The Strongest Duos In Anime

The concept of a couple of characters teaming up to take down a common enemy is not new. It has existed in the anime industry for a very long time now. Most of the time, the two characters may share a common objective, but there are times when the pair just might be friends.

Throughout the years, there have been many anime duos that have drawn interest from fans. These anime duos have fought, laughed, and cried together, which has improved their bond even further. By combining their strength, the duos form a formidable partnership that is capable of taking down strong opponents.

Updated on April 24, 2024, by Oluwatokiloba Folami: Teamwork makes the dream work, and in anime, fans see a lot of teamwork. Anime creators create characters to either work together or destroy each other, but occasionally, there is a shift in the dynamic as rivals come together to defeat a common enemy or achieve a shared goal, transforming into friends and becoming an unstoppable duo together. The bonds between these characters are unbreakable, and as the anime progresses, fans notice significant character development as these characters go on adventures and overcome obstacles together. In addition, they grow together, complementing each other’s strengths and forming a deep and emotional bond.

25 Kyo & Tohru

Emotional Support

These two created a haven for each other, regarding and validating each other’s feelings and, more importantly, accepting their true selves. Tohru accepted Kyo in his cursed form, and this act touched him as no one had ever accepted him in his entirety. Because of this act, Kyo let his walls down for Tohru and let her in.

What makes these two a strong duo is how their different personalities complement each other and help them overcome the obstacles in their way. Kyo is hot-tempered and lives with so much guilt, while Tohuru is calm, kind-hearted, and sees the good in everyone, including Kyo. No one is perfect, and they both accept each other for their flaws, which makes them stronger for every challenge that comes their way.

24 Yugi & Seto

Rivals With Respect For One Another

Duel Monsters is the card game that the franchise, Yu-Gi-Oh! revolves around. Yuugi is a high school student whose love for games stems from his grandfather’s owning a game store. While Seto is the big-time CEO of his cooperation, KaibaCorp, he will do whatever it takes to achieve his dreams, particularly becoming the best player in the Duel Monsters game.

In as much as these two are fierce rivals, they respect each other and acknowledge their strengths. Whenever they have a shared interest or a common enemy, they are quick to put aside their differences to overcome the threat at hand. Over time, their interaction with each other causes them to significantly change. Seto starts shedding the weight of his past trauma, while Yugi becomes more assertive and bold.

23 Kageyama & Hinata

Rivals Destined To Be Side By Side

These two started off as rivals as Kageyama beat Hinata’s school in a junior high volleyball tournament. Bitter about this loss, Hinata vows to put in the effort to become better so that one day he will surpass and defeat Kagayama. Surprisingly, he finds himself in the same high school as Kageyama, and he notices him as soon as he joins the volleyball club.

Because of their history, they found it hard to work together at first, but eventually, they were able to put their differences aside, and they became unstoppable, winning almost every match they competed in. Still rivals at heart, they badly wanted to surpass each other with their set goal of being at the top. They motivated each other till they eventually got to the top, being team members on the Japan National Team.

22 Elias Ainsworth & Chise Hatori

Master And Servant Duo Turned Into Emotional, Supportive, And Romantic Relationship

Chise is an orphan who has been cast aside by her society. Desperate for a place to call home, she offers herself up for sale at an auction where she meets Elias, who buys her and takes her to his home. Chise is greatly grateful for Elise buying her and is loyal and submissive to him and his wishes.

Under his care, Elias notices that Chise has potential, and he begins to teach her magic. On the other hand, Chise teaches Elias how to comprehend and understand human emotions since he is more demon than human and has difficulties understanding his own emotions, and his newly developed feelings for Chise. Their presence in each other’s lives heals their trauma, Chise’s depression, and Elias’s loneliness.

21 Ash & Pikachu

A Deep Bond Of Friendship

Although Ash’s journey in Pokémon has reached its end, this classic anime gave birth to an inseparable duo: Ash and Pikachu. Ash is a young boy whose dream is to become a Pokemon master. On the day he is to receive his Pokemon, he sleeps in, gets there late, and is stuck with a stubborn and electrifying Pokemon, Pikachu.

This Pokemon turns out to be his ticket to achieving his dreams. These two did not hit it off at once, but it was not long before they did. During their travels, they began to bond as they made friends and fought opponents in order for Ash to become a Pokemon master. Pikachu makes it easy for Ash to train him because of his ability to adapt to different combat situations and attacks, and because of his type. Pikachu’s Electric-type gives him an advantage in the Pokemon world, and Ash uses this to attain the title of Pokemon master.

20 Andy & Fuuko

They Understand Each Other’s Abilities

Undead Unluck is a shonen anime that began streaming in October 2023 and has slowly gained popularity among fans. It follows the story of a young girl, Fuuko, who cannot interact physically with people because she emits bad luck. Andy, on the other hand, is known as Undead because, no matter what happens to him, he cannot die as his body regenerates quickly. These two special people meet one fine day as Fuuko prepares to kill herself, and their journey begins. Andy wants to see how heavy Fuuko’s unluck can get, and if it is enough to kill him and put him out of his immortal misery.

As the anime progresses, these two characters learn to rely on each other and combine their powers to defeat opponents. Andy knows when to unleash Fuuko’s bad luck on himself to take his opponent down. In a recent episode, Fuuko slices off Andy’s head, knowing fully well that it can regenerate, to prevent their opponent from defeating Andy. This surprises their opponent, but it also shows fans how strong of a force they are together since they understand each other’s abilities.

19 Natsu & Happy

Loyal Companions

In Fairy Tail, every Dragon Slayer needs a pet, and the pet is a cat. Natsu is a dragon slayer with a loyal and supportive cat, Happy. Natsu has been with Happy since Happy was an egg, and this duo has been supporting each other through thick and thin. It is not uncommon for a duo to include an individual and a pet, but what is more important is their ability to have each other’s backs during battles and help achieve goals.

Natsu hopes to find his dad one day, and Happy accompanies Natsu on his journey. Happy is always looking out for Natsu during fights, and when things get intense, he becomes protective and wants Natsu out. Natsu has strong willpower, and he pushes himself to surpass his limits, while Happy contributes to Natsu’s strength by supporting him. In this world, friendship is very important, and Natsu’s strength increases because of Happy.

18 Kamina & Simon

Their Opposite Personalities Complement Each Other

Kamina and Simon are both very popular characters. Kamina was an eccentric individual who believed in thinking outside the box, while Simon was much more shy and taciturn. Despite the two being vastly different in terms of personalities, they got along rather well.

Kamina knew that Simon had potential, so he would always try to push him. Simon was initially reluctant, but Kamina’s relentlessness finally paid off. Simon considered Kamina his big brother, and the bond between the two was captured beautifully in the anime. Suffice it to say, Kamina and Simon have a strong case for being the best anime duo.

17 Sora & Shiro

Sibling Teamwork

Sora and Shiro are the main protagonists of No Game No Life. The two have distinct qualities that separate one from the other. Shiro is the stepsister of Sora, and she is the more clever of the two. She is a master strategist who is capable of outsmarting supercomputers. Shiro knows 18 different languages, and it doesn’t take her long to learn a new one.

Sora is the older of the two stepsiblings, and he is more manipulative and cunning than his sister. Sora is an eloquent speaker who uses words to trick others into taking his side. While his sister is smarter, Sora isn’t that far behind. He is better suited to fighting against normal people than AI. While some of the things that they do may be controversial, they are definitely among the best anime duos.

16 Erwin & Levi

Mutual Respect and Understanding

The world of Attack on Titan is cruel, and it doesn’t allow for many friendships to blossom. The life expectancy of any character not named Eren, Armin, or Mikasa is usually a few episodes. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and two characters who were able to survive for a few seasons are Erwin and Levi.

The two became close friends years prior to the beginning of the story. Although they did not behave like normal friends, they respected each other and were willing to take risks based on each other’s judgment. Levi and Erwin’s efforts helped make the Survey Corps a force to be reckoned with.

15 Hyakkimaru & Dororo

They Have Each Other’s Back

Hyakkimaru and Dororo are a unique duo in the sense that only one of them is a strong fighter, while the other one is not blessed with any special abilities. Hyakkimaru’s father sacrificed his son to the demons in exchange for his land’s prosperity.

Once Hyakkimaru grew up, he began killing the demons who stole away his limbs and other parts of his body. Hyakkimaru’s recklessness was kept in check by Dororo, and without the latter, Hyakkimaru would have probably died. While Dororo wasn’t physically strong, she did have quick wits, which saved both of their lives in certain situations.

14 Genos & Saitama

Master and Student Bond

Genos and Saitama share the bond of master and student. After witnessing Saitama’s strength, Genos chased him and begged to take him in as his student. The two of them rarely train, but they have shared some intensely emotional moments together, which has solidified their bond even further.

The two of them are blessed with incredible power. Genos has immense firepower, and Saitama is just too powerful for any kind of demon. The two teamed up to fight Carnage Kabuto together, though it didn’t end well for Genos.

13 Itadori & Megumi

Opposite Personalities That Blend Well

Itadori and Megumi became friends in the unlikeliest of situations. They have clashing personalities on the surface level, which makes things interesting whenever they are together.

Megumi and Itadori have gotten themselves in difficult situations many times, and they have successfully managed to get out. They both have a lot of potential, and with proper training, they can become even stronger.

12 L & Light

Fierce Intellectual Rivals

L and Light were fierce rivals, and for the majority of Death Note, they competed against each other. However, there was a brief period when Light gave up the Death Note and lost all of his memories connected to it.

During this brief period, L and Light combined their intelligence to find out who was responsible for the killings that were happening around the world. Both of them are geniuses who are capable of outsmarting almost any character. If they decided to use Death Note, it would be nigh impossible to stop them.

11 Tanjiro & Nezuko

Familial Bond

Tanjiro and Nezuko are brother and sister. While most siblings bicker a lot, these two form an amazing partnership. Tanjiro and Nezuko have great synergy, and they have fought against many demons together.

Even in the recently released Entertainment District arc, they combined their power to push Daki on the back foot, and the demon was extremely frustrated with her inability to defeat the brother and sister duo.

10 Mugen & Jin

Dynamic Love-Hate Energy

Mugen and Jin are two wandering samurai from SamuraiChamploo. Mugen is an unorthodox samurai whose usage of different techniques makes him a tough opponent. Jin is a normal samurai with a specific style; however, that does not make him any weaker.

Jin is a master swordsman who has proven to be an equal match for Mugen on numerous occasions. The two of them have faced many threats together, but they have always managed to come out on top.

9 Gintoki & Katsura

Best Friends

Gintoki and Katsura’s friendship goes way beyond the current Gintama timeline. In the past, the two of them were rebels who fought to protect the sovereignty of Edo against the Amanto invasion.

Gintoki and Katsura have faced countless dangerous situations together, which has built a great deal of camaraderie between the two. Both of them are expert swordsmen who can give anyone a tough fight on their best day.

8 Edward & Alphonse

Brotherly Bond

Edward and Alphonse have experienced a lot of traumatic events in their lives. Both of them lost parts of themselves in an alchemy accident when they were just little boys. Since then, they have matured into kind and generous people.

Edward and Alphonse share a deep bond of brotherhood. Both of them are good at Alchemy, and many times, they have successfully managed to defeat strong enemies by combining their strengths.

7 Gyro & Johnny

A Friendship Bond Powers Them

• Anime: Steel Ball Run
• Japanese Title: JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 7: Steel Ball Run
• Number of Chapters: 96

Gyro and Johnny are two of the best-written characters in the entire JoJo series. The two of them met at the beginning of the Steel Ball Run race. Originally, Gyro was not interested in being Johnny’s friend, but due to the latter’s persistence, Gyro had to give in.

Together, they not only took down several villains, but they also helped each other to grow as people. They had an amazing friendship, and both would willingly do anything to help the other.

6 ​​​​​​Bakugo & Midoriya

Rivals Turned Friends

With the dream of becoming pro-heroes one day, Midoriya and Bakugo joined U.A. Despite the two of them being rivals, Bakugo and Midoriya have proven that they are capable of working together.

Even with their clashing personalities, the two U.A. students make a great combo. Bakugo’s nature of charging headfirst into every fight is curbed by Midoriya’s calm thinking.