Shonen anime movies are always a hit or a miss- usually either in action or story, rarely in both. If you have finished all your long-running shonen animes and are looking for more anime from the same world, you’ve come to the right place.
Best Shonen Anime Movies of All Time
Here, we have painstakingly researched and listed 5 best Shonen anime movies of all time from all of your favorite battle shonen animes. We’ve made sure to not repeat any anime franchise as One Piece, being the most long-running here, has several great movies in its roster.
Demon Slayer Movie: Infinity Train
This was Demon Slayer’s first movie and it was canon! We didn’t think we’d get Kyojuro Rengoku in the second season of the anime so everyone thought this was it. Not only did he have a first-class Hashira showing, but he also went out like the absolute legend that he is. We got to see Rengoku’s abilities, backstory, and the reason for his conviction. Our trio of protagonists were also pushed to their absolute limits and let’s not even talk about Ufotable’s animation feats here.
Jujutsu Kaisen 0
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is MAPPA’s entry into the top shonen anime movies list. Clean and raw animation aside, this movie, also being canon, excels at establishing a major character in the Jujutsu Kaisen verse- Yuta Okkotsu. Yuta is the protagonist of this film and we get to see some key events before the timeline of the official series. The movie also expands the world of JJK and how its Cursed Energy magic system works.
One Piece Film 6: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island
It was difficult to let go of One Piece Film: Red for the best theatrical experience or One Piece Film: Stampede for having the best action. It was painful to let go of One Piece Film: Z for having the best story of all the recent One Piece films. We had to give this one to One Piece Film 6: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island for encapsulating the spirit of One Piece. Despite not having any canon elements, the movie excels at showing how the tone of the series can go from funny, goofy, and wholesome to absolutely grim, dark, and horrifying. To this date, this film remains critically acclaimed as being the best One Piece film.
Dragon Ball Super: Broly
Dragon Ball Super: Broly was a movie that broke the internet when it came out. To this day this remains not just one of the best shonen anime movies but also one of the best action anime movies in the history of anime movies. We’d gotten Goku vs Broly before but that was ages ago in the 2000s era. Everyone wanted a fresh take on the matchup and Toei delivered.
The Last: Naruto The Movie
This canon movie gave a fitting conclusion to the events of Naruto Shippuden and is highly contextual for the sequel series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. We finally get to focus on some much-neglected romance plotlines of Naruto Shippuden and have new pairings here and there set up for the sequel series. As action sequences in Naruto go, the action and fights here were also great and well-choreographed. The movie excels on three fronts- action, story, and characters. Thus it deserves this spot in the best Shonen anime movies list.
- Also Read: Top 5 Best Anime to Watch on Netflix in 2024
All of the above shonen anime movies excel at both action and story and since most of them are canon to the primary anime, they also maintain a level of continuation and connection from the original series which makes the watch worthwhile and easier to get into.
