10 Shonen Jump Anime and Their Best Story Arcs

Back in 1968, Weekly Shonen Jump hit the shelves in Japan and revolutionized manga forever. In the 1990s, it became Japan’s undisputed manga powerhouse with circulation numbers hitting 6.5 million at its peak. Aimed at teenage boys, it birthed iconic franchises with heroes we all love to follow, like Goku’s constant evolution in Dragon Ball, Ichigo facing his inner demons in Bleach, and Deku learning what it means to be a real hero in My Hero Academia. 

But even among these series, certain story arcs stand head and shoulders above the rest. The strongest arcs deliver perfect payoffs after careful setup, like Dragon Ball Z‘s Saiyan Saga arc which revealed Goku’s alien heritage and introduced Vegeta, changing the series from fantasy adventure to space drama, or Hunter x Hunter‘s Chimera Ant arc, which fundamentally changed their universes by deconstructing its own power system. So let’s dive into 10 Shonen Jump anime and their best story arcs that turned casual viewers into die-hard fans.

Naruto – Pain’s Assault Arc

The Pain Arc is Naruto at its absolute peak. It starts with the villain Pain attacking the Hidden Leaf Village in search of the Nine-Tails power and the villagers refusing to reveal Naruto’s location. Meanwhile, Naruto trains at Mount Myoboku to master Sage Mode. When he returns, he finds his village in ruins and fights Pain, but is overpowered and immobilized, prompting Hinata of all people to jump in to save him. Her defeat causes Naruto to go full beast mode and transform into the terrifying Eight-Tails form.

Naruto eventually regains control and confronts Pain directly, where they debate their conflicting views on achieving their mentor Jiraiya’s vision of peace. Pain believes that only through suffering can peace exist, whereas Naruto maintains that only empathy and understanding can break the cycle of hatred. Moved by Naruto’s resolve, Pain sacrifices himself with Rinne Rebirth to resurrect everyone he killed during his attack, marking Naruto’s transformation from an ostracized boy to the village’s hero.

Hunter x Hunter – Chimera Ant Arc

The Chimera Ant Arc begins with a new species of Chimera Ants consuming humans and absorbing not just their traits but also mastering Nen, leading to the birth of immensely powerful hybrid offspring like their King and his Royal Guards, who are far stronger than regular Hunters. Gon and Killua join a Hunter squad tasked with eliminating this threat, but the situation worsens as the ants take over East Gorteau, treating its citizens like cattle. After discovering his mentor Kite was killed by Royal Guard Neferpitou, Gon makes a sacrifice, trading his future for temporary power to defeat Neferpitou, leaving him at death’s door. 

Meanwhile, the invasion of King Meruem’s palace unfolds, with Chairman Netero facing the King in a battle where Meruem survives the Chairman’s ultimate attack, only to be poisoned by the bomb implanted in Netero’s body. Meruem, who once viewed humans as mere food, spends his final moments playing board games with Komugi, the blind girl who awakened his humanity, and dies peacefully beside her. What sets this shonen arc apart is its thematic storytelling, with Meruem’s evolution being not just compelling but philosophically rich, while also delivering on Gon’s development by completely breaking him down after introducing him as a cheerful optimist kid.

Demon Slayer – Mugen Train Arc

The Mugen Train Arc begins with Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke getting on a mysterious train to help Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, investigate a series of disappearances connected to the vehicle. Soon after boarding, they fall into a deep sleep caused by the demon Enmu, who traps passengers in happy dreams before devouring them. In Tanjiro’s dream, he is reunited with his family who were all killed by Muzan (except his younger sister Nezoku). It’s the one thing he wants most but knows he cannot have and he quickly realizes something is wrong and tries to escape. But to break free from Enmu’s spell, he has to take his own life in the dream, over and over again.

Worse, once the slayers manage to defeat Enmu, they’re attacked by an even stronger demon, Akaza. Rengoku gives his all in an incredible fight, but gets badly wounded, the others only surviving due to Akaza fleeing from the sun. The end result is one of the most heartbreaking deaths in Demon Slayer, made even more powerful by Rengoku’s final words: “Set your heart ablaze.” This arc delivers so much emotion into just a few episodes, it’s now getting a 4k re-release to commemorate it as one of the anime’s best arcs.

Jujutsu Kaisen – Shibuya Incident Arc

The Shibuya Incident Arc kicks off with a sinister plan by Geto (actually Kenjaku) as he traps both civilians and jujutsu sorcerers in Shibuya on Halloween night. As countless people become hostages, the sorcerers rush in to help, only to face their greatest setback when Gojo Satoru is sealed within the Prison Realm. With their strongest sorcerer gone, Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara find themselves struggling against multiple disasters – Jogo and Hanami attacking different areas, civilians transforming into transfigured souls, new cursed spirits revealing themselves, and chaos engulfing the district.

Nanami meets a tragic end at Mahito’s hands, while Nobara suffers critical injuries that leave her fate unknown. Pushed to his breaking point, Yuji lets Sukuna temporarily take over, leading to mass destruction across Shibuya. This arc shatters the usual shonen formula, delivering shocking character deaths and lasting consequences that permanently change the series: Gojo remains sealed, public opinion turns against jujutsu sorcerers, Itadori is blamed for the destruction, and Kenjaku uses thousands of non-sorcerers to advance his twisted plans.

Black Clover – Elf Reincarnation Arc

The Elf Reincarnation Arc begins when an old forbidden spell activates across the Clover Kingdom, transforming several Magic Knights into reincarnated elves. Led by Patry, the elves seek revenge, believing that humans massacred their kind 500 years ago. The kingdom falls into chaos as these possessed knights, now armed with immense magical abilities, attack their former comrades and innocent citizens.

Asta, Yuno, and other Magic Knights fight hard against their possessed friends while trying not to kill them, eventually uncovering that a devil manipulated both humans and elves five centuries ago. The arc comes to a satisfying end when Asta uses his unique anti-magic to free many possessed individuals and helps the elf leader Licht reunite with his people before their souls finally find peace and move on to the afterlife. 

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Bleach – Soul Society: The Rescue Arc 

One of the series’ first major arcs, this arc sees Rukia sentenced to death for the crime of giving her Soul Reaper powers to Ichigo, a human. Determined to save her, Ichigo undergoes intense training and enters Soul Society with his human friends. Along the way, they face many powerful opponents like the adrenaline-loving Kenpachi and Rukia’s cold older brother Byakuya.

But just when it seems like the battle for Rukia’s life is reaching its climax, the rescue mission takes an unexpected turn as Captain Aizen, who was believed to be dead, is revealed as the mastermind villain behind everything. Aizen betrays the Soul Society and escapes with the powerful Hogyoku hidden inside Rukia, setting the stage for the Arrancar arc. Meanwhile, Ichigo successfully saves Rukia, but is now part of something much bigger, the story expanding from a simple “monster of the week” format into a complex narrative with political intrigue, betrayal, and moral complexity.

Dragon Ball Z – Saiyan Saga Arc

The Saiyan Saga kicks off Dragon Ball Z with a bang, revealing that Goku isn’t human but a Saiyan, an alien warrior sent to Earth. His brother Raditz arrives to force Goku to embrace his origins, leading to a battle where Goku sacrifices himself to stop him. While Goku trains in the afterlife, his friends prepare for the arrival of two even more powerful Saiyans – Vegeta and Nappa, who bring devastation to Earth, resulting in the deaths of several Z Fighters, including Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo.

Goku finally returns to Earth after completing his training, crushing Nappa before facing Vegeta in a battle that pushes him beyond his limits. Even with his new power, he needs help from Krillin and Gohan to defeat the Saiyan prince, who barely escapes death and retreats from Earth. This arc shifts the series from a whimsical adventure to an epic space opera that would influence shonen anime for generations to come. It also introduces Vegeta, one of DBZ’s most beloved characters, proving that sometimes the earliest adventures are the ones that stick with you the most.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Stardust Crusaders Arc 

While JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is now running in Ultra Jump as of 2005, its origins include nearly 20 years in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump. Stardust Crusaders follows Jotaro Kujo on a 50-day journey from Japan to Egypt to save his mother, Holly, by defeating the family’s old enemy, Dio. He’s joined by his grandfather Joseph Joestar, as well as the fortune-teller Avdol, student Kakyoin, French swordsman Polnareff, and even a Boston terrier named Iggy. Along the way, they face tons of weird Stand users with truly bizarre abilities that force our heroes to use creativity rather than just power to survive. 

As the group gets closer to Egypt, the fights become more intense and personal, all leading up to a final showdown with Dio, who’s at his strongest after stealing Jonathan Joestar’s body. This arc introduced Stands and helped shape what JoJo is known for today – over-the-top poses, dramatic fights, and that perfect mix of serious action with bizarre humor that transformed it from a Japanese hit to a worldwide phenomenon. The Crusaders team is also arguably the most iconic arc in the franchise, giving us tons of meme-worthy moments like Kakyoin’s “Rero Rero,” Jotaro’s “Yare Yare Daze,” and of course, Dio’s legendary “Oh? You’re approaching me?” scene.

My Hero Academia – The Paranormal Liberation War Arc

After months of preparation, Japan’s heroes raid villain hideouts across the country. They have the upper hand and it looks like the war is going to end before it even starts. But everything goes wrong when Shigaraki awakens with his new All for One Quirk. Stronger than ever before, Shigaraki no longer needs touch to use decay. Worse, after destroying an entire city, he unleashes Gigantomachia who crashes through 20 miles of land to reach his master.

As the heroes fight across multiple battlefronts, the conflict causes unprecedented levels of devastation. Hawks kills the villain Twice in a moment of desperation and the plot thickens when Dabi reveals he is actually Endeavor’s son, making people lose faith in heroes. The Paranormal Liberation War beats all other My Hero Academia arcs thanks to its significance to the story, marking the turning point from a regular superhero anime to all-out war.

One Piece – Marineford Arc

Marineford is one of One Piece’s most emotional arcs. It begins with Luffy finding out that his brother Ace has been captured and is going to be executed at Marine Headquarters. Despite the danger, Luffy breaks into the underwater prison Impel Down in a desperate attempt to save Ace. But when that plan fails, he makes his way to Marineford, where a full-blown war between the Marines and the Whitebeard pirates is already in motion.

Whitebeard, known as the world’s strongest man, leads his pirates against the Marine Admirals in the biggest battle we’ve seen in One Piece. During all the chaos, fans are hit with major reveals, like how Luffy’s father is Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, and also witness one of the series’ most heartbreaking moments when Ace dies protecting Luffy. This arc completely shook the One Piece world, marking a turning point for Luffy as he realized that despite all his growth, he still wasn’t strong enough to protect the people he loves.