Friendships are a beautiful thing, but there is something about a good bromance which audiences cannot overlook. Over the years, television and film have highlighted dozens on touching bromances, but anime fans know the medium’s top pairs cannot be beat.
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After all, it is hard to outdo what Goku and Krillin have, you know?
With shonen being such a popular genre within the anime world, it is easy to see why bromances have become a big thing for fans. The genre is geared towards pre-teen and teenage boys who are just starting to move through adolescence, and few things can help you survive that awkward stage of life like a best friend.
Here at ComicBook, we are counting down ten of the best bromances to ever debut in the world of anime. So, if you are looking to forge a bromance of your own, then these guys can surely teach you a thing or two!
Did your favorite bromance make our list? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!
Kotetsu and Barnaby
Tiger & Bunny may sound like an adorable anime, but the series isn’t too fluffy. The superhero anime takes place in a competitive world where professional heroes work for popularity and throw justice to the wind. However, its main bromance proves that even the most fame-hungry hero can be turned back towards the light.
When Kotetsu and Barnaby meet, the two heroes are not fans of one another. Kotetsu is a veteran hero who cares deeply about saving people while on the job while his new partner only cares about their hero standing. Their first missions go terribly, but as the pair begin to jive, fans get to watch their budding bromance help them clear more missions.
Naruto and Sasuke
Naruto has its fair share of tenuous bromances, but none of them can top the drama of Naruto and Sasuke. The two boys take rivalries to an entirely new level, but there is a thread of genuine friendship that keeps them connected even when they wish they were not.
If you have seen Naruto, you know the bromance between its leads is plenty unhealthy. Naruto sees a familiar sort of loneliness in Sasuke after the latter’s clan is murdered, but they refuse to acknowledge one another during their school days. By the time they join Team 7, Naruto and Sasuke acknowledge each other as (mostly unworthy) rivals, but things shift when they take missions together. Naruto and Sasuke push lots of contentious buttons even before the dark-haired boy abandons the Leaf Village. So, it comes as no surprise that Naruto makes it his new mission to bring the revenge-loving boy back home.
Joseph Joestar and Caesar Zeppeli
There are all sorts of buff egos in the world of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The story has become famous for its stylized characters, but the only thing bigger than its heroes’ muscles are their damning bromances. Just ask Joeseph Joestar how he first met Caesar Zeppeli, and you will find that even the most unlikely duo can become friends.
When JoJo met Caesar in Rome for the first time, the two men did not see eye to eye. The pair were so aggressive with one another they had to have a Ripple duel, but Caesar sees JoJo in a new light when the latter saves him from AC/DC and Wham. After the rescue, JoJo and Caesar become close as they train with LiSA down the road. So, when Caesar winds up scaling an oil-slicked tower to save JoJo, fans couldn’t help but go “aw!”
Gutts and Griffith
Berserk doesn’t have a whole lot of bright points. The series is famous for all its angst, but bromance lovers can ignore all of the story’s gore if they focus hard on its leads. The fiercely loyal friendship of Guts and Griffith enamored many, but the relationship did not end as well as it started.
Guts lived his life as an abused mercenary after escaping his sexually abusive master. When he meets a man named Griffith, Guts loses to the man in battle but is asked to join Griffith’s Band of the Hawk. The invite turns Guts into a close ally of Griffith. Their paths wind up diverging in the end, but that doesn’t take away the fact that Guts waked through hell for Griffith — literally.
Simon and Kamina
Gurren Lagann has something for everyone. The critically acclaimed series houses lots of mecha, but its colorful artwork and well-developed character are what keep audiences coming back. Simon and Kamina’s test bromance is just one piece of what makes the anime so good, and they define friendship goals for many.
The series follows a boy named Simon who dreams of reaching the Earth’s surface after humanity has been forced to live underground. His exuberant friend Kamina is always close to hype Simon and encourage his dreams even when others mock them. Kamina isn’t afraid to straight-up punch Simon for the sake of making the shy boy believe in himself. And, by the end of the series, fans get to see the massive effect Kamina had on Simon’s developing self-confidence.
Tamaki and Kyoya
They say you have it all when you have money, but that was never the case for Tamaki. Ouran High School Host Club never shied away from the character’s opulent lifestyle, but the show made sure to stress how little material things could take Tamaki in the end. No, what matters most to the lead is his friends, and Kyoya ranks at the top of that list.
The famed shojo series may focus most of its time on Tamaki’s bumbling romance with Haruhi, but his bromance with Kyoya is important as well. The two boys are total opposites as Tamaki’s over-the-top dramatics are pitted against Kyoya’s rational plans. Kyoya may get fed up with Tamaki, but the lively boy helps him come out of his stuffy shell.
Hercules and Majin Buu
When you think of Dragon Ball bromances, you probably go straight to Goku and Krillin. The pair are the most famous bros of the anime, but there is a friendship in the series that threatens it in every way. After all, the bromance of Mr. Buu and Hercules is basically bulletproof.
The surprising friendship came to be after Hercules was called to save Earth after he claimed to be Cell’s worst nightmare. The famous martial artist went to kill Buu but wound up becoming the alien’s best friend. The pair hung out all the time, and Buu went berserk when Hercules was injured trying to help him. By the time Dragon Ball Super came around, the bros were living together with a dog, and they embodied bromance goals.
Yusuke and Kazuma
Yu Yu Hakusho knows the secret ingredients to making a bomb bromance. The shonen title is recognized as one of the genre’s best, and two of its leads form to make one of anime’s best friendships ever.
Yusuke and Kazuma didn’t get off on the best foot when they first met. The delinquents met as kids growing up on the streets, but the thugs saw their rivalry shift after Yusuke died saving a boy from a hit-and-run. Kazuma learns he has spiritual powers which allow him to see Yusuke as the dead boy tries to save his soul by becoming a Spirit Detective. The former enemies take on paranormal missions together, and Kazuma wound up laying down his own life at times to help Yusuke redeem himself.
Edward and Alphonse
There is nothing better than a bromance that is an actual – well – bromance. Fans are always happy to see friendships sprout between two bros, but there is something special when it is actually two brothers getting along. So, you can see why Edward and Alphonse Elric have stolen the hearts of fans worldwide.
Fullmetal Alchemist proved the two brothers were close growing up, but their relationship changed forever after their mother died. When the young boys tried to bring her back through alchemy, Edward lost two limbs while Alphonse’s entire body was taken from him because of their taboo transmutation. Edwards vows to get his younger brother’s body back, and that journey takes the duo on one deliciously angsty mission.
Gon and Killua
It is hard to think of anime bromances without nodding to the friendship between Gon and Killua. The boys were instant friends after meeting at their first Hunter Exams, and fans have watched the two deadly heroes go on dozens of hunts with one another. So, if you are into bromances, you have to check out Hunter x Hunter.
When it comes to unbreakable bonds, Gon and Killua redefine what it means to be loyal. The bros have faced everything from the Phantom Troupe to Greed Island the Chimera Ants. When Killua watched Gon descend into a pit of despair during the ‘Chimera Ant’ arc, fans were heartbroken by their shared grief, and Killua did all he could to bring his friend back.
