Some of the best storytellers in a show are children. Children have a naivety about them that coincides with their endless sense of wonder and admiration for the world around them. Forming relationships with other characters often leads such protagonists to establish what matters most to them.
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Innocence tends to break through into an internal coming-of-age kind of growth that makes child protagonists compelling to watch. “Child protagonists” in this article are characters ages 14 and younger (with a slight exclusion of a certain robotic boy who technically has no age). These protagonists exist in a variety of genres from shounen to slice of life.
Mention of suicide in the “Serial Experiments Lain” list entry
10Astro Boy - Astro Boy
Taking viewers back in time,Astro Boyfollows the story of a robot, Astro Boy, created for and in the image of Science Ministry director Umataro Tenma’s son, Tobio. However, Astro was soon rejected by his initial creator and sent to the ring, where he fought other robots. It wasn’t until Hiroshi Ochanomizu came to his rescue that Atom could live a life of his own.
Astro carries with him the value of being alive from his creator, Osamu Tezuka. Because of this, he will do anything to protect the people he loves. It’s important to note that Astro doesn’t choose violence as his first approach, though. He is a robot based on a child, therefore, his sense of wonder and innocence still remains despite not being entirely human.
9Serial Experiments Lain – Lain Iwakura
Welcome to the not-so-normal life of a middle school girl. Lain Iwakura receives an email from her classmate, Chisa Yomoda, who has committed suicide. This start of events sends Lain into the world of Wired, a virtual space where people can communicate through networks (the internet, essentially). Soon enough, the Wired world and her own reality appear to blur.
There are many aspects to Lain. She is a primarily quiet character who stands out from the crowd. Lain also tends to see things that other people don’t. In the Wired world, there appear to be various versions of her, some of which carry the confidence she seems to lack and others with much malicious intent.
8Cardcaptor Sakura – Sakura Kinomoto
10-year-old Sakura Kinomoto accidentally releases magical cards called “Clow Cards” from a book in her basement. A mythical creature called Cerberus (aka Kero) comes out of the book to tell her she must retrieve each of the cards, and he serves as her guide all throughout the story. From here, Sakura has to learn how to utilize her newfound magical abilities on the go as she explores a brand-new world of magic.
Sakura is an amiable character with a bright personality that touches all those she interacts with. While she does seem a bit naive at times, she is also quite talented in both her school life (e.g., cheerleading, running) and as a magic user. Sakura isn’t entirely brave all the time, though. After all, this magic user is terrified of ghosts.
7My Clueless First Friend – Akane Nishimura & Takada Taiyou
Fresh from the spring 2023 anime pile is a feel-good story of children becoming friends. Referred to as the “Grim Reaper,” Akane Nishimura is isolated from her classmates for having a certain kind of look in her eyes. However, when new kid Takada transfers over to their school, he thinks Akane’s nickname is actually quite cool. He then continues to befriend her and stand up for her with his optimism.
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Akane is a rather soft-spoken character who genuinely seems to think of Takada as sweet but doesn’t want him to be bullied alongside her. Takada, on the other hand, is loud and easily excited by the world around him. His interest in Akane is just as genuine as his optimism about the world.
6Ascendance Of A Bookworm – Myne
It seems like a cruel fate for a book lover to besent to a worldin which there are no books. Yet that is exactly what happens to Urano Motosu. Reincarnated as a young girl named Myne, she discovers that books are rare and only accessible to upper-class citizens. This spurs her into starting her own printing press so that she can write a book of her own.
Myne discovers that this newfound world is nothing like the world of modern Japan, from the mannerisms she must relearn to the social class structure she faces. Fortunately, she is adept at learning and determined to do anything she needs to bring books to the forefront of this new world.
5Mob Psycho 100 – Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama
As much as it is a show about an overpowered middle schooler,Mob Psycho 100is also an excellent coming-of-age story. Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama is an insanely powerful esper with the ability to easily handle whatever case his boss and friend, Arataka Reigen, throws at him. However, what Mob truly wants is to understand what he truly values in life and gather the courage to ask a girl he likes out.
Mob may not be the smoothest conversationalist, but he has the purest of hearts. As he grows to know more and more about what he wants from life, he takes steps to pursue those goals. He is not the kind of boy who holds things against others, as seen with some of the closest people in his life. One of Mob’s biggest flaws becomes a major plot point later on: acknowledging and validating his own negative feelings.
4The Promised Neverland – Emma
Everything is peaceful, and nothing could possibly go wrong at the Grace Field House orphanage. There, children spend their time taking intelligence tests, then set off to play in whatever way they’d like on the property. However, three of the oldest kids at the orphanage start to feel like the world they’ve grown up in is far more sinister than they initially believed.
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Kind-hearted and driven, Emma is the primary protagonist of the show. Upon realizing her childhood is not as innocent as it seems, she pushes herself to continue to be the strong older sister that her younger siblings need her to be. She is one of the brightest characters in the show, despite the dark circumstances.
3Made In Abyss – Riko
Coming from a place of curiosity and wonder, Riko wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Orphaned at a young age, she carries a strong desire to become a White Whistle diver. White Whistles, like her mother, are archeologists who can make it past the fifth level of the cavern known as the Abyss. Riko’s adventure advances when she meets a robot boy she names Reg.
Riko is a loving young girl with seemingly boundless energy. Despite not being the most physically strong character in the show, she has a level head on her shoulders and uses critical thinking to her advantage when navigating the Abyss.
2Hunter X Hunter – Gon Freecss
What better way to find a missing father than to gain unlimited travel access? Gon Freescss takes off on a journey to face the trials of the Hunter Exam, a set of tests that people take to gain the privileges that come with the Hunter status, and he hopes to use those privileges to find his father, Ging.
Gon is an ambitious child who carries a strong connection with his senses, born with heightened abilities to smell, see, and taste. Sympathetic in his ambitions, he wants to become a Hunter to understand why his father would choose to pursue his profession rather than take on the role of a father. Gon is by far no perfect child, though. He can often fall prey to his anger and impulsivity. However, part of what drives him is his desire to be strong enough to protect those he cares about.
1Ranking Of Kings – Boji
Leave it to WIT Studio, the team that brought us Spy X Family and The Ancient Magus’ Bride, to bring a story to the table that will make viewers rethink the way they look at the world. This anime follows the story of Prince Boji, who is both mute and deaf, as he encounters a shadow creature called Kage. Kage, who initially stole from the young prince, finds the boy compelling as Boji stays resilient despite the cruel criticism he’s often dealt with.
Although the people in the Kingdom of Bosse look down on Boji for his disabilities, this does not destroy the young boy’s resolve. Boji stays dedicated to becoming a great king, being adept at both using his surroundings to his advantage and being a sincere person to those he meets. However, that’s not to say that Boji isn’t bothered by the discrimination he experiences, as viewers see this pressure affect him when he is alone. This makes the boy all the more human and a relatable protagonist.
