The Shonen Formula Part 7: You Are Special

Being a shonen protagonist is tough. They have to face countless enemies with supernatural abilities capable of decimating entire cities. Surely they can't compete without being "special". Yeah, we all get the standard "you are special in your own way" bull shit from our parents, but that's not the kind of "special" I'm talking about.

Even when looking past the human abilities of the protagonist, they still have something that gives them an edge in battle and sets them apart from the rest of humanity. If Goku wasn't a Sayian, he would never be able to fight on such a ridiculous level. Ichigo and Yusuke would not have so much spirit power without the help of their family ties. Naruto is an idiot but he can still fight on the level of S-class Ninjas due to his heritage and the fact he has a friggin demon inside his body. Even the seemingly normal boss of the Vongola family, Tsuna, is blessed with some random BS known as "hyper intuition".

Theoretically, this shouldn't be a problem. I mean, we're talking about super hero fantasy stuff here. However, this sometimes contradicts the themes of the series. Naruto can convince himself all he wants that the result of his power comes from hard work, but the fact of the matter is that he has the stamina to do a few years worth of training in a couple of hours thanks to a supernatural entity living in his body. Adding insult to injury, he has the blood of one of the best ninjas in the world, only adding to how misguided his resolve is. Edward Elric can spout nonsense about equivalent exchange being the rule of the world, but the fact is that he was born with the talent and intellect to succeed in alchemy far beyond the boundaries of a normal human.

Ignoring the themes, there is something that almost all shonen protagonists share when talking about their strength; they get it from their family. Goku, Naruto, Ichigo, Gon, Luffy, Tsuna, Yusuke, Jojo(s), Negi, Maka, Yoh. There is not a character in that list that isn't related in some way or another to a person of immense strength.

It may be cliche, but do you really want "Joe Blow" taking on hundreds of super villains without the means to defend himself? Okay, maybe that would be amusing for a little bit, but that's not how shonen works. Those special people are those that protect the world while entertaining us in the process. Normal is boring; that's just how it is.