Highlights
- Android 17 and 18 are the only siblings in the list who were once villains in their series.
- Despite their past as destructive androids, they have found redemption and support in each other throughout their lives.
- Tooru and Akari Acura, siblings raised as mercenaries, meet Chaika with a magical sniper rifle.
Anime loves having a dynamic duo in their story. It can be in the form of lifelong rivals like Goku and Vegeta, or inseparable best friends like Gon and Killua, or a rival that turns into best friends like Deku and Bakugo. But those are not the only types of dynamic duo in anime. Sometimes, the best duo comes from the family.
There are countless lists on the internet that focus on brothers and sisters in anime. Some talk about the best, others focus on the worst. We try to do something different in this list. Instead of solely focusing on either brothers or sisters, this list is all about a great relationship between older brothers and their younger sisters, or vice versa. With that in mind, here are the ten best sibling relationships in anime.
10 Reiju and Sanji Vinsmoke
The Genetically Modified Sibling from One Piece
- Age: 24 (Reiju); 21 (Sanji)
- Parents: Judge and Sora Vinsmoke
- First Appearance: Episode 784 (Reiju); Episode 20 (Sanji)
Reiju and Sanji are probably the least close siblings on this list. After all, they spend more time apart from each other than being together as a family. That’s why their relationship is built predominantly on the feeling of guilt and respect.
Reiju feels guilty because she indirectly let Sanji be abused and bullied by their father and brothers when they were little, but she respects his bravery for going away from their family and making a name for himself. Likewise, Sanji feels guilty because he left his older sister alone with their messed up family, but he also deeply respects her strength and resilience to stay true to herself and not let their family’s deranged mindset affect her.
9 Android 17 and 18
The Destructive Sibling from Dragon Ball Z
- Age: Late 20s
- Parents: Unnamed
- First Appearance: Episode 133
Android 17 and 18 are the only siblings in this list who used to be the villain of their series. Needless to say, they have their fair share of destruction during their tenure as bad guys, which makes their redemption that much better.
One thing’s for sure, no matter where they are in life, 17 and 18 are always together and they always support each other. Be it as a pair of killer androids with a bomb in their body or as a married couple with their own respective wife, husband, and children, this sibling knows that they can always count on each other, both in combat and in everyday life.
8 Tooru and Akari Acura
The Warrior Sibling from Chaika the Coffin Princess
- Age: 20 (Tooru); 17 (Akari)
- Parents: Unnamed
- First Appearance: Episode 1
Tooru and Akari were raised as part of a group of mercenaries known as the Saboteurs. They were highly active during the war but not so much in the peaceful era. That is until Tooru accidentally meets Chaika, the gothic girl with a magical sniper rifle. Tooru and Akari end up working for Chaika as her bodyguard.
Since they’ve been working together for a long time, this adoptive sibling has incredible teamwork, arguably the best on this list. They also have a similar fighting style, which puts heavy emphasis on agility and close-quarter combat. That is why they are perfect as Chaika’s vanguard. She can snipe the enemies from miles away, while Tooru and Akari can get closer and launch a surprise attack to take the remaining enemies.
7 Killua and Alluka Zoldyck
The Deadly Sibling from Hunter x Hunter
- Age: 14 (Killua); 13 (Alluka)
- Parents: Silva and Kikyo Zoldyk
- First Appearance: Episode 3 (Killua); Episode 138 (Alluka)
Killua and Alluka are the outcasts of their family. After all, ever since he became best friends with Gon, Killua started to distance himself from his family of ruthless assassins. On the contrary, Alluka’s power is so dangerous and uncontrollable that their family begins to intentionally avoid her and even try their best to lock her up in their golden cage.
This shared misery and disdain towards their own family is one of the reasons why Killua is closer to Alluka compared to the rest of his family. As the older brother, Killua will do anything to make sure Alluka is safe and happy. Likewise, Alluka is also willing to use her power to grant anything that his favorite big brother wants, which is how Killua manages to save Gon’s life.
6 Mirajane and Elfman Strauss
The Wild and Chaotic Sibling from Fairy Tail
- Age: 19 (Mirajane); 18 (Elfman)
- Parents: Unnamed
- First Appearance: Episode 2
At first glance, Mirajane looks like the kind and meek sister who would cry if anything bad happened to her sibling, while Elfman looks like the muscle-headed brother who will shout and go into a fight at any chance he gets. But that initial assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.
Elfman may have a scary face and a towering body, but he is basically a gentle giant who won’t hurt a fly if he doesn’t have to. And while Mirajane is certainly kind, when she enters her battle mode, she turns into one of the scariest people in the guild. In fact, Elfman will cower in fear whenever her sister is even remotely mad at him. That being said, Mirajane and Elfman, along with their youngest sister Lisanna, have the closest familial relationship in Fairy Tail to the point that they will sacrifice themselves for the sake of their sibling in a heartbeat.
5 Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba
The Magical Sibling from Irregular at Magic High School
- Age: 15 (Tatsuya); 14 (Miyuki)
- Parents: Tatsurou and Miya Shiba
- First Appearance: Episode 1
Compared to the other characters on this list, Tatsuya has quite possibly the most tragic and horrific childhood. Not only was he forced to be a soldier and a killer from the moment he could barely walk, but he was also the subject of a magical experiment that sealed off his emotions. The only thing left in his ice-cold heart is his love for his little sister, Miyuki.
Other than his role as a warrior for his clan and a soldier for the military, Tatsuya is now tasked as Miyuki’s guardian. Needless to say, the sibling couldn’t be happier with Tatsuya’s new position. After all, as we’ve seen in the series, Tatsuya and Miyuki are super close to each other. Some might even say they are a tad too close. One thing’s for sure, their immaculate chemistry makes their teamwork during combat not only exquisite but also downright deadly.
4 Olivier and Alex Armstrong
The Stoic Sibling from Fullmetal Alchemist
- Age: 37 (Olivier); 30 (Alex)
- Parents: Philip Gargantos Armstrong and Unnamed Wife
- First Appearance: Episode 33 (Olivier); Episode 1 (Alex)
Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong and his little brother Major Alex Louis Armstrong are undoubtedly the most stoic, imposing, and overbearing siblings on this list. Olivier is an ambitious and ruthless woman who knows what she wants and will do anything to get it. Alex is a caring and straightforward man who won’t hesitate to charge headfirst into any danger.
Unfortunately, Alex and Olivier rarely get the chance to meet, mostly due to their difference in rank. And even when they do, their stubbornness often leads to them butting heads with each other. But on the rare occasions when they work on the same mission, they become an extremely dangerous pair. With Olivier as the brain and Alex as the brawn, they can destroy any fortified fortress and take down any powerful enemies.
3 Yor and Yuri Briar
The Secretive Sibling from Spy x Family
- Age: 27 (Yor); 20 (Yuri)
- Parents: Unnamed
- First Appearance: Episode 2 (Yor); Episode 7 (Yuri)
Yor and Yuri are easily the most interesting siblings on this list. After all, despite the fact that they are extremely close to each other, none of them knows about each other’s secret life. On the outside, Yor is nothing more than a clerk at the City Hall while Yuri is a civil servant at the Foreign Ministry. The truth, however, is quite different. Yor is actually a deadly assassin while Yuri is a counterintelligence agent.
Yor and Yuri lost their parents when they were young, so Yor ended up having to raise Yuri by herself. That’s why Yor always sees Yuri as her baby brother while Yuri sees her sister as the most perfect being in the universe. They deeply cherish each other and won’t hesitate to do anything to protect one another. Even in a series filled with wholesome and funny situations like Spy x Family, Yor and Yuri’s interaction stood out due to its many heartwarming and hilarious moments.
2 Sora and Shiro
The Gamer Sibling from No Game No Life
- Age: 18 (Sora); 11 (Shiro)
- Parents: Unnamed
- First Appearance: Episode 1
There are some siblings who are incredibly close with each other on this list, but none of them are as close as Sora and his little sister Shiro. After all, they’ve spent most of their lives together to the point they have a severe separation issue now. Add to that the fact that they both are extreme introverts, then we have a literally inseparable sibling on our hands. Truth be told, the term social recluse is an understatement for this sibling.
In the real world, Sora and Shiro are known as a group of unbeatable gamers known as BLANK. From chess to MMORPG, they dominate every game. With Sora’s strategic brain and cunning mindset along with Shiro’s photographic memory and computational prowess, there’s no opponent that this sibling cannot defeat. And now that they’ve become humanity’s representative in the fantasy world of Disboard, they bravely charge forward and challenge the Gods of the land.
1 Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado
The Fierce and Relentless Sibling from Demon Slayer
- Age: 16 (Tanjiro); 14 (Nezuko)
- Parents: Tanjuro and Kie Kamado
- First Appearance: Episode 1
The siblings mentioned on this list are famous in their own way, but if we’re talking about the most iconic sibling duo in the history of anime, then that title has to be given to the Kamado siblings, Tanjiro and Nezuko.
Not only does the whole story of Demon Slayer revolve around Tanjiro and Nezuko, but the sibling also receives fantastic character development throughout the series. Tanjiro becomes a bonafide demon slayer while Nezuko becomes the first demon who resists not only human’s blood but also the burning effect of the scorching sun.
From the heartwarming interaction to their solid teamwork during various combat scenes to the unbreakable familial bond that they have shown throughout the series, it’s not an exaggeration to say that Tanjiro and Nezuko are one of the best, if not the best, siblings in anime.