What Are the Big 3 of Anime?
The term Big Three in the anime community refers to Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece, three extremely long-running and very influential anime and manga series that dominated the mid-2000s era. These shows were not only popular in Japan but also helped introduce anime to a large Western audience, making them cultural touchstones for a generation of fans.
This nickname arose from their massive popularity, long publication runs, and consistent promotion in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Their main characters, Luffy, Naruto, and Ichigo, were frequently featured on magazine covers and promotional materials. This shows how central these series were to the industry. All three manga series ran for over 15 years and overlapped in publication from 2001 to 2014, reinforcing their shared status at the top of the genre.
Each of them also received a long-running anime adaptation. Naruto, including Shippuden, reached 720 episodes. Bleach originally aired 366 episodes but later returned with a sequel series known as Thousand-Year Blood War. One Piece has already surpassed 1,100 episodes as of 2026 and continues to produce more episodes into the future. The length and continued production of these three anime depict how deeply these franchises are embedded in anime culture.
Together, the Big Three represent the peak era of Shonen anime’s global rise. While newer series have become very popular, fans and critics widely agree that no other group of three shows has matched their combined impact, longevity, and cultural influence both in the West and the East.
Let us dive further into some information on these three shows.
Bleach
Plot
Bleach follows Ichigo Kurosaki, a young teen who gains the powers of a Soul Reaper. These powers come with the responsibility of guiding souls to the afterlife and protecting humans from evil spirits known as Hollows. Early in the series, Ichigo encounters individual Hollows and confronts them, developing his abilities alongside friends like Rukia Kuchiki, Orihime Inoue, Chad, and Uryu Ishida. Later, the story expands to larger conflicts, starting with the Soul Society Arc, where Ichigo enters the afterlife realm to rescue Rukia and confronts the powerful thirteen court guard squad captains.
Future arcs introduce Aizen, a manipulative former captain, as well as Arrancars, Vizards, and Fullbringers. Each arc adds new challenges and expands the series’ supernatural lore.
The final arc, Thousand-Year Blood War, pits the Soul Society against the Wandenreich, a Quincy army, testing Ichigo and his allies to their limits. Throughout the series, Ichigo balances his human life with his Soul Reaper duties, growing in strength, skill, and understanding. His journey explores themes of friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, and the burden of power. The story combines action, strategy, and character growth, contributing to the lasting influence of the series in Shonen storytelling.
Manga
The Bleach manga was written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. It ran from 2001 to 2016 in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Kubo had a very distinctive art style, marked by fashion-forward character designs and a dramatic black-and-white contrast that set the series apart visually. The manga allowed for more detailed pacing and character development than the anime, particularly in iconic arcs such as the Soul Society Arc and the Arrancar Arc. These arcs explored themes of loyalty, ambition, and moral ambiguity. Secondary characters like Renji, Orihime, Inoue, and Uryu also received significant development, enriching the story’s emotional depth. Bleach‘s long serialization helped it remain a cornerstone of the Big Three alongside Naruto and One Piece.
Anime
The Bleach anime premiered in 2004 and ran for eight years totaling 366 episodes. Produced by Studio Pierrot, Bleach quickly became one of the most prominent anime of the 2000s. In Japan, it aired on TV Tokyo, and internationally it gained a large following on Adult Swim’s Toonami block, introducing many Western viewers to anime as a medium. The original anime adapted much of Tite Kubo’s manga; however, a few filler arcs were occasionally added to allow the manga to progress. Bleach was known for its dynamic battles, distinct character designs, and memorable music. The series has maintained a very loyal fan base. Its combination of supernatural action, stylish visuals, and dramatic storytelling has helped it stand out among contemporary Shonen anime.
In 2022, the franchise returned with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, which animated the final arc of the manga. The revival features modernized animation, smoother fight choreography, and a much darker tone, reflecting contemporary production standards. It highlights the series’ high-stakes battles, emotional conflicts, and expansive world-building, demonstrating the long-lasting popularity of the franchise. The new series also introduced the story to a younger audience while satisfying longtime fans who had waited nearly a decade for the release of the conclusion.
Influence
Bleach helped define the darker and more stylized side of Shonen anime in the 2000s. While Naruto focused on ninja themes and One Piece emphasized adventure and humor, Bleach stood out for its heavy use of death imagery, spiritual mythology, and dark tones. Its more violent and dark approach allowed the series to explore complex themes such as mortality, duty, and moral ambiguity in ways that many other mainstream anime and manga avoided. As a result, it broadened the scope of what audiences expected from action-oriented anime.
The series also had a major impact on character design trends in anime. Kubo’s fashion-influenced outfits, sharp silhouettes, and emphasis on cool, composed characters became widely imitated in later series. His unique visual flair extended to the use of black-and-white contrast and creative weapon designs, influencing how style could be integrated into storytelling. This emphasis on aesthetics became a hallmark of modern Shonen, inspiring entire visual worlds in subsequent anime.
Bleach is known by many as the father of modern Shonen anime. Popular new Shonen series such as Black Clover, Jujutsu Kaisen, and many others draw heavy inspiration from Bleach. Compared to the rest of the Big Three, Bleach‘s darker tones also influenced a younger generation. Ichigo, the main character of Bleach, has a single goal: to protect his friends. Compared to the goals of many other anime protagonists, including those in the Big Three, Ichigo sets a more realistic standard for what can be expected and teaches audiences about the burden of responsibility.
Of the big three, Bleach, is a personal favorite. I enjoy it’s darker tones and the greater level of maturity held by its main character Ichigo.
Naruto
Plot
Naruto is the story of a misunderstood child seeking acceptance that gradually expands into a large-scale narrative about war, political power, and the cost of violence and peace. His personal journey is closely tied to his rivalry and friendship with Sasuke Uchiha, who becomes hell-bent on revenge. This becomes an emotional core of the series. As the plot develops further, the introduction of the Akatsuki, a criminal organization, tailed beasts, giant monsters made of chakra, and the ninja world’s political alliances escalates the story into a global conflict. The Fourth Great Ninja War, which parallels world wars in human history, brings together nearly every major character and highlights themes of loyalty, perseverance, and the consequences of ambition. Naruto’s journey balances personal growth with large-scale battles, blending emotional depth with action in a way that became a blueprint for modern Shonen anime.
Something that is very interesting about Naruto is that many of its villains are not motivated by domination or power. Their end goal is world peace, and they disagree with the protagonist on how to achieve it, often willing to sacrifice many people. This makes Naruto more emotionally complex than many other series, as the villains can sometimes be just as relatable as the protagonists.
The story also follows the main character Naruto from childhood into his teenage years allowing fans to grow even closer to a character they love.
Manga
Masashi Kishimoto’s manga ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014. It was collected into a total of 72 volumes. The series sold hundreds of millions of copies around the world, placing it among the best-selling manga of all time. In North America, Naruto was VIZ Media’s most important title, and it often served as a gateway series for new manga readers. Its success helped expand bookstore manga sections and increase the visibility of Japanese comics in mainstream retail spaces. Its long serialization also demonstrated that Western audiences would stay committed to a long, complex storyline that took many years to complete. Naruto helped solidify manga’s global fan base.
Anime
The Naruto anime first premiered in 2002, quickly becoming one of the most recognizable anime series of the decade. In fact, Japan later named it the anime of the decade. After 220 episodes, the story continued with Naruto Shippuden, which originally released in 2007, following Naruto and his friends into their teenage years and running until 2017. This combined run made Naruto one of the longest continuously relevant anime franchises in television history. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo in Japan and on Toonami in the United States, exposing millions of viewers to serialized anime storytelling. Its consistent airing schedule helped normalize anime as regular television content instead of being seen as an imported program. Its long run also allowed for extended character development, elaborate fight sequences, and systematic world-building beyond typical Shonen conventions.
Influence
Naruto had a major and measurable impact on global anime culture. It played a key role in introducing Western audiences to long-form Shonen storytelling through television and print. Terms such as chakra, jutsu, and hokage became widely recognized, even among casual anime fans. The series helped popularize anime conventions, cosplay, and online fan communities, with Naruto characters becoming some of the most frequently cosplayed figures worldwide.
Its influence extended beyond fandom by shaping how anime was marketed, localized, and distributed internationally. The show also influenced later anime and manga by standardizing training arcs, tournament-style exams, and long-running rivalries as core storytelling tools. Its structure of personal growth combined with escalating, world-level threats influenced countless modern Shonen series. Video games, movies, novels, and spin-off series expanded the franchise into a massive multimedia empire, demonstrating that anime could succeed commercially on a scale similar to Western franchises.
Naruto also reshaped expectations for character development and emotional storytelling in Shonen. The series gave significant focus to side characters, exploring their backgrounds, motivations, and moral dilemmas. This encouraged audiences to invest in the broader cast rather than just the protagonist. The conflicts between Naruto and Sasuke, as well as other key characters, explore complex themes such as forgiveness, ambition, loyalty, and the consequences of peace. This proved that Shonen anime could balance action with deep emotional resonance.
Culturally, Naruto helped shift anime from a niche hobby into a mainstream part of youth culture in the 2000s and 2010s. It inspired countless fan works, including fanfiction, fan art, AMVs, and social media communities, strengthening global anime culture and creating shared experiences among international viewers.
One Piece
Plot
One Piece follows Monkey D. Luffy, a young pirate who gains rubber-like abilities after eating a Devil Fruit, with the goal of finding the legendary treasure known as the One Piece and becoming the King of the Pirates. Along the way, he gathers his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, a diverse group with their own dreams, backstories, and motivations. The series is structured around long story arcs exploring different islands, cultures, and political systems, gradually expanding into a large-scale narrative involving corrupt governments, revolutionary movements, and hidden historical truths.
While filled with humor and adventure, the series addresses serious themes such as freedom, oppression, racism, war, and the abuse of power. Luffy’s leadership and the crew’s camaraderie provide the emotional core of the story, balancing epic world-building with character-driven storytelling. Over time, the series has introduced complex villains with morally ambitious goals, reflecting challenges related to justice and governance in its fictional world. The story often explores the consequences of ambition, legacy, and loyalty. Both allies and enemies are given rich development, and secondary characters frequently receive their own mini arcs, highlighting their motivations and pasts, which deepens the emotional stakes of the main story. These layered narratives allow One Piece to maintain reader and viewer engagement across decades while keeping a consistent thematic focus on friendship, perseverance, and the pursuit of one’s dreams.
Manga
Eiichiro Oda’s manga began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997 and is still ongoing, with over 110 collected volumes and more than 500 million copies in circulation worldwide. One Piece is the best-selling manga series of all time, and its continued popularity helped define Weekly Shonen Jump during its peak years. One Piece kept long-running serialized manga commercially viable. International releases through publishers such as VIZ Media normalized simultaneous global manga distribution.
The series’ sustained success has set a higher standard for narrative ambition in Shonen storytelling. Oda’s meticulous attention to plot threads, foreshadowing, and world-building has earned praise from critics and fans alike. Each chapter often contains hidden references to past arcs or even future events, encouraging close reading and discussion among the fan base. Its serialization schedule has allowed the story to evolve organically, adapting to fan feedback while maintaining Oda’s coherent long-term vision.
Anime
The One Piece anime first premiered in 1999 and has continued airing for over two decades, making it one of the longest-running animated television series in history. Produced by Toei Animation, it has released over 1,100 episodes and remains ongoing as of 2026. Its long lifespan has allowed multiple generations of viewers to grow up with the series.
In addition to the original anime, One Piece has received multiple feature films, television specials, and a high-profile live-action adaptation released by Netflix in 2023. This introduced the franchise to even more modern audiences. Its longevity has allowed for expansive storytelling, detailed world-building, and deep character development. The anime is notable for its inventive fight choreography and use of humor to balance dramatic moments. Its music, including iconic opening and ending themes, has become synonymous with the series’ identity. Its episodic nature allows for in-depth exploration of side characters and political dynamics on each island the characters visit.
Influence
One Piece is widely considered to be one of the most influential anime and manga series ever created. Its massive global popularity helped establish manga and anime as mainstream entertainment rather than niche interests. The series demonstrated that long-term, complex storytelling could succeed with a wide global audience, encouraging other manga creators to invest in expansive world-building and long-running narratives. Many modern Shonen series have adopted similar structures that combine adventure, emotional backstory, and large, interconnected arcs.
The series has also reshaped expectations for world-building in anime and manga. One Piece features an unusually detailed fictional world with its own geography, political systems, cultures, and history. This level of depth has raised the standard for what fans expect from large-scale fiction. The idea that a manga world could feel as developed as a fantasy novel series has influenced both Japanese and international creators.
Culturally, One Piece has become one of the biggest global symbols of anime. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates are instantly recognizable, even to people who have never read the manga.
The franchise includes merchandise, theme park attractions, museum exhibits, and real-world events. One Piece imagery and themes have appeared in sports celebrations, fashion, and even political protest movements in other countries. Most notably, the recent overthrow of the Nepalese government involved many protesters who waved the flag of the Straw Hat Pirates.
For years and even decades, its themes of friendship, loyalty, and pursuing one’s dreams have made it especially meaningful to its audience. This long-term emotional connection is a major reason why One Piece continues to remain culturally relevant and commercially successful even 29 years after its original release.
The Big Three, Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece, represent a defining era in anime history, shaping global perceptions of the medium through their longevity, storytelling, and cultural impact. Together, their influence continues to inspire modern series and audiences, solidifying their legacy as the foundation of Shonen anime’s worldwide success.
Bibliography
- “Big Three | Otaku Fandom.” Fandom, otaku.fandom.com/wiki/Big_Three. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
- “Bleach.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach_(TV_series). Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
- “Naruto.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naruto. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
- “One Piece.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Piece. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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