recondite gum anime rivalriesthat make both reference more interesting are everywhere . They are n’t limit by type of show – slice - of - life , action , repulsion , and hacker are just a few of the genres in which the best anime feuds happen . In many instance , these rivals are precise opposites in show , mannerisms , and morality . In others , competitor have subtle deviation that show how the protagonist , too , could end up just like their foe if they are n’t careful . Zanzibar copal fans with a literary mentality will recognize these as narrative foil , and they make for some of the juiciest storytelling within the sensitive .

Anime lends itself well to contrasting part . In reality where grandiloquent strong-arm reaction and a wide range of appearances such as hair colors are the average , energiser can cursorily convey to audiences the diametric nature of two character . Many of the most iconic gum anime rivalry involve a gruff , dour - haired admirer who is pit against an gossamer , light-colored - haired one . Occasionally , rivals expect alike but are later bring out to have vastly unlike personality . But what would a good competition be without unlike morality ? Anime is one of the best mediums for exploring not only respectable vs. immorality , but the many tincture of grey that exist in between .

10Shinya Kogami and Shogo Makishima (Psycho-Pass)

Psycho - Passis rife with commentary about morality , and the contention between Kogami and Makishima only reinforce that . Kogami , a police officer in a dystopian Japan , becomes obsessed with the inhuman - full-blooded Makishima after he vote out his acquaintance , Sasayama . According to series director Naoyoshi Shiotani , Kogami was evolve to be Makishima ’s accurate opposite word – he ’s action mechanism - oriented and high-minded , while Makishima is clinical and pedantic . They also have strikingly different character pattern ; Makishima looks spookily angelic while Kogami is rugged and no - hokum . The hostility between them is so strong that their final face-off led to one of thebest installment from Season 1 ofPsycho - Pass .

9Ash Lynx and Yut-Lung Lee (Banana Fish)

Banana Fish’sAsh and Yut - Lung are rivals that would provide any gender studies prof with months worth of discussion fodder . Ash , a practical and unpitying New York City crew leader , is much more stereotypically masculine than the conniving and temperamental Yut - Lung . As the serial publication progresses , it is disclose that they have both experienced trauma of a deep horrific and similar nature . The main deviation in their retrieval was that Ash had friend to aid him heal , while Yut - Lung did not . Wistful buff often wonder whether these two would have make along , if not for their jerk - of - war over Eiji that embrace the 2d half of the serial . With characters this good , it ’s no wonderBanana Fishwas place as one of themost underrated anime of the past five days .

8Kotetsu T. Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks, Jr. (Tiger and Bunny)

raggedly - match superhero couplet are a popular boob tube trope for good reasonableness . A classic object lesson isTiger and Bunny’sKotetsu and Barnaby , who are couple together to struggle crime and boost evaluation for Sternbild ’s popular television programme , Hero TV . Kotetsu , about to mature out of his job , has a traditional view of heroism that he balances with being a dada , while Barnaby , the younger of the two , land fresh insights to their employment that often beat back Kotetsu crazy . While their human relationship is much more of a loath friendly relationship than a competition , there ’s always a good laugh to be had when these two characters butt head .

7Kenzo Tenma and Johan Liebert (Monster)

Monsterfollows Dr. Kenzo Tenma , a surgeon who saved a gunshot dupe who turned out to be the killer Johan Liebert . Tenma ’s crisis of moral sense around the matter immediately counterpoint him with the series ' titulary monster . Over the course of 74 episode , Tenma sticks close to his morals , such as his oath never to obliterate . Meanwhile , Johan spends the serial publication on something of a killing spree . The appearance and personality traits of these characters also could n’t be more different – Tenma , exhausted with hunting down Johan , often looks scraggly and unshaven , while Johan keep up a smooth , well - mannered persona that is almost otherworldly .

6Alois Trancy and Ciel Phantomhive (Black Butler)

While Season 2 ofBlack Butlerhas generated disputation for set out from Yana Toboso ’s manga and make entirely new characters , Alois Trancy has become one of Ciel ’s most memorable rivals . At first glimpse , he appear to be Ciel ’s mirror image – a spoiled robust kid with a demon Samuel Butler – but there are insidious differences between the two . One of the eeriest is that Alois ' Samuel Butler , Claude , is far less empower in his master ’s public assistance than Sebastian is in Ciel ’s . While time of year 2 is self - contained and potential to skip over , buff are encouraged to tune up in for a passkey class in theatrical role hydrofoil .

5Tohru Honda and Akito Sohma (Fruits Basket)

On a surface floor , Fruits Basket’sTohru and Akito could not be any more unlike . Tohru , cultivated and citizenry - pleasing to a shift , is the opposition of the violent and manipulative head teacher of the Sohma clan . At the heart of their opposing personality , however , is a capital hatful of worked up hurt that they have experienced separately . The impact of that trauma demonstrate differently – Tohru ’s made her afraid of ever letting anyone down , while Akito ’s led to a desperate and controlling personality , lead in one of themost tragical villains in gum anime . Remarkably , these two decide their conflict with each other by the terminal of the series , but not without some substantial sacrifices .

4Sesshomaru and Inuyasha (Inuyasha)

One of the best storytelling techniques , when revealing a character has a sibling , is to show the ways in which those sib are different . Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are the poster kid for sibling rivalries – the former dusty and prideful , the latter fiery and stubborn . Many of their disagreements are due to their parentage ; Sesshomaru is a full - fledge demon dog while Inuyasha is half - human . The entropy audiences get about their breeding and their parents ' mode of showing making love could fulfil several psychological science textbooks . While Inuyasha ’s main mission is to capture the Shikon jewel shards , the competition with his half - pal is equally , if not more , interesting .

3Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)

It ’s difficult to mean of two fictional character who contrast more distinctly than Bakugo and Deku . Deku , soft and elevated , is often on the incorrect side of Bakugo ’s hotheaded remarks . Once puerility friends , Bakugo ’s competitive streak and condescension for anyone Quirkless made Deku an sluttish target for his ira . In five , going on six seasons of the gum anime , Deku has essay those who have underestimated him wrong infinite times , butBakugo is a tsundereand still a tough shell to collapse . Still , Deku works to demonstrate benignity towards the booster who turned on him , and there is potential for these two to make redress yet .

2L Lawliet and Light Yagami (Death Note)

L and Light are a classic example of anime foils and one of thebest contention in a shonen gum anime . While their appearance sure differ , they are in reality more standardised than first printing would suggest . For instance , while L is certainly not out to belt down hoi polloi , it ’s hard to argue that he ’s on the side of pure good , either . He come near his mission to intercept Kira as one would a cheat game or any other mentally stimulating teaser . Light , while worried that his identity as Kira will be found out , also seems to get a perverse thrill out of outwitting the world ’s greatest investigator . In many way , they are utterly suitable for each other in their perpetual biz of cat - and - mouse .

1Guts and Griffith (Berserk)

Berserkhas been heralded as a chef-d’oeuvre since 1989 , and one of the large reasons for that is the transport rivalry between Guts and Griffith . Initially comrades in the Band of the Hawk , Griffith ’s ambitiousness gets in the way and results in one of the most devastating betrayals in anime history . gut , a man of few words and ( until the fateful Eclipse ) one without a dreaming , contrasts aggressively with the charismatic and calculating Griffith . The creator , Kentaro Miura , sadly pass on forth in 2021 , but the manga appear to be in good hands with Studio Gaga , who issetting a novel standard for serial revival meeting . In other words , fans will likely get a solid final face-off between Guts and Griffith that has been in the works for nigh 35 yr .

There ’s an former locution that jeweller will place glossy foil beneath a gem to make the Isidor Feinstein Stone shine brighter , and the same can be enjoin for well - written rivalries in anime . By accentuating how two character reference are different , they each must define themselves against the other to stand out in their own right . One of the many rationality that anime is such an impactful mean value of storytelling is the effort it survive into creating complex characters who challenge each other ’s motif , morality , and direction of life . Deep anime rivalriesthat make both characters more interesting do all that , and more .

chacacters from Transformers and Neon Genesis Evangelion

Digimon Adventures and Digimon Beatbreak

Solo Leveling’s Jinwoo Chainsaw Man and Death Parade

Rivalries

Makishima and Komgami from Psycho Pass

Ash Lynx and Yut Lung from Banana Fish

Tiger-&-Bunny-Kotetsu-Barnaby

Johan and Dr. Tenma From Monster

Alois and Ciel from Black Butler

Tohru and Akito from Fruits Basket

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru eating together

Deku and Bakugo from the My Hero Academia anime series.

Death Note’s Light and L standing next to each other looking ahead

Guts holding his sword and Griffith holding his Behelit in Berserk (1997).