5 Anime Characters I Wish Were My Friend

It’s hard not to like Deku. He’s considerate, amiable and always interested in what others are capable of. He’ll fight for you whenever you need him, and he knows exactly what to do in a pinch.

Despite this, he wasn’t exactly Mr. Popular as a kid, stemming from his lack of a Quirk to make him stand out from the crowd. In conventional terms, he was the quite the normie, and probably would have had to opt for a much less epic career than heroism. Perhaps he could have been a poet? He does write an awful lot down.

Equipped with One For All however, Midoriya’s aptitude increases tenfold, making a potential allegiance with him much more thrilling. At last, his physical abilities rival the strength of his heart, and he capably fends off evildoers great and small. Now your diminutive chum can smash walls with a single kick — which is super useful for emergency situations, or just general house renovation.

Friendship likelihood rating: Very strong. He’s nice enough not to bring up the fact that I don’t have a Quirk, or could help me unlock a latent one lying dormant underneath. Alternatively, I can attempt to forcibly steal his and become a supervillain. It’s nice having options, after all.

Although he’s unable to best Yusuke Urameshi in a fight, Kazuma Kuwabara has a lot of other things going for him.

At first glance, he possesses the gruff, boorish demeanour of a high school delinquent — because in fairness, that’s exactly what he is — but he won’t ever abandon you, no matter how high the stakes. He’s loyal to a fault, sticking up for his pals and mustering all his power to protect the wellbeing of his posse.

His introspective nature coupled with a gentle soul have provided him with heightened spiritual affinity, capable of channelling his Reiki into a devastating spirit sword. He’s virtuous in a lot of ways while still proving to be a stubborn lout who lets his fists do the talking; overall, a compelling, engaging young man who you’d love to have by your side in any situation.

Also, he’s got fantastic bone structure. Just putting it out there.

Friendship likelihood rating: Fairly solid. He can be won over with a kitten, however he might just want to fight me for no reason at all. My Reiki isn’t that awe-inspiring, though I have managed to use a pocketful of sand to great effect in the past.

As fun as it may be to have braggadocious, bombastic buddies, there’s definitely something to be said for the quiet ones, too. Lloyd Belladonna is the embodiment of humility; polite, self-doubting and pure. Raised in a village where he was routinely antagonised by beasts, he believed himself to be a weakling, and grew up to be the honest, upstanding citizen he is today.

Of course, the issue wasn’t that he was weak so much that everything surrounding him was incredibly overpowered. In actuality, Lloyd is an understated killing machine who just happened to have grown up in the equivalent to the endgame.

The result is a young man who thinks he’s pitiful, while routinely displaying herculean fits of strength and stamina, and therefore, a fantastic ally. Not only will you never hear him boast about his exploits, but he’ll probably think anything you achieve is super cool: get a new ringtone? Lloyd would be impressed! Buy a pair of chinos on sale? Lloyd is ecstatic! Recycle an ancient meme that nobody uses anymore? You’ve blown Lloyd’s damned mind.

Friendship likelihood rating: Almost certain. Lloyd’s so convinced he’s a plebeian, he probably already made this list years ago, with me featured on it.

The streets of Tokyo can be a dangerous place. There’s temptations lurking in each nook and cranny, from scandalous games of chance to the occasional flesh eating fiend. Dare you attempt to intervene, or even be tempted to try a little nibble while you’re there? Mum always said not to waste food, after all…

Ah, too many rash decisions to be made! That’s why it’s prudent to befriend someone like Touka Kirishima. She has the fighting acumen and lightning fast reflexes of a ghoul, and the earnest accessibility of an aloof teenager. It may sound like a particularly volatile mix, but she seems to make it work.

Once you chip away the defensive layers she’s put up over years of hardship, you’ll find a driven, kind young woman with a strong sense of duty and a wistful longing for a better life.

Friendship likelihood rating: Incredibly unlikely. I doubt we share any of the same hobbies, plus I’d more likely side with the CCG given the choice. Those quinques are just too neat to pass up… Bonk! Bonk!!

If a single person isn’t amenable to becoming my best friend, maybe an entire nation would?

When you’re looking for someone who can listen to you for all eternity without ever cutting in, Canada is your guy. He’s far too meek and deferential to interject, and by the time you’ve gotten everything off of your chest, you may have forgotten he’s even there.

Some might accuse him of lacking presence, and it’s hard to deny that. Who else would you prefer to spend your time with, though? The stupefied Italy, uptight Germany, or even his blowhard brother America?

No, I reckon I’ll invest my time and attention into… the other guy. Whatever his name was.

Friendship likelihood rating: …Wait, who were we talking about again?