One of the things that makes anime so fun to watch is the plethora of diverse characters. Even though anime is loaded with all sorts of colorful characters, the one character trope almost all anime have is the rival. They often act as a foil for the protagonists and represent conflicting ideas and morals. In a good rivalry, the two characters help each other become better by challenging each other. Midoriya and Bakugo from My Hero Academia is the perfect example of a good rivalry.
Unfortunately, not all rivalries are created equal. Sometimes, the characters are rivals for the wrong reasons or the power dynamic isn't equal. While a bad rivalry doesn't exactly ruin an anime, it can ruin the enjoyment for a lot of fans.
10 Uryu Ishida Is Better Off As A Friend Than A Rival (Bleach)
When Uryu is introduced, he has a strong disdain for Soul Reapers, which makes sense considering how Quincies are treated. However, Ichigo sees him as more of a nuisance than a rival. Uryu acts rashly, and because of that, he ends up way over his head. Uryu intends to challenge Ichigo at who can defeat the most hollows, but the lure he uses attracts way more than he expects. Uryu would have been up a creek without a paddle without Ichigo there to help him. Once Uyru drops the rivalry act, his character is able to develop way more than it did before.
9 Jean's Friends Help Him Grow Into Something Other Than A Rival (Attack On Titan)
Jean and Eren butted heads the moment they met. Jean acts high and mighty, and Eren often feels slighted by how Jean acts towards him. Jean especially begins to hate Eren when he realizes how close Eren is to Mikasa. They have the foundation of a rivalry, but that's not what their relationship grows into. Jean gets inspired to join the Scouts because of Eren, but his friends are the ones that inspire him to work harder. After they finish their training, neither Eren nor Jean plays a major part in each other's development.
8 Endeavor Is The Only One Who Thinks He's All Might's Rival (My Hero Academia)
The only one who thinks of himself as a rival to All Might is Endeavor himself. He is constantly at odds with the man because he wants to take All Might's place as the number one hero. Although All Might doesn't seem to particularly like Endeavor, the extreme hate is obviously one-sided.
All Might spends his career focused on saving lives, while Endeavor treats All Might as an obsession. Endeavor nearly destroys his family because he is so obsessed with All Might. Their relationship is so one-sided, it can't really be called a rivalry.
7 Sanosuke Isn't All That Challenging To Fight (Rurouni Kenshin)
Sanosuke Sagara is one of the first opponents Kenshin faces in Rurouni Kenshin. He is an intimidating presence with an even more intimidatingly large sword. However, when they actually do fight, Sanosuke isn't much of a challenge. Kenshin's speed negates the effect of the oversized sword, so he is able to beat Sanosuke easily. Sanosuke is strong but is never quite as strong as Kenshin. He becomes an important ally but is never an equal rival.
6 Speed o' Sound Sonic Could Barely Compete (One Punch Man)
In any other anime, Sonic would be a force to be reckoned with. He is capable of taking out dozens of opponents before they've even realized what happened, but compared to Saitama who is able to take out most opponents with one punch, Sonic's skills are grossly lacking. Sonic takes their rivalry seriously, but Saitama doesn't even consider him a rival or even remembers who he is for that matter. The fight between the two is both fun to watch and embarrassing on Sonic's part, especially considering the way he lost their very first fight.
5 Andy Is More Of An Annoyance Then A True Rival (Cowboy Bebop)
While Andy would consider Spike a rival, Spike would consider Andy a thorn in his side. Andy is only around for a short time, but he manages to get in Spike's way several times. He's a bit of an annoyance and even manages to get himself kicked out of The Young Men's Cowboy Association (YMCA) for being a nuisance to others.
When he first appears, he thwarts Spike's attempts to catch Teddy Bomber and continues to get in the way of every one of Spike's attempts. Andy is less of a rival and more of an obstacle for Spike to fight against. They may be similar and fight each other a lot, but Andy is far from rival material.
4 Sasuke Is A Poorly Developed Rival, And Naruto Is Too Obsessed (Naruto)
Sasuke does act as a foil for Naruto for most of the series, but when it comes to being a true rival, he falls short. Sasuke's character development is lacking and at times incredibly rushed. One moment, he wants to destroy the Leaf Village, and the next, he is saying he wants to be Hokage. Naruto also spends most of the series far too obsessed with him. Rather than helping each other grow, Naruto and Sasuke develop in spite of each other.
3 Near Is A Poor Replacement For L (Death Note)
Death Note is considered one of the greatest anime of all time, but even fans of the series recognize that the second half is lacking compared to the first half. L is a perfect rival for Light. They both manage to despise and respect each other at the same time. After L's death, Near is introduced, but he doesn't really fill the void that L leaves. While Near is able to compete with Light on the same level as L and even manages to beat Light in the end, Near doesn't capture the same energy as L, so the war of intelligence is far less interesting to watch.
2 Takumi Aldini Isn't A Good Enough Chef (Food Wars)
Takumi is a hot-head and determined, which would typically make for a good rival. However, Soma's skills are so far above his that he often has to play catch up. Both of them come from families that own restaurants, and they both feel the need to defend their family names. The difference in skill is so one-sided, Takumi can barely qualify as a true rival. The only thing helping him maintain his rival status is his willingness to continue challenging Soma.
1 Ino And Sakura's Rivalry Is Problematic (Naruto)
While most rivals challenge each other to be stronger or smarter, Ino and Sakura are rivals in love. They only have a rivalry because they are interested in the same boy. It's shallow and rather insulting that their only development involves Sasuke. They eventually become rival students under Tsunade, but they don't grow much from there.