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Shonen anime has had plenty of rivalries over the years. Some are legends and last a long time, while others fizzle out after a while or are otherwise respectfully buried.
Naturally, this has fed some discussion about which shonen anime rivalry is the best. Which relationship pushes the rivals to the extremes, to the absolute best they can be, and is beneficial in the end for both parties? This article aims to answer that very question.
These are 10 of the best shonen anime rivalries, ranked for memorability and change on both sides of the equation.
Note: This article contain's spoilers for all the various popular shonen anime that are on this list. It only represents the author's opinion.
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Note 2: Additionally, the rivalry must affect both people involved or otherwise change them in some way, shape, or form.
10 best shonen anime rivalries, ranked for memorability and change
10) Tai vs. Matt
Classic shonen anime Digimon fans will probably remember this one. DigiDestined Taichi "Tai" Kamiya and Yamato "Matt" Ishida started like McCoy and Spock from Star Trek without Kirk to balance them out, Tai being the McCoy and Matt being the Spock in the eternal battle of empathy and impulse vs. detached logic and overt caution.
The two got into scraps more often than not, getting physical with each other on occasion even as far back as the second episode of Adventure. It's not difficult to see why, as Tai saw Matt as antisocial and not a team player, whereas Matt saw Tai as an immature and wreckless kid who didn't deserve to lead.
This feud ultimately changed both of them for the better, despite flareups in Tri. For one thing, Tai did start thinking more clearly (even if Matt had to punch him at one point). Matt on the other hand, became a lot more empathetic and open over time.
9) Yusuke vs. Kuwabara
Yusuke Urameshi and Kazuma Kuwabara, from the shonen anime Yu Yu Hakusho are among the rivals that became faster friends than any of the others on this list. The reason being is that Yusuke died and Kuwabara tried to save him, even lamenting his death heavily at Yusuke's funeral.
Despite the two constantly bickering and trying to one-up each other, they maintained a healthy amount of respect during the Dark Tournament Saga. The rivalry becomes history once Hiei enters the picture, as Kuwabara shifts focus to the three-eyed demon and Yusuke becomes protective of Kuwabara.
Both men heathily change as a result, both becoming better and less deliquint as the series goes on. Not to mention, Kuwabara gains his own spirit powers in the form of a sword to rival Yusuke's spirit gun. It reached a pinacle when Young Toguro was beaten by Yusuke shortly after killing Kuwabara.
8) Ash vs. Paul
This rivalry might have only lasted during the Diamond and Pearl adaptation of the Pokémon shonen anime, but it's well remembered by fans for being one of Ash’s toughest challenges both philosophically and physically. Paul was worse then Gary to Ash and his own Pokémon, and even curbstomped Ash a few times.
The right word for Paul's attitude is abuse and social darwinsim. Long story short, if his Pokémon didn't meet his ludicrously high standards, they were released. This is especially true for his Chimchar, who Ash took in after Paul sicced the rest of his Pokémon on it so it would learn a powerful move.
Through the many battles the two had, and the utter stomping Paul went through first at the hands of Cynthia's Garchomp hands then from Battle Frontier Brain Brandon who didn't lose a single Pokemon, Paul started changing as a person. Ash started strategizing better, but Paul was the one who changed the most.
It culminated in Ash defeating Paul at the Sinnoh conference and Paul being a graceful loser thanks to the Chimchar he released evolving into Infernape.
7) Kamina/Simon vs. Viral
The epic shonen anime rivalry and duel between the digger duo and Viral in Gurren Lagann started as early as the third episode. Viral technically overwhelmed them in the first encounter, his superior mech and ability overwhelming Gurren's. Then again, Viral was also instrumental to getting Gurren Lagann to combine!
Over the course of the series, Viral and Team Gurren would clash over and over. Every single time, Viral would lose and come back harder just to lose again. Viral even broke down in rage and despair when a beastman fortress was destroyed by Team Gurren, and sank into a frothing rage upon discovering Simon was the one who led the charge in destroying it.
Even being made immortal by the Spiral King did nothing to improve Viral's losing streak. Finally fighting Simon in prison after the timeskip caused him to stop and reassess his prior need for revenge after being told the truth about humanity and spirals. After a heart-to-heart with Simon, which Simon reciprocated, Viral joined the crew in fighting the Anti-Spiral.
6) Light Yagami vs. L Lawliet
A Detective vs. Serial Killer with godlike delusions of grandeur equates to a great rivalry in the shonen anime Death Note. Light Yagami became the notorious killer Kira after obtaining the Death Note, and L Lawliet took it upon himself and the National Police Agency to investigate the mysterious series of heart attacks.
The two played cat and mouse, with L using increasingly unscrupulous methods to pin Light down and Light having to scurry away via quick thinking. This game of memory wiping, unwiping, and constant back and forth would push both men to the edge of their wits, sanity, and conscience.
L's death proved Light's undoing, however. Even if Light technically won out, L's people pushed ever harder to trick and trap Light, and in the end Light died a pathetic wreck of a man who was outgambited. This rivalry definitely changed both of them, not only killing them both but making critical errors in judgement as well.
5) JoJo(s) vs. Dio Brando/DIO
The shonen anime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has the iconic rivalry of the entire Joestar Family versus Dio Brando. Dio's father, Dario Brando, squandered a fortune and aid from 'saving' George Joestar's life and abusing his son. But George owed Dario a life debt, which Dio wanted to collect.
Dio took to this like a moth to flame, making himself the model son whilst secretly making Jonathan's life a living hell. Dio was as twisted as he could be, trying to slowly poison George, killing his father (deserved), killing Jonathan's dog in an incinerator and forcibly kissing Jonathan's girlfriend. This all culminated in a fight that saw Dio gain vampire powers and the rest, as they say, is history.
To say this rivalry changed everything in the JoJo universe is a massive understatement. Not only did Jonathan die but Giorno was born illegitimately, Father Pucci worshiped Dio as a god, and Stands were everywhere, including the sleepy town of Morioh. Jotaro killing Dio was the best thing for everyone.
4) Yugi/Atem vs Kaiba
Onto a few more less lethal rivalries, yes? Yugi Moto and Seto Kaiba of the card game-based shonen anime Yu-Gi-Oh! are quite the pair indeed. This rivalry originally started, at least in the manga, via a series of lethal games in Kaiba Land that were all rigged to kill Yugi. The anime just had it be their first duel.
Kaiba got mind crushed, having his evil self shattered and him left to pick up the pieces. While Kaiba eventually became a better person, caring for Mokuba and saving Yugi multiple times, his one goal and obsession was defeating Yugi/Atem in a duel.
Suffice to say, Kaiba's win/loss streak against Yugi/Atem was a long one indeed. Three duels to Yugi (Pre Duelist Kingdom, Battle City Semi-Finals, and the Dark Side of Dimensions film) and Kaiba only beat Yugi a grand total of one time (Duelist Kingdom) and only because he was going to commit suicide by card duel.
This rivalry lasted until the end of the series, where Kaiba honestly praised Yugi for beating Atem and even tried helping him.
3) Deku vs. Bakugo
A schoolyard bullying rivalry taken to extremes in My Hero Academia, Deku vs. Bakugo is one of the more memorable new age rivalries in shonen anime and manga that people can't help but love! It's not hard to see why, either.
Deku, born Quirkless, endured no small amount of bullying from Bakugo over it even if they were friends as little kids. When Deku got One For All and began to excel at Hero work, let's just say Bakugo didn't take kindly to that and was always suspicious.
This manifested in several brawls, but more often than not Bakugo and Deku worked together and inspired Class 1-A to push beyond their limits. It's coming to a head as the final arc looms in the manga, where Bakugo has dropped the rivalry and frankly warmed up to Deku.
Deku himself has gotten stronger as a result, and was frankly a bit jaded for a while until Bakugo and Class 1-A helped him out.
2) Naruto vs. Sasuke
Naruto vs. Sasuke is an amazing rivalry in the shonen anime Naruto where both of them have developed, become stronger, dug their convictions as the series progressed, and finally let it all out at each other during their final duel.
At first, the rivalry was jealousy from Naruto's side, mostly because he thought Sasuke didn't deserve to be so beloved. Sasuke began reciprocating this mutual feeling, seeing Naruto as a chump and loser who got lucky and didn't deserve to be it the academy or on Team 7.
Then the Chunin Exams happened, Itachi came back, Sasuke left the Hidden Leaf, the events of Shippuden happened, and the two began developing on vastly different tracks. Sasuke went the revenge road and Naruto took the road to become Hokage. At the end of it all, however, the two buried the hatchet.
1) Vegeta vs. Goku
It was a very hard choice for number one. Naruto and Sasuke are firmly burned into shonen anime fans' minds, but Goku vs. Vegeta is the shonen anime rivalry. If not the initiator, these two Dragon Ball Z rivals are probably the trend setters for what many expect of a shonen anime rivalry.
Vegeta was introduced in Dragon Ball Z as a member of the Saiyan race, a warrior culture that lived to conquer worlds whose home planet Vegeta was destroyed long ago. Vegeta was on Earth to grab Goku and then destroy the planet, or just destroy the planet as it was. Goku vs. Vegeta round one ended with both men incapacitated.
To put the rivalry in very basic terms, Vegeta was resentful that an elite warrior like him lost to a lower class warrior like Goku. Goku got that competitive streak going, but it took more than a few arcs. It still changed both men, and shonen anime, by making Vegeta a better person over time.
It's also still going as of the sequel shonen anime Dragon Ball Super.
