Seinen Protagonist



A seinen protagonist is a protagonist usually seen in a seinen manga and anime.

Why This Trope Rocks

 * 1) Their stories are usually realistic, as they experience more than battle hardships. In fact, these said stories are focused on their relationships with others.
 * 2) They are considered deconstructed versions of a shonen protagonist, which makes their stories more refreshing and compelling.
 * 3) Like their shonen counterparts, they grow not only in terms of abilities, but in terms of strength of character as well.
 * 4) They possess a strong sense of willpower.
 * 5) Most of them are relatable, as they are explored as complex characters who are dealing with personal and social struggles.
 * 6) Their sense of morality is complex as well, as they know that the world is not completely black-and-white.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Many seinen protagonists are known for being cynical and apathetic, albeit in a sympathetic manner.
 * 2) As a result of their personal hardships, many seinen protagonists experience so much emotional and/or mental distress that it causes them to isolate themselves from others and have trust issues.

Anime & Manga

 * 1) Afro Samurai (Afro Samurai)
 * 2) Eren Yeager (Attack on Titan)
 * 3) Guts (Berserk)
 * 4) Light Yagami (Death Note)
 * 5) Saichi Sugimoto (Golden Kamuy)
 * 6) Ryuko Matoi (Kill La Kill)
 * 7) Ri Shin (Kingdom)
 * 8) Shinichi Izumi (Parasyte)
 * 9) Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)
 * 10) Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-sama: Love is War)

Cartoons & Comics

 * 1) Sterling Archer (Archer)
 * 2) Stan Smith (American Dad!)
 * 3) BoJack Horseman
 * 4) Huey Freeman (The Boondocks)
 * 5) Batman (DC Comics)
 * 6) Deadpool (Marvel Comics)
 * 7) Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty)
 * 8) Samurai Jack (Samurai Jack)

Live-Action Film & Television

 * 1) Walter White (Breaking Bad)
 * 2) Dexter Morgan (Dexter)
 * 3) Anthony "Tony" Soprano (The Sopranos)
 * 4) Sam Winchester & Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
 * 5) Stefan and Damon Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries)
 * 6) *Niklaus "Klaus" Mikealson (The Originals)
 * 7) *Hope Mikealson (Legacies)
 * 8) Various characters (The Wire)
 * 9) *Jimmy McNulty
 * 10) *Omar Little

Video Games

 * 1) GTA Protagonists (Grand Theft Auto)
 * 2) Solid Snake (Metal Gear)
 * 3) InFamous Protagonists
 * 4) *Cole McGrath (InFamous)
 * 5) *Delsin Rowe (InFamous: Second Son)
 * 6) Prototypes
 * 7) *Alex Mercer (Prototype)
 * 8) *Sgt James Heller (Prototype 2)
 * 9) Joel Miller (The Last of Us)
 * 10) Ellie (Pre-mh:crappygames:The Last of Us Part II)
 * 11) Arthur Morgan (mh:awesomegames:Red Dead Redemption 2)