Who are the 5 kings of anime?

Ask any anime fan to name the most iconic, influential leading heroes in anime history and a few names will likely come up – Monkey D. Luffy, Naruto Uzumaki, Ichigo Kurosaki, Son Goku and Natsu Dragneel. These five titans have earned the honorific title of the "Kings of Anime" – the ultimate representation of what it means to be a larger-than-life Shonen protagonist.

Origins and Hero‘s Journey

What cements these five‘s status above all others is the monumental, almost mythical hero journeys they undertook across their series – defying impossible odds through sheer willpower.

Goku began as a low-class Saiyan warrior, steadily defeating foes ten times mightier to become protector of the Earth and later, the entire universe.

Luffy sailed from humble beginnings as a rubber-limbed dreamer seeking the great pirate treasure One Piece. After gathering a small but loyal crew, he takes on progressively more frightening opponents in pursuit of his title of Pirate King.

Naruto overcame discrimination as a Jinchuriki or human vessel for the nine-tailed fox demon that once attacked his village. From pariah to village hero to leader of the ninja world, Naruto offered messages of perseverance and chasing one‘s dreams against all odds.

Ichigo struggled balancing his human high school life with his responsibilities as soul reaper, personally fighting increasingly terrifying spiritual villains while coming to terms with his own hybrid identity.

While Natsu Dragneel‘s adventures with the Fairy Tail guild pit them against dark wizards and dragons, later threats reveal world-ending stakes only he has the fiery passion to overcome.

Each faced progressively more terrifying superpowered villains on an exponentially grander scale. But backed by their unbreakable conviction, they emerged triumphant every time. Their journeys have come to mirror classical epics – true against-all-odds victories earned through endless training and overpowering belief in one‘s self and friends.

By The Numbers

Beyond their inspirational journeys, sheer viewership and sales records back up their enduring popularity across anime fandom and beyond.

Dragonball Z still holds the Guinness World Record title for highest rated anime TV series averaging 11-20% ratings across Japan – over 50 million viewers tuned in weekly during its original run from 1989-1996 (Source). In terms of manga sales and box office, the Dragonball series sits comfortably among the top 3 best selling manga and anime film franchises of all time, with over 260 million manga volumes sold.

Meanwhile One Piece holds the record for highest copies in print for a single manga series according to Guinness – 490 million copies shipped globally as of 2022.

Naruto likewise sits comfortably among the top 3 best selling manga series of all time with over 250 million copies sold.

And THAT‘s not even touching the mountains of anime Blu-Ray sets, video games, merchandise and apparel spawned by these four juggernaut action series over decades – dragon ball figurines, ninja headbands, pirate flags…their iconography permeates nearly all avenues of pop culture and youthful imaginations for generations now.

Cultural Longevity and Influence

What sets these five‘s enduring popularity apart from other action anime heroes also comes down to sheer longevity – their adventures span across decades of manga chapters and anime episodes, continuously building an epic, almost religious shared mythology. Where rival major Shonen protagonists came and went through their conclusive plot arcs, Goku and comrades stick around indefinitely – they‘ve been around long enough to team up with each generations‘ new manga stars in ongoing fan service events and films.

Consider the generational impact – a 5-year-old Naruto fan in the early 2000s could potentially share their passion with their own teenager today. Like the immortal god-heroes of myth, the sagas of Goku and Luffy exist as long-running staples fans grow up with across childhood to adulthood. One Piece for example recently celebrated its 1000th manga chapter – a staggering amount of storytelling reserved only for the greatest epics.

And with each passing year, their stories amass even more collective history and character depth ripe for analysis – Goku and Vegeta‘s evolving rivalry spanning back to their home planet destruction for example carries significant pathos. We chart Luffy slowly gathering his tight-knit Straw Hat family like Odysseus. And Naruto‘s progress from isolated, attention-seeking punk to universally beloved Hokage maps closely with Maslow’s hierarchy towards ultimate self-actualization (yes, there are published psych papers analyzing Naruto‘s actualization of identity via memes).

Stacked together, their adventures collectively form a pseudo-religious mythology tracing the complete hero’s arc towards apotheosis – or attaining godlike power earned through endless determination in mastering their skills and character.

Beyond Battles – Cultural Personas

But the true longevity of these kings extends beyond their battles – their distinctive personalities and quirks established vibrant pop culture personas beyond their home series.

Goku embodies the quintessential martial arts protagonist, spaced out and innocent in demeanor yet fiercely dedicated to self-betterment through discipline – his distinctive messy hair and uniform now instantly signals his persona without context needed.

The ever-grinning Luffy likewise popularized the archetype of the happy-go-lucky action hero driven solely by wonderlust and loyalty to friends. His foreigners may not even know "anime", yet his straw hat and toothy smile still conjures vivid associations with fun loving, free-wheeling pirate adventure times thanks to his sheer ubiquity.

And images of Naruto‘s mischievous fox grin or Ichigo‘s massive cleaver blade see frequent crossover use representing the rebel spirit – either plastered across punk/goth/skater apparel or pressed on teenagers‘ trapper keepers alongside band logos and edgy fonts.

Memes utilizing their faces, stances, attacks and catchphrases flood comment sections and forum avatars – "Kamehameha!","Dattebayo!,” “Getsuga Tenshō!,” and “Gum Gum Rocket!” function like verbal manga panel snapshots, immediately signaling both the characters’ distinctive personalities and also values of courage, loyalty and boundless energy they inspire.

Cross-Media Power

That ubiquitous crossover popularity through multimedia and memes mirrors the immense cultural footprint left by video game mascots like Mario or Master Chief – literal world-famous household names recognizable even by non-gamers.

Goku and Naruto enjoy that same transcendent status – as globally beloved icons they‘ve been recreated as massive parade balloons, sports team promotion characters, children’s hospital art…even officiated actual weddings!

And much like video game conventions or major anime events, their series anniversaries become massive pop culture events drawing admiring pilgrimages – Dragon Ball’s 30th anniversary for example saw a celebratory collaboration cafe in Tokyo swamped by endless queues hours in advance.

Their popularity sees little sign of slowing either as they continue headlining top mobile/console games, clothing collabs with fashion brands like Uniqlo, and major motion pictures leagues beyond straight-to-DVD fates of less legendary anime peers. Continually upgraded animation and bigger crossover specials introduce them to newer generations as well – 2020‘s JUMP Force fighting game alone pit legendary protagonists from Yu-Gi-Oh!, My Hero Academia and more alongside the five kings as equals, passing the torch in a sense.

If we look even further across cultural lines, China’s three biggest webcomics – One Punch Man, Solo Leveling and the King’s Avatar – all openly cite the legendary five as major creative influences as well. Through their sheer visual ubiquity and magnetic can-do spirit, they laid foundations for the larger-than-life webcomic protagonists which dominate youth media across Asia now.

So in many ways, Goku, Naruto, Luffy and friends aren’t just anime protagonists, but bonafide multimedia titans and cross-cultural ambassadors representing global youth daring to dream big.

The Definitive Pillars of Anime

While attempting to name the “Five Kings of Anime” will always remain somewhat subjective, the towering cultural status of Goku, Luffy, Naruto, Ichigo and Natsu becomes undeniable looking at their endless records broken and legions of loyal fans spanning generations now.

Matched by no rivals in longevity, acclaim, sales records or sheer cultural saturation, they undeniably earned recognition as prime ambassadors of larger-than-life adventure – the premium anime hero package deal promising epic worlds to immerse in, overwhelmingly powerful villains to boogeyman children, tragic backstories to unpack, goosebump-inducing training montages to emulate on the track field, and most importantly – vibrant, big-hearted personalities inspiring courage to chase dreams against all odds.

They represent pillars – key foundational heroes new anime protagonists stand upon, wanting to grasp just a fraction of their otherworldly success. Through their kingly legacies they will continue adventuring indefinitely as quintessential anime comfort food and perfect gateways drugs encouraging millions more bright-eyed young fans to dive deeper into the wonderful world of anime and fandom.