Kara Dennison
April 22, 2022 
So the Shaman King anime reboot is coming to an end… but not really. As we now know, there’s a sequel — based on the manga sequel, about Yoh and Anna’s son. You know what that means… Yoh Asakura is now an Anime Dad.
He’s now in a special group with some of our other favorite anime heroes. With their stories over (or at least not central), the next generation steps up. Here are a few others who lived long enough to see their kids become the stars.
Jotaru Kujo
Shaman King and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure have a surprising amount in common. Supernatural powers, a family with a star symbol, a powerful supernatural madman who just won’t die… And, of course, that core family has a heck of a legacy. JoJo is all about one family line, but it’s the star of Stardust Crusaders, dubious hair-hat-man Jotaro Kujo, we’re thinking about. Probably because he was the first JoJo protag with a Stand, ringing in the show as we know it. But also because his daughter is currently all the rage.
In Stone Ocean, he tries to bridge the gap between himself and daughter Jolyne Cujoh. But because nothing can ever go right for a JoJo, all hell breaks loose. It was wild to see our first Stand user as a family man, even if only for a bit.
Naruto Uzumaki
Also from the world of shonen manga, like Shaman King, we have Hokage-aspirant Naruto Uzumaki. When you first meet this scrappy ninja-in-training, he leaves you with several impressions. None of those impressions is “Yep, that’s dad material right there.” And yet, when we switch from Naruto to Boruto, that’s exactly what we get. Not only is he Hokage, he’s a father of two.
He’s not the most present of parents, what with his dream job taking up a lot of his time. But he does try. And eventually tries a little more. And deep down, he really does care about his family. He’s also not the only protag-turned parent in his own series. Not by a long shot. Kind of like…
Half the cast of Dragon Ball
Ah yes. The Dad Anime, full of Anime Dads. Dragon Ball is all about family legacies, so of course we see them play out long-form. And not just Goku and Vegeta — though they are the dads we think of first. Following the generations of champions is an integral part of the series. And watching our favorite spiky-haired heroes go from overclocked kids to wholesome (usually) dads is a treat.
For what it’s worth, we are on the side of Goku being a good dad. He hasn’t always made the smartest decisions, but listen. He’s an alien, okay? For a non-human trying to be a human dad, he’s doing pretty okay.
Shaman King is in great company, and so its its hero. We can’t wait to see Hana lead the series into its next generation.
How could we forget Inuyasha… don’t worry, we didn’t! Read up on Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon.
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