Though there are many different categories like josei or Senin, we explicitly look at the ones marketed towards young men in our Shonen Anime Tier List 2023.
Manga and Anime are one of the most popular, if not the most popular form of entertainment in Japan. The mediums are so well received that they have now become a staple of pop culture all over the world. There is a lot for everyone regardless of age group, and every year an overwhelming number of series are released each year targeted at different audiences.
Key Points
- The article ranks a total of 25 different anime.
- Each entry is ranked on its popularity, appeal, and genre among other factors.
- Among the highest-ranked shows, you will find Attack on Titan, Death Note, One Piece, Chainsaw Man, and Dragon Ball.
- In the lowest tiers, you can find properties like Code Geass, Tokyo Ghoul, Bleach, Baki, and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
Summary
The following table summarizes the ranking of all 25 Shonen Anime.
| S Rank | A Rank | B Rank | C Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attack on Titan | Dragon Ball | Hunter x Hunter | Tokyo Ghoul |
| Death Note | Naruto Shippuden | Jujutsu Kaisen | Bleach |
| One Piece | My Hero Academia | Black Clover | Baki |
| Chainsaw Man | Classroom of the Elite | Code Geass | Boruto: Naruto Next Generations |
| Psycho-Pass | |||
| SPY x Family | |||
| Blue Lock | |||
| Demon Slayer | |||
| One-Punch Man | |||
| Terror on Resonance | |||
| Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma | |||
| Tokyo Revengers | |||
| Link Click |
Find more details about each entry below.
S Tier
S Tier.We begin our article with the S Tier, a category that is reserved for the absolute elite. For decades these shows have met the high standards of providing viewers with quality entertainment, let it be a captivating storyline, likable characters, an epic soundtrack, or good animations these shows have it all.
Attack on Titan
The first entry in our Best Shonen Jump Anime Tier List with Attack on Titan, a great show with one of the most intense storylines one can imagine. The series is simply a perfect blend of both heroics and selfish antics. In a world where it is first assumed that mankind’s only hope for survival is to take shelter behind closed walls out of the reach of huge savage titans, whose only purpose is to kill and eat humans, not for the sake of hunger but pure savagery, makes for a pretty interesting story plot in my opinion.
Having the story proceeds and the plot develops, the anime becomes even more captivating leaving the audience begging for more. Attack on Titans also has one of the best character development in recent animes, with each character with different backgrounds and personalities adding to the value of the anime. With quite phenomenal fighting sequences, great quotes, and heartwarming heroics, Attack on Titans is a perfect score. Also, with the fifth and concluding arc of the series Battle for Paradise coming to screens in the early part of 2023, the anime series is gonna go out with a bang.
| Total Episodes | 88 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Wit Studio (formerly), MAPPA |
Death Note
Death Note is a Japanese anime series that first aired in 2006, and is one of the best thrillers that aired, the series follows the story of Light Yagami, who one day finds the Death Note owned by a shinigami named Ryuk, who was looking for a way out of the shinigami realm. The series has been very well received for its dark themes, as well as its intelligent and seemingly cat-and-mouse chase storyline. By undertaking the powers of the Death Note Light undertakes the persona of Kira and pledges to rid of a single criminal that lives in this god-forsaken world, but is soon faced with a mighty obstacle to overcome in the shape of L. The editors have done wonders, with Death Note, despite all the complexities the progression of the story plot is extremely smooth.
| Total Episodes | 37 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Madhouse |
One Piece
After more than 1000 episodes and more than a decade run the anime series is still running strong. It is a common practice for the anime series to hold a top three position on the viewer charts for Anime. One Piece follows the story of a young pirate named Monkey D. Luffy who has a dream of one day becoming the Pirate King and finding the long-lost One Piece treasure. Despite, it being a behemoth of an anime to finish, One Piece is strongly suggested as a great starting anime for new anime viewers. The series has a set of vibrant characters, great action sequences, and some of the most emotionally wholesome moments the community has ever seen. The animations are also top-notch and add to the overall entertainment value of the series.
| Total Episodes | 1049 (And Counting) |
|---|---|
| Studio | Toei Animation |
Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man is a relatively new anime, that aired in the October of 2022, and by a margin the was most hyped anime release of the year. The series follows the story of the main protagonist Denji, a young man who is transformed into a demon-slaying cyborg, after the loss of Pochita, with chainsaws for his arms and head. Pochita was Denji’s childhood friend who gave his heart to save Denji’s life when both protagonists were hit by countless swarms of demon zombies.
The character cast is quite likable, with some strong names like Makima, Power, and Aki. Having said that, one thing that stands out the most is the healthy dose of dark humor, which the anime ever-lasting and entertaining. As of now Season 1 of that anime has concluded and is comprised of 12 episodes but due to the excellent production of the series fans already begging for Season 2 to begin.
You Might Like: Naruto Character Tier List
| Total Episodes | 12 |
|---|---|
| Studio | MAPPA |
A Tier
A Tier.A strong tier to be ranked in, the Tier represents some of the best well-rounded anime series that provide good entertainment value to the viewers. Let it be the timeless classics or modern excellence A Tier holds a great library of interesting and entertaining anime shows that is surely going to keep you captivated for hours.
Dragon Ball
For an anime that first aired in 1984, to have such a strong hold over the scene after almost four long decades, indicates that it is nothing short of a complete masterpiece. The anime series has had different spin-offs with multiple different iterations. Having said that, Dragon Ball follows the story of Goku, who sets out on the quest to collect all seven dragon balls, which would grant him three wishes from the Divine Dragon. on his journey throughout the anime Goku makes countless friends and fights numerous formidable foes to save the world from utter destruction. For an anime that aired in 1984, the animations are also quite impressive, not to mention the incredible character cast and a unique take on action sequences. Overall a pretty well-rounded anime.
| Total Episodes | 153 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Toei Animation |
Naruto Shippuden
One of my personal favorites, In addition to Dragon Ball for constituting the A Tier of the Best Shonen Anime Tier List, we have Naruto Shippuden. The series is the manga adaption of Masashi Kishimoto’s manga Naruto and is the sequel to the anime series Naruto. The series has a strong message to deliver and has some pretty emotional scenes that are surely going to woo the coldest of hearts. Naruto Shippuden follows the story of the main Protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, when he came back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, after his vigorous training with Jiraya for almost two and a half years. Having said that, instead of explicitly focusing only on Naruto, the anime is a cluster of different storylines, telling the viewers about the different backgrounds and hardships the character cast has had to endure, making the character development a prime example of excellence.
| Total Episodes | 500 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Studio Pierrot |
My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is a truly unique anime that brought a lot of freshness to the scene, as most viewers were almost burnt-out from the struggling protagonist’s story plot. In the My Hero Academia universe everyone is born with a special and unique superpower known as Quirck, the main protagonist for the series is Izuku Midoriya, a young boy just like his idol, All Might, who dreams of being a prestigious and honorable superhero, for which he enrolls in the Highschool of Heros for his formal training. There is a large character roster on the anime series who are developed well as the series progress, making them even more likable and relatable. Overall My Hero Academia is a well-thought-out anime, one that has done well in appealing to mass audiences.
| Total Episodes | 113 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Bones Inc. |
Classroom of the Elite
Personally, it is one of the best anime series to air in current times. I mean what’s not to like, a great captivating story plot, interesting characters, good animations, and a soundtrack that perfectly sets the tone for the anime to progress. The story plot for Classroom of the Elite is set on the premise of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School, a rather unique school that instead of judging the students on their academic strengths alone, also takes other aspects of their personality to judge their intellect. Classroom of the Elite is a great thriller that keeps the audience on their toes full of anticipation, waiting for the next twist to unfold. The Sports Festival arc was a great arc, which really lift up the hype for the show. Overall a pretty amazing show.
| Total Episodes | 25 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Lerche |
Psycho-Pass
The plot for the series is set in the near future where the entire is run by technology catering to the numerous needs of humanity a seemingly perfect society, but as the series progresses viewers encounter the truth about the flawed practices of this seemingly perfect society. The main protagonist of the series is Akane Tsunemori who is shown to be a big supporter of the current system. One day Akane is tasked with the task to eliminate any threats posed to the perfect system. Overall Psycho-Pass greatly encapsulates the essence of a future society and the different complex issues that humanity will face in the future. Psycho-Pass is a great shoutout to viewers who watched Death Note and are looking for other anime of the same essence.
| Total Episodes | 41 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Production I.G |
SPY x Family
Spy x Family is a fun and engaging television show that covers the antics of a unique family. The anime series is a unique blend of both action and comedy, as the storyline entails, that the protagonists avail the persona of a rather absurd family to take care of the daughter of a wealthy businessman, to get some crucial intel. Each episode is a full-on complete punch of madness as the family embarks on different missions. Though being more forward on the action the show also delivers some heartwarming moments, as the ideal spy family grows fond of each other and gets closer as the anime goes on. Spy x Family is a fun-to-watch anime, that appeals to all people. Overall a complete show, that has everything a captivating storyline, likable characters, and non-stop action sequences.
| Total Episodes | 25 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Wit Studio, CloverWorks |
Blue Lock
Football is a game that is cheered and raved upon dearly in the Eastern block of the world, consisting of Japan and South Korea among others. It is a passionate game, whose ties are not only limited to the field but also to the television screens of many viewers in the form of anime shows. Our next ranked anime series on the list is Blue Lock, a sports anime that is heavily influenced by the game of football. The anime series follows the story of Shunsuke an aspiring football player who wants to ascend to the top levels of the game but lacks behind due to the lack of natural talent. But soon enrolls in Project Blue Lock a series of collect efforts aimed at making the strongest football team the world has ever seen.
| Total Episodes | 24 |
|---|---|
| Studio | 8Bit |
Demon Slayer
Our next ranking in the A Tier is Demon Slayer, a tragic tale of a young boy named Tanjiro, who takes revenge for killing his entire family. The story plot for the anime is quite unique and is really recommended for viewers who crave good fight sequences. The characters also leave a strong impression on the viewers adding value to the entertainment factor of the anime series. The soundtrack is also very well composed and adds a completely different layer to the already perfect animations.
| Total Episodes | 44 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Ufotable, Inc. |
One-Punch Man
An incredible show filled with humor and hardcore action. The series follows the main protagonist Saitama, the strongest hero of the Hero Association that fights evil. Having said that, the show first focuses on Saitama when he was a struggling unemployed tenant, pacing through life as a failure, but once he saves the life of a young boy from a monster named Krab Man, and decides that he will become a strong superhero that fights off evil to serve humanity. Saitama undergoes a tough training schedule which results in him losing all of his hair but becomes so strong that he defeats any foe with a single punch, hence the name One Punch Man. Though humor is the main theme of the anime there are also some healthy doses of action and active blood splatter.
| Total Episodes | 24 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Madhouse |
Terror on Resonance
The anime, Terror on Resonance is a hidden gem, a captivating anime series with a lot of potential, but sadly the show has not yet hit the mainstream audience. Terror on Resonance is a classic thriller and action-packed anime which orchestrates the story of two high schoolers who become a part of a lethal terrorist group named Saphix. The story plot of the series is based on crime and follows the lines of cat and mouse chase between two criminals and a senior police officer, named Lisa Mishima. There are countless action sequences that are a must for an anime of such a genre. The real hype for the show could be realized in the bombing arc, where our two main leads are assigned a task to plant several bombs throughout Tokyo to mark a new era of revolution, justice, and authority.
| Total Episodes | 11 |
|---|---|
| Studio | MAPPA |
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma
A thrilling anime with a rather unconventional story plot, our next in the A Tier is Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, a mouth-watering culinary anime series that follows the story of Soma Yukihira a young and aspiring home cook who enrolls himself in the elite culinary cooking school with the aim to become the best chef in the world. The school would have different culinary battles among its students to test their skills and aptitude called Shokugeki. The Bear-meat arc was one of the best arcs of the show. An anime with a rather unconventional plot, the show still has its hype moments, which paired with its excellent animations make the excellent recipe for a hit anime series. The character development is also quite good and makes a lasting impression on the audience. Overall a pretty captivating anime that is sure to keep the viewers engaged.
| Total Episodes | 86 |
|---|---|
| Studio | J.C.Staff |
Tokyo Revengers
Tokyo Revengers is an action-packed ranking, and the show is based on an all-out gang war aimed at seizing control of Tokyo. As the story unfolds come to know that the main protagonist Takemichi Hanagaki’s high school girlfriend was killed by a notorious gang leader, Manjiro Sano. The series also holds an essence of fantasy, as our main protagonist, one day gets an opportunity to time travel to the past to make better life decisions, and protect those he loves. In order to protect his future and that of his loved ones, Takemichi must form new allies and fight the infamous gangs in the endless struggle to take control of Tokyo. The anime successfully captures the emotions of resentment, love, and fortitude. The character cast is quite impressive, and the character development is also on-point, as each individual character stands out on his own and has enough caliber to send shockwaves through the audience.
| Total Episodes | 36 |
|---|---|
| Studio | LIDENFILMS |
Link Click
The anime series Link Click is an ideal anime for the gaming community, the story plot of the show is set in the world of an online game. The story follows the life of the main protagonist, Rui who one day finds a mysterious link, which sucks him into a rather gaming world, filled with demons, magic, and other numerous obstacles, which he must survive to live another day and get back to his normal life. But Rui soon finds that he is not the only poor soul in this accursed world, and in order to survive it, Rui must make allies, learn skills, acquire intel and plan his strategy to survive. The anime is filled with some great fight scenes, the graphics are also quite vibrant, and the soundtrack is also quite good, setting the perfect mood for the series. The narrative building is also quite commendable progressing at a steady pace which keeps the audience engaged throughout. Overall a good recommendation for people who like suspense and a good storyline.
| Total Episodes | 11 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Studio LAN |
B Tier
B Tier.The B rank in our article stands for mediocrity, these shows do deliver a decent viewing experience, but they do not provide the same level of quality to the viewers as those present in the S or A Tier.
Hunter x Hunter
Yet another exciting anime series, Hunter x Hunter just like Psycho-Pass is an adventure-themed anime series, that follows the story of a young boy named Gon, who sets out on an adventure to become a fearless hunter and find his father who had gone missing in the past. Throughout the course of the series, the characters meet numerous challenges and obstacles, make countless allies, and uncover some shady truths about the Hunter Association. For Asian audiences, Hunter x Hunter is a relic that holds a god-like status, but in respect to the global audience, the series is a bit much, the storyline for the show is not that captivating, and the animations also feel a little dull and out of shape. Overall it is still a decent anime.
| Total Episodes | 148 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Madhouse |
Jujutsu Kaisen
One thing that could sum up the positives of the anime is its animations, simply stunning, vibrant, and pleasing to the eye. Our next ranking in the B Tier is Jujutsu Kasien, a pretty recognizable fantasy and action anime that captures the life of Itadori Riuji, who one day in an attempt to save the lives of his beloved friends from a curse, eats one of the fingers of the cursed demon lord, that causes havoc in the human world. Since Itadori has now eaten the cursed finger he must die, as he is a vessel for the demon lord, but astonishingly the order lets him live and orders him to be executed once he has eaten the reaming eight fingers of the demon lord. The character cast despite being small is likable and entertaining to watch. But, unfortunately, the storyline for the anime on certain occasions in quite bland, making the viewers lose interest, other than that a pretty commendable effort.
| Total Episodes | 24 |
|---|---|
| Studio | MAPPA |
Consider Reading: Yugioh Tier List: All ANIME Characters Ranked
Black Clover
Overall Black Clover is a decent anime, that I would rate as a good to have anime series to watch to kill time when you have nothing else to watch. The concept of the anime revolves deeply around magic and spells. The story plot for the series is set in a fantasy world where our main protagonist, named Asta is abandoned at a church, he possesses a rather unique trait of anti-magic. As the series progresses young Asta embarks on a journey to become the Wizard King, a title worthy enough to be only held by the strongest mage in the Clover Kingdom. Asta makes countless friends and fights numerous enemies along the way, a pretty standard mode for any adventure anime.
| Total Episodes | 170 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Studio Pierrot |
Code Geass
The anime series Code Geass narrates the story of the failed rebellion against the corrupt and failed government of Area 11. The show begins by highlighting the miseries and turmoil inflicted on the residents of Area 11 since the failed Black Rebellion, amidst all of this chaos the main protagonist for the show, Lelouch Lamperouge is introduced, who must find a way to lead his people out of a life misery and slavery, since the vigilante Zero who organized the failed rebellion is now missing and the people have nothing left to struggle for.
| Total Episodes | 50 |
|---|---|
| Studio |
Sunrise |
C Tier
C Tier.The C rank is the lowest possible Tier on the list. These shows though a lot of hype in the industry, but fell off the pedestal due to one reason or the other. The poor screenplay writing, weak animations, bad character development, or plot holes. The poor execution and low attention to detail from the production houses have almost killed these anime shows.
Tokyo Ghoul
Along the lines of horror, Tokyo Ghoul is a dark fantasy anime, which focuses on the life story of the young lead Ken Keniki who fights through the hardships of being a bloodthirsty Ghoul in the human world, trying to save his loved ones from the unfortunate fate of being devoured by vicious monsters. The Story Plot of the series is set in fantasy Tokyo, where Ghouls live among people waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill and eat humans.
But the lack of attention to detail in terms of character development and storyline greatly affected the show’s progress. Till season 2 Tokyo Ghoul was simply perfect, but the production house could not maintain the high standards and the show fell off. Characters lacked charisma, and the whole theme of the show was quite dull moving forward in season 3.
| Total Episodes | 48 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Studio Pierrot |
Bleach
Once a top OG like Once Piece, Attack on Titans, and Naruto now finds itself on the C Tier of the Shonen Jump Anime Tier List. Bleach narrates the story of Ichiro Kurosuke a normal high schooler who has the unnatural power to sight ghosts. One day by sheer luck, Inchigo finds himself in a confrontation with the demon lord, a gets sucked into the demon realm. The series has had a good run on the conventional Japanese streaming services, but it all went south, when Disney+ purchased the streaming rights for the anime series, the quirky marketing tactics from Disney+ greatly tarnished the show’s branding, marking the downfall of this once top OG anime series.
| Total Episodes | 379 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Studio Pierrot |
Baki
An action thriller with a lot of fighting sequences, Baki follows the story of Baki Hanma a professional martial arts fighter who strives to become the greatest fighter that has ever lived. Unlike most shows in the article, Baki is an anime series that is completely based on fighting. The series has a dark theme that keeps the viewers engaged, but other than the animations the storyline is quite boring other than the fighting scenes. The significance of other supporting characters is almost non-existent. A story plot that had a lot of potential letdown due to poor execution.
| Total Episodes | 39 |
|---|---|
| Studio | TMS Entertainment |
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
It pains me deeply to add an anime from such a legendary series to the lowest possible tier of the list. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is one the most hated anime series of the current time, and to some extent, the hate is justified. Naruto Shippuden ended in 2017 after a decade-long run time, which was followed by an announcement that contrary to the viewers’ expectations Naruto was not ending and other anime was going to be added to the series in the shape of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
The anime is set in a time of peace after the fourth great ninja war. The story plot for the anime is set in modernized times, where things like USB, Video games, and Trains are invented, which personally do not match well the ninja setting. Another criticism of the anime is that unlike Naruto, a show which was serious from the get-go, showing blood and weapons from the very beginning, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, played around and still is very childish, contrary to Naruto’s very mature themes which a lot of viewers despise.
| Total Episodes | 293 (And Counting) |
|---|---|
| Studio | Studio Pierrot |
Comparison Table
| Anime | Rank | Total Episodes | Publishing Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attack on Titan | S | 88 | Wit Studio (formerly), MAPPA |
| Death Note | S | 37 | Madhouse |
| One Piece | S | 1049 (And Counting) | Toei Animation |
| Chainsaw Man | S | 12 | MAPPA |
| Dragon Ball | A | 153 | Toei Animation |
| Naruto Shippuden | A | 500 | Studio Pierrot |
| My Hero Academia | A | 113 | Bones Inc. |
| Classroom of the Elite | A | 25 | Lerche |
| Psycho-Pass | A | 41 | Production I.G |
| SPY x Family | A | 25 | Wit Studio, CloverWorks |
| Blue Lock | A | 24 | 8Bit |
| Demon Slayer | A | 44 | Ufotable, Inc. |
| One-Punch Man | A | 24 | Madhouse |
| Terror on Resonance | A | 11 | MAPPA |
| Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma | A | 86 | J.C.Staff |
| Tokyo Revengers | A | 36 | LIDENFILMS |
| Link Click | A | 11 | Studio LAN |
| Hunter x Hunter | B | 148 | Madhouse |
| Jujutsu Kaisen | B | 24 | MAPPA |
| Black Clover | B | 170 | Studio Pierrot |
| Code Geass | B | 50 | Sunrise |
| Tokyo Ghoul | C | 48 | Studio Pierrot |
| Bleach | C | 379 | Studio Pierrot |
| Baki | C | 39 | TMS Entertainment |
| Boruto: Naruto Next Generations | C | 293 (And Counting) | Studio Pierrot |
Verdict
With that, we mark the end of the Best Shonen Anime Tier List, which lists a total of 25 shows, including both timeless classics and new series. Though Anime originated in Japan its popularity and fan following are felt throughout the world. The industry evolves with each new title that is released to the mass audience and marks new high standards for other production houses to meet.
Also, keep in mind that ranking articles like ours are only a representation of one’s thoughts and opinions, so please read them with a fresh set of eyes. And if you still have any notes to give us, then consider leaving us a comment below.