The anime medium is home to a myriad of dynamic characters whom the protagonist of a given series will encounter. Though most anime series will focus around a singular main protagonist, many fans will gravitate towards other members of a show's cast. One of the most popular archetypes in anime that often produce fan-favorite characters is that of the rival character. While not necessarily a villain, the rival in a given series will often butt heads with the protagonist and will often possess conflicting motives or end goals to the main character.
Though the reasons often vary, many rivals in anime will often leave a bigger impact on the viewer than the main character who the writers expect you to root for. So without further ado, here are ten rivals in anime who outshine their protagonists.
10 Dio Brando - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood
While not all rivals on this are necessarily villainous, Dio Brando functions as both rival and central antagonist.
While not to short change the first Jojo of the franchise, Dio makes a much more significant impact on the viewer than Jonathan Joestar. There are multiple levels of what makes Dio such an impactful character. It's not merely the atrocities he performs regularly, it's the manner in which he performs them, filled with a combination of malicious antagonism, and an obsessive sense of superiority to those around him. And hey, you can't become a meme in the fashion that Dio has without making an impact.
9 Char Aznable - Mobile Suit Gundam
The Principality of Zeon's Red Commet, Char Aznable is a trailblazer in the anime rival's art of upstaging their protagonist.
While Amuro Ray is able to achieve great success over the course of the series by utilizing his state of the art Gundam, Char relies entirely on skill and talent, piloting his military's standard mobile suit. A veteran of military strategy, The Red Comet was always one step ahead. And let's be honest, between his striking and eye-catching red mobile suit and his iconic, identity concealing mask, the character really makes an impression.
8 Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
Vegeta is one of the most iconic rivals in all of anime. The prince of the Saiyan first appeared in Dragon Ball Z, taking on the role of antagonist to Goku and immediately making a huge impact that would change anime forever. However, It didn't take long for Vegeta's role in the show to be expanded, taking on role of Goku's rival. Vegeta has long been one of the most important (and most popular) characters in Dragon Ball Z, achieving a form beyond a normal Super Saiyan before Goku, and eventually even fusing with his rival.
While Goku was always a pure and good-spirited character, Vegeta brought an edge and arrogance to the series that made him the resident "Bad Boy" of the franchise, amassing quite the acclaim as a character.
7 Seto Kaiba - Yu Gi Oh
Seto Kaiba is a character as synonymous with the Yu Gi Oh franchise as its namesake character. While Yugi was the protagonist of the series, not only was Kaiba the owner of the illustrious KaibaCorp, but he was also the owner of the series most iconic card: The Blue Eyes White Dragon.
Between his over-exaggerated wealth, status, and utilization of three Blue Eyes White Dragons, Kaiba made a huge impact on anyone who saw the original Yu-gi-oh.
6 Satsuki Kiryūin - Kill La Kill
Satsuki Kiryūin is one of the most effective types of rivals in anime, reflecting a great deal of similarities to the protagonist while having a lot of traits that are opposite of those of the protagonist. While the two share similar powers, outfits, and fighting styles, their personalities couldn't be farther apart. While Ryūko is a rough around the edges rebel, as class president of Shujin Academy, Satsuki embodies discipline and authority.
5 Hei - Yu Yu Hakusho
Similarly to many other characters on this list, Hei was initially introduced as an antagonist. However, Hei soon became more of a rival than foe, serving as a member of Team Urameshi during The Dark Tournament.
Hei is a practitioner of one of the most iconic techniques to come out of Yu Yu Hakusho: the "Dragon of Darkness Flame," a move so powerful that while it can completely disintegrate its target, and takes a huge toll on its user.
4 Sasuke Uchiha - Naruto
One cannot have a conversation about rivals in anime without mentioning Sasuke Uchiha. While often critiqued as being overly edgy, one must concede that the character is not just and edgy anime character, but the edgy anime character. One of the most pivotal in the show, being partially responsible for a change in tone in the series, resulting in some of the greatest fights the franchise had featured. With the incredibly iconic arsenal including the Sharingan, neither Naruto or the anime medium would be the same.
3 Racer X - Speed Racer
Easily the oldest character on this list, Racer X paved the way for the archetype of rival characters in anime for generations to come. The mysterious aura associated with the character immediately left a mark on many viewers and helped to establish the character's "cool factor." It speaks for itself that despite the fact that the character only made a limited amount of appearances, only showing up in a fraction of the episodes, Racer X is by and large one of the most iconic characters to come out of Speed Racer.
2 Killua - Hunter X Hunter
While many of the rivals on this list may compete with their respective protagonist on varying levels, it is safe to say that Killua and Gon of Hunter X Hunter have the most brotherly bond. While these characters have different goals and are constantly trying to one-up one and other, their rivalry serves as more of a measuring stick of their abilities, rather than a deeply rooted excuse to fight one and other. While Killua is always trying to one-up Gon, they are constantly strengthening their friendship as well as their abilities.
1 Todoroki - My Hero Academia
While much more of a tertiary protagonist in the plot of My Hero Academia, Todoroki's initial appearances were much more in line with a rival character. Literally bred to be the perfect hero by his father, Endeavor, who sought for his son to surpass the world's number one hero: All Might. As Izuku Midoriya inherits All Might's abilities, it only makes sense for the two to form a rivalry during the Sports Festival arc.
While Midoriya possesses great strength, Todoroki stands out for his abilities to not just control ice, but the ability to control fire as well, making him an extremely versatile hero. And as a well-written character with a lot going on in the narrative, this is a character made for both form and function.