Anime fans are waiting in anticipation for the release of season 6 of My Hero Academia in October 2022, where they will once again see the heroic protagonist, Izuku Midoriya/Deku, and the on-screen adaptation of the Paranormal Liberation War.
But with so many great stories across a wide variety of genres in anime, there is an endless number of incredible male protagonists who bring these stories to life. From Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist to One Piece's Luffy, these are the male anime characters that Ranker fans voted as the very best that anime has to offer.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Edward Elric: Fullmetal Alchemist
Edward Elric is the titular protagonist in the Fullmetal Alchemist series, which follows two brothers on a journey to reclaim their lost bodies. Often considered relatable to audiences for his hotheaded, carefree and determined personality, Edward's character development and pure heart make him one of the most easily likeable anime protagonists.
Edward's openly flawed character makes him more interesting and intriguing to audiences and the balance between his struggles and triumphs is likely only one of the reasons why anime fans rank him as one of the best.
Saitama: One Punch Man
One of the most enjoyable characters to watch on screen, it may come as no surprise that the titular character and protagonist, Saitama, from the action-comedy anime One Punch Man, was voted so highly by anime fans. An overpowered hero for fun, Saitama is searching for a worthy opponent.
It's Saitama's deadpan bored expressions and reactions to his own groundbreaking powers that elevate the show to the hilarity that it is and his overly laid back attitude combined with his purposely parodied overpowered strength provides the show with some literal knock out moments that wouldn't be possible with this much-loved protagonist.
Jiraiya: Naruto
This hugely popular anime series follows the story of an ostracised boy wanting to become the leader of his village. While not the main character in Naruto, Jiraiya remains one of its most beloved characters for many anime fans.
As Naruto's mentor, his light-hearted, boisterous and jubilant attitude, as well as his everlasting effect on Naruto, makes him one of the most important characters in the series. Despite his flaws, his positive traits were never overshadowed and his character still holds a special place in many fans' hearts, even among many other great anime characters.
Minato Namikaze: Naruto
As one of the main supporting characters in Naruto, Minato Namikaze is considered by fans to be one of the coolest characters across the series. One of the main reasons for this is his analytical nature and bravery, which, when combined with his strength, make for some incredible fight scenes in the series.
His collected, composed and perceptive disposition, along with his mysterious role as Naruto's father, overall, made him a very likable character to fans.
Monkey D. Luffy: One Piece
One Piece is an anime that follows a crew of pirates looking for a treasure that will crown their Captain as the Pirate King. By far one of the longest raining anime protagonists, Luffy may seem like an obvious choice as a fan-favorite character due to being one of the most powerful and likable.
While Luffy may not have as much character development as other male anime leads seen in long-running anime series, his grounded goals and ideals are part of what makes his character able to be so free, upbeat and optimistic.
Kakashi Hatake: Naruto
Universally loved by Naruto fans and even recognizable to many who have yet to watch the series, Kakashi, while not the strongest character in the series by any means, was often shrouded in mystery, making him intriguing to many.
His intelligence and versatility as a character, along with his undoubtedly unique character design, make him one of the most interesting and well-loved characters in the series, despite only acting as a supporting character.
Killua Zoldyck: Hunter X Hunter
This fantasy anime follows the journey of a young boy searching for his father. As the deuteragonist of Hunter x Hunter, Killua is a very well written character with an interesting and compelling arc that showcases his development as the series progresses.
He is another character that allows the audience to connect deeply with him through his rebellious reliability, allowing the fans to live through the series in his shoes, despite not being the main character.
Levi Ackerman: Attack On Titan
On the brink of extinction, humanity is left to survive behind walls to escape man-eating Titans. Cool, calm and collected, this Attack On Titan character, while not being the main character in the series, is undeniably the most popular and according to Ranker, one of the most popular male anime characters, overall.
Providing fans with numerous epic action scenes throughout the series, fans quickly grew to love his deadpan snarky humour and watch in awe as his pure fighting skills showed themselves time and time again. His sympathetic tragic backstory also added an extra layer to his character which firmly cemented him in fans' hearts.
Itachi Uchiha: Naruto
Considered to be one of the best developed and well written Naruto characters, Itachi is a character who embodied being a prodigy without a hint of arrogance. While he may be considered an overpowered character by some fans, his selflessness and emotional storyline give him a lot of depth.
His unique background and relationships were full of emotion that fans could connect deeply with, cementing him as one of the greatest anime characters.
Naruto Uzumaki: Naruto
It will come as no surprise that the top spot of the greatest male anime character of all time went to Naruto himself. Easily the most recognisable anime character, even to even non-anime fans, Naruto stands for everything that an anime protagonist should.
He is determined and never gives up and there is a large number of positive things that fans can take away and learn from him, making him a beloved anime protagonist and the current fan favorite.