Bleach's shonen star is Ichigo Kurosaki, who fits the antihero mold with his punkish behavior, his tough-guy attitude and his fierce desire to protect all his friends and family from harm. Ichigo is a bit of a loner sometimes and stubbornly tries to solve all his problems himself, but he does understand the value of friendship. He's got a social circle to call his own.
Ichigo's taste in friends can reveal a lot about him, such as his best friend Chad, who is a tough, responsible and honorable sort, as well as Orihime, who is goofy but intensely loyal and true to herself. And, of course, there's also Rukia Kuchiki. Clearly, Ichigo favors friends who are smart, resilient and honorable like him, and with that in mind, Ichigo would befriend a few characters from other anime.
10 Shikamaru Nara Is Cool & Smart, Like Ichigo (Naruto)
Shikamaru is famed for being a lazy and eccentric genius, but he has a strong sense of responsibility and honor when the stakes are high. Shikamaru is perfectly capable of making friends, such as his childhood friend Choji Akimichi, and he eventually became friends with Naruto Uzumaki, too. He doesn't mind having company.
If Ichigo and Shikamaru met, then aside from the laziness, they would see a lot of themselves in each other, including their standoffish personalities and a strong sense of loyalty and responsibility toward their friends. They take themselves and their duty seriously, and will make a confident smile when their friends need a morale boost.
9 Itsuka Kendo Is A Lot Like Ichigo (My Hero Academia)
As a whole, Ichigo would rather make friends with people who act and think like he does, though small differences aren't a problem. Ichigo would be impressed if he met Itsuka Kendo of My Hero Academia's Class 1-B and see a lot of himself in her.
Like Ichigo, Itsuka is kind but tough, and she is equally likely to scold her allies as she would her enemies if she must. Itsuka is a fearless hero who has little patience for nonsensical antics, and she and Ichigo would see eye to eye on many topics. They're also both skilled martial artists.
8 Ichigo Would Admire Alphonse Elric's Resolve & Sense Of Honor (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Although Alphonse Elric has a much gentler personality than Ichigo and tends to goof off more, he and Ichigo would get along just fine if they somehow met. Alphonse, like Ichigo, is a brave and selfless fighter who can't stand the sight of his friends or even innocent strangers coming to harm. No one deserves to suffer, Alphonse would say.
Aside from kicking bullies in the face, Ichigo has a similar mentality, and Ichigo would deeply respect Alphonse's resolve to fight evil and stand up for what's right despite the steep odds. Alphonse has a good heart and abundant courage - qualities that Ichigo needs in a true friend.
7 Ichigo Would See Himself In Erza Scarlet, Too (Fairy Tail)
Ichigo, Itsuka Kendo and the swordswoman Erza Scarlet are all roughly similar to one another, and they would all make good friends if they ever crossed paths. Erza suffered greatly in her childhood in Fairy Tail, but her suffering never broke her spirits or corrupted her heart. She fights hard so no one else will go through what she did.
Erza is a tough and disciplined person who puts duty and honor first, and she's not afraid to knock some heads, either. Erza is the big sister everyone needs to shield them from harm, and Ichigo would deeply respect that. They would hit it off right away.
6 Kyoko Hori Is Smart & Kind (Horimiya)
Ichigo would easily make friends with big sister or big brother types, since they have a similar worldview as Ichigo and know what his life experience is like. In addition to Erza and Itsuka, Ichigo would befriend Kyoko Hori, one of the main characters of Horimiya, aside from Izumi Miyamura.
Kyoko is kind, outgoing and popular at school, but there's more to it. She is also a diligent student and a doting big sister at home, and she has a generous heart but won't tolerate any horseplay or nonsense from others - not even from her boyfriend. She and Ichigo have too much in common to not forge a friendship.
5 Ryuji Takasu Is Generous & Humble (Toradora!)
Toradora!'s Ryuji Takasu seems similar to Ichigo on the outside, being a tough high school boy with a stern expression and a formidable reputation. However, while Ichigo wanted to build up a reputation for being cool, Ryuji's intimidating reputation is an accident. He only looks scary; he is actually kind and gentle.
Ryuji is confident and smart, and he is also quite responsible and will do anything for friends and family, almost to a fault. Ichigo can respect that, and based on his friendship with Orihime, he's drawn to gentle and selfless people.
4 Tanjiro Kamado Is Easy To Get Along With (Demon Slayer)
Some shonen leads wouldn't appeal to Ichigo as potential friends, since they are too rambunctious and goofy, and such characters like Naruto or Luffy would annoy Ichigo to no end. But Tanjiro Kamado, the newest demon slayer on the block, is different.
Tanjiro does get worked up when Zenitsu Agatsuma or Inosuke Hashibira act up, but otherwise, Tanjiro is a kind, mature and humble person who lets his actions speak for themselves. Ichigo can respect that, and the two boys also know what it's like to hunt monsters as swordsmen.
3 Ichika Nakano Is Empathetic & Hardworking (The Quintessential Quintuplets)
The five Nakano sisters are quintuplets and are all the same age, but Ichika Nakano is technically the oldest, and she works hard to be an ideal big sister for the other four. She is highly responsible and takes pride in her work, and she will always look out for her four sisters, no matter what.
Also, Ichika is a mature and kind person who can easily empathize with others and understand their emotional state. All this makes her easy to get along with, and Ichigo would appreciate Ichika's big sister personality. She's a hero, minus a soul-cutting sword.
2 Yuki Sohma, Like Ichigo, Is Reserved But Strong (Fruits Basket)
Yuki Sohma has more in common with Ichigo than not. They are both serious and aloof people who have little patience for wild antics, and they strive to be ordinary, hardworking students while hiding their special powers from everyone else. Throughout Fruits Basket, Yuki just wants to be normal, and Ichigo can understand that.
Yuki and Ichigo would avoid each other at first, but if Ichigo ever saved Yuki from bullies, for example, the two of them would make friends right away. Perhaps some punks got jealous of Yuki's enormous popularity, and Ichigo rushed to his defense. Then they'd become best friends and watch each other's backs, just as Ichigo and Chad do.
1 Judeau Is Cool & Smart, Like Ichigo (Berserk)
Judeau is just a minor character in the overall story of Berserk, but he did make a good impression during the Golden Age story arc when Guts fought with him in the Band of the Hawk mercenary army. Unlike the petty Corkus or arrogant Griffith, Judeau is smart, cool and realistic, meaning he has a good head on his shoulders.
Ichigo has similar qualities, and he'd be impressed if he and Judeau fought a few battles together against the Tudor army or other foes. Judeau is a kind but tough fellow who can easily make friends and connect to others, and Ichigo would trust him as a vital ally and fellow warrior.