Anime is nothing without itsrival characters, and one of the best examples is undoubtedlyVegeta fromDragon Ball. Vegeta embodies everything that makes a good rival character with his antagonistic personality, constant efforts to one-up the protagonist, and constant moments where he gets to look as cool as possible, and thanks toDragon Ball’s age and popularity, he’s long since been the most iconic anime rival around.
With how iconic a character Vegeta is, there has naturally been a bevy of characters over the years to take after his aesthetic. Some characters get to the core of why Vegeta works as a rival, and others are more simple in their approach, but nonetheless entertaining, but whatever the case, there are plenty ofgreat rival characters in animewho arejust as much fun to watch as Vegeta. A few of those rival characters, in particular, are especially worth highlighting, both for how much they’ve impacted the medium and for simply being great characters in their own right.
One Piece
Cast
The One Piece anime began in 1999 and follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with rubber-like abilities, as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary treasure “One Piece.” Inspired by the pirate Shanks, Luffy aims to become the King of the Pirates, accompanied by a diverse crew.
Eustass Kid is one ofOne Piece’s Worst Generation, the twelve most infamous rookie pirates of the past two years. During the Wano arc, Kid got wrapped up in Luffy’s fight against Kaido and the Beast Pirates, and while they were on the same side, the two still constantly fought in their attempts to one-up one another.
Luffy and Kid didn’t have as extensive a rivalry as what’s commonly seen in anime, but between the comedic ways the two continually competed with one another and how Kid always did a good job of showing off his strength,Kid excellently filled the long-unfilled role of a rival character inOne Piecein the brief time he competed with Luffy. Kid’s future inOne Pieceis uncertain, but if he does return, it would be great to see his dynamic with Luffy grow even further.
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is an anime series directed by Takahiro Miura. It follows high school student Shirou Emiya, who is thrust into a deadly tournament known as the Holy Grail War. With the aid of his servant, Saber, Shirou must navigate complex alliances and face formidable adversaries. The series explores themes of heroism, sacrifice, and the nature of power.
Archer is one of the main seven Servants in adaptations of theFate/stay nightvisual novel. Archer always antagonizes Shirou and challenges his ideals in one way or another, and the reason for that is because Archer is Shirou’s future self who’s using the Holy Grail War to find an opportunity to kill Shirou so he doesn’t have to grow up to be like him.
While not a rival in the traditional sense of the archetype, Archer serves as a great rival to Shirou forhow much he challenges him on a physical and ideological level in every version ofFate/stay night, all of which comes to a peak with Shirou’s last bit of character development in the final film of theHeaven’s Feeltrilogy. That kind of writing is also typical of a great rival character, and no matter the series, Archer never fails to embody it.
Hellsing Ultimate
Hellsing Ultimate is an anime series that follows the Hellsing Organization’s battle against vampires and other supernatural threats in a dark and gothic world. The series focuses on Alucard, a powerful vampire serving the organization, and his master, Sir Integra Hellsing, as they confront enemies like the Nazi-originated Millennium group and the Iscariot Organization. Hellsing Ultimate is known for its intense action and dramatic storytelling.
Alexander Anderson is Alucard’s rival inHellsingandHellsing Ultimateand a paladin of Iscariot, the Vatican’s secret legion of executioners. After a brief fight with Alucard early in the series, the two developed an intense rivalry and try to kill each other whenever they meet, even in the climax of the series when London is burning to the ground and Millennium still has to be dealt with.
Not only does Anderson perfectly match Alucard in terms of fighting ability and how bloodthirsty and insane he can be, butAnderson and Alucard’s rivalry inHellsingalways does a great job of developing both their characters in every fight, something made especially apparent in how much Alucard lamented Anderson giving up his humanity in their final fight. Rivalries are at their best when there are layers to them, and Alucard and Anderson’s rivalry is one of the best showings of that.
Ranma ½
Ryoga Hibiki is Ranma’s primary rival inRanma ½, both in martial arts and for Akane’s affection. Whether it’s an ill-fated attempt to win Akane’s heart or prove himself as a fighter, Ryoga always finds some reason to challenge Ranma to a fight, even if his comically poor sense of direction tends to push their fights days past whenever they were supposed to happen.
While theRanma ½manga started before Vegeta made his debut inDragon Ball, the anime started well after that.
It’s one thing for Ryoga to be Ranma’s only rival who can match him without relying on tricks, but so long as Akane isn’t involved,Ryoga grows to genuinely respect Ranma as a rival and friend and fights him largely to better himself, which adds a lot of charm not usually seen in rivalries.Ranma ½’s Netflix remakeis set to premiere soon, and once it does, more people are sure to see why Ranma and Ryoga’s rivalry has worked for over 30 years.
Zatch Bell!
Zatch Bell! is an anime series that follows Kiyo Takamine, a high school student, who becomes the caretaker of Zatch Bell, an amnesiac but powerful Mamodo. Partnered by a spellbook that endows Zatch with special abilities, Kiyo must compete against other Mamodos vying to become the Mamodo King. The series intricately blends themes of friendship, responsibility, and battle-driven strategy within a fantastical narrative framework.
One of the principal characters inZatch Bell!is Brago, a powerful demon with gravity powers who’s touted as one of the top contenders for becoming the demon king. After a brief fight with Zatch early in the series, surpassing Brago is treated as the major obstacle Zatch needs to overcome to become king, and Brago, for his part, is continually interested in the development Zatch goes through in the battle.
Zatch and Brago don’t have a lot of interactions in the series, but their first fight and Brago’s subsequent appearances always work to maintain the idea of Brago being Zatch’s biggest challenge, and sure enough,the battle for demon king ultimately comes down to Zatch and Bragowith Zatch only barely winning out in the end. Add in the genuine respect Brago slowly gains for Zatch, and he’s an all-around great rival character, despite his limited screen time.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Japanese animated television series created by Hideaki Anno. The show follows teenagers piloting giant mechs called Evangelions, tasked with defending Earth from mysterious beings known as Angels. As they confront these threats, they also grapple with personal and psychological issues.
Asuka Langley Soryu is the pilot of Evangelion Unit-02 inNeon Genesis Evangelionwho formed a rivalry with Shinji due to him being the newest pilot. Shinji’s constant successes despite his inexperience are a constant thorn in Asuka’s side, and with all the emotional trauma Asuka has from both before and after her debut, their dynamic affects Asuka to a far worse degree than anyone could have expected.
Asuka has all the usual haughtiness and competitive drive that are typical of rival characters, but as is always the case withNeon Genesis Evangelion,Asuka’s status as the rival character is constantly deconstructedto show how dark being that intense a character could get both physically and mentally. Asuka is a great rival character mostly because of what she says about the archetype, and that’s a big part of why she’s become such an endearing part of anime culture.
My Hero Academia
Anime series My Hero Academia follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where most have them. Despite his lack of abilities, he enrolls in a prestigious hero academy, striving to learn the true essence of heroism and fulfill his dream of becoming a hero.
While Izuku Midoriya is the protagonist ofMy Hero Academia, equally important is Katsuki Bakugo, Izuku’s best friend turned spiteful bully. Bakugo spent the past decade bullying Izuku for being Quirkless out of an inferiority complex, and after Izuku obtained One For All and started surpassing him on the path to becoming a hero, Bakugo made it his mission to get even stronger and surpass Izuku once more.
Bakugo’s antagonistic nature and explosive personality did wonders to sell him as a rival from day one, but what made him an even better character was howBakugo always went through consistent character growthto become more humble and more respectful of Izukuto the point of having a genuine friendship with him in the final arc. Through all that, Bakugo still maintained his manic nature, and it’s easy to see why he’s become the face of rival characters in modern anime, having perhapsthe best redemption arc in the series.
Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star is an animated series set in a post-apocalyptic world, following the story of martial artist Kenshiro. As the successor to the Hokuto Shinken, a deadly martial art, Kenshiro travels across desolate landscapes battling various warlords and rescuing the oppressed. Released in 1984, the series combines elements of action and drama, illustrating the hero’s journey through a devastated world in search of justice and retribution.
Raoh is the main antagonist of the first half ofFist of the North Starand Kenshiro’s older brother. As the Ken-Oh i.e. the King of the Fist, Raoh seeks to unite what’s left of civilization under his tyrannical rule, and that goal constantly puts him in conflict with Kenshiro and his friends as it becomes more and more personal with every encounter.
WhileFist of the North StarpredatesDragon Ballby a year, Raoh has also featured in multiple films and spinoff media, all of which came out well after Vegeta’s debut.
With his intimidating personality, the way he constantly pushes Kenshiro to become stronger, and the surprisingly poignant character development he received in his arc,Raoh is one of the oldest and best-written examples of a classical rival character in anime, with even his death being an iconic part of anime culture. There are few anime rivals with as muchgravitasas Raoh, and once theFist of the North Starremakecomes out, that point is sure to reach a modern audience, as well.
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Seto Kaiba is the primary rival to Yugi Muto in the originalYu-Gi-Oh!anime, first introduced as a selfish rich kid Yugi has to duel after Kaiba sends his grandfather to the hospital. After that, Kaiba’s primary goal in life became defeating Yugi and reclaiming his title as the world’s greatest duelist, although Yugi is often preoccupied with helping his friends and dealing with one new threat to the world after another.
Kaiba’s antagonism and hammy personality, especially in the English dub, make every interaction he has with Yugi great to watch, and it perfectly complements his obsession with settling the score between them that eventually grows to the point ofKaiba entering the afterlife to get his rematch. There are few rival characters as entertaining to watch as Kaiba, and even after over 20 years, that hasn’t changed in the slightest.
Naruto
Naruto is an action-adventure anime series based on the manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. The titular Naruto Uzumaki is a fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit sealed inside him, which once wreaked havoc on his village. Shunned by his community yet determined to earn their respect, Naruto dreams of becoming the greatest ninja, the Hokage. This series follows his journey through the Ninja Academy as he continues to train and grow, hoping to prove himself to his peers- and himself.
Sasuke Uchiha is Naruto Uzumaki’s primary rival inNarutowho grows from an aloof prodigy broken by the deaths of his loved ones into a bloodthirsty avenger willing to do anything to destroy his enemies. Throughout all this, Naruto constantly tries to reach out to Sasuke in the name of their friendship, and Sasuke and other forces cause it to escalate into a conflict that decides the fate of the entire world.
Sasuke is always presented as someone who forces Naruto to be better, and as their dynamic slowly grows to be built around friendship rather than antagonism,Sasuke’s rivalry with Narutobecomesone of the best-written dynamics in all of animefor what it does for their characters and the story, overall. Few rival characters have left the kind of mark that Sasuke has, and it’s why he stands out as thebest anime rival to follow after Vegeta.
