Top 10 Unlikely Friendships in Anime
Script written by Jamie Leslie
Top 10 Unlikely Friendships in Anime
Sometimes fate decides our friendships for us. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our Top 10 Unlikely Friendships in Anime.
For this list, we’ll be looking at friendships across anime that blossomed out of extraordinary circumstances, be it anything from professional rivalry to social status. In order to qualify for this list, the character’s need to have a lot more working against them than simply disagreeing on things like politics or values.
#10: Hinata and Kageyama
“Haikyuu!!” (2015-)
What’s a good bromance without some old-fashioned rivalry? The two Karasuno High volleyball players mirror each other as complete opposites, however their genuine love for their sport has made them an inseparable pair on and off the court. Hinata and Kageyama are rarely in agreement on anything and will often fight each other over some of the most trivial things, but this does nothing to deter the boys from sticking up for one another when the time calls.
#9: Mugen Jin and Fuu
“Samurai Champloo” (2004-05)
Two ronin samurai walk into a teahouse. Result? The two nearly kill each other, are nearly executed and THEN, well, they still aren’t friends but at least they aren’t trying to kill each other. After accepting the aid of Fuu, a young woman who just loves to meddle, the three set out on an adventure. Coming from completely different walks of life caused the three to initially dismiss any kind of bonding relationship, however, after consistently having each other’s backs, a genuine bond begins to form.
#8: Cheza and the Wolves
“Wolf’s Rain” (2003)
Best friends can come in all different kinds of shapes, sizes, and species. Cheza is of the Lunar Flower species and was purposefully made to grant access to the land of Paradise. After being rescued by the wolves, the Flower Maiden forms an unbreakable bond to the allusive animals and agrees to guide them to their destined location. Cheza resents the sight of wolf blood spilling and possesses the power to not only heal them, but put them into a blissful sleep.
#7: Eren and Jean
“Attack on Titan” (2013-)
Being encouraged to compete with one another puts a lot of pressure on the members of the 104th Trainees Squad. Cadets Eren and Jean are both committed to defending humanity, but for two completely different reasons. Jean, deeming the war hopeless, strives for a save and comfortable posting inside the inner wall, while Eren wants nothing more than to bring the battle to the Titans. Finding one and other bull-headed the friction between the two nearly turns them into enemies before they become staunch friends.
#6: Slayn and Ghim
“Record of Lodoss War” (1990-91)
An old headstrong dwarf and a quiet young wizard couldn’t be any more different as far as fantasy tropes are concerned. The dwarf Ghim finds magic juvenile, while the wizard Slayn finds it increasingly difficult to tolerate the dwarf’s boorish behaviour. However, common cause brought the two together and the more they begin to respect each other’s disciplines the stronger their friendship becomes. Of all the members of their party, Slain and Ghim learn to fight in perfect harmony and together they are able to bring down some of the most fearsome adversaries.
#5: Kenshin and Saito
“Rurouni Kenshin” (1996-98)
If you thought a decade long war would destroy any possibility of these two opposing warriors becoming allies, you thought wrong. Under the Meiji Government, Saito may have been the only soldier capable of rivalling Kenshin when it came to crossing swords, and while knowingly fought for conflicting ideals, they’re mutual respect for each other was completely evident. As the fabled Edo period comes to a close, the two swordsmen, realizing their rivalry is futile focus on how they can make their country a better place.
#4: Goku and Vegeta
“Dragonball Z” (1989-96)
Being the last two surviving members of their race is what made them enemies, but it’s their genuine love for battle and upstaging the other that made them bros for life. Vegeta’s prideful nature initially prevented him from seeing Goku as anything more than an adversary, however after adapting and finding peace on Earth, the two found themselves working together. Vegeta holds a fond respect for Goku’s fighting prowess and while he still hopes to one day prove himself the better warrior, there is no denying their friendship.
#3: Inuyasha and Koga
“Inuyasha” (2000-04)
Quite often when two men compete for the same woman’s affection they’re driven farther apart, yet these two only became closer with time. Koga’s infatuation with Kagome put him in an instant rivalry with Inuyasha, but it also doesn’t help that the first time they met, they came to blows after Koga and his wolves murdered a bunch of innocent villagers. But this is anime so forgive and forget. When Kagome is in danger however, the two work together to save her and realize that they are stronger together than aparts
#2: Speedwagon and Jonathan Joestar
“Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure” (2012-13)
Class is often a poor indicator to a person’s true character. When Jonathan, having been born into the upper class finds himself a seedier part of town Speedwagon who attempts to rob him. But, upon realizing how honourable Joestar really is, Speedwagon backs down and the very skill to read people’s true intentions brings the two together. In recognizing Jonathan’s noble goal, Speedwagon promises to aid the nobleman to find the proverbial snake in the grass that threatens the Joestar household. Ever since then, Speedwagon has been Jonathan’s closest friend.
Before we unveil our pick for Top Unlikely Friendship in Anime, here are a few honorable mentions:
Ippo Makunouchi and Masahiko Umezawa
“Hajime no Ippo” series (2000-14)
Yu-Gi and Kaiba
“Yu-Gi-Oh!” (1998)
Kyouya and Tamaki
“Ouran High School Host Club” (2006)
Kiyone Makibi and Mihoshi Kuramitsu
“Tenchi Muyo!” series (1992-2014)
Genos and Saitama
“One Punch Man” (2015-)
#1: Naruto and Gaara
“Naruto” franchise (2002-)
It’s amazing how these two characters can be so different and yet so similar. Both children were born with a tailed beast within them, but series protagonist Naruto had a bit of an easier time growing up. Gaara was rejected and betrayed by his family and as a result lead a bitter life of hatred. Like many of the entires on this list, Naruto and Gaara start off as enemies, but soon bond over their shared destiny. Gaara begins to even see Naruto as a bit of a role-model, and learns to use his inner strength to protect people, rather then bring them pain.
Do you agree with our list? Which Unlikely Friendship in Anime did we miss? For more Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.