Countless characters in the world of anime are brave and selfless fighters, and they risk it all for the sake of their family, their dearest friends, an organization, or even the entire world, in some cases. They tend to be protagonists or good-hearted third parties, and the shonen genre is packed with characters like these.
Many times, a shonen hero will go above and beyond for the sake of the world, since the stakes are so high, but these characters will also fight hard for the sake of their brothers or sisters too. In some cases, in fact, a brother or sister is the only thing the hero has left to fight for, and the hero will give anything for their sake. These characters know the true value of family.
10 Tanjiro Kamado Will Take On Muzan Himself For Nezuko’s Sake (Demon Slayer)
The swordsman Tanjiro Kamado is a recent and popular example of an anime character who will do anything for a sibling; in this case, his younger sister Nezuko, who became a Demon after Muzan Kibutsuji attacked his family. Nezuko is all he has left.
Tanjiro endured two years of vigorous combat training to become a Demon Slayer, and while Tanjiro wants to save all innocent people, he’s going this far primarily for Nezuko’s sake, and he will quietly endure any and all suffering until Nezuko’s humanity is restored.
9 Elfman And Lisanna Strauss Learned Take Over Magic For Mirajane’s Sake (Fairy Tail)
It’s true that most members of the Fairy Tail guild see each other as family, but a few of them are actually related, such as the three Strauss siblings. Years ago, Mirajane Strauss used Take Over Magic and gained a demonic form that alienated her from everyone, and this weighed on her heavily.
But her younger brother and sister learned Take Over Magic themselves so the three of them could share a theme and Mirajane could have a sense of belonging. It worked, and Mirajane has since learned to accept her demonic form and use it with dignity.
8 Ichigo Challenged A Hollow To Save His Sister’s Life (Bleach)
In the first season of Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki was a novice Hollow fighter. In fact, in the first episode, he was willing to face Hollows even before he gained the powers of Soul Reapers. A Hollow called Fishbone D attacked the Kurosaki household and seized Ichigo’s little sister, Yuzu.
Rukia Kuchiki the Soul Reaper fought back, but it fell to Ichigo to save Yuzu’s life, and he did just that when he gained Soul Reaper powers and used them to rescue his sister in his first-ever fight. From this moment on, Ichigo is a true hero.
7 Tenya Ida Rushed To Face Stain For Tensei’s Sake (My Hero Academia)
Tenya Ida, the engine-powered runner hero, modeled his heroic persona after that of his big brother, Tensei Ida. Tenya greatly admires and respects his Pro Hero brother, but when Stain the hero killer mortally wounded Tensei, Tenya finally lost his cool.
Tenya rushed off to face Stain alone to avenge Tensei, but he nearly lost his life until Izuku and Shoto arrived to help, not to mention Pro Heroes such as Endeavor. Tenya went above and beyond, even though it nearly cost him everything.
6 Misaki Ayuzawa Is Determined To Support Her Little Sister (Maid Sama!)
The “Demon President” of Seika High School is Misaki Ayuzawa, and she moonlights as a waitress at a charming maid cafe. But she’s not doing that for fun. She’s determined to support her family after her father vanished, and her mother and little sister Suzuna are counting on her.
Misaki is highly protective and responsible, and she can’t bear the thought of her little sister suffering from poverty while growing up. So Misaki works herself ragged to keep Suzuna and their mother comfortable despite the family’s towering debt.
5 Shinra Faced Death While Convincing Sho To Abandon A Cult (Fire Force)
When he was a boy, Shinra Kusakabe witnessed his mother’s transformation into an Infernal, and it seemed that his infant brother, Sho, had perished. Not exactly — Sho’s alive, now a member of the Cult of the Ashen Flame as a high-ranked knight. Shinra can’t accept that.
The brothers faced off in the Netherworld, and despite Sho’s murderous intent and overwhelming advantage in combat, Shinra persisted, all while trying to act like the playful big brother he always wanted to be. Viktor Licht could hardly believe how far Shinra was going for Sho.
4 Edward Elric Sacrificed An Arm To Bring Alphonse’s Soul Back (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Edward and Alphonse Elric took a reckless step for the sake of family: attempting human transmutation to bring back their dead mother, Trisha Elric. It failed, of course, and Ed lost a leg while Alphonse lost his entire body. Edward had to take action, despite the costs.
Edward transmuted Alphonse’s soul onto a nearby suit of armor, and he was ready to lose any part of his body to the Truth as payment. The price ended up being his right arm, so he couldn’t perform any more alchemy until he got an automail replacement. But this sacrifice was worth it in Ed’s eyes.
3 Naoto Tachibana Used Police Research And Time Travel To Save His Big Sister (Tokyo Revengers)
Thus far in the Tokyo Revengers anime, preventing the tragic death of Hina Tachibana has been Naoto’s and Takemichi’s #1 goal, and Naoto shaped his entire career in law enforcement for the sake of his deceased big sister. Now he’s ready to get time travel involved too.
Naoto can’t do the time-traveling himself; instead, he can shake hands with Takemichi to send the latter back to 2005 to change history and reshape the present. Naoto’s exhaustive research and planning are vital for ensuring Takemichi’s success, all so Hina can be saved. That’s one dedicated brother.
2 Kohaku Fetched Hot Water Daily For Her Sickly Sister (Dr. Stone)
Kohaku is a loyal citizen of Ishigami Village, and while she’s most comfortable hunting and fighting, she’s also a loyal little sister, willing to do anything for her elder sister Ruri. At one point, Ruri caught pneumonia, and no one could help her, so Kohaku stepped up.
Every day, Kohaku retrieved hot water from a local hot spring for Ruri’s sake, and by coincidence, this helped slow down the progress of Ruri’s illness, as Senku later explained. Kohaku unwittingly bought her beloved sister vital time until Senku could provide medicine to save her.
1 Itachi Uchiha Wiped Out His Traitorous Clan But Spared Sasuke (Naruto)
Itachi and Sasuke are some of the best-known anime brothers, and their complex relationship has gone through some shocking twists and turns. At first, Itachi appeared to be a total villain, wiping out the innocent Uchihas while sparing Sasuke out of sheer contempt. But there’s more to the story.
Itachi was acting on orders, since the Uchihas were traitors to the Hidden Leaf Village. But he spared Sasuke, utterly unwilling to kill his little brother. Eventually, Sasuke learned the truth, and he and Itachi made peace. It wasn’t easy, but in the end, the brothers were certain that Itachi had made the right call.
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