It's Not Just Pikachu and Ash: Here's 8 Anime Duos That Embody the True Power of Friendship

Friends always make anime better. Seeing two or more characters go through adversity together makes the series more enjoyable, can provide a rest during dark times, and ultimately make the characters more likable to watch. Every great anime series has at least one friendship that anyone can identify. The whole notion of friendship being this innately powerful force has become something of a cliche in the world of anime, especially shonen anime, but it's one cliche that has stuck around for very good reason.

There's never a time when a good friendship makes an anime worse. Good friends are there to support their friends through the hardest times, giving them a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen with. They're also their to back their friends up in brutal fights. The best friendships in anime make fans truly believe in the power of togetherness, encouraging them to seek out their own powerful bonds in real life.

8 Itadori and Todo

Jujutsu Kaisen

Itadori had no idea what Todo was talking about when they first met. The first time Todo laid eyes on Itadori, he knew they were destined to be best friends. Their relationship is one of the funniest parts of what is otherwise one of the darkest anime series. While Todo and Itadori were technically supposed to be enemies, Todo couldn't help but ask Itadori questions to find more about him. One of the funniest moments in the series happened when Todo asked Itadori what his type of girl was.

Itadori answered honestly, saying he liked girls like 'Jennifer Lawrence'. Todo was enamored. Ever since then, the pair have been thick as thieves. Todo acts as an older brother to Itadori, and since their first interaction, Itadori has never questioned him. It's a phenomenal friendship that breaks the normal mold of shōnen. In most shōnen series, the main character is usally friends with someone in his squad. In Jujutsu Kaisen's case, that would be Megumi, but Todo filled that role better than he ever could. Todo and Itadori's friendship is one of the best reasons to watch Jujutsu Kaisen.

7 Joseph and Caeser

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Battle Tendency

Joseph and Caesar have one of the most bizarre friendships in a series in which the word bizarre is literally in the title. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure features a ton of different JoJos across all the parts, but no two characters are as close as Joseph and Caesar in Part 2: Battle Tendency. Joseph has Robert E.O. Speedwagon, Jotaro has Kakyoin, Josuke has Okuyasu, Giorno has his gang, and Jolyne has Emporio and Ermes.

While each JoJo has someone they can consider a great friend, no two get along as well as Joseph and Caesar. They started as much less than friends before becoming brothers in every sense of the word. Joseph was a jokester and Caesar was the perfect straight-edge person to compliment him. When Caesar died in Battle Tendency, it was one of the few times in the entire franchise in which Joseph became incredibly serious. He mourned his friend, took his trademark headband, and destroyed the almighty Pillar Men once and for all.

6 Karasuno Volleyball Club

Haikyu!!

It's hard to pick out any two friends within Karasuno Volleyball Club from Haikyu!!. While there are certainly characters within the team that get along better than others, like Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, the team as a whole can be considered great friends. As the series progresses, and Karasuno faces trial after trial, the team becomes a cohesive unit with every player supporting one another thoroughly. When Yamaguchi comes on as a pinch server and scores, the entire team is filled with pure elation.

Hinata and Kageyama are at the front of every one of the best matches in Haikyu!!, but that doesn't mean they don't have an incredible team behind them. Haikyu!! is one of the best sports anime of all time because of how well it uses every character on the court. While other series might focus on a single player, each member of Karasuno is vital to the team's success. Beyond their ability to play volleyball, each team member is a solid friend in their own right, never giving up on one another and supporting each other past the toughest opponents in Japan.

5 Deku and Kacchan

My Hero Academia

Midoriya and Bakugo's relationship is complicated, to say the least. Midoriya had always been a soft, kind-hearted boy who wanted the best for Bakugo, even if Bakugo didn't reciprocate the feeling initially. As My Hero Academia progresses, however, Bakugo can't help but grow to care about his newfound friend and rival. They find friendship through their mutual admiration of All Might, the world's strongest hero. After his downfall, the pair start their paths to take his place as the new defenders of good.

There aren't many better moments in My Hero Academia than when Bakugo and Midoriya are fighting on the same battlefield. When Shigaraki goes to impale Deku, Bakugo steps in and takes the blow for him, leading to an incredible berserk moment from Deku. A similar moment happens when Deku finally gets to the Coffin in the Sky and sees Bakugo on death's door. He flies at Shiagaraki, landing new finishing moves in an attempt to avenge his fallen friend. The progression of their friendship always makes My Hero Academia more interesting.

4 The Black Bulls

Black Clover

The Black Bulls are a group of the strongest characters in Black Clover. Beyond their ridiculous strengths as individuals, they also have each other's backs through everything. It wasn't always that smooth, however. At the start of the series, Noelle was a little too pretentious to let her guard down around her new friends, and the rest of the Black Bulls were still getting to know their new comrades. Like Karasuno, the Bulls have been through a lot since then, growing inseparable as the series moved forward.

Watching the Black Bulls defend and support each other is one of the best reasons to watch Black Clover. Each of the Bulls would most likely lay down their life for their squad mates, making the entire group an incredible friendship. One of the best moments in anime occurs when Langris goes to finish Finral off and the entire group of Black Bulls pounces on him. Luck says it best when he tells Langris that he's willing to drop all the pretext of the competition they're in just to fight him on the spot for hurting Finral so terribly.

3 Goku and Vegeta

The Dragon Ball Franchise

While there's no argument that Goku's longest-serving friend is Krillin, there's a good argument to be had that his new best friend is his rival, Vegeta. Goku and Krillin grew up together and trained together under Master Roshi, but since their training days, the two have grown apart. When Krillin met Android 18, he stopped prioritizing martial arts and chose instead to focus on being a father and a husband. Goku has been a father and a husband for a lot longer than Krillin, but never made either role his main priority.

Vegeta, on the other hand, has Goku's same goals in mind constantly. They both want to become the strongest characters in Dragon Ball. They both have kids and wives but would rather spend their time training than be around them. Without Goku, Vegeta would never have gotten as strong as he is now. Without Vegeta, Goku's life would be a lot more boring as a whole. Together, they're not only Earth's two strongest defenders, but two characters who make each other better at every opportunity.

2 Naruto and Sasuke

The Naruto Franchise

Naruto and Sasuke have a lot in common with Goku and Vegeta. They're two of the strongest characters in the Narutofranchise, were orphaned for a large portion of the series, and want to do what they can to protect Konoha. They also started the series as rivals before becoming much closer as friends as the series progressed. Naruto and Sasuke always have each other's backs, even if Sasuke isn't the greatest at expressing his feelings.

When Sasuke left the village to get stronger, Naruto did the same. He dedicated his life to gaining the strength needed to bring his friend back from both a metaphorical and physical dark place. After Sasuke fully understood Itachi's actions and was able to move on from his past, he joined Naruto to become the first Shadow Hokage of Konoha, doing the village's dirty work from the shadows like only he could. They've grown a lot as characters because of each other, and neither one could really afford to lose the other.

1 Gon and Killua

Hunter x Hunter

Gon and Killua's friendship in Hunter x Hunter is the best friendship in anime. They're both 12-year-old boys who compliment each other like Yin and Yang. Gon is a hot-headed, emotional character who acts first and thinks later. Killua is the perfect opposite to Gon, as he's rarely one to rush into a situation without thinking about it first and constantly tries to make Gon see the logic behind his choices. Together, they're both some of the most ferocious characters in the series and some of the most adorable at the same time.

The two were already friends from the moment they met. During the Hunter Exam, Killua saw Gon and just started talking to him as if he already knew him. When they found out they were each 12, they clicked immediately. Killua was there to calm Gon down after he killed Pitou, and even brought him back to life after the same fight. Gon went to retrieve Killua after he went back to the Zoldyck mansion as well. Both characters are incredibly lucky to meet one another, the sign of a truly great friendship.