Anime, depending on its genre and plot, may have different main characters. Or, as is also often the case, there may be more than one main character, coexisting and complementing each other.
They may be of any kind of pairing, male and female, as is often the case in romance, 2 females, or 2 males.
We will focus on the former, so the best anime with 2 male leads with some good crackling couples.
This listicle is purely based on our opinions and knowledge, and be careful, there may be spoilers.
Table of Contents
15. Karneval (Nai & Gereki)
Karneval is a fantasy adventure with a touch of mystery that is very colorful and beautiful at a glance.
Nai is searching for the man who raised him, who suddenly disappeared leaving behind only a bracelet, bearing a symbol traceable to the most powerful organization in the country: the Phantom Circus.
The main character after a series of circumstances finds himself involved with Gereki, another boy, who to get by is a thief and pickpocket. But was it just a chance encounter?
Mystery, lively settings, circus, and lots of action and adventure make this a very enjoyable viewing. Plus, Nai and Gereki are an explosive couple.
14. SK8 the Infinity (Reki & Ranga)
An anime from 2021, which as you may have guessed if you’ve worked out the pun in the title, is based on skateboarding, particularly in street competitions.
The story follows the events of Reki, a student who loves skateboarding. One day he suddenly gets involved in the S, a dangerous street race with no rules held in an abandoned mine.
Ranga, who has returned to Japan from Canada and has never skateboarded before, becomes involved in the competition along with Reki.
We don’t need to tell you, if you are a skateboarder, start it with your eyes closed.
13. Seraph of the End (Yu & Mika)
This is an anime that aired in the spring of 2015 and it is set in a world where a mysterious virus is starting to appear.
This disease begins to kill every human above the age of 13 so mankind is enslaved by a vampire race that promise to protect the survivors in exchange for donations of blood.
Yuuichirou and Mikaela Hyakuya are two orphans who get sick of living under the vampire’s reign of terror, so they try to escape the orphanage but Mikaela ends up dying in the process.
Yuuichirou is found many years later, now a Japanese Imperial Demon Army member determined to take revenge on the creatures that slaughtered his family.
But that’s just the beginning of the plot, full of action, mysteries, and much more. Yu and Mika are an incredible duo of main characters, very complementary, almost one mirrors the other.
12. The Case Study of Vanitas (Noah & Paris)
The story is set in an alternate 19th-century Steampunk Paris, where technology has taken a different path.
The protagonist Noah is a vampire called upon to investigate mysterious attacks by his fellow humans. Despite being fully integrated into society have for some time now begun to carry out random assaults caught up in a kind of feral state.
The key to stopping them seems to be possessed by Vanitas and it is the mysterious Book of Vanitas. This series is from the same author as Pandora Hearts, with the difference that this anime adaptation is quite good compared to Pandora’s.
The two main characters are equal parts Noah and Vanitas, who together form a pair you don’t expect but which works great.
11. Hyouka! (Houtarou & Satoshi)
This anime premiered in 2012 and tells the story of high school freshman Houtarou Oreki. He’s a pretty apathetic guy who prioritizes energy conservation despite everything happening around him.
One day he is forced by his sister Tomoe to join the Classics Club to save it from disbandment. He will find out that an extroverted girl, Eru Chitanda, has already joined the club.
They will later be joined by his childhood friends Satoshi Fukube and Mayaka Ibara, forming the lead quartet, consisting of 2 males and 2 females.
10. Kingdom (Xin & Zheng)
Set in the year 245 B.C., Kingdom tells the story of Xin and Piao, two war orphans. The two, now reduced to servants, spend their time dreaming of fighting.
One day Piao is noticed by Shobunkun, adviser to Crown Prince Ying Zhen, who takes him with him to become a servant in the capital city of Kanyou.
Upon his return, nothing is as before. It will be covered up that Piao served only to be used as a double for King Zheng, who was in danger because of the coup that saw him as a target.
The story of Kingdom is a fictional adaptation of the Chinese historical period known as the Warring States Period, which ended in 221 B.C.
The two male leads in this anime are indeed Xin and Zheng, two excellent characters who complete each other making them gather a lot of loyal followers with their standout personalities.
9. Yuri!! on Ice (Yuuri & Victor)
Highly acclaimed and award-winning sports yaoi anime that has ice skating as its central theme, with added comic and sentimental elements.
The story has as its centerpiece Yuuri Katsuki, a 23-year-old hope of Japanese ice skating who has suffered a bitter defeat in a major competition that destroys him psychologically. This also makes him gain a lot of weight.
Undecided whether to continue in the sport or not, he will be shaken by Victor Nikiforov, a Russian talent who will also offer to become his mentor.
And that’s how Yuuri’s desire to play the sport will return, going from fat to fit and ready to take his revenge.
If you are a fan of skating, we shouldn’t be the ones to tell you: don’t miss it. Another great reason to see it is its breathtaking animations, done by MAPPA studio, the more in-vogue studio of the moment.
Yuuri and Victor will also be a great couple beautiful to behold and develop a healthy and intriguing love relationship.
8. Given (Multiple Duos)
Series based on a shonen’ai target manga, which is a subgenre of the shonen target that features one or more same-sex relationships between characters within the story. A total of 11 episodes were adapted, which aired in 2019.
The plot follows the events of four high school students belonging to an amateur rock band.
The anime can be divided into 2 parts, with each focusing on the relationship and subsequent ones between 2members at a time. In plain English, you get multiple male protagonists in the same anime.
All of the courses are tied together by life and concerts within the band. A must-see if you are looking for a series that merges bands and love stories.
7. Banana Fish (Ash & Eiji)
A very renowned anime in Japan, so much so that it is often mentioned in other literary works. We are talking about Banana Fish.
The plot, as from the background of this list, is distinctly mystery-investigative.
The main character Ash Lynx finds himself involved in the search for the truth about a mysterious succession of suicides that are happening in New York City.
The only link between them is the constant repetition of the words Banana Fish.
But these words lead back to nothing less than a drug, as will be discovered later. Banana Fish is its name, and it will play a key role in the unfolding of the plot.
We will see mainly in action Ash, the undisputed protagonist, and Eiji, his trusted companion, and partner, who will be able to give us indescribable moments.
If you haven’t watched this little gem already, we really don’t know what you’re waiting for. It’s an compelling story, and also thank to it sad ending.
6. Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
A Magi is a magician whose inclination toward magic is so immense that it can be said to shape the world.
Each Magi chooses a worthy candidate to become a king, then helps them conquer strange labyrinths called Dungeons.
Above all else, the Magi supervises their elected representative as they build a country that might one day bring the world to its knees.
Aladdin is one of these Magi, and he will choose to protect Alibaba, a young and talented boy. Thus begins their adventure.
Magi draws inspiration from the classical collection of folk tales One Thousand and One Nights, as visible from the setting.
It is a fantasy anime with a fun duo of male protagonists that have the potential to be hugely powerful.
The plot of the show is quite gripping but is the setting that makes it stand out above others in the genre, making Magi one of the best magic anime.
5. Haikyu!! (Shoyo & Kageyama)
Without too much premise or doubt one of the most popular anime in recent years.
We are, of course, talking about Haikyu!!, one of the giants of spokon, which has enthralled every fan who has approached it.
The main character is Shoyo Hinata, a young boy who, after watching a professional volleyball match, decides that he absolutely must take up the sport himself and become an ace at it.
The only obstacle? He is a fairly short boy, definitely outside the standards of the sport, which requires a certain physical prowess.
Thus begins the ascent of the Little Giant of volleyball, as he will be nicknamed because of his physical characteristics. There are not many words to say here, as the fame of the work speaks for itself.
But everyone knows even those who haven’t seen it, that his great companion and rival will be Kageyama, thus completing the picture of the two protagonists.
Not to mention the fact that the two are simultaneously one of the most crackling duos in the entire spokon genre.
4. Space Brothers (Hibito & Mutta)
As the name suggests, this is the story of two brothers willing to go to space after seeing a UFO heading towards the Moon as children.
Hibito Nanba, the older brother, will be the first man to go to the Moon, whereas Mutta is a salaryman. Fate blesses Mutta as he has the opportunity to go to space and catch up with his younger brother.
This story is not just about space, it’s about promises and dreams between the 2 protagonists.
Everything is so realistic and relatable, unlike many other shows which represent exaggerated representations.
3. Berserk (Gatsu & Griffith)
A masterpiece of the dark fantasy and sword and sorcery genres that came out in 1997.
Few other works can match this one due to the complexity of its characters and for starring two incredible personalities with the darkest past you can imagine: Gatsu and Griffith.
They start as allies but end up to be their nemesis. We are talking about one of the most important duos in anime history and their contrast is one of the main themes of Berserk.
Their view about life and their goals are completely different, as well as their actions during the series. We can’t really consider Griffith to be a villain but he is for sure the antagonist and one of the main characters of the series.
This work has irreversibly influenced every media outlet that has approached fantasy from a horror perspective, giving inspiration to famous works like Dark Souls.
2. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Edward & Alphonse)
An absolute masterpiece of the battle shonen genre and one of the anime with the best worldbuilding of all time. Based on the manga written in 2001 by Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is the animated series that most faithfully deals with the plot told in the original work.
Edward and Alphonse Elric are two brothers who live in a world where alchemy reigns and is used for a variety of purposes, whether in war, medicine, or even related to everyday life.
The two brothers have a very specific purpose, which is to regain their lost bodies.
When they were young they tried to bring their late mother back to life using alchemy, and it went wrong, since as powerful as this magic is, it cannot go against the laws of nature.
One of the most complete and best anime in general, with an excellent story and otherwise competent characters.
1. Legend of the Galactic Heroes (Reinhard & Yang)
An OAV series about the devastating and interminable war that has raged now for 150 years between the Galactic Empire led by the Goldenbaum dynasty and the Alliance of Free Planets.
Set in the distant future when humanity has now colonized and made the entire cosmos its own, we see two male leads pop up in the great turmoil of the war: Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li.
The two of them are leaders gifted with many talents and great intelligence. Reinhard is a natural at it and is a more charismatic leader overall.
Yang is very well educated in military history and knows how to apply precedent from historic battles to his benefit.
Both main characters are very interesting and different in the way they fight each other for their respective sides.
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