming an unstoppable force of resistance against one’s enemies.
Now, if you are like me, and you enjoy stories that portray a stark contrast between what a character used to be and what they become, I want you to genuinely consider watching the anime we’ll be talking about today.
Well then, shall we begin?
1-Makunouchi Ippo from Hajime no Ippo
In the beginning, Ippo was a shy young boy whose only real friend was his mother. While his classmates talked behind his back about how he is always helping his mother with her stinky fishing business, he couldn’t even talk back.
That is until one day, when one of those bullies goes too far and calls his Mom slurs right in front of his face. He was genuinely angered, but Ippo didn’t have it in him to fight them out.
At least, not yet.
This is where a Boxer named Takamura entered the scene and saved him from getting bullied, he also became Ippo’s cue to take up boxing and thus it begins, our boy’s strenuous journey of growth.
Hajime no Ippo is a truly legendary series, the anime only has three installments, but the manga is currently sitting at over 1400 chapters, it has been continuously ongoing since the year 1989.
Guys, that’s over three decades.
One can only imagine the level of growth Ippo and the others experience during this never-ending journey.
2-Shinichi Izumi from Parasyte: the Maxim
After Ippo we have Shinichi Izumi from Parasyte, and let’s just say that his development is the most inorganic out of everyone else on this list.
He starts off as an average high school kid, a normal young man, nothing spectacular about him whatsoever, just an average existence - but then, when the Parasites invade, one of them gets stuck in his right arm and just like that, his right hand becomes sentient.
Now, two consciousnesses were using Shinichi’s body.
However, that is still the beginning. The thing about Parasyte: The Maxim is that this series really goes deep into what it means to be a human, and the way it tackles this is through the uncanny development of our protagonist.
He begins to become stronger, not just physically, but also mentally, strategically, just overall more skilled than he was before, and all because of the parasite?
From your average kid to a complete Chad.
The emotional dilemmas, the apathy, the psychological conflicts and whatnot makes you really wonder what it is that makes one human…
3-Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul
Usually, the desire to change comes from within you, but in some cases, it is the world that forces you into changing, not just by manipulating, but by torturing your very existence.
As our protagonist Ken Kaneki once said about his life,
“I'm not the protagonist of a novel or anything. I'm just a college student who likes to read, like you could find anywhere. But... if, for argument's sake, you were to write a story with me in the lead role, it would certainly be... a tragedy."
In his case, it’s just one insane thing happening after another. He never gets the chance to catch a break. Forget developing into a better version of himself. Kaneki’s entire existence is about juggling between multiple personalities.
Yes, he does become a Chad, but at what cost?
It’s a horribly sad, bittersweet, and ridiculous story.
I actually did a little review on Kaneki’s Multiple Personality Disorder a long time ago, which you can check out here.
But to give you a brief recap, Ken Kaneki is an individual that developed multiple personalities to cope with the pure insanity that had been going around him since his childhood, and the problem is that those personalities are always in a constant war with him whether he realizes it or not.
Truly a fascinating tale.
The anime adaptation is alright, but the manga is where you’ll find the real gold standard storytelling.
4-Naofumi Iwatani from the Rising of the Shield Hero
We all remember when this anime first rolled around and just how big of an impact the first episode had on the anime community, and for very good reasons.
The first episode is probably the peak of this show.
We are introduced to our protagonist, who is just your normal guy, nothing sus about him at all.
One day, he is summoned in a fantasy world together with three others, they are all tasked with becoming heroes and saving the Kingdom from catastrophic waves. But while the others get badass weapons, he is stuck with a shield.
This leads to obvious discrimination, so much so that no one is even willing to join his party, but then one woman offers to join him.
BIG MISTAKE.
She turns out to be a literal demon in disguise, the woman accuses our boy for committing crimes that he never did and gets his existence shunned by the entirety of the Kingdom.
Left with nothing but hatred in his heart, Naofumi leaves and my friends, this is how the Rising of the Shield Hero began.
5-Kenichi Shirahama from History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi
At number 5, we have Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple and this one is actually quite similar to Hajime no Ippo. I’d say, if you like one series, it is impossible to not like the other.
Alright, so what is this one about?
Our protagonist is your typical high schooler, he is weak, shy, and has a natural knack for getting picked on. Not a very pleasant way to live one’s high school life if I’m being honest with you, especially since you can often find him with self-help books.
Like come on, man. Implement some of that wisdom and fix your life.
Ultimately, what saves him is not a book, but a woman.
Kenichi was a member of the Karate club, but even there, he mostly just gets picked on.
One day, as he is on his way back, sulking about how if he doesn’t win the fight in a week, they’ll make him quit. He notices the new girl single handedly destroying three thugs all by herself.
Seeing this, Kenichi steps up and asks her for what he can do to get stronger, and in response to this, she takes him to her grandfather’s dojo.
A place where he can get stronger beyond his wildest conceptions but he better be prepared for death.
But in hindsight, this was simply the first step our boy had to take to one day become a world class fighter.
An inspiring story through and through, and the same can be said about the next one.
6-Simon from Gurren Lagann
Trust me, Gurren Lagann is the kind of anime that’ll awaken the Dawg in you.
Something about it just speaks to your human soul, it is almost like being in love.
Exaggerating much? Well, maybe.
Still, if you want a pure adrenaline inducing, surreal experience, look no further than Gurren Lagann, and the reason I've placed it here on this list is because the entire series also serves as our protagonist’s Coming-of-Age story.
From just a timid little digger who was afraid, even of his own shadow, to the digger who drills through the heavens. All thanks to his big bro, Kamina.
An unreal man who believes that boundaries exist for you to surpass them, and it's him who’s unperturbed faith in Simon leads him to finally start believing in himself.
Not to mention, his iconic phrase,
“Believe in the Me who believes in you.”
That’s one hell of a way to cheer someone up.
Overall, comparing Simon in the beginning of the story to Simon at the end is like comparing a level 5 crook to a level 100 mafia boss.
It is enlightening.
7-Afro From Afro Samurai
Alright, now the final character on this list is Afro from Afro Samurai.
This one is kind of dark: a young kid sees his father, who is basically the strongest, get himself beheaded right in front of his eyes. He is mocked by the killer and left with complete despair.
But the uncontained rage that followed this despair was something he couldn’t contain.
He used to laugh but this stopped after his father’s death.
He soon became a cold-blooded ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to avenge his father. It is a different kind of development, and let me tell you, as you go through the episodes, you begin to feel really, really sorry for this guy.
And with that said, these were my picks for the Top 7 Anime MCs with unforgettable character development.
Definitely check these anime out if you haven’t already, they are all well worth it!
Unless otherwise noted, Animechu.com claims no credit for any images posted on this website. All images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. Please contact us if you do not wish for an image appear on our site. For other policies please visit our policy sites.
If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on our site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.