Shōnen anime is home to some of the greatest shows in the history of the art form. Covering a wide variety of series, iconic characters like Goku and Luffy have inspired and influenced generations of fans and creators, defining what a shōnen protagonist should be. However, just because a series is massively popular or successful doesn't mean that it's flawless. If shōnen anime has ever struggled with one thing throughout its long history, it's with ending its stories.

Anime endings will forever be a point of contention within the wider anime-watching community. Countless series have generated immense popularity, only to hobble their way to the finish line while a deeply disappointed audience watches on. The number of bad endings far outweigh the good, and for that, the best of the best should be celebrated for their accomplishments. A number of different shōnen anime have wrapped themselves up nicely, yet only a select few stand above the rest.

10 Attack on Titan

Animated by Wit Studio and MAPPA (2013-2023)

Attack on Titan is one of the most popular anime series of the last decade, dominating online spaces while delivering one of the more thought-provoking shōnen stories ever. The rise and fall of Eren Yeager captivated audiences for the better part of a decade, and continues to do so even after his story has finished. Attack on Titan's ending is an intriguing one simply for the fact that manga readers mostly hated it, while the anime fanbase thoroughly enjoyed it.

Completing Eren's character arc in just about the only way it could, Attack on Titan's ending is a bittersweet final sendoff, leaving the audience with Mikasa one last time as she sits beside the grave of her tragic first love. Attack on Titan: The Last Attack will be retelling the ending one final time in American theaters in February 2025.

9 A Silent Voice

Animated by Kyoto Animation (2016)

When fans think of shōnen anime, they typically imagine a series featuring intense battles, powerful fighters, and some sort of adventure with an established end goal. While those sorts of stories do make up the bulk of popular shōnen, they aren't the only ones occupying the space. A Silent Voice falls under the category because its original source material was published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine, and it just so happens that the film has one of the better endings in shōnen history.

The journey of self-forgiveness that lies at the heart of A Silent Voice is one of anime's most emotional, and it helps that the excellent work by Kyoto Animation lifts the story in every sense. Concluding at the very end of that journey, the anime's final scene sees Shoya remove the metaphorical 'x' from the faces of everyone around him, showcasing his growth as a character while the soaring score by Kensuke Ushio tugs at the viewer's heartstrings.

8 Your Lie in April

Animated by A-1 Pictures (2014-2015)

Your Lie in April, like A Silent Voice, is not one of the typical battle shōnen anime that fans might think of when referring to the category. Nevertheless, the series is a shōnen anime, and one of the more heartbreaking to have ever been aired. The romantic drama series about finding lost ion and healing from trauma has scarred many unsuspecting viewers in the years since its release, and will likely continue to do so far into the future.

Your Lie in April's ending is somewhat bleak, but wonderfully executed, dumping last-second reveals on the audience before they watch main character Kosei walk off into his future. His growth as a character is evident in how he handles the trauma of losing yet another important person from his life. Despite how terribly sad of an ordeal the series is, it manages to close on a hopeful and heartfelt note.

7 Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Animated by Sunrise (2006-2007)

Code Geass ruled the anime sphere in the late 2000s and for good reason. The series follows Lelouch vi Britannia, later Lelouch Lamperouge, an exiled prince who becomes caught up in a terror attack in order to liberate Japan from Britannian rule. Whether Code Geass is truly deserving of the shōnen tag is up for debate, as the series features prominent themes of war, revenge, imperialism, and more, wrapped up in a dark but phenomenally gripping experience.

What isn't up for debate, however, is the quality of its ending. One of the more celebrated and unforgettable conclusions in anime history, while also being somewhat ambiguous and misunderstood, Code Geass concludes with the series' main character ultimately achieving his goal of bringing about peace, all the while showcasing his growth as a character.

6 Dragon Ball GT

Animated by Toei (1996-1997)

Just as a series can be good and stumble its way toward a bad ending, so too can an anime be bad and somehow strike gold in its conclusion. Dragon Ball GT, the non-canon follow-up to the legendary Dragon Ball Z, is a mess. Unfocused, with odd pacing and stretches of not much going on, the series suffers from both extremely high highs and bafflingly low lows. Nevertheless, by the time the anime reaches its ending, it somehow pulls off one of the most fitting endings imaginable for Goku's story.

Following the defeat of Omega Shenron, Goku lies unconscious before being revived by Shenron. The series' iconic protagonist then hops onto Shenron and rides off into the sunset, bidding farewell to the Earth he spent his entire life protecting. Vegeta's comment to Pan instructing her to hold onto her grandfather's clothes dearly is a stingingly bittersweet note for the series to end on. Fast-forwarding 100 years into the future, an elderly Pan catches sight of Goku one final time, showcasing the impact he's had on the world.

5 Naruto Shippuden

Animated by Studio Pierrot (2007-2017)

Naruto Shippuden is the direct sequel series to the Naruto TV anime which ran from 2002 to 2007, following the titular protagonist as he journeys through darker story elements in his ultimate goal to become the Hokage. While the ending to Masashi Kishimoto's original manga is typically beloved by fans, Naruto Shippuden decided to go above and beyond its source material, adding its own constructive filler sections to the anime's conclusion.

Tacking on an extra 20 episodes to the series following the events of the manga's conclusion, Naruto Shippuden closes with separate characters reflecting on the ways that Naruto influenced them, all while searching for gifts for his wedding. It's a touching finale to one of the most influential series ever, and forces the audience to reflect themselves on the many ways Naruto has influenced them.

4 Assassination Classroom

Animated by Lerche (2015-2016)

Assassination Classroom made a name for itself with its incredibly unique premise and compelling characters. Gathering a group of students to learn the ways of assassination, they instead receive life lessons and nurturing from the very teacher they're meant to kill, Koro-sensei. Over the course of the series, the class grows extremely attached to their teacher, as both he and the students learn more about one another.

With Koro-sensei's inevitable death hanging over the anime's final sections, the scene in which the final assassination takes place makes for one of the more emotional and heartwarming endings to a series in recent years. The two parties trade their farewells before the anime gives the audience a glimpse into the students' futures, and how they were affected by their teacher.

3 Dragon Ball Z

Animated by Toei (1989-1996)

Dragon Ball Z is one of the most influential anime series of all time. Adapting Akira Toriyama's original manga from the Saiyan Saga to its finale with the Majin Buu Saga, Goku's adventures with family and friends have captivated anime fans across generations. Following the defeat of Buu, the series skips forward 10 years to the nostalgic World Martial Arts tournament one final time.

Goku, matched up against a mysterious boy named Uub, senses the potential of the young fighter and decides to begin a new adventure once more, training the boy to eventually take his place as the defender of Earth. Dragon Ball Z's ending is a fitting conclusion to one of the most celebrated franchises ever, and leaves the audience to wave goodbye as Goku departs once more on a new journey.

2 Mob Psycho 100

Animated by Bones Studio (2016-2022)

Mob Psycho 100, based on the original manga by One, is a supernatural action series with a healthy dose of comedy. With downright beautiful visuals from Bones Studio, the anime has built quite a reputation for itself, appearing on Screen Rant's own 50 Best Anime of All-Time list. Revered for its exciting action and surprisingly endearing protagonist, the series touches on themes of isolation, self-acceptance, and the thin line between right and wrong.

The series' finale brings the story to a fitting close, touching upon its most important themes, and seeing Mob finally accept all the parts of himself that make him who he is. The shared moment between Mob and Reigen just before the anime's leaving off point is simply unforgettable.

1 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Animated by Bones Studio (2009-2010)

The original Fullmetal Alchemist anime, while good in its own right, isn't quite the story that was being told in the original manga by Hiromu Arakawa. Having aired at a faster rate than the manga could be written, the anime was forced to write its own path forward after catching up to the events of its source material. In order to right the wrongs of the past, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was released in order to accurately depict the manga's conclusion.

One of the most beloved anime series of all-time, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is known above all else for the quality of its ending. After all that Edward and Alphonse Elric had been through both during the events of the series and before, the brothers deserved to achieve their ultimate goal and did so. Ending on a heartwarming and uplifting note, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood can confidently boast about having the greatest ending in anime history.