The 20 Best Brothers In All Of Anime (Ranked)

There are three major power sources in anime: your family, your friends, and three thousand year old lollies.

Today we’re going to be looking at that first power source, even though god knows we’ll get to those lollies one day…

But for now, we’re specifically getting into all those male siblings we know & love.

We’ll be picking our favorite anime brothers and seeing which of them really offer something to their siblings.

20. Gohan

Anime: Dragon Ball Z

Gohan is that one older brother who you’re simultaneously ashamed and proud of.

One the one hand, when he started the whole superhero play, he lost some serious street cred.

On the other hand, he’is Gohan. The boy who pulled out one of the most hype and clutch victories in all of anime.

And even though Goten feels like a miniature version of his father, I want to believe that he still respects his big bro.

19. Lelouch Lamperouge

Anime: Code Geass

Lelouch is the type of brother that would always keep you safe, regardless of what might happen.

The dude was prepared to take on an entire state for the happiness and security of his family.

But he isn’t just a hate fuelled savage either, as he saw that he was prepared to drop the entire thing at the request of his sister, Nunnally.

Of course, Code Geass can’t just let us have nice thing. So it didn’t really work out like that.

But my point still stands!

Lelouch will always protect you and put your needs ahead of the entire world, basically.

18. Koyomi Araragi

Anime: Bakemonogatari

Although my dude has some serious “Sweet Home Alabama” vibes when it comes to dental hygiene, I still think he’s an amazing brother.

We see that he truly cares for his sisters, and is more than prepared to take a beating or two if it means protecting them.

Even if those beatings sometimes come from the sisters themselves.

We especially see his devotion in the Tsukihi arc, as my dude did not falter one bit.

17. Killua Zoldyck

Anime: Hunter x Hunter (2011)

If you have only seen Hunter x Hunter up until the ending of the Chimera Ant arc, this might seem incredibly odd, being that both his brothers actively torture him.

However, in the final arc, we learn that Killua also has a little sister, who has quite the dangerous predicament on her hands.

Everyone in the family gave up on her long ago. But Killua finally decides that enough is enough and plays the ultimate gamble to save his little sister.

They’re honestly just adorable together. And it was beyond refreshing to see Killua acting like a caring brother instead of a badass assassin.

16. Izaya Orihara

Anime: Durarara!!

Izaya is a really weird one, as he definitely does not fall into the usual “caring big brother” trope.

However, seeing him with his sisters was always a treat, as all three are eccentric as hell.

He even states that they’re the only people on Earth, aside from Shizuo, that he cannot understand and manipulate.

But his badboy persona does crack a few times. And we do see that he sends people to their aid whenever they’re in trouble.

They might not be the most stereotypical family. But I think they all love each other in their own Orihara way.

15. Sora

Anime: No Game, No Life

Sora is the polar opposite from Izaya, as he and his sister Shiro could not be any closer.

They literally act like two halves of the same person. And if you ever dare separate them, they’re going to have a panic attack.

So it’s no surprise that Sora looks after and cherishes Shiro like the most valuable thing in the world, fully prepared to go to any lengths in order to protect her.

It’s also hard to find a picture of them where they’re not hugging or something to that extent.

14. Yuu Otosaka

Anime: Charlotte

The Otosaka brothers were definitely raised right. They both seem ready to take on the world if it meant protecting their family.

Yuu is especially wholesome, as he takes complete care of his sister Ayumi since their parents are not around. And through a very non-PG plot twist, he showcases just how deeply he cared for her.

Then again, Ayumi is extremely lovable. So that just might be the normal human reaction.

13. Tenya Iida

Anime: My Hero Academia

Although we get to see very little of Iida’s older brother, it’s clear as day that Iida respects him from the bottom of his heart.

He’s always talking about how righteous and heroic his big brother is.

So why is Iida in this spot instead of him?

Because he absolutely blew me away in the Stain arc.

I never would have guessed that square-pants Iida had so much vengeance in his heart. And the fact that he wanted to carry on the tradition of Ingenium was a beautiful touch.

12. Kusuo Saiki

Anime: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

I want to shout out my boy Kusuo for one reason, and one reason only:

The dude has the patience and tolerance of a veteran monk.

Between his father’s constant nagging and his brother’s occasional scheme to take over the world, I find it fascinating that Kusuo doesn’t just leave them forever.

We’re talking about a dude who’s second to only God in his universe, and yet he puts up with it all, saves the day, helps out the fam, and only uses his inner voice to complain.

Truly a man we should all look up to.

11. Yukio Okumura

Anime: Blue Exorcist

Okay, in order not to spoil the entire series, I’m going to be vague with this one.

Even though Yukio is the younger of the two brothers, he’s by far the more mature and disciplined one.

In fact, he’s so advanced that he ends up being his older brother’s teacher!

The thing that makes Yukio an amazing character in my book, is his power of acceptance.

It wasn’t the usual shounen “I accept everything right away, ohana means family” method. But it still showed a lot of mental strength, and a deep love for his family.

10. Elfman Strauss

Anime: Fairy Tail

Elfman is the manliest man who has ever manned in this world. So much so that you can’t even spell his name without the word “man”.

But then you realize that the only reason his testosterone has reached such unbelievable heights, is because he wanted nothing more than to protect his sisters.

The dude will pick a fight with the strongest mages in the world if they dare look at his precious sisters in the wrong way. And he’s quick to ditch the tough guy act whenever they need a shoulder to cry on.

9. Rokurouta Sakuragi

Anime: Rainbow

Although he doesn’t have any siblings by blood, I just had to include this guy. His nickname is literally An-chan.

It’s only because of the lack of blood relation that I’m not putting this dude at number one, as he’s quite literally a saint amongst men.

I don’t want to spoil too much, so I’ll just say that he and his brothers are all in jail. And this isn’t some pervy/wet dream anime jail, this is the stone-cold slammer.

But Rokurouta manages to make it a bearable experience, as he sticks his neck out time and time again in order to protect his newfound brothers.

You can’t even imagine the things this dude has went through to protect his bros. Again, a literal saint.

8. Kamina

Anime: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

For the same reason as the previous pick, I have to mention Kamina, as I’m a sucker for great broships.

Kamina is the type of dude that would truly make you believe that you could do anything.

He’s so charismatic and has so much unwavering faith in Simon, even when the odds are stacked against him, that you just can’t help but cheer him on.

Kamina basically shapes Simon into the badass leader we see him become, even resembling his bro both physically and mentally.

7. Killer B

Anime: Naruto: Shippuden

Although it’s psychologically really weird to name an adoptive child “B” when your son is called A, the whole experience was still very inspirational and wholesome.

Although B was picked because of his combative abilities, it’s obvious that he truly does start to care about his new family.

He carries the burden of the eight tails and the judging eyes of the public. But never lashes out and misbehaves, as he doesn’t want to harm his brother’s reputation.

And when these two are in combat together, it’s just a spectacle! He also gets bonus points for dropping some sick bars.

6. Kodaka Hasegawa

Anime: Haganai: I don’t have many friends

This is your bread-and-butter excellent older brother character.

His sister, Kobato, quite literally depends on him for everything. And even comes to his club for them to spend more time together.

And if you have a sibling, you know that introducing your friends to them is like the highest honor one can bestow upon a person.

Even though Kodaka seems like a rough and tough dude, he’s always very gentle and kind towards Kobato. And they’re honestly just adorable.

5. Portgas D. Ace

Anime: One Piece

Ace is simply an amazing brother. And his relationship with Luffy was both very realistic, and the biggest ideal one could strive for.

Even though they didn’t get on well initially, they soon found common ground. And Ace became Luffy’s best friend and unyielding protector.

He constantly got mad at Luffy for being reckless, as he could never rest easy knowing that his brother is in any type of danger.

Ironically, Ace got into situations even more dangerous, just so that he could save his reckless little brother. The man is iconic.

4. Sakuta Azusagawa

Anime: Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

Sakuta is the modern family hero when it comes to how he treats his younger sister Kaede.

For reasons I will not disclose, it seems like the entire world gave up on this little girl – even her own parents.

But Sakuta never even thought about it.

He always stayed right by her side, and did the best he could to protect her and make her feel loved and wanted.

There’s one scene in particular… your hints are a doorframe and later a notebook, where this dude just made me cry my butt off with how wholesome his actions were.

3. Tanjirou Kamado

Anime: Demon Slayer

The revenge plotline is nothing new in anime.

But I think Tanjirou’s storyline is one of the most inspiring.

He devotes his entire life to turning his sister back into a human, and has to go through countless dangerous to move towards that goal. But he never loses sight of his goal.

He never loses his humanity.

And always makes sure that his sister, Nezuko, is happy and well on their travels.

Too often you see characters that get so carried away with their revenge plot so much that they hardly even pay attention to who they want to help. But not Tanjirou.

2. Edward Elric

Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

The Elric brothers are worth all the praise in the world when it comes to their brotherly love.

But I have to give it up for Edward in particular.

This is because the dude has been shouldering so much guilt for so much time that it’s admirable he even has the will to get up in the morning.

But just like in the previous case, he not only gets up and moves one step closer to his end goal of saving himself and his brother, but he also never forgets to look out for his brother.

And to make sure that everything is daijoubu.

1. Itachi Uchiha

Anime: Naruto: Shippuden

Even Edward can’t compare in terms of shouldering weight with Itachi.

If you haven’t watched the entire show, this might sound stupid, as the last time this dude was trending was when a picture went viral of him choking out his brother Sasuke.

However, if I may spoil his story arc:

It was never out of ill intent.

Itachi slaughtered his entire clan, and then took on the hatred of the entire village, and even his own brother. All so that he could not only protect his brother, but also to toughen him up.

Itachi was just a child when he entered his first war. So he knew that Sasuke had to be tough in order to survive.

And he was simply willing to throw his entire life away to pave the way for his little bro.