Fans love funny animal partners that add to an already exciting story. They don't always have to be pets, they just need to be cute and make the viewer laugh for them to become fan-favorite characters. This works across all mediums, from movies to gaming to anime series. But of course, in the world of anime it's a bit easier to create a funny animal partner.
Anime series have talking animals or ones that are even more expressive than animals in real life. This can provide viewers with endless laughs – even if the protagonist dealing with the animals might not always find them as funny.
10 Guvava Mimics Mylene's Behavior Perfectly (Macross 7)
Guvava is Mylene's alien partner from the planet Pukirases V in Macross 7. A tiny furball, Guvava was given to Mylene by her dad, Maxmillian Jenius, after he returned from another space mission. Though Guvava didn't much care for Mylene at first, by the start of the main series he's basically her shadow.
He follows her around at all times, hiding somewhere in her clothes to pop out at just the right moment to make the viewer laugh. Guvava has the ability to use telepathy to emulate Mylene's emotions, mimicking whatever facial expression she has at the moment, generally relieving the tension in the scene.
9 Ponygon Becomes Zatch's Best Friend (Zatch Bell)
Aside from Kiyo, Ponygon is the first real friend Zatch is able to make in Zatch Bell. Appearing to be part horse and part sheep, Ponygon is one of the rare Mamodo unable to talk. That doesn't stop him from expressing himself though, and he becomes one of the most popular Mamodo among fans.
He's not afraid to give Kiyo a headbutt or a bite for being annoying, and he's always there for Zatch when he needs someone. There's also an episode where Ponygon teams up with Kanchome to sing Kanchome's partner the Invincible Folgore, back to consciousness. It's one of the funniest episodes in the series.
8 Chomusuke Is Just As Moody As A Real Cat (KonoSuba)
KonoSuba's Chomusuke might be the most realistic representation of a cat in anime. He's moody, picks blatant favorites of who he does and doesn't want to hang out with, and will avoid those favorites if they're inconvenient. He seems to be the most fond of Megumin, Kazuma, and Wiz, but wants absolutely nothing to do with Aqua.
This is likely because she's the most useless character on the show. At the same time, he's run away from Megumin when she's come home covered in frog slime, unwilling to get dirty even for his master, no matter how great she is. It's rare to have a character that's as good for cuteness as they are for comedy.
7 Pikachu Is The Sassy Pokémon Partner Everyone Wants (Pokémon)
If Ash hadn't overslept in Pokémon, he might have wound up with a normal Pokémon starter. That would have been a shame for the fans, as even now Pikachu helps make the show. He's just so delightfully sassy in everything he does. Pikachu has no problem using his powers on anyone that violates his personal space, but it's not just that.
He shows utter disdain for being trapped inside a Pokéball, smacking it away whenever Ash tries to put him back in the ball. Even the way he refuses to evolve is funny, because he refuses to allow a stone to change the way he is.
6 Oolong Manages To Make People Laugh While Also Saving The World (Dragon Ball)
Dragon Ball Z fans might have missed a lot of Oolong's better moments. The character plays a large part in the first arc of Dragon Ball, where the gang fought to stop a would-be conqueror from taking over the world with the power of the Dragon Balls.
After he's pulled from the town he spends time running as a boss, but he still decides to tag along with the gang as comedic relief. He provides a lot of the laughs as someone who resolves all of his conflict through shape-shifting. That said, not many funny animals are able to save the universe by making a wish on the Dragon Balls to stop Pilaf.
5 Sadaharu Likes To Live Life His Own Way (Gintama)
At its core, Gintama is a series about found family, and the Yorozuya work best with a dog – even if that dog is over five feet tall and weighs as much as several humans. His adorable looks keep him around the Yorozuya, even though he's often much more trouble than he's worth.
Early episodes get tons of comedy out of Sadaharu dragging Gintama across the city during his daily walks. While Gintama might complain about him, Sadaharu fits into the group as a dog who likes doing things his way, even if his way often involves biting people's heads.
4 Pakkun Is A Ninja Dog Who Loves Being Praised For His Job (Naruto)
Kakashi has a number of ninja dogs he can call on, but he summons Pakkun the most. Due to his size, audiences and Naruto characters might have specific expectations about his voice and behavior. But while a dog his size is normally expected to be loud and have a high-pitched voice, Pakkun has the voice of a gruff old man.
He's not afraid to bite anyone in the Leaf that makes it harder to do his mission. He also openly desires praise from Kakashi whenever he completes a mission, often only to have Kakashi assign him yet another mission.
3 Ryo-Ohki Spends Most Of Her Time Trying To Steal As Many Carrots As Possible (Tenchi Muyo!)
When Ryoko first appears with an egg in her arms she claimed it was the result of a union between her and Tenchi, no one could've guessed the result would be Ryo-Ohki. Even fewer would've realized Ryo-Ohki was Ryoko's legendary space-ship that had battled Juraian society across the galaxy.
But most of the time, Ryo-Ohki provides Tenchi Muyo!'s comedic relief. Her obsession with carrots means Tenchi spends most of his day farming to have enough to feed her. When Ryo-Ohki isn't out in the field with him, she's getting into trouble by finding ways to steal the carrot harvest that already exists.
2 Happy Is All Too Excited To Spend The Rest Of His Days Eating Fish (Fairy Tail)
Happy might be the best animal companion any anime character could ask for, he's certainly the best partner for Natsu in Fairy Tail. As an Exceed, he possesses the power of flight, which is the only mode of transportation the Flame Dragon Slayer can use without getting sick.
His blunt attitude towards his friends provides an endless source of humor for the fans. He's never afraid to tell Natsu what chance he has of winning a fight, especially when he challenges someone like Erza or Laxus, and that's only when he isn't trying to find a new way to get more than his fair share of fish.
1 Nero Always Knows The Best Times To Peck Asta's Head (Black Clover)
When Asta became a Magic Knight, everything in his life changed, except how much magic he had. His mana level remained at zero, and early on in the series anti-magic birds constantly assaulted him, attracted by his lack of magic. Most of them left him alone eventually, but Nero stuck around.
Though she's known to help Asta out, most of the time she delivers hilarity. She attacks Asta, poking away at his poor skull or tugging on his hair. Not the most polite behavior considering Asta is often the one looking after her, but it provides the audience with laughs.