Black Clover's Asta is one of the freshest shōnen protagonists to emerge since the end of the original Big Three. He's always putting his best foot forward and rarely has a frown on his face. He's easy to root for, works harder than anyone else in Black Clover, and is one of the strongest characters in the series. There are several other anime heroes that share these traits with him, making their series as easy-to-watch as Black Clover.

Asta's biggest characteristics are his unflinching dedication to his goals and his friends, his almost supernatural charm and enthusiasm, and, of course, his naive innocence. There are a range of anime heroes that share these traits with the Anti-Magic swordsman. Some characters share Asta's enthusiasm, but aren't as naive to the world around him. Others have just as charismatic, but may have a darker side to their personality than Asta.

10 Gon Freeccs - Hunter x Hunter

Gon is Also Insanely Strong and One-Track Minded

Created by
Yoshihiro Togashi
First Film
Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge
TV Show(s)
Hunter x Hunter
Latest Film
Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission
First TV Show
Hunter x Hunter
Latest TV Show
Hunter x Hunter

Gon is an adorable walking tank in Hunter x Hunter. He's only a young teen during the events of the story, adding to his naivety. He's as innocent as Asta and always wants the best for his friends and the people around him. He's like Asta in more ways than one. Both characters are ridiculously strong for their small frames, they're both focused on physical attacks in a world with plenty of ranged magic, and neither one of them is willing to lose a fight.

Gon has a darker side than Asta, one of their key differences. When Pitou couldn't bring Kite back to life, Gon lost it. He was willing to sacrifice his entire future to gain the power needed to fight the Royal Guard Ant. He beat Pitou viciously, and even used his own severed arm to finish her off. Asta probably wouldn't go that far.

9 Hinata Shoyo - Haikyuu!

Like Asta, Hinata Only Wants to Get Stronger

Haikyuu!!
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Ayumu Murase
    Shoyo Hinata
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Kaito Ishikawa
    Tobio Kageyama
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Yu Hayashi
    Ryunosuke Tanaka
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Satoshi Hino
    Daichi Sawamura

WHERE TO WATCH

BUY

Release Date
April 5, 2014
Seasons
4
Main Genre
Animation
Creator(s)
Haruichi Furudate

Hinata Shoyo's best battles in Haikyuu! aren't with swords like Asta, but with volleyball. Hinata is a warrior on the court, willing to do anything it takes to see his Karasuno win. Both Asta and Hinata have small frames, like Gon, but don't let their small stature get in the way. Hinata's small size is a big problem for him in the world of volleyball. People look down on him both literally and figuratively before they see him fly through the air during important matches.

Hinata is naive, just like Asta. They're both genuine, honest young men who wouldn't even see the point of lying in the first place. Instead of trying to manipulate a situation, they both approach it truthfully. Hinata's world doesn't have the same severity of Asta, but he's still willing to dig deep and get serious when his team needs him.

8 Goku - Dragon Ball

Goku Doesn't Care About Much Outside Battle

Dragon Ball Z
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Kazuyuki Sogabe
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Kozo Shioya
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Masako Nozawa
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Ryo Horikawa

Release Date
April 26, 1989
Directors
Daisuke Nishio, Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Osamu Kasai
Writers
Akira Toriyama, Neil Bligh, Hiroshi Toda, Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Aya Matsui, Keiji Terui, Reiko Yoshida, Toshiki Inoue
Franchise(s)
Dragon Ball
Seasons
9
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll
Main Genre
Action
Creator(s)
Akira Toriyama

Goku might be the most one-track-minded character in anime. He doesn't care about anything outside of fighting strong opponents. Sure, he enjoys time with his kids, his wife, and even a good meal, but in Goku's heart, he just wants to punch someone. While Asta cares about more than getting stronger, like Sister Lily, it's near the top of his priority list. Like Goku, Asta is always training. They're both finding out the weirdest ways to use the surrounding environments to get stellar workouts.

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Goku is another anime hero who would do anything for his friends. He's died for his friends on multiple occasions, proving his loyalty time and time again. Even though he's a grown man, he's almost as childlike as Asta. Goku doesn't really know what's going on around him and doesn't really need to. So long as he's the strongest, he's sure he'll just figure it out in the end.

7 Naruto Uzumaki - Naruto

Naruto and Asta Just Want To Protect Their Friends

Naruto: Shippuden
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Junko Takeuchi
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Kazuhiko Inoue
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Noriaki Sugiyama
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Chie Nakamura

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

Release Date
February 15, 2007
Network
Adult Swim
Directors
Hayato Date, Masaaki Kumagai, Yasuaki Kurotsu, Osamu Kobayashi, Chiaki Kon
Writers
Junki Takegami, Satoru Nishizono, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Yasuaki Kurotsu, Masanao Akahoshi
Franchise(s)
Naruto
Seasons
19
Streaming Service(s)
Hulu, Spectrum

If Goku cares about training more than any character in anime, Naruto cares about his friends the most. Even though he had a brutal childhood drenched in loneliness, Naruto would do anything for his friends. He even left the village for two whole years just to try and get strong enough to bring Sasuke back. Asta puts his friends at the top of his priority list as well. He always has his friends' backs, like when Langris tried to kill Finral.

Naruto and Asta both have great rivals in Sasuke and Yuno respectively. All four characters want to become the leader of their respective worlds, and are always pushing their opposite to become better in the same pursuit. Asta and Naruto are also two of the cheeriest characters around. No matter what's in front of them, the pair are capable of smiling through it.

6 Yoichi Isagi - Blue Lock

Yoichi Will Overcome the Odds

Blue Lock
TV-14
Animation
Sports
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Ricco Fajardo
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Drew Breedlove
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Alex Horn
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Mark Allen Jr.

Release Date
October 8, 2022
Directors
Tetsuaki Watanabe, Shunsuke Ishikawa
Writers
Taku Kishimoto
Seasons
1
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll

Isagi Yoichi, like Hinata from Haikyu!!, isn't playing with life or death on the line, but you can't tell by watching him. He's dedicated to getting better, and he's willing to do just about anything to get to the top. Where Isagi and Asta are the most similar is in their mutual ability to sur any and every obstacle in front of them. They both have their backs against the wall on more than one occasion but never let that stop them from achieving their goals.

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With Asta's squad mates and Isagi's teammates, they can do anything. Yami is always pushing Asta to be the best version of himself. Ego Jinpachi is doing the same for Isagi, albeit for a much different reason. These two characters, more than most, are the best at doing the impossible.

5 Itadori Yuji - Jujutsu Kaisen

Itadori Relies on His Physical Strength as Well

Jujutsu Kaisen
TV-14
Animation
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Action
Horror
Supernatural
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Megumi Ogata
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Junichi Suwabe
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Yuma Uchida
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Yoshiki Nakajima

Release Date
October 3, 2020
Directors
Ryohei Takeshita, Masataka Akai, Chie Nishizawa, Daisuke Tsukushi, Tomomi Kamiya, Kakushi Ifuku, Ken Takahashi
Writers
Hiroshi Seko
Franchise(s)
Jujutsu Kaisen
Seasons
2
Streaming Service(s)
Hulu
Main Genre
Animation

Itadori Yuji, like Asta, is a relatively magic-less person in a magical world. While Asta can't use any magic whatsoever, Yuji can, but his is nothing like anyone else's. Yuji's Jujutsu focuses on good, old-fashioned close-quarters combat. Yuji isn't the type to sit back and let his spells do the talking. Instead, he likes to get up close and personal and smash his enemies with his bare hands. Asta is pretty similar. He's unlike Yuno, relying on the Spirit of Wind Sylph to blow away his enemies.

Instead, Asta is going to fly right at his opponents and slash them with one of his incredibly powerful swords. Both characters have amazingly powerful bodies that hit like trucks and fly like bumblebees. They're the best allies to have on the battlefield and easily the worst enemies to face.

4 Izuku Midoriya - My Hero Academia

Deku Trains Harder Than Most

My Hero Academia
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Aoi Yuki
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Ayane Sakura
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Christopher R. Sabat
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Yûki Kaji

Release Date
April 3, 2016
Seasons
7
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll
Franchise
My Hero Academia
Production Company
Bones
Number of Episodes
159

Deku shares a lot with Asta. Both characters were born without magical abilities in a world that values magic above all else. They both acquired their powers as teenagers, experiencing the difficulties of being magic-less or quirk-less before becoming strong. Now that they are strong, they're willing to do whatever it takes to protect their friends and their loved ones.

Related
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Deku used to share Asta's innocence and glee, but the war has taken it from him. Both characters were known for their everlasting smiles, but Midoriya might have gone through too much to keep his. Even if he doesn't share Asta's joyful enthusiasm, he still shares his dedication in protecting his friends and fighting for what he thinks is right. With their newfound powers, they're both sure to reshape the worlds they are in.

3 Monkey D. Luffy - One Piece

Luffy Puts His Fellow Straw Hats Above All Else

One Piece
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Mayumi Tanaka
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Kazuya Nakai
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Akemi Okamura
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Kappei Yamaguchi

Release Date
October 20, 1999
Directors
Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Writers
Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda
Franchise(s)
One Piece
Seasons
21
Streaming Service(s)
Hulu, Pluto TV
Main Genre
Anime
Creator(s)
Eiichiro Oda

Luffy might not be the smartest captain the Straw Hats could have, but he's the most loyal. He wants the best for the people around him and works hard to make sure they have a fighting chance at their dreams. While Asta isn't in charge of his Black Bulls, he's still a great companion they can rely on. Outside their abilities as friends, both Luffy and Asta are great hand-to-hand fighters who leave the ranged stuff to their compatriots.

Luffy would go to the ends of the world for his friends and nearly has already.

Luffy loves simple attacks. With the Gum-Gum Fruit, he can wind his muscles up into a spring and punch his enemies with momentum. Asta can't contort his body into fun shapes, but he can use his sword and cut his opponents in two. While Asta's moveset might be closer to Zoro's, his personality is much closer to Luffy's. Luffy would go to the ends of the world for his friends and nearly has already.

2 Mash Burnedead - Mashle: Magic and Muscles

Mash in Another Magicless Character in a Magical World

Mashle: Magic and Muscles
TV-14
Animation
Comedy
Action & Adventure
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Chiaki Kobayashi
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Reiji Kawashima
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Kaito Ishikawa
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Takuya Eguchi

Release Date
April 8, 2023
Seasons
1
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll
Main Genre
Animation
Creator(s)

Mash is another character born without magic in a world where that's the most important thing. He's faced plenty of discrimination because he can't cast spells, but like Asta, Mash has developed a few skills to compensate for it. Mash is incredibly strong. He's so strong physically, that most people think he is casting a spell. His leg muscles were so strong that he was able to kick the air hard enough to fly. People underestimate Mash so much, they can barely believe his strength in person.

Like Asta, Mash would do anything for friends. He's also one of the few characters more naive than the swordsman of the Black Bulls, with most topics going over his head. Asta and Mash are probably the two strongest anime characters in any gym they'd find themselves in.

1 Tanjiro Kamado - Demon Slayer

Tanjiro is Kind, Honest, and Powerful

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Natsuki Hanae
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Akari Kito
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Hiro Shimono
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

Release Date
April 3, 2019
Seasons
5
Main Genre
Animation

Tanjiro Kamado is kind, caring, and an absolute force to be reckoned with. He's the character who has the most in common with Asta for a number of reasons. They're both unnaturally strong, dedicated to their friends above all else, and more than familiar with doing the impossible. Like Asta, Tanjiro stands equal with people who should be much stronger than him. He's proven his worth countless times to the Demon Slayer Corps, with numerous Demon kills under his belt.

Asta and Tanjiro are two excellent swordsmen. Tanjiro's Hinokami Kagura can break through just about any defense, while Asta's Demon-Slaying Sword can do the same. Outside of battle, Asta and Tanjiro are two kind-hearted young men who just want peaceful lives and the best for the people around them. It's easy to cheer them on, and every time Asta and Tanjiro win, it feels like a win for the series as a whole.

Black Clover (2017)

Your Rating

Black Clover
Release Date
2017 - 2021
Directors
Tatsuya Yoshihara, Ayataka Tanemura
Writers
Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, Kanichi Katou
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Dallas Reid
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Jill Harris

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

Asta and Yuno, orphans with a shared dream of becoming the Wizard King, follow distinct paths: Yuno with natural magic abilities, and Asta through determination despite his lack of powers.

Franchise(s)
Black Clover
Seasons
1
Streaming Service(s)
Netflix
Main Genre
Action
Creator(s)
Yūki Tabata