A good rival in animecan get the most out of the series' hero. While some characters may be in a league of their own due to their superhuman intelligence or strength,a rival can become their equal, challenging them when they might have thought they were in the clear. The best rivals in anime are as smart or strong as their eternal foe, or they have a skill that gives them an edge in a one-on-one. Rivalries aren’t short-lived, either, as the best rivalries will span years, or even generations.
Rivals don’t always have to fight against their foe, either. Sometimes they fight alongside each other, only considering each other’s rivals because there’s nobody left in the universe who could compare.The best anime rivals are fiercely competitive, are always pushing their fellow rivals to their limit, and may have the strength to pass them one day.
10L -Death Note
The Only Person Who Could Rival Light
Light Yagami isone of the smartest characters in anime, and when he got the titular Death Note in his possession,there was no stopping him.He was able to kill anybody in the world just by writing their name down in the book, and he was smart enough to hide his actions from the police and anyone else trying to find him, until L. L is the moniker for Light’s nemesis, as L knows that all Light needs to kill him is his name. L spends the series deciphering Kira’s patterns, trying to find the real identity behind the global serial killer.
He’s the only person in all ofDeath Noteto even get close to figuring out Kira’s true identity. He has a sneaking suspicion that Kira is Light towards the end of the series, but never gets to confirm it. Instead, his name goes into the Death Note, and as he dies in his rival’s arms, hegets to see a smirk that confirms Kira’s identity once and for all.
9Hisoka Morrow -Hunter X Hunter
Hisoka is Constantly on Gon’s Tail
Hisoka is a true hunter inHunter X Hunter.While other characters are Hunters in name, Hisoka truly takes the time to stalk his prey before he strikes. He’s more than strong enough to kill Gon at several different points in the series, but chooses otherwise.He keeps Gon alive because he sees potential in the boyand wants to fight him when he’s much stronger in the future. Just because Hisoka wants to keep Gon alive doesn’t mean he won’t get in his way, however, as Hisoka is a huge obstacle for Gon many times.
10 Strongest Hunter x Hunter Villains, Ranked
From Neferpitou and Feitan Portor to Hisoka, Hunter X Hunter has a huge gallery of powerful and deadly villains.
While Killua stands beside Gon for most of the series as his equal, there’s never enough animosity between the two for the pair to be considered rivals.Hisoka and Gon have a great rivalryinstead, as the killer clown is always one step ahead of his future prey.
8Bakugo -My Hero Academia
From Bully to Best Friend
Katsuki Bakugo was part of the life of the protagonist ofMy Hero Academia, Izuku Midoriya, from an early age, but his role was not always positive. When it became clear that Izuku was quirkless,Bakugo started isolating and even outright bullying him. Despite that, Midoriya always considered Bakugo his best friend, which only aggravated the hot-tempered Katsuki. When Midoriya finally joined U.A., and with a powerful quirk, Bakugo started to develop conflicting emotions that ranged from jealousy to a desire to challenge and be challenged by Deku.
While their friendship steadily develops, it’s only in the final arc that it blossoms into one of the best in all of anime.When Bakugo finally apologizesand admits that he bullied Deku because he was scared of his willpower and inner strength, it createsone of the best scenes in the series. Bakugo also stubbornly refuses to accept the role of “supporting character” to Deku, and his actions and feat in the final war prove that he was always Midoriya’s equal.
7Reiner Braun -Attack on Titan
Reiner Is Eren’s Marleyan Equal
Reiner Braun is the perfect rival to Eren Yeager. They’re two sides of the same coin, and they even come from rival nations. While they spend most of the series in stark opposition to each other, they share a lot in common.Both Reiner and Eren were tasked with horrible goals as children, with their parents manipulating them to achieve their goals. They were both forced to become tools of war, turning into the very thing they hated.
10 Best Eren Fights In Attack On Titan
Eren’s fights against Reiner, Annie, and Bertholdt are some of the best Attack of Titan, showcasing Eren’s elite hand-to-hand fighting skills
Reiner tries to tell Eren that they really are equal for most ofAttack on Titan,but Eren doesn’t get it. He doesn’t see Reiner’s point until he sneaks into Marley, takes a hostage, and turns into the Attack Titan in the middle of their gathering. Eren then goes on a rampage, decimating civilians and enemies alike,finally emulating his rival Reiner.
6Yuno Grinberryall -Black Clover
Yuno May Be Wizard King One Day
Yuno Grinberryall is Asta’s rivaland the character who deserves to become the Wizard King the most after his Anti-Magic friend. He’sone of the strongest men in Black Cloverthanks to his powerful Wind and Spirit Magic. He’s the exact opposite of Asta in every way, making their rivalry even better. While Asta is hot-headed, always running into battle first and thinking later, Yuno is cool, calm and collected. He rarely lets his emotions get the best of him and is smart enough to see a way to win every battle.
While Yuno and Asta are certainly rivals,they’re at their best when they work together.Their fight against Zagred is one of the best inBlack Clover,with the pair using each other’s powers to great effect. Nothing looks better than seeing Yuno shoot Asta into the air like a bullet, only for Asta to slice clean through their opponents.
5Dio Brando -JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Dio Is the Rival of an Entire Family
Dio Brando has terrorized entire generations of the Joestar family. Dio is the antagonist of two parts ofJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, but his influence is fel throughout the series. He started as a rival to Jonathan Joestar, the first ever JoJo, before later becoming a rival to Jotaro Kujo. Whenever Dio is inJoJo’s,he’s the main problem. He’s a villain to his core who only cares about himself.
Dio is one of the most enigmatic characters in anime.He’s flashy, flamboyant, and never afraid of a fight. He represents evil incarnate, and as such he stands in opposition to every Joestar’s heroic deed. Interestingly,JoJo’s author Hiroiko Araki wanted to show that while justice can run in the blood of a family, evil doesn’t necessarily do, and Dio’s son becomes the hero of part 5,Golden Wind.
4Madara Uchiha -Naruto: Shippuden
Madara’s Anger Spanned Generations
Madara is such a powerful rival inNarutothat he planted his hatred in other characters.He’s squarely Hashirama’s rivaland is willing to wait hundreds of years to fight his enemy once again. Like Dio Brando, Madara is crazy enough to plant his enemy’s cells within his own body to gain an advantage. He’s one of the single strongest characters inNarutofor several reasons, and one of the few characters strong enough to fight the First Hokage on equal footing.
Madara is responsible for one of the coolest one-man-army moments in animewhen he takes on the entire Shinobi Alliance at once. He’s one of the few characters in the series to even be able to attempt such a feat. As often happens in these relationships, Hashirama always saw the best in Madara, and Madara remained stubbornly fixated on the path that led to conflict and tragedy.
3Sukuna -Jujutsu Kaisen
The King of Curses and Yuji’s Half
Sukuna is a lot of things inJujutsu Kaisen: the strongest villain, a device to move the plot forward, but what defines him most, perhaps, is the connection he has with the protagonist, Yuji. The story begins as Yuji is forced to ingest Sukuna’s finger to save his friends, thus reincarnating the strongest evil jujutsu sorcerer in history. From then on, Yuji had to keep Sukuna confined in his body, but the finale of the story revealed that their relationship was much more than that.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s ending revealed that Yuji was actually “learning” a lot from Sukuna, acquiring his cursed technique just by sharing a body with him. However,Sukuna also learned something from Yuji, as after his death he expresses regret and the desire to take another path in life, if given the chance. It was a shocking revelation, but one that underscored just how deep the dynamic between Yuji and Sukuna was in the series.
2Sasuke Uchiha -Naruto
Naruto’s Shadow
Sasuke Uchiha has one of the most tragic backstories in anime. He grew up as a happy kid in a nice family, before his older brother Itachi went on to annihilate their entire clan. He spent the rest of his childhood distant from the people around him, never allowing his friend Naruto to get too close. Naruto was also an orphan, so he did his best to befriend the last of the Uchiha.When Sasuke leaves the village to get stronger, so does Naruto.Naruto leaves Konoha so he can find the strength to bring his one true friend and rival back.
What makes this one of the best rivalries in anime is how the two characters started from similar circumstances but went on opposite paths. Naruto strived to find the acceptance of the people who shunned him, while Sasuke shunned the world to focus on his revenge, first against his brother and then against the village. Only Naruto’s stubbornness could lead Sasuke back on the right path, thus succeeding where Hashirama had failed with Madara.
1Vegeta -Dragon Ball Z
Vegeta Brings the Best Out of Goku
Vegeta is the most famous and iconic rival in all of anime.He’s always pushing Goku to become even stronger by trying to surpass him. He started the series as an angry, insecure Prince of a fallen race before having one of the best character arcs inDragon Ball,turning into a loving husband and decent father. No matter where he’s at emotionally, however, the Prince of Saiyans always wants to fight his rival Kakarot. He doesn’t care if he’s fighting for good or evil sometimes too, leading toVegeta’s best fights in Dragon Ball.
As the franchise keeps going withDragon Ball Super, Goku and Vegeta are both acquiring new, exciting forms built to push their rival to his absolute limit. Whether it’s Goku’s Mastered Ultra Instinct form, or Vegeta’s brand new Ultra Ego form,they’re always pushing each other to the limit.
