The 10 Oldest Shonen Protagonists

Shonen anime is famed for its inclusion of youthful protagonists and continues to be one of the most popular anime genres today with One Piece recently outselling every single Batman comic, combined. After all, shonen translates to “young boys”, so it makes sense that young boys would be the most common protagonist. Naruto, Luffy, Ichigo, Tanjiro, Deku and countless other protagonists are in the teen range, and are stubborn to an absurd degree.

However, some shonen protagonists shake up the formula by being incredibly long-lived. While some may not look their age because of vampire or magic shenanigans, they still have decades of experience over most typical shonen protagonists.

Vash The Stampede (Trigun) - 180+ Years Old

Vash the Stampede is Trigun’s protagonist and in-universe disaster magnet. The title of “Stampede” wasn’t earned because it sounded cool. Everywhere he goes, chaos follows. Imagine the shock of bounty hunters when they find a goofball who refuses to hurt people, despite his intimidating exterior.

Vash has seen a lot of action throughout his decades of existence. In a traditional shonen anime, his penchant for friendship and peace would have made him a perfect fit. Unfortunately, he’s in a gritty space western filled with amoral psychopaths, but through it all, he maintains his happy exterior. Because otherwise, nobody else will.

Inuyasha (Inuyasha) - 250+ Years Old

Inuyasha is the titular protagonist of his own series, but it’s an interesting case. Inuyasha, being a youkai, ages much more slowly than humans do. That means that although he has experienced hundreds of years of the world, he’s still psychologically a teenager for a yokai.

There’s also the debate of stasis. There were fifty whole years that Inuyasha spent asleep, so his actual age is still up for debate. Regardless, Inuyasha has seen his fair share of adventures in his long life, and will likely continue to. It also gives Inuyasha’s relationships a melancholy edge, as he’s likely to outlive any human he falls in love with.

Alucard (Hellsing) - 400+ Years Old

As is typical for strong anime vampires, Alucard has seen quite a few historical events in his day. In some cases, he was even directly responsible. His exploits during World War II were so great that veterans of the war remember him being a girl. It’s a long story. Regardless, Alucard’s long age is not without its issues.

Throughout his long life, he has seen many atrocities, and even committed some himself. All those souls in his body that he draws on for power are a constant reminder. A reminder of the centuries’ worth of suffering he’s had to endure, and will continue to endure if he does not change his ways.

Ai Enma (Hell Girl) - 400+ Years Old

Ai Enma was once a normal girl, who was unfortunately the target of hatred in her village. So much so, that she was even planned to become the human sacrifice for a sick ritual. Her hatred grows so much that she becomes a demon out of pure spite, and slaughters all those who wronged her. Now, she serves as a spirit of vengeance.

Known as Hell Girl, her penance is to forever enact the vengeance of others, as she so excitedly lashed out her own. The centuries of enabling people’s hatred definitely ran its toll on Ai, turning her into a stoic and emotionless husk of her former self. Those centuries gave her the perspective on how terrible hatred is as a reason for living.

C.C. (Code Geass) - 500+ Years Old

C.C. is the mysterious benefactor of Lelouch, and is the person responsible for giving him the Geass. Her past is a mystery, but small bits here and there imply she’s been around for a long, long time. She cannot age, is immune to disease, and no wound will ever be permanent. For as long as she has the Code of Immortality, she will never die.

Starting life as a slave in the middle ages, C.C. has seen humanity at its absolute worst for centuries. The Dark Ages, the civil wars, the world wars, and now, the events of Code Geass. Her only wish is to find a true companion, but her Geass forces everyone to love her. Whether they truly like her or not. As far as immortals go, C.C. has nothing but disdain for the “mortals” she deals with. Until Lelouch, at least.

Yato (Noragami) - 1000+ Years Old

Yato is young by god standards, but a young god is still older than most. He’s been around since well before the Meiji era, and will likely live for centuries more. He’s had a long life and is ashamed of his bloody past. He is rarely acknowledged by modern people, but he would rather be unknown and poor than known and feared.

Before he was the titular “stray god”, he was a god of calamity. Much like Rurouni Kenshin, seeing him on the battlefield was a death sentence. He was rightfully feared then, and people who underestimate him now soon find themselves meeting the old god of war. Thankfully, Yato is content with his new found family.

Frieren (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End) - 1000+

Frieren is a fascinating story, because it begins with an ending. After a long 10 year journey, Frieren and her group have finally defeated the Demon King. They part ways as friends, with Frieren promising to meet them in fifty years, when the Era Meteors arrive once more. The story quickly becomes one of melancholy and regret.

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Frieren spent fifty years studying magic, while the rest of her party lived long lives of their own. When she meets them again, the world has changed, and her companions are now old and gray. Frieren’s long life is a huge theme of the series, as she questions whether or not companionship is worth the inevitable pain of losing them.

Tsukasa Yuzuki (Fly Me To The Moon) - 1400+ Years Old

Tsukasa Yuzuki seems like a perfectly normal, if a bit aloof, teenage girl. She definitely has an air of mystery around her once Nasa gets to know her. She even drops strange anecdotes that imply she is much older than she actually is. As it turns out, she really is that long-lived.

Her long life is filled to the brim with tragedy, and it was only when she met Nasa that she found any semblance of stability. Not only that, he admires his genuine kindness and intelligence. She also appreciates his bluntness. As it turns out, honesty is a rare quality to see in the thousands of years of existence she’s had.

Meliodas(The Seven Deadly Sins) - 3000+ Years Old

Meliodas is the notorious leader of the Seven Deadly Sins, and represents the sin of Wrath. With that title, people would expect to see a massive demon, red skinned and huge-horned. Much to their shock, he has the appearance of a young teen. Only this “young teen” is over 3000 years old, thanks to a curse bestowed upon him.

His long life is a fascinating one, full of heartbreak and trauma. His immortality and strength mean nothing to him because he has one goal that he continually fails to do: saving Elizabeth. Each era, Liz reincarnates, and everytime they meet, he is fated to see her die. It’s a unique romance that certainly gives Meliodas plenty of reason to be so dismissive of humanity, even in his kinder moments.

Sebastian (Black Butler) - 3000+ Years Old

Sebastian is a devilishly handsome butler who loyally serves Ciel Phantomhive, a renowned “peacekeeper” for the crown. Emphasis on devilish. Sebastian is actually a powerful demon, who was bound to Ciel after the latter summoned him for aid in his quest for vengeance. Sebastian’s skills and powerful magic are Ciel’s to command.

When the service ends, or Ciel dies, however, Sebastian will devour Ciel’s soul. Sebastian has seen so many hateful people come and go, and at first, he sees Ciel as more of the same. However, the “aesthetic” as he calls it is something he enjoys greatly. Of course, both are under no illusions of ‘friendship”. They see each other as a meal and a tool respectively. And that’s just how both of them like it.

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