Anime protagonists are usually carefully chosen by the author and represent some of the most incredible qualities that characters can have. They exist to lead the series for a reason, and no character can truly fill their role. However, oftentimes, especially in the elite anime and manga series out there, there exist characters that are so compelling that they could very well serve as the protagonist of the story in their own way. This makes for a very exciting "What If" scenario in the minds of the fans and opens up various unique possibilities.
7 Anime Characters That Can Destroy Naruto Uzumaki In Battle
Naruto Uzumaki is powerful, but he can be defeated by many other anime characters.
8 Killua
- Anime: Hunter x Hunter
Killua is one of the main characters in the Hunter x Hunter anime, and it can be said that, at times, he stands as the second main character after Gon. However, Killua's own story is just as compelling as that of Gon. Belonging to a group of assassins in the Zoldyck family, Killua sets out on his own journey because he doesn't quite fit in. His relationship with his sister Alluka is something worth preserving, and the potential that he carries in terms of becoming a powerful Hunter is absolutely immense.
Killua has a dark side to him that puts him on the opposite end of Gon, but it is precisely that darkness in him that makes him a tad more exciting to follow than Gon at times. He would certainly have made a phenomenal protagonist of Hunter x Hunter.
7 Sasuke
- Anime: Naruto
Sasuke Uchiha is the deuteragonist of the Naruto series and quite easily one of the most important characters. In many ways, Sasuke's importance to the plot of Naruto is just as high as that of Naruto himself. That said, the story is still Naruto's at the end of the day, and the vast majority of it is seen through his eyes. This is precisely why a story in which Sasuke Uchiha was to be the protagonist and fans saw things through his eyes would have been incredibly exciting.
Sasuke has all the qualities that are needed in a brilliant protagonist, and his story is as compelling as Kishimoto has written for any character. In fact, Sasuke is also Kishimoto's favorite character, and that alone would have made him an interesting individual to follow as the protagonist.
6 Vegeta
- Anime: Dragon Ball
Vegeta is one of the main characters in the Dragon Ball series, second only to Goku in terms of overarching importance. Initially, Vegeta stood as a villain in the path of Goku, but following the events of the Namek Saga, he reluctantly joined hands with the Z warriors from Earth on various occasions. Vegeta's importance continued to grow over the years, and while he never truly got similar treatment to Goku, his character arc is truly rich, and his growth has inspired various fans all over the world. For all these reasons, Vegeta would do brilliantly as a leader in his own story.
His quest for attaining greater strength and becoming a true Saiyan warrior, as well as surpassing Goku, makes him a very exciting character to follow. Vegeta has charted his own path through various unique powers like Ultra Ego, which stands as an opposite to Goku's Ultra Instinct, and once again shows that seeing him follow his own path would be just as exciting as seeing Goku do his own thing.
5 Himmel
- Anime: Frieren
Himmel from Frieren is one of the most exciting characters who significantly affects the plot of the story without even being alive. This is because Himmel has already died at the very beginning of the series, and his adventure with Frieren and the others is already over. Frieren embarks on another journey with a new team decades later, but Himmel continues to affect the plot in significant ways. This is precisely why a story based on Himmel from the days when he was alive would be absolutely brilliant to see.
It would be a story full of exciting moral values and teachings that fans could carry with them for the rest of their lives. Seeing Himmel as a protagonist, especially given that he's the most popular character in the entire franchise, would be absolutely brilliant.
4 Gol D. Roger
- Anime: One Piece
In the world of One Piece, Gol D. Roger served as the first Pirate King to exist in centuries. He's the only person known to have completed the circumnavigation of the entire world and reached the final island, Laugh Tale, where he claimed the treasure of Joy Boy. Much of Roger's journey is still covered in enigma, and even though Eiichiro Oda has given glimpses of his adventure, especially through the Oden flashback, and more recently through the Loki flashback, his story is still largely untold.
Roger is just as charming as Luffy, and while he was not the one to fulfil the Will of D., he is the one who opened the path to fulfilling it by announcing the existence of One Piece upon his execution platform. Roger's story being explored from start to finish, where he leads as the protagonist, would be absolutely brilliant for the fans to follow.
3 All Might
- Anime: My Hero Academia
In the world of My Hero Academia, All Might stands tall as the greatest hero of all time. Before Izuku Midoriya, he was the one who held the power of One For All, which was passed on to him by his own mentor, Nana Shimura. All Might possesses tremendous strength, and as the Symbol of Peace, he was able to reduce crime significantly in Japan. All Might's presence alone made the villains cower in fear, and his strength was truly immaculate.
A hero like All Might will never appear again in the world of My Hero Academia, which is unfortunate because fans would have loved to see his adventure. Since All Might can't serve as the protagonist anymore, it would have been brilliant if he were to be able to lead his own story as the protagonist. Fans would then get to see his entire life up to the moment where he gave up the powers of One For All and retired for good.
2 Yuta Okkotsu
- Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen's story is led by none other than Yuji Itadori, who serves as its main character and the vessel of Ryomen Sukuna. Yuji isn't the most compelling character in the series by any means. Even in terms of popularity, the likes of Megumi Fushiguro and Gojo Satoru have constantly gotten the better of him. If there is a character who is good enough to lead as the protagonist and is equally compelling, it is Yuta Okkotsu. In Gege Akutami's prequel to Jujutsu Kaisen called JJK:0, Yuta Okkotsu served as the main character.
Furthermore, following the events of the Shinjuku Showdown battle, it is Yuta who takes the center stage and leads the Gojo clan, and it is his grandchildren who end up becoming the protagonists for the next story called JJK Modulo. Following Yuta as the protagonist would be absolutely brilliant, especially since he heads to Africa and then, after the events of Shinjuku Shodown, establishes his dominance in Japan as one of the most powerful sorcerers following the death of Gojo Satoru.
1 Ashborn
- Anime: Solo Leveling
Ashborn is a very important character that exists in the world of Solo Leveling, but also one that fans see very little of. He was the previous Shadow Monarch before Jinwoo, and up until the events of the Double Dungeon arc, he was looking to use Jinwoo's body as a vessel and reincarnate, thanks to help from the Architect.
Ashborn is an enigmatic entity, full of chaotic battles and powers that can hardly be rivaled by any. Furthermore, the many exciting battles that he has fought would be incredibly exciting for the fans to witness if he were to lead a story as its protagonist.