10 most powerful siblings in shonen anime, ranked
The shonen anime genre is home to some of the most powerful characters in the entire medium. The Big Three series One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach particularly helped in pushing the figurative envelope in this regard.
One of the most powerful pairings in various shonen anime properties is the bond and strength siblings seem to share. Many examples exist in the medium, though not all are made the same, and a clear hierarchy exists as a result.
Here are the ten most powerful siblings in shonen anime, ranked from weakest to strongest.
Big Three series dominate list of most powerful siblings in shonen anime
10) Shinra and Sho Kusakabe
Fire Force’s Shinra and Sho Kusakabe each possess an Adolla Flame, an otherworldly source of power which enhances their pyrokinetic powers greatly. Shinra’s power allows him to surpass the speed of light and essentially time travel in the process, whereas Sho can slow the world down to the point of essentially stopping time.
The two are incredibly powerful, and while others are superior, they deserve a spot on this list.
9) Ryuko Matoi and Statsuki Kiryuin
The two siblings from Studio TRIGGER’s Kill la Kill are both incredibly powerful in their own right. Their strength is enhanced by the Life Fiber clothes they wear, as well as the weapons each wields.
Their fights are grand, destructive, and devastating, highlighting the power each wields in the series.
8) Inuyasha and Sesshomaru
Inuyasha and Sesshomaru from Inuyasha are the children of a legendary dog demon, with the former being half-human and the latter being a full demon. The two are incredibly powerful in their own right yet in differing ways.
With that being said, both are regarded as some of the strongest characters within their own universes and definitely rank high among shonen anime siblings.
7) Edward and Alphonse Elric
The Elric Brothers from Fullmetal Alchemist are one of the most unique and powerful sets of shonen anime siblings in the entire medium. Their mastery in alchemy and ability to transmute without a circle emphasizes just how powerful they are.
The two have also fought some of the most powerful enemies in shonen anime, emphasizing their combat prowess.
6) Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman
Attack on Titan’s Eren and Mikasa are both incredibly powerful in completely different ways. The former has Titan Shifting powers, eventually collecting three of the Nine Titans within his pool of power.
The latter, meanwhile, is a pure human who excels in combat against Titankind, thanks to her Ackerman genes, exceptional strength and skills.
When allied with each other, the two work incredibly well in tandem as support for one another. Although their shared fights are few and far between, each shows just how dangerous the two are both on their own and as a team. They easily rank in the upper echelon of shonen anime siblings.
5) Android 17 and 18
Android 17 and 18 are, arguably, one of the most iconic sibling pairs in all of shonen anime. The two debuted in Dragon Ball Z’s Android saga, a classic and fantastic shonen anime arc even by today’s standards.
As Androids, the two have unlimited energy and are only limited by their bodies breaking down from damage. While they never quite live up to their own potential within the Dragon Ball franchise, they’re nevertheless incredibly powerful and deserve their high ranking.
4) Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado
Demon Slayer’s Kamado siblings are arguably the single most iconic sibling pair from 21st-century shonen anime and manga. Their journey throughout the early 20th century Japan shows their strengths and skills, both as a team and as individual fighters.
Despite a controversial ending (a common theme for recent shonen anime and manga), their relationship is one of the series’ most universally praised aspects. Without a doubt, Tanjiro and Nezuko rank as one of the strongest shonen anime siblings.
3) Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha
Like many others here, Naruto’s Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha also make an argument as one of the most iconic pairs of shonen anime and manga siblings. The Naruto story sees an almost never-ending game of cat and mouse between the two, with younger brother Sasuke always chasing the elder Itachi.
The two are some of the most powerful characters in the entire series. Itachi was often called a prodigy as a child, setting age records in the ANBU Black Ops in a number of categories. Sasuke, meanwhile, went on to become the second strongest shinobi in the world, behind his friendly rival Naruto.
2) Shigeo and Ritsu Kageyama
Shigeo and Ritsu Kageyama from Mob Psycho 100 are likely less well known than many others here, yet are certainly more powerful. The two are incredibly strong psychics, able to use telepathy on a city-wide scale.
Shigeo in particular is a prodigy in the field, becoming something of a monster when his stress level reaches 100 per cent.
1) Luffy, Ace and Sabo
Finally, One Piece’s ASL trio features three adoptive brothers from different walks of life. Portgas D. Ace was the son of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, possessing legendary blood within him which showed in his fighting style. His eventual captain, Whitebeard, was even grooming him to become the next Pirate King.
Sabo, meanwhile, is an ex-prince turned Revolutionary Army co-commander. He eventually inherits Ace’s Devil Fruit, becoming a Flame Man and carrying on his brother's will in the process.
Combined with his Ryusoken martial arts technique, he can devastate areas on a massive scale and debilitate even the toughest of foes.
One Piece protagonist Monkey D. Luffy has recently awakened his Devil Fruit into one of the most broken powers in all shonen anime. Its power is said to be limited only by the imagination of its user. His reality-bending powers solidify that he and his brothers rank as the strongest set of shonen anime siblings.
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This article was modified on Thursday, June 29, at 10:36 pm.
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Sijo Samuel Paul