10 Best Male Characters From the Spring 2024 Anime Season

May 14, 2024, 10:30 p.m.

Movies

10 Best Male Characters From the Spring 2024 Anime Season

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Summary The spring 2024 season of anime has produced many great male characters.

Many are new characters who have managed to quickly endear themselves to audiences.

Others are older characters returning to offer more of what made people love them before.

No matter the genre, anime tend to live and die by the quality of their male characters. With how male-dominated anime tend to be, the male characters are typically the ones to get the most attention, no matter how small their role may be, and how likable or entertaining they end up being can make or break an anime for a lot of people.

Great male characters are a necessity for most anime, and fortunately, the spring 2024 season of anime has had plenty to spare. Whether it's been through old favorites or much newer hits, the spring 2024 season of anime has featured many male characters with great personalities and overall writing, all of whom only get better with each passing episode.

Naturally, some of these characters have stood out more than others, and the best of them all are especially worth highlighting.

10 Bon Namihira Proves How Timeless Fujiko F. Fujio’s Writing Is

T.P Bon; based on the manga by Fujiko F. Fujio

Bon Namihira is the protagonist of Studio Bones’ T.P Bon, a modern adaptation of the classic science-fiction manga by Doraemon creators Fujiko F. Fujio. When Bon accidentally witnesses the actions of the Time Patrol, he’s initially set to be erased from existence, but when it’s discovered that Bon will be important to history, his life is spared on the condition that he joins the Time Patrol and assists them in writing history’s wrongs.

Even after over 40 years, T.P Bon’s writing hasn't aged in the slightest, and that's especially apparent in Bon. Just like in the original series, Bon Namihira is a consistently endearing character with a good balance of comedy and genuine heroism, and the slight ways in which the series modernizes his character help to sell that even further. Fujiko F. Fujio is one of the oldest names in anime, and a great character like Bon perfectly showcases why their writing is so timeless.

9 Taiyo Asano Is The Perfect Lead For An Action Comedy

Mission: Yozakura Family; based on the manga by Hitsuji Gondaira

Mission: Yozakura Family (2024) Cast Reiji Kawashima , Kaede Hondo , Katsuyuki Konishi , Akari Kitō , Kazuyuki Okitsu , Aoi Yuki , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka Release Date April 7, 2024 Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) Hulu Writers Mirai Minato , Hitsuji Gondaira Directors Mirai Minato Main Genre Action Creator(s) Hitsuji Gondaira Expand

Silver Link’s Mission: Yozakura Family stars Taiyo Asano, a young boy who discovers that his childhood friend and crush, Mutsumi Yozakura, hails from a family of deadly spies. When Mutsumi's brother tries to kill Taiyo to keep him from getting too close to her, Taiyo has to marry Mutsumi to protect himself, and from there, he has to become a spy, himself, to continue protecting the new life he's entered into.

A big part of why Taiyo is such a good character stems from how proactive he is. While other characters like Taiyo tend to just go along with everything that happens to them, Taiyo maintains a great deal of agency by always being the one to make his own decisions, and it always leaves him as a strong protagonist because of it. Add in the way he's always working to improve himself for Mutsumi’s sake, and Taiyo stands out as a male character who's always fun to watch.

8 Beelzebub Shows Why Akira Toriyama Will Always Be A Legend

Sand Land; based on the manga by Akira Toriyama

Sand Land: The Series (2024) Cast Mutsumi Tamura , Kazuhiro Yamaji , Chō , Satoshi Tsuruoka , Nobuo Tobita , Ayumu Murase , Mikako Komatsu Release Date March 20, 2024 Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) Hulu Writers Hayashi Mori , Akira Toriyama Directors Hiroshi Kôjina , Toshihisa Yokoshima Main Genre Action Creator(s) Akira Toriyama Franchise(s) Sand Land Expand

Sunrise's Sand Land is an adaptation of a short series by Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame. The first half of the anime tells the story of Beelzebub, the demon prince, being recruited for a mission to bring water back to the desert wasteland the world has long since turned into, and the second half serves as an official sequel to the original story that Toriyama even helped develop before his passing earlier in the year.

Overall, Beelzebub perfectly captures the essence of what made Akira Toriyama's writing so great. As with many of Toriyama's characters, Beelzebub isn't a particularly deep character, but the simplicity of Beelzebub’s writing always allows for his comedy and character writing to be incredibly effective whenever it comes into play. That's especially true in the new story told by the anime, and there's no better way of showing why Akira Toriyama will always be a legend, even in death.

7 Tanjiro Kamado Is As Lovable A Protagonist As Ever

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba; based on the manga by Koyoharu Gotouge

Demon Slayer Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Aleks Le , Bryce Papenbrook , Brianna Knickerbocker , Zeno Robinson , Johnny Yong Bosch , Erika Harlacher , Ray Chase , Kira Buckland Release Date April 6, 2019 Streaming Service(s) Crunchyroll Writers Ufotable Directors Haruo Sotozaki Creator(s) Ufotable Franchise(s) Demon Slayer Expand

Spring 2024 sees the return of Ufotable’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and, of course, Tanjiro Kamado. Following the events of season 3, the Demon Slayers have learned about a new weapon they can use against the demons, and now Tanjiro and his friends must undergo intensive training from the Hashira in the hopes of mastering those new abilities.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba season 4 has only just started, but Tanjiro is still as great a character as ever. Even after four seasons, Tanjiro’s overwhelming energy and positivity make him one of the most endearing and entertaining characters in the series, and seeing him play off of others is always refreshing in one way or another. Season 4 will see Demon Slayer head towards its climax, and with that, Tanjiro is sure to have plenty more moments to show off why he's become so beloved by fans and critics alike.

6 Kafka Hibino Offers A Fresh Take On Shonen Protagonists

Kaiju No. 8; based on the manga by Naoya Matsumoto

Kaiju No. 8 (2024) Kafka Hibino, a disillusioned Kaiju corpse cleanup worker, dreams of joining the Defense Force that protects Japan from monstrous Kaiju attacks. His life takes a surreal turn when he becomes infected by a Kaiju parasite, granting him the power to transform into a Kaiju himself. Known as Kaiju No. 8, Kafka must navigate the dual life of a monster and a protector, facing enemies both human and Kaiju. Cast Masaya Fukunishi , Wataru Kato , Asami Seto , Fairouz Ai , Kengo Kawanishi , Yuki Shin Release Date April 13, 2024 Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) Crunchyroll Franchise(s) Kaiju No. 8 Writers Ichirō Ōkouchi Directors Shigeyuki Miya , Tomomi Kamiya Main Genre Action Creator(s) Naoya Matsumoto Expand

Production I.G’s Kaiju No. 8 stars Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old man who's long since given up on joining the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force and fighting Kaiju alongside his childhood friend. A new coworker inspires Kafka to give it one more shot before he ages out, but things are immediately complicated by a bug-like Kaiju crawling inside of Kafka and giving him the power to turn into a Kaiju, himself.

Kaiju No. 8 has done a great job of living up to its hype, and Kafka has played a big part in that. Between being an adult and how he uses his wits to help with battles, Kafka Hibino serves as a great alternative to the usual brand of shonen protagonists, and the fact that he can still put up a fight along with all of that makes him even more fun to watch. There's hardly been a dull moment from Kafka, and with any luck, he’s going to develop into an even better character over time.

5 Kraft Lawrence Is Still A Uniquely Engaging Protagonist

Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf; based on the light novel by Isuna Hasekura

Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf (2024) Cast Jun Fukuyama , Ami Koshimizu Release Date April 2, 2024 Seasons 1 Main Genre Anime

Spring 2024 saw the premiere of Passione’s Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, the reboot of the original Spice and Wolf anime from the 2000s. Just like the original anime, the reboot stars Kraft Lawrence, a traveling merchant who comes across Holo, a harvest goddess who takes the form of a wolf-like girl, and the two agree to travel and do business together while Lawrence helps get Holo back to her homeland.

Lawrence was a great character in the original Spice and Wolf anime, and that hasn’t changed in the slightest for the reboot. Even with the story being a low fantasy story with little action to speak of, Lawrence’s wits and his engaging dynamic with Holo always manage to keep things interesting, even when the subject matter revolves around topics that, by all means, shouldn't be. A lot of that is owed to how closely the reboot has been following the original anime, but with any luck, there will soon be major divergences that serve to sell Lawrence's character even further.

4 Hayato Suo Makes For A Great Foil To Wind Breaker's Lead

Wind Breaker; based on the manga by Satoru Nii

One of the major supporting characters in CloverWorks’ Wind Breaker is Hayato Suo, a one-eyed member of Bofurin with an eccentric personality and a uniquely defensive fighting style. When Sakura first joins Bofurin, Suo is quick to integrate himself into Sakura's small friend group, and while the anime is still developing its story, it's been made clear that he's going to be a major character, going forward.

Suo has only been in a few episodes of Wind Breaker so far, but he succeeds as a character thanks in no small part to how he contrasts Sakura's personality. Where Sakura is brash, aggressive, and often unsure of himself, Suo always acts calm and assertive in his dialogue and actions, and that truly shows itself in his fighting style and how easily he can dress down people he finds fault in. Suo has been one of the biggest highlights of Wind Breaker, so far, and it will be great to see how he continues to develop.

3 Haruka Sakura Is The Perfect Lead For A Delinquent Anime

Wind Breaker; based on the manga by Satoru Nii

CloverWorks' Wind Breaker is, of course, nothing without its protagonist, Haruka Sakura. Sakura fell into delinquency after years of being ridiculed for his heterochromia, and he's now made plans to become the toughest fighter at the famous Furin High. Much to Sakura's surprise, however, the delinquents of Furin High are kindhearted people beloved by the community, and Sakura finds himself wanting to receive that same level of respect.

While Sakura initially comes off as a standard delinquent character, it soon becomes clear that he's anything but. Sakura's preconceptions about delinquency are repeatedly challenged by the actions of Bofurin, and it's through that that Sakura manages to have incredible growth from a standoffish person to someone more accepting of others. Add in the comedy derived from his tsundere antics, and there's plenty to love about Sakura from day one.

2 Red Keeper Is The Perfect Ambiguous Villain For His Show

Go! Go! Loser Ranger!; based on the manga by Negi Haruba

Go! Go! Loser Ranger! Cast Yûsuke Kobayashi , Daishi Kajita , Yumika Yano , Yuichi Nakamura , Kensho Ono , Kôsuke Toriumi , Mao Ichimichi , Go Inoue Release Date April 7, 2024 Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) Hulu Writers Keiichirō Ōchi Directors Keiichi Sato Main Genre Anime Creator(s) Negi Haruba Expand

Yostar Pictures’ Go! Go! Loser Ranger! is a deconstructive take on the Super Sentai/Power Rangers genre that makes the Ranger team, the Dragon Keepers, villains who force the remains of the destroyed Monster Army put on fake battles to maintain their celebrity status among the populace. The leader, of course, is the Red Keeper, and very fittingly, he’s depicted as a character who's as arrogant as he is violent.

A dark story like Go! Go! Loser Ranger! necessitated a dark villain, and the Red Keeper perfectly fits the bill. It's one thing for Red Keeper to arrogantly see himself as being in the right, but the pure dissonance between Red Keeper's violent actions and nonchalant personality makes every scene with him utterly haunting. Red Keeper perfectly encapsulates the deconstructive nature of the story, and that's bound to become even more apparent in the weeks to come.

1 Fighter D Is The Perfect Underdog Protagonist

Go! Go! Loser Ranger!; based on the manga by Negi Haruba

The Dragon Keepers get by on abusing the Monster Army in Yostar Pictures' Go! Go! Loser Ranger!, and among them is the series protagonist, Fighter D. After dealing with years of abuse from the Ranger Force, D has finally had it with the lack of respect his kind gets, and he's now taken it upon himself to infiltrate the Ranger Force and destroy them from the inside.

With how great an antagonist Red Keeper is, it's only fitting that D would be a great protagonist. Not only is D always at the center of great comedic moments, both from him and through playing off others, but the way D is always forced to play dirty to make up for his weakness makes him an entertainingly scrappy protagonist who's impossible to not root for. D is at the heart of what's made Go! Go! Loser Ranger! so great, and it's why he stands out as the best male character of the spring 2024 season of anime.