From old country bumpkins to grinning firefighters, the spring anime season is welcoming powerful heroes old and new. But, as it happens, some of the strongest protagonists of the season are very young. While some are just on the youthful side, others are literal babies.
Join us as we get to know the coming’s season pint-sized powerhouses. Where does their power come from? How do they wield it? And who’s the biggest boss of the season? Let’s find out!
Yaiba Kurogane
Gosho Aoyama’s Yaiba: Samurai Legend is back for the spring anime season! The Detective Conan creator’s 1988 hit is getting a fresh adaptation, introducing a whole new generation to his antics. And while this kid may appear to be little more than a feral fighter out of his depth, he’s much tougher than he seems at first.
What starts as a desire to fight at every opportunity turns into heroics at a legendary level. Because Yaiba is more than he seems: he’s heir to the Thunder God’s sword. And unlike his rival Onimaru, he might just have what it takes to wrangle deity-level abilities.
Yaiba: Samurai Legend premieres on April 5.
Kurt
Not every hero of the spring anime season is a fighting machine. Some do their powerful work off the battlefield. Take Kurt, the protagonist of The Unaware Atelier Master. This friendly handyman is clever enough to do miracle-level work, but so absentminded that he doesn’t realize how good he is. This leads less scrupulous types to take advantage of him, until his new allies come up with a clever plan.
Now believing he’s working for an unseen atelier master, Kurt turns into top-tier work. He’s breaking curses and building defenses, all without knowing he’s the atelier master! While that absentmindedness might work against him as compared to his fellow anime heroes, his work speaks for itself.
The Unaware Atelier Master premieres April 6.
Arthur Leywin
Quite possibly the spring anime season’s strongest hero is a straight-up toddler. Meet Arthur Leywin, the protagonist of The Beginning After the End. This youngster was once a powerful soldier-king named Grey. But, like many other anime heroes nowadays, he finds himself reincarnated into a world of magic. As Arthur, he’s the magically-gifted son of an adventurer and a healer.
Readers of the original web novel and comic will know that Arthur goes on to do absolutely unhinged things—which we will not spoil for you. But even in the story’s first season, little baby Arthur is pushing the limits of this world’s magic. And considering he’s both more aware than Kurt and more in control of his abilities than Yaiba, the former king may just be this season’s most powerful youngster.
The Beginning After the End premieres April 2.