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Sidelining the main protagonist can be a great way to give other characters some time in the spotlight, and can allow for amazing moments where the narrative is much harder to predict. Here are some notable arcs in shonen anime which are great, mainly because characters other than the main protagonist are given some time to shine!
6 The Cell Games Saga (Dragon Ball Z)
Throughout the series, fans have slowly been seeing Gohan’s massive potential and how he could easily dwarf his peers when it came to sheer power. However, Gohan’s soft heart prevented him from fully accessing the depths of his power. During the Cell Games, this changed when Gohan was thrust into a battle he didn’t want to fight and was being absolutely pummeled by Cell time and time again.
However, after seeing the brutal manner in which Cell was killing his friends, Gohan realized that there was no turning back in this battle. He unlocked another Super Saiyan form that covered the gulf in power between him and Cell and gave him a fighting chance. While Gohan’s arrogance caused him to endanger more lives than he should’ve, his father’s sacrifice combined with his immense willpower allowed him to get the best of this powerful enemy and save the Earth once and for all.
5 Meta Liberation Army Arc (My Hero Academia)
My Hero Academia might seem slightly formulaic at times, but the anime does pull off some great storytelling moments that form the building blocks for what is bound to be a bombastic finale. Throughout the series, fans had only been able to see Midoriya’s transformation from a Quirkless boy into a wielder of One for All. In this dynamic, it almost seemed like Shigaraki was getting the short end of the stick, but this soon changed.
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The Meta Liberation Army Arc showed just how much these villains had grown over time. Shigaraki wasn’t the only one who showcased powerful abilities either, with characters like Himiko and Twice also managing to show off some new upgrades with their Quirks. This arc has essentially set the stage for what is bound to be one of the most enjoyable story moments in My Hero Academia.
4 Fated Battle Between Brothers (Naruto: Shippuden)
Throughout Naruto, the conflict between Sasuke and Itachi had been building up in a slow and calculated manner. So, when Sasuke and Itachi finally locked horns, fans knew that they were in for a treat. At this moment, no one cared about Naruto and his exploits. The focus was solely on the two brothers and their incredible duel.
Of course, it would be impossible to talk about this arc without mentioning the massive revelation at the end. The fact that Itachi was actually a double agent and loved Sasuke all this time was a massive twist that showed the village of Konoha in a dark light like never before. Things were never the same after this moment, with Sasuke’s hatred for the Leaf Village governing most of his actions past this point.
3 Big Cleanup Arc (Mob Psycho 100)
For the longest time, it seemed like Mob was the sibling who was always in Ritsu’s shadow. This changed once viewers got to see Ritsu’s side and the jealousy he felt at the fact that he had no psychic powers at all. Despite being an overachiever at school, there was a part of Ritsu that always felt hollow about his brothers having powers that he could never attain.
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At least, that’s what he thought for the longest time, before finally awakening his spiritual capabilities and trying to make the most of these abilities. Unfortunately, this ultimately backfires, and Ritsu is kidnapped right in front of Mob’s eyes.
2 Chunin Exams Arc (Naruto)
The Chunin Exams arc is easily one of the greatest shonen arcs of all time, and perhaps the best tournament arc ever made! Almost everything in this arc was absolutely perfect, with many memorable characters getting their time to shine in a truly iconic fashion.
The fact that every character was just as important as Naruto made this arc a ton of fun to watch. Sure, Naruto might’ve been the one to take care of Gaara, but there can be no denying that his efforts would have all been for nothing had the other characters not also pulled their weight.
1 Garou Introduction Arc (One-Punch Man)
One-Punch Man is one of the funniest shonen anime around, and fans are eagerly awaiting any news of a third season. While Saitama is easily the biggest reason to watch this amazing series, there are other plenty of other captivating characters who take the spotlight from time to time.
The Garou Introduction arc establishes a long-term villain who is pretty riveting in his own right. Saitama did knock him down a peg with his strength, but this Hero Killer has yet to catch any whiff of this incredibly powerful gentleman.
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