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Aspirational vs Destiny: How manga and comics approach superheroes in different ways

From Goku to Superman to Captain America to Naruto, comic books and manga creators have always taken a different approach to how heroes become so heroic.

Naruto holding his fist up — Image credit: Pierrot

Features by Trent Cannon, Senior Contributing writer

Published on Fri Jan 31 2025

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Aspirational vs Destiny: How manga and comics approach superheroes in different ways

My time at Popverse is often spent torn between two distinct pop culture spheres. I’m a huge fan of anime and manga but I spend my days working with people who have the same love for Western comic books. So, I think about both a lot – both the things that make them similar and what makes them feel distinct. It isn’t just the art style that separates manga and comic books; there is also their different approaches to the hero’s journey.

Before I get into the details of this, I want to establish a few things. First, I’ll be using comic books to refer to Western comics and manga to refer to Japanese comic books. I’m aware that manga are a form of comic books in their own right, but it is just to help set a baseline for language.

It is generally foolish to boil down the entirety of a medium into a few examples, but I’m going to do it anyway; Western comics are about the greatness inherent in people. Tony Stark isn’t the smartest person in the room because he spends so much time studying – it is because he is Tony Stark. Superman isn’t the strongest because he spends all his time training his body – it is because he is Superman. Spider-Man didn’t have to train to do whatever a spider can and Captain America doesn’t have to go to the gym to be the Star Spangled Man.

These attributes don’t necessarily make them heroes, but they make them ready for heroics when the opportunity arises. Because it is their destiny to be great. Sure, they have an origin story that usually establishes how they got their powers, but the bulk of their story takes place when they already have their abilities. In comic books, the interesting part is what the hero does with their powers, not how they got them. These characters inspire us because they use their greatness to help others, even if they need a little childhood trauma to convince them to do it.

Tanjiro with a fierce look on his face in the Demon Slayer season 3 trailer. — Image credit: Ufotable

Manga, on the other hand, approaches the hero’s journey in a different way. There is a reason why most Shonen anime include a training arc and it is because the effort to become better is the inspirational part of the story. Goku is a naturally strong fighter, but he only becomes the strongest in the universe because of a continuous effort to get better. Tanjiro’s journey involves constantly trying to overcome enemies that are more powerful than he is through intense effort and the desire to protect others. Naruto makes a point throughout its run to show that effort and dedication can overcome the inherent talent some people are born with.

So many anime are about the effort required for greatness rather than just what people do with it. Manga approaches superheroes in a more aspirational way; through hard work and a bit of luck, anyone can achieve greatness. Importantly, a hero doesn’t simply rest once they’ve achieved their goals. There is always a new mountain to climb and a new level of power to achieve. Constant growth and improvement are the goals of most manga heroes.

Batman Begins Screenshot — Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

There are, of course, exceptions to these generalizations. We often get flashbacks to Batman’s time training to become the world’s greatest detective and ninja, but they are usually framed as just that – flashbacks. Even classic stories like Batman: Year One spend most of their time with him already possessing his extraordinary skills.

On the other hand, Jujutsu Kaisen’s Satoru Gojo is born with abilities that simply make him better than anyone else. This is pointed out at one point during the Shibuya Incident Arc, the rules of the Jujutsu world don’t all apply to Gojo simply because he is Saturo Gojo. He is an exception to the rule, even as the manga focuses on Yuji Itadori’s constant efforts to grow strong enough to contain the curse within him. Gojo's effortless greatness is there to highlight the hard work everyone else has to put into their training.

Neither of these approaches is necessarily better than the other. You can tell a great story about Superman being the strongest just as easily as you can about Goku’s training to overcome a new foe. They are just different storytelling philosophies that have emerged in two different mediums. Manga’s aspirational approach is almost a counterpoint to the destined greatness that comic book heroes embody.

Each week, Popverse's resident anime expert Trent Cannon runs down the latest and, dare we say "greatest," in anime and manga in Popverse Jump. Some recent columns have included...