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Mamoru (守る): what it means in anime
守る
まもる · mamoru · to protect; to guard; to defend JLPT N3
Mamoru means "to protect" and also "to keep" a promise or a rule. It is the verb of every protagonist who swears to protect their friends, village or world.
Where you hear it 2 of 42 series
Lines from the Japanese subtitles of episodes 1–3 of each show. A translation is shown only when it clearly matches the line; counts are subtitle lines containing the word.
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Soul Eater · 6 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 2
ヘッ 幼稚な魔女を守る用心棒だあ？Hmph! A bodyguard, defending a little baby witch?
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Dr. Stone · 5 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 3
獣から守らねばMust be protected from beasts
Usage and nuance
守りたい ("I want to protect") and 守ってみせる ("I'll protect you, watch me") are stock lines in shounen and romance alike. Naruto's whole drive is to 守る the village; Soul Eater's partners 守る each other.
The second sense surprises learners: 約束を守る is "to keep a promise" and ルールを守る is "to follow the rules". The idea is guarding something so it is not broken.
守 is also a reading in names and in お守り (omamori), the protective charms sold at shrines, which pop up in any slice-of-life show with a festival episode.
Hear 守る in Soul Eater6 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account