Shonen It’s been one of the most popular genres of anime, and for good reason. People love to see a character work hard and go from undesirable to undeniable, and that’s often the focus of shōnen anime. No shōnen protagonist gets very far without a good mentor.

Mentors in shōnen anime help the leaders reach the next level and often provide much-needed parental guidance that would otherwise be lacking at home. For this reason, many mentors are often older characters. Some series take this to another level by making the mentor character much older than everyone else in the series. The older they are, the more they have to teach their charges.

10 Genkai taught Yusuke to put in 100% effort in whatever he did.

Genkai appears over 70 years old and appears in Yu Yu Hakusho

Genkai makes his introduction shortly after Yusuke finishes his first case. Koenma asks him to train with Genkai to become a better Spirit Detective, once she reveals that she is willing to train a student. However, Genkai only agrees to teach Yusuke after he wins a tournament involving dozens of other candidates, including the monstrous Rando. Training with Genkai, Yusuke is able to learn her Spirit Wave techniques and becomes capable of using his Spirit Gun more than once a day.

Unlike many mentors, Genkai was distant more powerful than Yusuke at first, which is why she was able to participate in the Dark Tournament alongside him and serve as the group's secret weapon. She even had one of the best fights in the Dark Tournament. This is also why Yusuke trained with Genkai several times in the first half of Yu Yu Hakusho, becoming a better and sharper fighter each time. She also taught him the importance of caring, with her rigorous training teaching him to put in 100% in everything he did.

9 Gran Torino was an even better mentor than anyone could have

Gran Torino is over 70 years old and appears in My Hero Academia

Gran Torino served as a mentor not only to My Hero Academialeader of Izuku Midoriya, but also for Midoriya to have mentor, All Might. He made his full appearance shortly after Deku and his friends finished the Sports Festival, offering Izuku a chance at an internship. Although he initially pretended to be senile, this quickly turned out to be a ruse before he revealed his true self.

As much as Deku learned from All Might, it was nothing compared to his experience with Gran Torino. Although Deku spent months trying to learn how to use his powers without hurting himself, it was Torino who finally showed him a better method. Deku learned a lot from Torino, including Full Cowl, which allowed him to harness a much smaller percentage of One For All for brief periods of time.

8 Silvers Rayleigh is a master of Haki

Silvers Rayleigh is 78 years old and appears in One Piece

The former first mate of Gol D. Roger himself, Rayleigh is a legend from a bygone era. Spending years working with the Roger Pirates, Rayleigh eventually retired and became a simple coating mechanic. Once incredibly powerful, Rayleigh's advanced age caught up with him, making it difficult for him to keep up with powerful people still in their prime.

That being said, Rayleigh is still a powerful master of all three types of Haki. During the time-skip, Rayleigh helped Luffy learn about the different types of Haki, teaching him the basics. Of course, while Luffy has managed to figure out the basics, he still doesn't come close to Rayleigh's advanced techniques.

7 Hayato Furinji is a master of masters (the greatest disciple in history, Kenichi)

Hayato Furinji is over 90 years old and appears in the greatest disciple in history, Kenichi

Kenichi The Ryozanpaku dojo is already full of superheroes pretending to be martial artists, but Hayato Furinji takes it to another level. At the top of his game, Hayato is described even within the dojo as the “Invincible Superman.” In all his time fighting and training, he has supposedly never been defeated, which makes him quite confident in his abilities. Although Kenichi didn’t train with him much at first, Hayato took him under his wing to help him figure out how to defeat his rival, Ryuto.

Hayato's age is largely unknown, although guidebooks describe him as a man in his 90s. However, Hayato has stated that he has been fighting since the Sengoku period, which is the mid-15th century. It would be impossible for most, but Hayato's feats in KenichiThe anime and manga have shown that nothing is impossible for him. He even single-handedly defeated an entire American base full of soldiers.

6 Kisuke Urahara revolutionized several training methods

Kisuke Urahara is over 110 years old and appears in Bleach

Like most Shinigami, Urahara is immortal and there is no clear information about his exact age. He was an adult and a member of Soul Society over 110 years ago. The former captain of Squad 12, Kisuke Urahara, was forced to go to the human world after being stripped of his powers by Central 46. In the human world, he was able to focus more on his inventions, which ended up being an immense help to Ichigo Kurosaki.

Urahara's different training methods allowed Ichigo to advance decades in terms of training. Thanks to his training, Ichigo was able to jump from a basic understanding of his powers to being close to lieutenant class in powers. Urahara was also responsible for many of the training devices Ichigo would use to learn Bankai, though he was not present during the process.

5 Master Roshi taught Goku his most iconic technique

Master Roshi turns 350 and appears in Dragon Ball

Goku's second teacher after Gohan, Master Roshi is responsible for teaching Goku many of his advanced martial arts. It is under Roshi's guidance that Goku learns the Kamehameha wave, which is also his most iconic wave. and most frequently used special attack. A technique that Roshi took decades to master, Goku admitted after watching Roshi once. Still, it was Roshi's training that helped Goku become the runner-up in the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament.

Master Roshi's advanced age comes from having consumed the Paradise Herb. This herb can increase a person's lifespan several times over and also appears to allow them to maintain their current vitality. Although Roshi looking old, he can access a specific “Max Power” mode that increases his muscles and makes him stronger than people think, even in the Tournament of Power.

4 Kagero gained immortality by saving his son

Kagero is 420 years old and appears in Flame of Recca

Also known as Kagehoushi, Kagero was originally the wife of Oka, the head of the Hokage Clan in Flame of Recca. When the Hokage clan was attacked by Oda Nobunaga, the entire clan was nearly destroyed. Fortunately, Kagero was able to save her son Recca by using a cursed time technique to send him to the future. Using the technique, however, left Kagero forever stuck at the same age, so she waited 400 years to see her son again.

Initially, Kagero served as Recca's antagonist, manipulating him and his allies when necessary. Once her true identity is exposed, she becomes a guide for Recca to help him learn how to master the flame powers within him. She also serves as a guide for him and his friends during the Ura Batou Satsujin tournament, teaching them about the various magical ninja tools.

3 Elias Ainsworth wields his power and talents to solve a mystery

Elias is centuries old and appears in The Ancient Magus' Bride

A half-human/half-Fae hybrid, Elias Ainsworth has been alive for centuries. In that time, he has come to wield incredible power as a wizard and the experience to use it wisely. His specialty is shadow magic, but he has also demonstrated a talent for shapeshifting, and his centuries of knowledge have made him a skilled herbologist..

Elias uses these talents to help train his pupil, Chise Hatori. After purchasing Chise at an auction, his goal is to teach her magic, but he also has a secondary goal. Chise is a unique being known as a Sleigh Beggy, which means she is constantly absorbing magic… but her body can’t handle the strain. One of Elias’ goals is to find a way to help Chise with this so that she doesn’t burn out at a young age.

2 Frieren acts as a reluctant mentor

Frieren is over 1000 years old and appears in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

An immortal elf who once saved the world, Frieren travels the world in search of more knowledge and to hone her magical skills. After training with a powerful wizard, Frieren became legendary in her own right. She possesses impressive levels of mana, can dispel spells cast in her presence, and is a master at analyzing other spells. Wandering the planet has allowed her to learn a wide variety of spells, from the powerful to the esoteric.

Although she initially planned to travel the world alone, she was tricked into taking on a young apprentice in Fern. Although Fern had decent magical talent at first, training with Frieren turned her into a powerful mage after only a few years. Although Fern is capable, she continues to travel with Frieren and learn more by her side.

1 Whis has trained some of the most powerful beings in the universe

Whis is millions of years old and appears in Dragon Ball Super

While Beerus may be the God of Destruction, even his power cannot compare to that of his Attendant Angel, Whis. That said, why is he unable to directly participate in mortal affairs? and has to work with Whis, his powers are rarely seen. Still, he was able to easily dodge Broly's blows, and is one of the strongest characters in the dragon ball manga and anime.

Although Goku originally attempted to train with Beerus, he and Vegeta actually trained with Whis. Whis's power allows him to train Goku and Vegeta at the same time, easily dodging or parrying their blows no matter how strong they become. He is also able to analyze their weaknesses and where they can improve, helping them become stronger warriors. Training with Whis, Goku began to develop mastery of Ultra Instinct, one of the techniques of the gods.