The best rivals in anime make the series they’re part of better every time. When a protagonist is one of the strongest or smartest characters in their series, the only thingthat can truly push them to their limits is their rival.A rival can’t just be any character either; they have to be at least equal to their protagonist in at least one category. Sometimes, the rival is better than the main character, giving the protagonist a worthy goal to strive for.
Rivals are at their best when they are, or at least become, friends with each other. Characters who are purely antagonistic towards each other don’t share the same bonds as rivals do. Characters like Hisoka and Gon fromHunter x Hunter,for example, have a good rivalry, but they aren’t really ever on the same side unless they have to be. The best rivals choose to be on each other’s side — even if it’s only for a little bit.
7L And Light
Death Note
Death Note is one ofthe deepest anime series of all time. Even after finishing the series, viewers often have more questions than answers. One of the series' strong points is its main character: Light Yagami. He discovers the titular Death Note and decides to use it for what he thinks “good” is.
The Death Note is an all-powerful tool that can be used to kill anyone by simply writing their name in it. Light decides to rid the world of criminals, becoming the judge, jury, and ultimately, the executioner. Tons of criminals begin dropping like flies, leading the government of Japan to organize a task force hoping to find the criminal-killer.
The smartest person in the task force is simply known as “L”. L hides his identity because it’s the only thing that can stop “Kira” from writing his name in the book and taking his life. L is at least as smart as Light is, giving Light the ultimate hunter to evade.
Light and L begin working on the task force together, and the ensuing cat-and-mouse game that arises from their teamwork is one of the best reasons to watchDeath Note.L is always on Light’s tale, andno matter how hard he tries, he can never truly shake his rival.
6Arthur And Shinra
Fire Force
Arthur Boyle and Shinra Kusakabe are the perfect compliments to each other. They’re both insanely passionate, stronger than most people in their position, and willing to go to insane lengths to verify they accomplish their mission and help the people around them.
They get together like oil and water. Arthur likes to pretend like he’s straight-laced and takes himself very seriously, which is ironic considering how truly deluded he is. Shinra, on the other hand, is never too serious, unless he needs to be. Together, they’re two of Special Fire Force Company 8’s strongest Fire Soldiers.
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Arthur and Shinra both want to get stronger, but like two great rivals, they’re always pushing each other to get the most out of one another. They’re always vying to fight the next enemy, and on the rare occasion that they work together,there are few characters in the series who can take them head-on.
Arthur fights with a sword like the Knight King he pretends to be. Shinra mainly fights with his feet, igniting incredibly powerful bursts of energy in an instant. Their fighting styles are about as opposite as their personalities, and that makesFire Forceeven better.
5Hinata And Kageyama
Haikyu!!
Haikyu!!is easily one of thebest sports anime of all time, and Hinata and Kageyama are two of the greatest reasons why. They’re complete opposites in just about every way except for one: neither of them is willing to lose. They’re two of the hardest-headed characters around, and Karasuno couldn’t benefit from their stubborness more.
Even when they’re up against opponents older, wiser, and objectively better than them, neither character cares. One of the greatest moments in the series came when Hinata got in Ushiwaka’s face and told him that he and Kageyama were going to beat him. While Kageyama usually disagrees with Hinata, he couldn’t have been prouder of his rival.
Hinata is all about speed and athleticism. What he lacks in height he more than makes up for in enthusiasm and a sheer determination to win. Kageyama is the opposite; he’s focused on control and precision.Together, they create one of the deadliest attacks inHaikyu!!
Nobody makes Hinata work harder than Kageyama, and the same is true in the inverse. Even though Hinata and Kageyama are on the same team, they’re the best rivals for each other.
4Yuno And Asta
Black Clover
Yuno and Asta were destined to be rivals. They come from the same orphanage, were best friends growing up, and they both want to become the Wizard King one day. They each start the series as weaker than most, but eventually, they both become two ofthe strongest characters inBlack Clover.
Yuno was always going to be one of the strongest. He is actually the Prince of a fallen kingdom, was chosen by a four-leaf grimoire, and was also chosen by the Wind Spirit, Sylph. Asta is the exact opposite.
He has literally zero mana in his body. He wasn’t chosen by a grimoire whatsoever, but thanks to his unreal determination, he got a brutal five-leaf grimoire that suited his Anti-Magic prowess perfectly.
As both boys want to become the Wizard King, they’re each pushing one another to become stronger. Whenever times get tough, even though they’re rivals,they can always rely on one another.Some of the best fights inBlack Cloverare when the two are fighting side-by-side, showing that even peasants have what it takes to defend the Clover Kingdom from evil.
3Naruto And Sasuke
Naruto
Naruto and Sasuke are two of the fiercest rivals in anime. While most great rivalries don’t truly pit their characters against each other, Naruto and Sasuke were absolutely on opposite sides of the moral spectrum inNaruto.There was a point in the series when Sasuke was one ofthe strongest villains inNaruto,making Naruto wonder if his friend could ever be redeemed.
Naruto and Sasuke have relatively similar upbringings. Naruto became an orphan the day he was born, and Sasuke became an orphan when he was a small child. Both grew up relatively alone, and they were also two of the stronger kids in their ninja schools.
Sasuke then took his own path inNaruto: Shippuden.He left the village to join Orochimaru and get stronger, abandoning the village he had called home. Like a true friend, Naruto then dedicated himself to getting stronger so that he could one day bring his friend back.
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Naruto: Shippudenends with one of the most emotional, amazing fights in anime. Naruto and Sasuke battle it out one last time, and the two have never been stronger.They’re each so strong because of one another,and their beautiful battle shows all the conflicts that led to their final bout as well.
2Bakugo And Midoriya
My Hero Academia
Bakugo and Midoriya’s relationship is complicated to say the least. Midoriya had always admired Bakugo and wanted to be his rival’s friend. Bakugo didn’t feel the same. Instead, Bakugo spent most of his childhood bullying Midoriya and avoiding him when he could.
As the pair grow up, they can’t help but see that they have more in common than they thought. They both want to be heroes because of how much they admire All Might, one ofthe strongest characters inMy Hero Academia.
Eventually, Bakugo breaks down and admits that he’s been jealous of Midoriya’s determination. Even though Midoriya didn’t have a Quirk for a long time, he was still braver and more determined than Bakugo was.
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Midoriya only grew to appreciate his rival even more. Bakugo was the first person to learn that Midoriya’s new Quirk was actually All Might’s One For All, and like a true rival,pushed Midoriya to become a person worthy of inheriting such a powerful ability.
1Goku And Vegeta
Dragon Ball Z
Goku and Vegeta are the greatest rivals in anime without a shadow of a doubt. At times, it feels like they were made for each other. They’re two halves of one hole, andDragon Ballwouldn’t be the same without them.Vegeta wasn’t even supposed to stick around, but his overwhelming popularity with the fans forced creator Akira Toriyama’s hand.
Goku is the chill half of the two. He doesn’t care about anything other than fighting people stronger than him, and that’s about it. He doesn’t care about being a dad, protecting the Earth, or anything outside of eating and fighting. On more than one occasion, Goku’s lack of mercilessness has cost the people around him dearly.
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Vegeta is the exact opposite. He cares about his pride like Goku cares about combat. But Vegeta cares about his family deeply, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. He’s more than willing to finish off a bad guy if it means stopping the villain from being evil again in the future.
Together, they’re two ofthe strongest characters inDragon Ball,andthey’ve risen to the top because of each other.Vegeta will always be Goku’s eternal rival, and neither character would want it any other way.
