Every anime series has a main character, but no anime series has a main character alone all of the time. Even a well made character needs someone beside them to have actual dialogue with and bounce ideas off of.
Maybe it is a childhood friend or a long-time rival. Maybe it is a sibling or a kouhai to their big senpai energy.
Everybody needs somebody sometimes.
This is why so many of your favorite anime series has not just memorable characters, but characters with memorable relationships between them. If you need anime with a serious duo with an unbreakable connection to each other, check out these iconic anime duos.
Best Anime Duos
Goku & Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z
When you say “iconic anime duos,” chances are that Goku and Vegeta will be one of your very first thoughts.
Dragon Ball Z has some problems, like the original series spending multiple episodes just powering up, but what it did very right was create the bond between cheerful, powerful moron and the arrogant prince of no kingdom constantly trying to catch up to him in power.
Goku himself isn’t a particularly complex character, but that fully allows Vegeta to be. His constant drive to eclipse Goku leads him down every number of paths that lead to myriad opportunities for his character growth.
Edward & Alphonse from Fullmetal Alchemist
Two brothers, torn apart by their own youthful ignorance and on a quest to essentially fix the mess they made of their own bodies.
On their own, Edward and Alphonse aren’t especially magnificent characters, but what makes them memorable is the dynamic they create together. They are brothers with excellent chemistry that compliment each other perfectly. Alphonse is young and full of innocence even in his intimidating suit of armor that houses his soul while Edward is the hot-blooded one often mistaken for small and cute. Regardless of how they appear to others, they will always remain brothers willing to give everything for each other.
Gon & Killua from Hunter x Hunter
It is honestly completely the fault of this fresh-faced duo that Hunter x Hunter is often mistaken for the most childish of shounen, despite fans knowing that it is absolutely the opposite in many cases.
Gon and Killua look like boys and they form the great friendship of boys too. Gon is cheerful and energetic while Killua remains more reserved and perceptive. In battle, their abilities also serve to make up for each other’s weaknesses as well, with Gon being able to handle multiple opponents while Killua can slap more powerful singular foes.
However, even outside of battle, they are still just kids and they play as kids. They have a respect for each other and formed a quick, yet utterly unbreakable bond.
Hyakkimaru & Dororo from Dororo
When your main character doesn’t have the necessary things to make him a main character, like a tongue, for example, the best thing you can do is give them a chipper, chatty companion. That is the relationship between Hyakkimaru and Dororo.
Hyakkimaru had most of his body sacrificed to demons by his father as a child. However, armed with a series of prosthetics, he is slowly killing those demons to get his body parts back. Dororo is a war orphan who noble bandit parents were betrayed and slaughtered, now they try to carve out a meager existence of survival.
Both characters start off having nothing, but when you have nothing, it is easier when you have each other. Hyakkimaru keeps Dororo safe and Dororo keeps Hyakkimaru alive and makes sure that he walks the path to becoming human instead of the one that will make him a monster.
Mugen & Jin From Samurai Champloo
While Samurai Champloo is most memorable for its trio of characters, even outside of that Mugen and Jin shine as a duo.
Mugen is a criminal and lackadaisical freestyle fighter, and Jin is a ronin who follows the strict technique-driven style of the samurai. They are not only different in fighting styles, but the complete opposites in personality. However, despite this, their journey together allows them to find common ground with each other. They will never be best friends, but their rivalry makes them an unforgettable duo.
Naruto & Sasuke from Naruto
Naruto and Sasuke are Goku and Vegeta reborn again as ninjas. Naruto is an optimistic hot-blooded anime protagonist while Sasuke is a more brooding rival with natural talent and a dark streak.
While a certain respect is fostered by them learning to work together early in the series, that bond didn’t fade when they walked different paths. Even when Sasuke became essentially a villain, Naruto never lost his motivation to save him nor lost his belief that he could be redeemed. It has lead to a lot of saucy fan fictions, as these things often do.
Sora & Shiro from No Game No Life
While uncomfortably close step-siblings, Sora and Shiro are indomitable gaming partners. Sora possesses a charisma unbefitting of his NEET lifestyle and excellent observational skills. Shiro, while shy and emotionally dependent on her brother’s presence, possesses an unparalleled intellect. They make up for each other’s weaknesses and when together simply cannot be beaten.
Luffy & Zoro from One Piece
As One Piece is awash in characters, there are actually quite a few memorable duos that are formed within it. However, that said, the most memorable duo is the longest-standing one.
Zoro is the first member recruited to Luffy’s crew, and often the most essential one. It isn’t Zoro’s strength that makes him essential, though that helps. Instead it is his strict nature that makes him essential. He is necessary to temper Luffy’s unpredictable and energetic nature. Though it can be said that the entirety of the Straw Hat crew is meant to keep Luffy from doing something incredibly stupid.
Midoriya & Bakugo from My Hero Academia
The relationship between Bakugo and Midoriya is actually rather unique in shounen anime. They grew up as childhood friends and while Bakugo possessed innate talent, it never made Midoriya feel insecure. Instead, he found Bakugo’s power inspiring!
Unfortunately, when Midoriya gets immense power of his own, Bakugo doesn’t react the same. Instead his pride and ego built from being told he was great constantly took a serious blow. Their relationship is not often one would describe as friends, and yet that still is what they are in their own way.
Natsu & Gray from Fairy Tail
Fire and ice mages. It is only natural that they would become rivals that occasionally border on friends.
While they constantly but heads and attempt to fight each other, their relationship does tend to soften over time. It really feeds into baiting the shippers, but their magic together makes for a potent combination when used appropriately.
Saitama & Genos from One Punch Man
If there is one thing that can pull a powerful man out of apathy, it is taking on the mantle of senpai to someone eager to learn from the knowledge and power that they have amassed.
That is the essence of this relationship. Both are strong heroes in their own right, but Genos, instead of feeling utterly inferior to his master, is almost constantly in awe of him. It was pretty refreshing to see a constant hype man who didn’t end up becoming some sort of rival or villain due to power insecurity.
Spike & Jet from Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop is most memorable for Spike alone or perhaps the Bebop crew as a whole. However, to every cool Spike Spiegal character, there must be a gruff older man to keep his wily nature in check.
With Spike being an ex-crime syndicate member and Jet being an ex-police officer, they sit firmly at opposite sides of their morality in many cases, but bounty hunters all work in shades of gray. This allows them to build a respect for each other’s abilities, though they still occasionally clash on certain matters.
Light & L from Death Note
Can’t beat your sworn enemy? Why not just become very best friends with them instead? That was Light’s idea when he decided to get close to L, a master detective investigating a serial killer that was actually Light.
They are of similar age and both possess a keen intellect. This makes every conversation between them feel like a chess game of words where one party seems to be trying to get the other to slip up. Still, as both incredibly intelligent individuals, it is very clear that a respect between them is firmly built even if their ideals do differ significantly.
Hinata & Kageyama from Haikyuu
Rivalry is one of the key building blocks of all sports anime. In fact, we could fill a whole duos list of sports anime rivalries. However, instead of doing that, have this most memorable one.
Hinata and Kageyama first met long before they would become teammates. After embarrassing Hinata, he vowed vengeance towards Kageyama. However, when they did become teammates, vengeance took a backseat to teamwork. The pair became indomitable on the court. However, that doesn’t mean their initial distaste for each other didn’t fuel them to constantly try to outdo each other at practice.
Natsume & Nyanko from Natsume’s Book of Friends
What stronger bond could there be between human and a demon with dibs on his stuff after he dies?
Titular Natsume inherited a book of contracted demons from his grandmother. Nyanko was a powerful beast demon that once sought to kill him and take the book, gaining control of those demons. However, they came to an agreement that he simply protects him until his life ends, after which Nyanko can gain control over those who remain contracted with the book.
Alongside protection, Nyanko also serves as a sort of font of knowledge about the various demons inside the book. It would be pretty problematic if Natsume, who frees any spirit that asks or attacks him, freed a powerful and unpredictable one. Not only that, but many of those seeking freedom also come with unique considerations as well, which merits insider knowledge.
Tanjiro & Nezuko from Demon Slayer
You might do a bit for your siblings, but would you struggle to keep them controlled and alive if they were transformed into a demon? Tanjiro would and indeed does. He even goes so far as to become a demon slayer in order to find a way to cure Nezuko of her demonic malady.
While Nezuko spends a goodly portion of Demon Slayer unable to really communicate, she shows her affection for her brother through her actions. And she shows it well enough to make their dynamic a memorable one.
Inuyasha & Kagome from Inuyasha
You know you have an iconic duo when they are always yelling each other’s name at each other.
No, really, every duo does it sometimes, but it happens enough times in Inuyasha that its a meme.
Regardless, in this series Inuyasha brings the big power and Kagome brings the the control to Inuyasha’s worse demonic impulses. As this is a shoujo action romance, Kagome also often brings the motivation for Inuyasha to do anything at all, what with her being captured or otherwise imperiled frequently.
Vash & Wolfwood from Trigun
While Vash is a strong enough character to be perfectly beloved on his own, this mostly silly bastard with the occasional serious side is made even better by his suave, cool priest companion with unclear motivations.
While they forge a friendship, the two ultimately sit on opposite sides of their ideals. Wolfwood is a priest that believes he must kill in order to protect while Vash is a notorious criminal who believes there is no circumstance that merits taking a life. They clash on this point frequently.
Gutts & Griffith from Berserk
When you form a duo in anime based on a certainly level of broship, typically that bond stays pretty positive. However, Berserk documents what happens when a broship crumbles.
Griffith with his ambition and superior leadership inspired respect from the constantly kicked dog that was Gutts. However, when Gutts discovers that Griffith merely sees him as a tool rather than a peer, he aims to become someone that can stand beside him. Unfortunately, the blow of losing his most beloved tool that he believed he controlled completely is something Griffith’s ego simply can’t endure. Let’s just say it has kind of a world-ending backlash.
Yuuji & Aoi from Jujutsu Kaisen
You would have to be pretty delusional to not acknowledge that Jujutsu Kaisen shares a fair bit of inspiration from Naruto. However, while it built up a rivalry between the main character Yuuji with a powerful being inside him and his brooding, more talented team member Megumi, Jujutsu Kaisen threw a wrench into their potentially iconic Naruto/Sasuke dynamic with Aoi.
You introduced Yuuji to Aoi and they immediately brewed the most unbreakable of broships with each other, completely overshadowing his relationship with what’s-his-name. A rivalry can be great for duos, but sometimes two people on the exact same page just click better.
Yusuke & Kuwabara from Yu Yu Hakusho
Yusuke and Kuwabara are a bit like Goku and Vegeta except that they are both kind of idiots. In life, the pair were rival street thugs, but with a respect for each other that eventually formed a bond in their adventures in the spirit realm.
While Kuwabara doesn’t quite have the same complex about their differences in power, you can certainly feel his frustration when his power doesn’t quite measure up to his peers. Still, as a moron with a stalwart heart, he is always there to support the team in the ways that he can.
Nana & Nana from Nana
Two girls with the same name meet on a train to Tokyo, and also, by pure happenstance, end up sharing the same apartment. While they share a name, the Nana girls could not be more different.
One Nana is a punk rocker with a wounded heart and the other is a naive, easily love-addled girl whose heart is about to endure many wounds. As the series explores their various interpersonal relationships and aspirations, the most charming relationship of the show is the deep one built between them that shows that two people can be incredibly different, but still completely understand each other.
Sugimoto & Asirpa from Golden Kamuy
A veteran of a foreign war with a reputation for immortality certainly has a decent chance hunting treasure belonging to ex-convicts, but a little company couldn’t hurt.
It actually works out because while Sugimoto has skill in battle, Asirpa has skill in survival. Without this young Ainu girl alongside him, Sugimoto would have starved to death, froze to death, or been eaten by a bear…to death. However, due to her wilderness-savy skills, he always lives to search for the treasure another day.
Ryuuji & Taiga from Toradora
Tiger and dragon. Cute girl with a bad attitude and mean-looking guy with the temperament of a housewife. It is a dynamic that works perfectly.
These two compliment each other perfectly. She remains approachable while he tempers out her innate tsundere rage. It is the dynamic that makes Toradora such a staple of a romance.
Jesse & James from Pokemon
Team Rocket is blasting off again!
Do you know more iconic anime duos of your own? Let fans know in the comments section below.
