Komi Can't Communicate's main character Komi is encouraged to overcome her debilitating social anxiety by making 100 friends. Over the course of the series, the audience comes to a full understanding of Komi's struggle and pain in her daily life, but thankfully she isn't alone and has a number of friends to help her along her journey.
Although most fans talk about Komi's best friends Tadano and Najimi, there are others who have helped Komi overcome her social anxiety. Some characters may have not realized what they meant to the struggling teenager, while others may have done less than they would like to admit, but either way, each of these characters have made some sort of difference in Komi's life.
10 Ren Yamai Helps Komi In Her Own Crazy Way
Although fans have a hard time accepting Ren Yamai for her toxic yandere quirks, Komi considers her one of her closest friends. When she's more stable, Yamai can be a genuinely good friend to Komi, albeit with some ulterior motives. Yamai will go above and beyond for Komi, like when she bought her a swimsuit, and protected her from embarrassment when she pointed out Komi's ripped tights before anyone else noticed.
Granted these moments might not last long, but they are important experiences for building Komi's self-esteem. Not to mention, Yamai is one of the few classmates who shows up for Komi outside of school.
9 Omoharu Nakanaka Is A Unique, But Genuine Friend To Komi
Despite how much of an oddball Omoharu Nakanaka can be, she does bring a unique challenge to Komi's life with her over-the-top Chunibyou persona. At first, Nakanaka confuses Komi, and most of their classmates, but Komi learns to accept Nakanaka for who she is and in return, Nakanaka gives Komi a genuine friendship in and out of school.
Nakanaka is one of Komi's closest friends, taking part in many of her social experiences and introducing her to new ways to have fun with friends. She's also one of the few in class 1-1 that actually tries to understand Komi under Tadano's tutelage and, unlike Yamai, makes some significant progress.
8 Sasaki Ayami Knows When To Take Big Steps
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During the Kyoto Field trip, Komi was extremely nervous about interacting with her assigned group since it was her first time on a school field trip. The trip was one of Komi's best experiences thanks to Sasaki Ayami, who knows how to make things interesting.
Sasaki has a very easy-going personality, which certainly made it easier for Komi. She also knows how to make a normal situation more memorable by taking boldest steps. Mistaking a performance at Kyoto's Movie Land for an attack on Komi, Sasaki defends her classmate with her hidden yo-yo talent while wearing an oni mask. It may not mean much to most, but for Komi, Sasaki's wild antics were a much-needed distraction for her social anxiety.
7 Netsuno Chika Pushes The Shy Heroine To Compete
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One major part of Komi's social anxiety is facing people and her anxiety typically renders her immobile. Despite not knowing about her anxiety, the second-year athlete Netsuno Chika posed the perfect challenge for Komi; a simple rivalry over a relay race.
Since running a race comes with little social interaction, Komi was able to rise to Netsuno's challenge during their school's Sports Day in front of the entire student body. Netsuno's challenge turned out to be the perfect obstacle for Komi to overcome and it became a huge bonding moment for the two characters and for Komi and all her newly made friends.
6 Kato Mikuni Made The Right Moves For Komi
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Komi was nervous during the Kyoto Field Trip and needed someone to make it a good experience for her group. That person wound up being Kato Mikuni, who planned a full itinerary for the trip. Kato is incredibly structured, which almost backfires when she pushes too many activities onto her classmates. After finding a good balance, the trip wound up being one of Komi's best experiences.
Kato also shares her passion for Shogi with Komi, which becomes a good way to engage her in conversation. In fact, during one conversation, Komi engages in a debate with Tadano about one particular puzzle. The two fight briefly, but Kato helps them by gently explaining who's right and wrong, thus preserving and strengthening their friendship.
5 Agari Himiko Shows Komi That She Isn't Alone
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Najimi introduces Komi to Agari Himiko primarily because the two girls struggle with their own social anxiety. Though they don't really discuss each other's struggles, their budding friendship teaches Komi that she isn't as odd as she might have originally thought.
More than being a kindred spirit, Agari is also a good friend. Agari shows up for Komi even more so than Yamai or Nakanaka, bringing Komi to Ramen Darou, the first place that welcomes her silent communication and making time for Komi during the Kyoto trip despite being a part of a different group.
4 Otori Kaede's Absentmindedness Was Just What Komi Needed
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Though she may not have realized it, Otori Kaede helped Komi more than most have in class 1-1. Whether it was out of their own anxiety or assuming that they'd be a bother, everyone else seemed to avoid Komi, but Kaede was the only one to approach Komi with little hesitation.
No one knew how much Komi wanted to help with the upcoming school cultural festival, even Otori. Regardless, Otori saw that Komi wasn't doing anything and casually asked her to help with buying supplies. Even though she's absentminded and needs to be watched over, it's because Otori doesn't always think ahead that she treats Komi like she would anyone else, which helped Komi tremendously in stepping out of her shell.
3 Nene Onemine Is The Big Sister Komi Needs
As the class' big sister, Nene Onemine is there for anyone in need, including Komi. She's one of the few classmates to treat Komi like a normal person rather than a goddess or a pet owner or even a kindred spirit from a past life. She takes notice of what makes Komi happy and unhappy and helps her in the same way Tadano does.
Having someone aside from Tadano who's capable of knowing just what she needs advances Komi's growth. Together, the two girls have bonded over school responsibilities, the distant cats of Neko Cafe Gateau, and baking for Valentine's Day.
2 Tadano Hitohito Is The Perfect Emotional Support
Tadano helps Komi start on her growth journey thanks, in part, to his ability to read people. Tadano picks up on Komi's struggle with communication and comes up with the brilliant idea of writing out what she wants to say, which winds up being the ideal way for her to communicate.
Any time Komi is stuck in her growth, Tadano is there to talk her through it. He's the reason why Komi is able to continue her journey despite the social pressures that come with high school. However, his caring and tender ways aren't always the best for development. Much of the time, he hesitates with others, and he more often than not coddles Komi rather than actually encouraging her, at least early on in the series.
1 Najimi Osana Challenges Komi The Most
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Though it took them a while to adjust to Komi's awkward habits, Najimi wound up becoming the best friend for Komi. After failing to introduce Komi to anyone else in their class, Tadano turns to their childhood friend Najimi, who's social skills are unrivaled. Najimi pushes Komi to exceed her limits by sending her off on drink or food orders and expecting a sudden change by forcing Komi to interact with others. While this may have been a lot for Komi to take on, Najimi did have the right idea.
Even though most of Najimi's initial efforts to push Komi to speak normally failed, it was still an exercise that would prepare her for future social events, most notably the Kyoto Field Trip. Along Komi's journey, Najimi also keeps her on track, reminding her of her goal to make 100 friends. She also invites Komi to the most social events, introducing her to the most people.