Sibling relationships can be complicated, the combination of often tumultuous childhoods and diverging paths in adulthood placing them constantly at odds. In anime, these volatile relationships are often made more complex with supernatural beings and abilities, their influence creating larger and more significant conflicts between families.
In most sibling relationships, there's already unspoken conflict, each one subconsciously or actively vying to be the best. When combined with their supernatural abilities, this can create fairly intense rivalries between siblings, and when they end up on opposite sides of the battlefield, these rivalries can lead to particularly devastating battles.
10 Sasuke And Itachi Eventually Resolve Their Rivalry
For the majority of Naruto, Sasuke believed that Itachi was responsible for the murder of their clan. He devoted every ounce of energy to his one-sided rivalry, to gain the power to get revenge upon his older sibling. His intense hatred came to a head when the two met again and engaged in battle, one that unfortunately ended in Itachi's death. However, it also resulted in the dissolution of Sasuke's hatred and Itachi's redemption, and Sasuke spends the rest of the series avenging his brother and continuing his work of protecting the Leaf Village.
9 All For One And Yoichi Shigaraki's Fight Continues In Their Future Wielders
Living in My Hero Academia's tumultuous age of Quirk development, these siblings couldn't have been more different. Despite his power, All for One was never satisfied, always pursuing more power and control, under the guise of making a better world.
Yoichi, despite his apparent Quirklessness, was content, and begged his brother to stop his conquest. All for One refused, and forced a Quirk upon Yoichi, unintentionally revealing Yoichi's ability to pass down his power, the power of One for All. This rivalry continues long after Yoichi dies, each future holder of One for All battling All for One in an attempt to stop him, finally culminating into a final face-off between the holders: Izuku and Shigaraki.
8 Illumi And Killua Fight Over The Fate Of Their Family
In Hunter x Hunter, the Zoldyck's are raised as assassins, enduring endless torture in the attempt to mold them into the perfect killers their parents desire. Illumi's yearning to be worthy, and his unwavering devotion towards family, directly contrasts Killua's desire to break free of his parent's influence, setting them constantly at odds.
Illumi deeply loves his brother and wants to protect him, but the only "love" he knows is from his own trauma, a childhood filled with manipulation and pain, the "love" his parents showed him. So Illumi attempts to control Killua, thinking he's "loving" him, but instead becomes a conduit for his parent's control, forcing Killua to fight back. Their tumultuous relationship peaks in the Election Arc, when the two fight over Alluka, Killua hoping to save Gon and Illumi looking for control and protection for his family.
7 Jonathan Joestar And Dio Brando's Rivalry Continues For Generations
From the beginning of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Jonathan and Dio were rivals, with Dio resenting and abusing his adopted brother. His jealousy and anger, combined with his desire for power, drive him to attempt to murder their father. This betrayal cements their deadly rivalry, with Johnathon vowing revenge for his brother's violence. Johnathan spends his life attempting to enact his revenge upon Dio and finally succeeds at the cost of his own life. Upon his death, Johnathan forgives Dio for all his transgressions, but Dio grants him no such forgiveness, his rivalry and hatred against Johnathan continuing for generations after their deaths.
6 Maki And Mai Face Off Over A Broken Promise
Born into one of the most powerful clans in Jujutsu Kaisen, the Zenin clan, Maki and Mai were faced with impossible expectations. When they were unable to meet them, possessing little to no cursed energy, they were rejected. Unwilling to stay where she's unwanted, Maki rebelled, and forged her own path to find power.
However, Mai grew resentful at Maki's departure, as by leaving she broke their promise, and Mai felt abandoned. She works to surpass her as revenge, honing her jujutsu, hoping to be accepted by the clan, as Maki continues to find her 0wn power. Their paths converge again at the Kyoto Exchange Event, where the siblings battle and confront their relationship. It ends in Maki's victory, but their continued resentment promises a rematch.
5 Johan Wants Nina, But She Wants To Be Free
When your sibling is a twisted serial killer, it can make your relationship complicated. The anime Monster follows Dr. Tenma, and Johan and Nina, two orphans whose parents continued to meet gruesome ends at the hands of Johan. Johan eventually left, promising to return for Nina on their 2oth birthday. Suffering from amnesia, Nina remembered nothing of her brother or the past until Dr. Tenma thwarted Johan's abduction. After escaping her brother and regaining her memories, she vowed to kill him, as Johan continued to kill and attempt to return her to him. Their rivalry led to a deadly game of cat and mouse that could only end in a final showdown.
4 Kusuke Challenges Kusuo To Prove His Superiority
Born a seemingly incomparable genius, it seemed that Kusuke would have no rival that could compare. However, a few years after his birth, his brother was born as essentially the god of The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K. Kusuo, despite his power, just lives an average life, resenting his psychic abilities and the life he lives because of them. For Kusuke however, Kusuo's abilities represent a challenge, and he spends his life challenging Kusuo, hoping to prove his superiority. He forces him into a number of impossible challenges, threatening to out his abilities to the world if he's unable to complete the tasks Kusuke sets. Despite all his efforts, Kusuo continues to defeat him and the rivalry continues.
3 Eren And Zeke Fight Over The Fate Of The Eldian Race
Raised within the tumultuous world of Attack on Titan in opposing nations with opposing goals, these brothers were born into rivalry. Zeke sought revenge upon a father who he believed abandoned him and hoped he could convince Eren to support his Eldian euthanization plan. Despite apparent cooperation, Eren was working against Zeke, using Zeke as simply a puppet as he pursued his own goal of protecting Paradis.
Their false cooperation ends in betrayal, with Zeke revealing he was using Eren, and Eren revealing he was the one truly in control. He was orchestrating everything from behind the scenes to initiate the one thing that Zeke hoped to prevent: The Rumbling.
2 Touka And Ayato Stand Opposite In A Civil War
Though close in childhood, these siblings living within Tokyo Ghoul became alienated when they discovered they were ghouls, creatures sustained through the consumption of human flesh. Upon this discovery, they took very different stances on their roles in the world. Touka believed that ghouls should try to live peacefully amongst humans and sustain themselves the way that humans do. Ayato took the complete opposite opinion, believing that humans were "nothing but food" and that the power granted to him as a ghoul made him superior to humans. These opposing views placed them on opposite sides of a ghoul civil war, where the two battled over their beliefs.
1 Dabi And Shoto Meet Again On The Battlefield
With parents in an abusive Quirk marriage, solely for making a child to surpass All Might, the relationship between the Todoroki siblings was doomed from the beginning. Toya/Dabi, as the eldest, was forced to destroy his body for a father who never granted him approval. He was then forced to watch his younger brother take his place, blinded by jealousy and pain. He pushed past the limits of his Quirk, hoping to regain his father's attention, but only ensured his own destruction. Shoto, unaware of his brother's suffering, and enduring his 0wn trauma, saw only the crimes that Dabi committed. When the two meet again they're on opposite sides of the war, facing each other on the battlefield, a hero and a villain.