From Luffy to Naruto: 7 Wildest Original Shonen MC Designs That Were Changed, Ranked

In the shonen universe, some protagonists are so iconic that it is hard to imagine them looking any other way. Their hair, clothes, and small details become part of what makes them instantly recognizable.

But many famous shonen heroes did not start out that way. With that said, here in this article, we are ranking seven such designs from the least drastic change to the wildest, and how much their creators changed them before creating the heroes fans know today.

7 Asta Had a Different Look in His Early Concept

Asta’s final design feels almost inseparable from Black Clover. However, early concept art from the 2014 Jump NEXT!! one-shot shows that Yuki Tabata experimented with his appearance before settling on the version seen in the manga and anime.

However, the basic idea of a boy with no magic trying to become the Wizard King remained at the heart of the story. Because of this, Asta represents the mildest redesign, which is also why he ranks seventh on this list.

6 Naruto Once Wore Goggles Instead of His Headband

Naruto’s forehead protector is one of the first things fans notice about him. However, the young ninja originally had a very different accessory. Before he received his famous headband, Naruto was drawn wearing goggles in the very first chapter of the manga.

The official Naruto site recently highlighted this early design in an interview with figure sculptor Shuzo Araki. The change works because the forehead protector eventually became much more fitting for Naruto’s identity as a ninja. The goggles make him look younger and more playful, while the headband connects him to the Hidden Leaf Village. It is still a smaller change, which is why Naruto stays at No. 6.

5 Deku Started Out as a Quirkless Gadget Hero

It is difficult to imagine My Hero Academia without Deku’s green hair, freckles, and nervous expressions. Yet his earliest concept was built around a very different kind of hero. According to the official bonus page from Volume 1 of the My Hero Academia manga, before becoming Izuku Midoriya, the character was developed as Mikumo Akatani.

The biggest difference was not just his appearance. This early version was supposed to remain Quirkless and use gadgets to fight instead. That makes Deku’s redesign much bigger. His entire way of becoming a hero was different. The final version kept the idea of an underdog, but gave that underdog a much bigger physical journey.

4 Luffy Looked Very Different in His First Prototype

Monkey D. Luffy may now have one of the easiest designs to recognize in anime. The straw hat, red vest, shorts, sandals, and carefree smile have become closely tied to One Piece. But the character grew out of Oda’s earlier Romance Dawn stories, where the pirate world and Luffy himself were still being shaped (via the official website).

The early version shows that Luffy’s adventurous spirit was already there even while his world and design were still changing (via the official website). That is why Luffy ranks above Deku. His appearance changed as the series developed, but the character’s heart was already surprisingly close to the final version.

3 Tanjiro Looked Much Darker in His Early Design

Tanjiro is usually associated with a kind face, his checkered haori, forehead scar, and Hanafuda earrings. His design makes him look like someone who can be gentle even while fighting demons. The earliest idea behind him, however, was much darker.

Manga Plus published an interview with Demon Slayer editor Tatsuhiko Katayama, who explained that Gotouge’s early prototype had a more serious tone. Katayama felt that the protagonist needed to become more approachable, which helped push the character toward the Tanjiro fans eventually met.

He also revealed that Tanjiro originally did not have his forehead scar or Hanafuda earrings and that he asked Gotouge to give the character something that would make him stand out (via Manga Plus). This makes Tanjiro’s change more important than Luffy’s, and the combination of visual and personality changes puts him firmly in the top three.

2 Ichigo Originally Wore Glasses and Had Black Hair

Orange hair is one of Ichigo Kurosaki’s most obvious features in Bleach, so it is strange to think that he was originally drawn with black hair. Kubo also gave his early version glasses, creating a much softer and more studious impression (via Tite Kubo × LAM interview).

He eventually changed the design, removing the glasses and giving Ichigo his famous orange hair. Unlike Tanjiro, whose darker prototype mainly changed the tone of the character, Ichigo’s visual identity itself was heavily rebuilt. That is enough to put him at No. 2.

1 Goku Was Once Designed as a Full-Fledged Monkey

Few shonen protagonists have gone through a stranger early design than Goku. Akira Toriyama later explained that Goku was originally imagined as a more direct version of Sun Wukong from Journey to the West. He eventually felt that a full monkey did not give him enough room to develop the character visually, so he changed Goku into a human boy while keeping the monkey tail (via a Toriyama interview).

That small decision had a huge effect on Dragon Ball. Ichigo lost his glasses and changed his hair, while Naruto replaced his goggles, but Goku went from an actual monkey to the hero who would become one of the most recognizable characters in anime.

Now the big question: Which of these original shonen protagonist designs surprised you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.