Friendship is one of the most important aspects of shonen anime. Aimed at teens and young adults, the majority of these stories are filled with friendships that play a crucial role in defining both the characters and the outcome of a series. These bonds between characters help them to mature and better understand the world around them.

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These friendships are formed between siblings, friends, classmates, and even rivals. The characters in such friendships push each other to their limits, and ultimately end up making each other better. With that in mind, here are some of the most iconic best friends in anime.

Updated on March 16, 2023, by Suzail Ahmad: One of the best lessons that any anime can teach the audience is that of friendship. It doesn't matter what age group, a budding companionship between two characters never fails to bring smiles to the faces of the viewers. Over time, the idea of using the theme of friendship in stories has become more common. Many mangaka have used this element to make their work more interesting. The best thing about some of these friendships is that they are formed in the most unusual circumstances. Considering the large influx of anime being announced, it is hard to ignore the special bonds between characters. With that in mind, here are some of the best anime duos.

18 Einar and Thorfinn From Vinland Saga

Thorfinn and Einar farming together

When Einar met Thorfinn, he would have never thought that he would become friends with such a person. Einar and Thorfinn lived completely different lives before they ended up on the same farm. Thorfinn was a fearless warrior who mowed down anyone who stood in his path.

On the other hand, Einar was a farmer who loved his family. What makes their friendship beautiful is that they managed to cast their past aside. Einar helped Thorfinn deal with the troubles of his past. Eventually, they started working together and managed to secure their freedom from Ketil.

17 Kamina and Simon From Gurren Lagann

Kamina and Simon smiling together

Kamina and Simon are two of the most well-known characters in the anime community. They knew each other for the majority of their lives. Kamina was an energetic individual who was not afraid to take risks. Simon was the total opposite; he was timid and often tried to stop Kamina from being reckless.

The two characters balanced each other nicely. Whenever Simon was feeling down, Kamina would give him words of encouragement. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that Kamina played a very crucial role in shaping Simon's character. As the story progressed, Kamina's influence began to rub off on Simon, and the latter managed to become a strong and capable individual.

16 Itadori and Todo From Jujutsu Kaisen

Itadori and Todo posing in Jujutsu Kaisen

Itadori and Todo managed to strike up a friendship in the unlikeliest of situations. The two were supposed to be on opposing sides, but Todo saw potential in Itadori and labeled him as his best friend. Initially, Itadori was hesitant and didn't want anything to do with Todo.

However, the senior Jujutsu sorcerer's persistence paid off, and Itadori caved in. The two of them even joined hands to fight Hanami, one of the special-grade curses. Itadori and Todo's friendship also provided fans with plenty of laughter and drama, giving the series a much-needed jovial mood.

15 King and Saitama From One Punch Man

Saitama and King playing video games

The duo of King and Saitama is quite different from the usual ones found in anime. For starters, one of them has very little power, while the other has copious amounts of it. King thrived off Saitama's accomplishments, and he came to be known as the "Strongest Man Alive," but it didn't seem to bother the caped bald hero.

​​​The two bonded over their love for video games. Saitama was thoroughly impressed by King's ability to beat him so easily at video games. This common interest helped the two become good friends. Since then, they have helped each other a lot. While Genos might be close to Saitama, the former doesn't know a lot about him. Meanwhile, King understands Saitama, and he knows that he has his faults. By the time the series ends, the duo of Saitama and King will have definitely become even more iconic.

14 Johnny Joestar And Gyro Zeppeli From Steel Ball Run

Steel Ball Run Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli together

Johnny Joestar is the main protagonist of Steel Ball Run and Gyro Zeppeli is his main aide. The two met at the very beginning of the series and within a few chapters, the two became a duo. However, this was just the beginning of their friendship. The two of them inspired each other in ways that no one else could.

In particular, Johnny was deeply influenced by Gyro and his ideologies. Johnny became more confident in his abilities and finally understood the importance of friendship. Johnny adored his friend to the point that he was willing to trust Funny Valentine to bring him back to life.

13 Caiman And Nikaido From Dorohedoro

Dorohedoro Caiman and Nikaido

Caiman and Nikaido are two of the main characters from Dorohedoro. The two live in the Hole where Nikaido has her own shop. Caiman is a man of mystery as he does not know anything about his past. Due to an unfortunate incident, Caiman's head was turned into that of a lizard.

The two have great fighting synergy as they have managed to take down numerous magicians. Together, Caiman and Nikaido killed many magic users to find more clues about the former's condition. They care about each other in their own special ways.

12 Saichi Sugimoto And Asirpa From Golden Kamuy

Golden Kamuy Asirpa and Sugimoto meet after a long time

The two of them are the main characters of Golden Kamuy. After finding out that there is a treasure hidden, Sugimoto decided to search for it, and he nearly died, but luckily Asirpa managed to rescue him from the clutches of death.

Once Asirpa came to know about the hidden gold, she decides to help Sugimoto find it. The two of them come across many dangers, but they always have each other's backs. As the story progresses, the bond between the two only continues to improve.

11 Ei Sei And Xin From Kingdom

Ei Sei and Cin from Kingdom anime

Ei Sei was next in line to be crowned the King of Qin, but due to a clever plot from the enemies, Ei Sei had to wait for several years. He met Xin after his body double was murdered inside the castle.

The two of them did not have the best of starts to their friendship, but as time went on, both of them helped each other to grow and become better humans. Ei Sei's trust in Xin reached new heights as the former entrusted him with the most important tasks. Eventually, Xin became Ei Sei's most loyal and trusted companion.

10 Gon And Killua From Hunter x Hunter

Gon and Killua from Hunter x Hunter

Not many friendships compare to the companionship of Gon and Killua from Hunter x Hunter. The two met during the Hunter Exams and immediately became good friends. Since then, the two have reached the status of pro-hunters and faced my ordeals together.

The two complement each other perfectly. Gon likes to charge headfirst in any situation, while Killua carefully analyzes the situation before taking action. Their difference in approaches has saved their lives on countless occasions.

9 Naruto And Sasuke From Naruto

Sasuke protects Naruto

Naruto is a shonen series that focuses heavily on the friendship between two people. There are other things to concentrate on within the plot, but the central point of the series is the friendship between Naruto and Sasuke, two very different yet similar individuals.

Sasuke left the village as he wanted to increase his power, and all the villagers gave up on him, everyone except Naruto. Naruto promised that he'd bring back Sasuke from the depths of darkness — and he did. Naruto taught Sasuke the importance of friendship and made him realize that there was more to life than he thought.

8 The Straw Hats From One Piece

one piece straw hats anime we are one

They're not a duo, but they can't be left out when talking about anime friendships. The Straw Hat Pirates are like one big family. The crew has been together for a long time, traveling together to different islands as they try to accomplish their dreams. One Piece lays a lot of importance on friendship, and in several instances, the crew has shown that they are willing to go to any lengths to save one of their own.

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The crew is diverse, and they balance each other perfectly. Despite the different personalities in the crew, they have a strong sense of harmony.

7 L. And Light From Death Note

Light and L from Death Note

Death Note's L. and Light might not be the best of friends, but they are definitely an iconic duo. Originally, they started out as arch-enemies. After Light got his hands on the Death Note, he became a ruthless serial killer, and L was assigned to catch him.

However, following an unforeseen chain of events, Light ended up without his memories and teamed up with L. to catch Kira. The two intellectuals combined their intelligence on multiple occasions, and it was easy to figure out that they developed a special bond in a short time.

6 Gintoki And Katsura From Gintama

Gintama Gintoki and Katsura looking at each other

The duo from Gintama has been responsible for plenty of sidesplitting acts. Gintoki and Katsura were trained by the same teacher, but they ended up walking down different paths.

However, they have one thing in common, which is their deep admiration for each other. The two have popped up on various occasions throughout the series to save each other from possible danger.

5 Meliodas And Ban From Seven Deadly Sins

Seven Deadly Sins Ban with his captain, Meliodas

The Seven Deadly Sins manga came to an end in March 2020, but the anime is still ongoing. The series has produced many outstanding partnerships, but none of them are as brilliant as the companionship between Ban and Meliodas.

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Meliodas shares a special bond with Ban, the latter reciprocates the feeling. The two of them understand each other perfectly, and most of the time they are on the same wavelength. They have demonstrated their strength as a duo against some of the strongest characters in the series.

4 Puck And Guts From Berserk

Berserk Puck standing on Guts' shoulder

As a victim of a horrid past, Berserk's Guts was never interested in making friends; he only cared about getting stronger. After Gambino's betrayal, Guts never trusted anyone else, and it only changed when he met the Band of Hawk.

His happiness was cut short by Griffith's betrayal, which resulted in the death of almost the entire mercenary group. Guts met Puck in a pub, where he unknowingly saved the fairy's life. Despite Guts' rude behavior, Puck decided to stick with the swordsman, and together they traveled to many different places. In a way, Puck helped Guts to recover from his trauma.

3 Joseph And Caesar From JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Joseph and Caesar's first meeting

Almost every JoJo's Bizarre Adventure part has an iconic duo, but none more so than the duo of Joseph Joestar and Caesar Zeppeli. The first meeting between the two didn't go as planned, as the two ended up having a brief tussle and initially started on less-than-friendly terms.

As the story progressed, the two became very good friends. Eventually, Caesar even forfeited his own life to get the antidote for Joseph, demonstrating the depths of their friendship.

2 Edward And Alphonse Elric From Fullmetal Alchemist

Elric brothers from Fullmetal Alchemist

​​​​Edward and Alphonse Elric of Fullmetal Alchemist are a very rare case in anime of siblings being the best of friends. Often, anime displays friendships beginning with strangers who bump into each other in one way or another, however; the same does not apply to Edward and Alphonse Elric.

These siblings have been through a lot together, and their unwavering love for each other has helped them pull through it all. The brothers shared both pain and joy together, which made their bond even stronger.

1 Ash And Pikachu From Pokemon

Pokemon Ash with Pikachu on his shoulder with stern expressions

Not many characters can boast of having a bigger fanbase than Pikachu and Ash. The two have stuck with each through thick and thin. Despite a shocking start, Pikachu and Ash have become the best of friends over the years they've traveled together.

On their journeys together, Pikachu and Ash have collectively won countless battles and lost a few as well. To this day, fans hope that the duo will remain together for the foreseeable future.

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