Best Anime Duos

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 December 18, 2024 by Oluwatokiloba Folami: Two is a company, and three is a crowd is a popular idiom that suggests that two people can enjoy each other’s company, and adding a third person disrupts the balance. In some cases, a third person is pivotal to forming a trio, but powerful duos tend to stand out for their ability to dominate battles and the bonds that define them. Duos often showcase a perfect balance of strengths, with one character’s abilities complementing the other’s, resulting in seamless teamwork that overcomes even the most impossible challenges. Beyond their combat prowess, the strongest duos are driven by trust, loyalty, and shared growth, making their relationships both inspiring and memorable. Whether these two individuals are saving the world, protecting each other, or growing together, they have the tendency to leave an undeniable mark, proving that two are often stronger than one.

1 Okarun & Momo

Friends With Undeniable Chemistry

Dandadan tells the supernatural journey of Okarun and Momo as they try to recover Okarun’s testicles from Turbo Granny. They soon find out that aliens and spirits are after Okarun’s precious testicles, and this causes Momo and Okarun to be the constant targets of these supernatural threats.

Okarun and Momo’s individual encounters with supernatural elements kickstart their journey together and improve their relationship and trust in one another. Okarun’s encounter with spirits caused him to be possessed by Turbo Granny, and Momo’s encounter with the aliens caused her to awaken her psychic powers. Although they try to deny it at first, these two have insane chemistry that draws them to each other and allows them to be unstoppable against their supernatural threats, be it spirits or aliens. Their teamwork during battle is seamless as they constantly try to protect each other while trying to defeat their opponents.

2 Rudeus & Eris

Cousins Who Trust Each Other

Rudeus and Eris are second cousins who met when Rudeus was seven and Eris was nine. Because of how advanced Rudeus was with magic, he taught Eris magic and also arithmetic, language, and some other things. On the other hand, Eris taught him how to fight, especially since she is a talented swordswoman.

This duo started off their journey after the teleportation incident. They had to rely on each other as they were a million miles away from home with no idea how to get back. Rudeus’ calm intellect balances Eris’ fiery, fearless nature, allowing them to overcome life-threatening challenges together.

3 Rio & Aishia

Human And Spirit Relationship

In Spirit Chronicles, Haruto is a high school boy from Japan who finds himself in the body of a young boy named Rio after being involved in a ghastly accident on his way to school. As Rio, he finds himself in a tricky situation involving the princess of the Beltrum kingdom. He manages to be exonerated, and as compensation and gratuity, the king enrolls him in the Beltrum Academy, where Rio learns more about magic. Along the course of this anime, Rio realizes that he has a spirit living in him, bound to his soul, and one day, she manifests, and they start working together, with him naming her Aishia.

Rio unlocked more strength and advantage with Aishia by his side, especially because Aishia has the ability to control the environment and unleash devastating magic. With her by his side, they are able to sneak into places and go unnoticed, allowing them to have the surprise element on their side, as seen when Rio and Aishia rescue Celia from her forced marriage with Charles Arbor.

4 Inuyasha & Sesshomaru

Half-Brothers Who Learn to Care for Each Other

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru took their sibling rivalry to a whole new level as they were more sworn enemies than family. These half-brothers’ relationship was rocky, with more downs than ups, but as time passed, they began to care for one another. In one critical moment, Inuyasha, the younger half-brother had the chance to end his older half-brother, Sesshomaru’s life, but he could not bring himself to do it.

No matter how much they hate each other, they are still bound by blood. As InuYasha unfolds, fans witness them slowly warming up to each other, even teaming up when it counts. Together, with their combined power and mastery of swordsmanship, they are an unstoppable force.

5 Yato & Yukine

A Strained God And Shinki Relationship That Blossoms Into Something Beautiful And Powerful

In Noragami, Yato is a god, and Yukine is his shinki – a spirit that serves as a weapon for gods. At first, their relationship is not smooth as Yato constantly acts cold toward Yukine, but gradually, he begins to warm up to him, taking their relationship from a cold one to a warm one.

Their relationship transitioning makes it better for them to carry out their duties of battling spirits and facing challenges together much easier. Yato even confides in Yukine, revealing that, despite his own flaws, he never wanted to give up on him. Yato’s pride in Yukine becomes clear, and their connection only grows stronger.

6 Joseph & Caesar

Rivals Turned Friends

In Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, fans see two characters transition from rivals to friends to form a strong duo. Transitioning from rivals to friends is never easy, but when it works, it often leads to a bond that is stronger and more genuine than anything else. Joseph and Caesar were rivals, but after spending time together, they were able to form a strong friendship.

Joseph and Caesar completed their Ripple training and went on missions where they complemented each other’s strengths. When Caesar lost his life, Joseph was devastated, and the pain of losing such a good friend pushed him to seek vengeance for Caesar’s death.

7 Isaac & Miria

Chaotic But Unstoppable Duo

Isaac and Miria are two characters who have managed to make their mark known in the world of Baccano. These two are famously known for dressing up and carrying out robberies together but after facing imprisonment and spending time apart, they decide to give their criminal ways a rest.

Isaac and Miria have accomplished so much together and while celebrating one of their numerous wins, they drink an elixir that makes them complete immortals. They have been through a lot together, so much so that they have become inseparable.

8 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.

9 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.

10 Kageyama & Hinata

Rivals Destined To Be Side By Side

These two started 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.

11 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.

12 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 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.

13 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.

14 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.

15 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.

16 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.

17 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 before 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.

18 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.

19 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.

20 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.