Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoft’s promising upcoming anime crossover fighter Jump Force will definitely include more than a few popular shonen mascots in its roster when it releases soon for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Classics like Dragon Ball‘s Goku, One Piece‘s Luffy, and Bleach‘s Ichigo Kurasaki will be playable alongside modern hits like My Hero Academia‘s Izuku “Deku” Midoriya and Black Clover‘s Asta.
The promising title seems poised to celebrate Weekly Shonen Jump‘s 50th anniversary well, though some shonen characters probably won’t be featured simply due to the fact that they never appeared in the publication. Check out which heroes we’re referring to below to keep your expectations in check.
Shonen characters that’ll never be in Jump Force – Saitama (One-Punch Man)
Though One-Punch Man never appeared in an issue of Weekly Shonen Jump, it did appear in the magazine owner’s other publication, Weekly Young Jump. This may lead many to believe that Saitama will definitely appear in Jump Force, but that doesn’t seem to be the case so far. No characters from Weekly Young Jump have been announced for the game yet, indicating that parent company Shueisha would like to keep the two entities separate and not have each magazine’s unique properties intertwine. It’s a shame, though hopefully something can be worked out post-launch.
Shonen characters that’ll never be in Jump Force – The Elric Brothers (Fullmetal Alchemist)
As awesome as it would be to see Fullmetal Alchemist‘s Elric brothers fight against other environment-based characters like Naruto‘s Gaara, players probably won’t get a chance to witness this in Spike Chunsoft’s upcoming fighter. The main reason can be attributed to the fact that the property is owned by Monthly Shonen Gangan, a competitor of Weekly Shonen Jump.
Seeing as how the franchise has been reimagined twice as an anime and has even received a live-action movie, Fullmetal Alchemist is undoubtedly a popular anime among audiences worldwide. Unfortunately, it will most likely not appear in any crossovers soon.
Shonen characters that’ll never be in Jump Force – Eren Yeager (Attack on Titan)
Attack on Titan belongs to another competitor of Weekly Shonen Jump called Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. Eren Yeager would have been perfect for Jump Force, as players could switch between the Titan shifter’s colossus and Survey Corps forms. As a human, they’ll be able to propel the character across the screen thanks to his three-dimensional maneuver gear.
As a Titan, they’ll deal out more damage but be more exposed to attacks from the enemy. Other characters like Mikasa and Levi could’ve been included for good measure, seeing as each is just as popular as the main character. Though Eren won’t appear in any titles this month, he and his friends thankfully do have a successful video game series of their own.
Shonen characters that’ll never be in Jump Force – Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)
Despite Monthly Asuka Fantasy DX‘s main focus on shojo, the publication is known for occasionally veering into adventure, fantasy, and science fiction. This is apparent in Cowboy Bebop, a property that doesn’t fit the magazine’s DNA yet still managed to find an audience. The franchise winded up being so popular that it managed to attract a lot of attention overseas, particularly in the United States.
Today, Cowboy Bebop is celebrated as one of the quintessential manga and anime to experience if one is looking into anime for the first time. It’s unfortunate that Spike Spiegel and his crew on board the Bebop won’t be appearing in Jump Force, though anime fans should be thankful that this property exists in the first place.
Shonen characters that’ll never be in Jump Force – Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)
Just like One-Punch Man above, Tokyo Ghoul originally ran in Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump instead of the company’s Weekly Shonen Jump. As a consequence of this, it seems as though Ken Kaneki may never get the proper video game treatment he deserves. There’s a ton of potential for the character in Jump Force, given his half-human, half-Ghoul abilities. Kaneki could even alternate between his aliases and forms, yielding different gameplay opportunities for the player. As is the case of Saitama, hopefully Shueisha can introduce the character into Jump Force despite never appearing in the publication.
Shonen characters that’ll never be in Jump Force – Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)
Fairy Tail is a franchise that many anime fans thought would be included in Spike Chunsoft’s brawler at the time of its announcement. The rights to this popular shonen lie with Weekly Shonen Magazine, however, not Weekly Shonen Jump. The two publications sound identical, but are owned and managed by completely different entities.
Despite the distinction, Natsu Dragneel would have made for a perfect fit on Jump Force‘s roster, along with some other popular characters from the franchise including Erza Scarlet and Gray Fullbuster. The spectacular hand-to-hand combat and explosive magical attacks the series is known for would have felt right at home with the likes of Naruto or Dragon Ball. At least one can dream.
Shonen characters that’ll never be in Jump Force – Inuyasha
Inuyasha is a beloved shonen classic that matches Bleach and Saint Seiya in terms of industry impact and importance. This half dog-demon won’t be appearing in Jump Force, as he originally appeared in Weekly Shōnen Sunday, not Weekly Shonen Jump. As in the case of Fairy Tail, though the two publications sound similar, they are owned by different companies. Inuyasha’s sword-fighting abilities would have brought some variety to the game’s roster of mostly unarmed characters, though at least fans still have Sasuke and Himura Kenshin to look forward to.
While it is a bit disappointing to learn that revered heroes like the Elric brothers or Spike Spiegel probably won’t appear in Jump Force, it’s important to approach the game from a realistic point of view. We’ll have to wait and see how other aspects of the title, including gameplay, presentation, and sound design, compare with excellent crossover fighters already on the market like Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. If one thing’s for certain, despite these projected absences, shonen fans have good reason to keep Jump Force on their radar.
