Friendships are easily one of the most important aspects of anime. You almost always seen the main characters forming strong bonds on friendship wherever they go. So, I'm gonna count down my top 10 favourites in all of anime. There are some exceptions like how this will be covering the characters as friends, not partners, that's an entirely different thing all together. I'm also not including them if they're related like Ed and Al. And so, with that, let's get started and I hope you all like this.
10. Natsu and Happy (Fairy Tail):
Starting us off is the best friend between the Fairy Tail guild's Salamander and Exceed from Edolas, Natsu and Happy. After finding Happy's eggs in the forest, Natsu hatched it along with Lisanna and they've been together ever since. While they don't get along with each other all the time, they do mostly and always help the other when they're in need. Happy also acts as a way for Natsu to get around without having to use a vehicle.
9. Ash and Pikachu (Pokémon)
Next up is one of the longest friendship relationships in anime, Ash and Pikachu. They may not have started off great in the first episode, but that changed quickly and now they're one of the most recognisable friends in all of anime. They've both taken part in tons of matches, tournaments and, more recently, have finally won a championship. Not to mention the fact that Pikachu is a Pokémon ash actually still has after saying goodbye to a lot of his other Pokémon. And that's all because of just how much he values Pikachu.
8. Deku and Iida (My Hero Academia):
This is a bit of a tricky one because Deku and Iida have never really stated that they're best friends, but given how the two of them, as well as Uraraka, are almost always hanging out with each other, it's pretty easy to see it. But, besides Kacchan and Todoroki, Deku never hangs out with anyone else from Class 1-A. But they do have a lot of fun together and they do generally help each other like when Deku saved Iida from Stain when he was about to kill him. And I'm looking forward to seeing this friendship develop in the future.
7. Yusuke and Kuwabara (Yu Yu Hakusho):
Definitely one of the weirder pair of best friends in anime, Yusuke and Kuwabara were once rivals who would fight each other all the time, but after Yusuke's beginnings as a Spirit Detective and when Kuwabara began to take part in Yusuke's various adventures, they began to develop a friendship, even if they didn't really want to admit it. And even in times when they didn't want to admit it, they did show great care for each other like when Yusuke was trying to help Kuwabara in Maze Castle or when he thought Toguro killed Kuwabara in the Dark Tournament or when Kuwabara thought Sensei killed Yusuke in the Chapter Black arc. But they do still generally have fun together like hanging out around town.
6. Naruto and Shikamaru (Naruto):
This was actually a bit of surpise for me because I always assumed Naruto and Sasuke were best friends but then some people were telling me about how Shikamaru is actually Naruto's best friend and after thinking about it more, it does make sense given everything Shikarmaru's done for him like being one of Naruto's only friends when they were kids and being there for him after Sasuke left and after Jiraiya died. I know Naruto isn't Shikamaru's best friend, his is Choji and I do enjoy them together too, but I think I might enjoy Naruto and Shikamaru more.
5. Yugi and Joey (Yu-Gi-Oh!):
At number 5 is the main friendship in the Yu-Gi-Oh! series, Yugi Muto and Joey Wheeler. When Yugi was given the Millennium Puzzle by his grandpa, he was hoping he'd make new friends with it and while Joey and Tristan were originally bullies who picked on Yugi, after Yugi stood up for them against someone else, they eventually became best friends and Yugi and Joey in particular became really close. Ever since then, they've stuck together and Yugi has helped make Joey into a better duelist. So much so that he helped Yugi during the Duelist Kingdom arc and the Battle City arc. That's not to even mention the amount of times they've saved each others lives.
4. Goku and Krillin (Dragon Ball):
This is actually a pretty underrated one despite the fact that it's from the most popular anime ever. Goku and Krillin have been best friends since they were kids. While Goku is almost always with Vegeta these days and hardly with Krillin at all and while Krillin originally began as a person who wanted to be a fighter to be noticed by girls and was always jealous of Goku's superior skills, they did become best friends while training with Master Roshi. They even respected each other back then so much that they wanted each other not to hold back when they fought each other during the tournament. But as they grew up, they did many more things like travel to Namek to save their friends, fought against Cell and both took part in the Tournament Of Power.
3. Meliodas and Ban (The Seven Deadly Sins):
Up next is easily one of the most hilarious best friend pairings, Meliodas and Ban. After meeting Ban in a jail cell, Meliodas challenged Ban to a fight, to which Ban saw just how strong he was and they both later fought side by side as members of The Seven Deadly Sins. And they're both incredibly fun together. They're both hilarious when hanging out or by fighting enemies or even each other. But they also stick by each other no matter what with Ban trying to protect Meliodas many times. Even going to purgatory to save him.
2. Luffy and Usopp (One Piece):
Coming in close to number 1 is the closest friend relationship between any Straw Hat members, Monkey D. Luffy and Usopp. This is actually one I was kinda speculating on for a while because I wasn't 100% sure if Luffy and Usopp were best friends for while. I felt like they were, but it wasn't 100% confirmed until I saw a video of someone saying it. Though even without that, it's still unmistakable if you watch or read the series. But Luffy and Usopp definitely have the most fun relationship between any of the Straw Hats. They always play and hang out and have fun together on the ship or on land. It's also fun to watch given the difference between Luffy facing anything and Usopp being scared of almost everything, but they still get along great and you can always see the comradery between them. And, yes, Luffy is still friends with every other crew member, but Usopp is easily the one he gets along with the most.
And my number 1 favourite best friends in anime is... Gon and Killua (Hunter x Hunter):
And finally at number 1 is main duo in the Hunter x Hunter series, Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck. Definitely the most enjoyable pair of best friends I've ever seen in any anime, Gon and Killua's relationship is easily the best part of this entire series. It's honestly an interesting dynamic considering they start off the series almost like they're aren't similar at all, but then as it goes, you realise just how similar they are and you understand exactly how they get along so well. It's also a friendship that takes up the entire series. They're hardly ever apart once they meet at the Hunter Exam even though they do eventually part ways after Gon is recovered. It's also a great dynamic because of just how much we see them care for each other and seeing them go through a whole bunch of different adventures whether it's training at Heaven's Arena, looking through Greed Island or fighting along side each other against the Chimera Ants, they almost always stuck by each other's side no matter what. And all that is why Gon and Killua are my favourite best friends in anime. And so, everyone, those are my picks for my top 10 best friends in anime. Thank you all for reading and please comment down below to tell me what you think.