Shōnen has been one of the most popular anime genres, 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 leaders reach the next level and often provide necessary parental guidance that might otherwise be lacking at home. For this reason, many mentors are often older characters. Some series take this to another level, making the mentor character much older than everyone else in the series. The older they are, the more they have to teach their protégés.

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 her introduction shortly after Yusuke finishes his first case. Koenma asks him to train with Genkai to become a better Spirit Detective, once she reveals she's 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 She was more powerful than Yusuke at the beginning, 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 the series. Yu Yu Hakusho, He was 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% effort 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 an internship opportunity. Although he initially feigned senility, this quickly became a ruse before he revealed his true self.

Although Deku learned a great deal from All Might, it was nothing compared to his experience with Gran Torino. While 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

Rayleigh, Gol D. Roger's former first mate, is a legend from a bygone era. Having spent 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 figures 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, although Luffy managed to learn 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 history's greatest disciple, 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, Hayato is even described 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 much with him at first, Hayato took him under his wing to help him figure out how to defeat his rival, Ryuto.

Hayato's age is virtually unknown, although guidebooks describe him as a man in his 90s. However, Hayato claimed to have been fighting since the Sengoku period, that is, the mid-15th century. This would be impossible for most, but Hayato's feats in KenichiAnime 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 the Soul Society for over 110 years. 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 a huge help to Ichigo Kurosaki.

Urahara's diverse 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-level in power levels. Urahara was also responsible for many of the training devices that Ichigo would use to learn Bankai, although he wasn't 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 tutelage that Goku learns the Kamehameha wave, which is also his most iconic wave. and A special attack used most frequently. 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 stems from consuming the Herb of Paradise. This herb can increase a person's life expectancy several times over and also seems to allow them to maintain their current vitality. Despite 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 ReccaWhen 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-travel technique to send him to the future. Using the technique, however, left Kagero forever trapped 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, helping 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 acquired incredible power as a mage 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 buying Chise at an auction, his goal is to teach her magic, but he also has a secondary objective. Chise is a unique being known as Sleigh Beggy, meaning she is constantly absorbing magic… but her body can't handle the strain. One of Elias's goals is to find a way to help Chise with this, so 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 globe seeking to acquire more knowledge and hone her magical skills. After training with a powerful mage, Frieren became legendary in her own right. She possesses impressive mana levels, 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 powerful to esoteric.

Although she initially planned to travel the world alone, she was tricked into hiring a young apprentice in Fern. While Fern possessed decent magical talent at first, training with Frieren transformed her into a powerful mage after only a few years. Despite her capabilities, Fern continues to travel with Frieren and learn more alongside her.

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

Although Beerus may be the God of Destruction, even his power doesn't compare to that of his Attendant Angel, Whis. That being said, this is because Whis is unable to directly participate in mortal affairs. and He has to work with Whis, so his powers are rarely seen. Even so, he was able to easily dodge Broly's attacks, and he is one of the strongest characters in the series. Dragon Ball manga and anime.

Although Goku originally tried to train with Beerus, he and Vegeta actually trained with Whis. Whis's power allows him to train Goku and Vegeta simultaneously, easily dodging or parrying their attacks no matter how much stronger they become. He is also able to analyze their weaknesses and areas for improvement, helping them become stronger warriors. Training with Whis, Goku began to develop mastery of Ultra Instinct, one of the techniques of the gods.