Weekly Shonen Jump seems eager to jump into the VTuber craze. In a recent issue of Weekly Shonen Jump, its questionnaire asked readers if they were interested in VTuber content and if they would like to see Weekly Shonen Jump characters become VTubers. It went on to ask if fans would like to see said characters play games, chat, show off creations, burst onto the editorial or creative departments behind their favorite manga, sing or do something random.
This questionnaire sparked a point of curiosity: With a long, sprawling history of Shonen Jump protagonists to select from -- including heroes, rivals, villains and supporting cast members -- which ones would be the most interesting to see become VTubers?
Stoic Characters Would Make For Boring VTubers (With One Exception)
Though a case could be made for most of the iconic Shonen Jump characters, some would be boring to watch as VTubers. Specifically, any extremely stoic character would feel underwhelming in something that requires a larger-than-life personality. For our purposes, this eliminates a bunch of significant figures right off that bat.
Sasuke Uchiha might be incredibly popular, but he'd probably spend most of his time silently brooding rather than offering fun commentary, which would be as dull as silently watching your friend playing video games. For that matter, Piccolo from Dragon Ball Z, Todoroki from My Hero Academia, Yuno from Black Clover and even Zoro from One Piece might not be the best characters for this. While they're all great characters, they may not make for ideal VTubers -- though we're happy to be proved wrong.
There is one key exception here: Rukia from Bleach. Rukia is very serious and stern but has moments of incredible, high-energy sarcasm and snarkiness. She also has a great contrast between stoic seriousness and heart-melting love for cute things. This combination would make her a fantastic VTuber. It doesn't hurt that Mori Calliope, a very popular VTuber, is pretty similar to Rukia.
High Personality, High Energy Protagonists
At the other end of the energy scale, there are plenty of excitable protagonists who might be perfect for the world of VTubers. Undeniably, the energetic likes of Naruto from Naruto, Luffy from One Piece, Gon from Hunter x Hunter, All Might from My Hero Academia, Asta from Black Clover, Shoyo from Haikyuu!! would be obvious choices who can offer a ton of excitement to the game.
While positive energy is a solid option, there are a few angry rage monsters who would be amazing to watch play games that eventually infuriate them. An obvious choice here would be Dragon Ball Z's Vegeta, who several online personalities have tried bringing to life as an online rage gamer. Other contenders would be Bulma from Dragon Ball Z, Ichigo from Bleach, Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, Chitoge from Nisekoi, Bakugo from My Hero Academia and Kuwabara from Yu Yu Hakusho.
One figure of robust and intense personality who would be a joy to watch but doesn't fit into either of those categories neatly would be Yugi from Yu-Gi-Oh!. Just seeing him transition from soft Yugi to intense Atem would enjoyable.
Soft and Charming Personalities
A lot of VTubers are more reserved and softer in personality, offering lower-energy entertainment. These characters might be either friendly VTubers with moments of sassiness or just charming, lovely characters more akin to traditional idols.
For the softer characters, there are a few immediate candidates. Midoriya and Uraraka from My Hero Academia could make a solid hosting duo. Others like Orihime from Bleach, Hinata from Naruto, Gohan from Dragon Ball Z, Chopper from One Piece, and all the kids from The Promised Neverland could have their names added to the audition list too. However, the best candidate, given the series' incredible popularity, is Tanjiro from Demon Slayer.
In regards to the charming types, there are several. Shinobu from Demon Slayer, Trunks from Dragon Ball Z, Nico Robin from One Piece and even L from Death Note. But the best contender? Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho. He's effortlessly charming, has a fun aesthetic and can bounce between kind, warm human Kurama and cold, dangerous Yoko Kurama.
Villains Can Be Good VTubers Too
Of course, the VTuber craze doesn't have to be limited to the heroes. There are plenty of villains who would be incredibly fun to watch. Arrogant villains like Cell from Dragon Ball Z, Dio from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Aizen from Bleach or Orochimaru from Naruto would be exciting, entertaining choices.
With that said, the standout VTuber villain is Light Yagami. The best thing about Light is his ability to over-analyze a situation and offer suppressed, subdued rage. Imagine watching him play a video game, only to plot revenge against players who beat him. He'd be the ultimate toxic gamer, concocting elaborate strategies that could be devastated by campers.
Of course, these are only a small selection from the list of characters Shonen Jump can use. While all of these characters would be good options, tons of manga have appeared in Shonen Jump's history, offering up a plethora of enticing prospects that would easily translate into VTuber glory.
