Anime couple pairings can be exciting, and virtually all genres of anime have at least a few anime couples that we love to watch. The couple pairings help push the story of a show forward or provide humor in order to cut down the tension of the events transpiring. Since there are so many awesome couples out there, I decided to list down some of the best and cutest anime couples that are my favorite!
It’s pretty clear that most of the couples in anime usually share different traits, but the principle of opposites attract always plays out. Viewers love the concept of anime couples and try to pair their favorite characters together, even if they aren’t together in the story. Also, they discuss at length the writer’s choice of pairing. Fans have fought battles and exchanged words over character pairing. This is how vital the pairing of couples is to all the anime fans.
So, to pay homage to couples in anime of different genres, I have made a list of different anime couples from different shows that you should definitely know of. I tried to make an inclusive list by adding characters who haven’t become a couple yet, but there’s a high chance that they might end up together later in the story, along with those who got married and had kids. So, let’s get started!
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Cutest & Best Anime Couples of 2022
1. Naruto & Hinata (Naruto Shippuden)
I can’t help but feel that Kishimoto sensei could have done a better job with Naruto and Hinata. He knows this himself as he admitted his inability to delve too much into romance, but still!
Naruto met Hinata when they were young when he defended her while she was being bullied. He inspired Hinata to stand up for herself and always cheered her on. Hinata also provided him the motivation he needed and gave Naruto the belief that he could defeat Neji.
There were signs, but we were too distracted by the comedic nature of Naruto chasing after Sakura. The love between Hinata and Naruto, even though it feels rushed, is satisfying. It tells the story of two outcasts finding each other and becoming the best even after people had written them off. As much as I feel Kishimoto sensei could have done better, he did enough.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]2. Zero Two & Hiro (Darling in the Franxx)
These two share a powerful bond, a bond that exists over a thousand years, a bond so pure, so great that it followed them into their reincarnation. You wouldn’t expect their relationship to turn out this way as it started with a lot of embarrassment for Hiro.
I think he probably was hiding an erection when they first met at a river when Zero Two was swimming naked, catching a fish in her mouth. Zero Two made an impression on Hiro as she encouraged him into confidence and fell in love with him when she saw how beautiful his soul is. Hiro, on the other hand, is your average clueless MC who doesn’t know how to react to those feelings.
However, the two connect in their emotions, which helped them overcome moments of powerlessness. Even though they had moments where things turned sour between them, their love acted as a beacon that guided both of them towards each other.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]3. Vegeta & Bulma (Dragon Ball Series)
Vegeta and Bulma had a really rocky start as Bulma was scared of Vegeta. Well, it makes sense as Vegeta was introduced as a villain and he also threatened to kill her. Later, there was a mutual attraction between the two that developed into a deeper connection.
Vegeta was initially naïve to Bulma’s display of affection for him. However, after a series of ups and downs, things get really serious between them as Bulma ended up marrying Vegeta and even had a child with him. Like Vegeta said, Saiyans prefer strong women and Bulma is as strong a character as any in the show.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]4. Kirito & Asuna (Sword Art Online)
Reckless is one word that comes to mind when it comes to these two, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. What I mean is their ability to throw their lives away for the sake of each other without giving too much thought to it.
Kirito and Asuna are a great match and one of the cutest anime couples of all time. Kirito gives Asuna a reason to live and find pleasure in their seemingly hopeless circumstance. Asuna gives Kirito reasons to become stronger, better, and yet remain human at the same time. Their relationship may have started in the game, but it was strong enough that it blossomed into the real world as well.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]5. Edward Elric & Winry Rockbell (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
I admit that these two aren’t officially a couple yet, but the show did tease the possibility of them becoming one by the end of the show. Edward and Winry are two sides of the same coin. Both of them are stubborn and hot-headed, and they fight and argue all the time. It is a great miracle that the two have feelings for each other, but it isn’t surprising as their bond has existed since they were young.
Winry is Edward’s anchor as she often supports him and pushes him to be better, and Edward also pushes Winry to be the best she can be. Despite their recurring conflicts, it’s pretty clear that the two deeply care about each other!
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]6. Ichigo & Orihime (Bleach)
Bleach will soon be back on our screens, which means we will get to see more of Ichigo and Orihime. If you haven’t seen Bleach, this is the best time to start watching the show. Based on where the anime stopped, Ichigo and Orihime aren’t an item yet, but there is love in the air between the two, and their relationship would be one of balance.
Ichigo and Orihime are different people from their personalities to their abilities, but they have in common the lengths that they would go to protect each other and other people. They share an intense bond, and you would see more of this bond when the anime returns with the new arc.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]7. Tatsumi & Mine (Akame Ga Kill)
Love can happen even in the most severe settings, as this anime shows. Were Akame Ga Kill a lighter show, one would have seen some harem situation play out with how the main character Tatsumi is in demand among some female characters. However, our MC made his choice in one of them, Mine!
Interestingly, Mine was initially hostile towards Tatsumi when they were paired, which led to them fighting all the time. Somehow, their fighting was misinterpreted as love, so they had more pairings. Mine fell hard for Tatsumi and declared her feelings for him along the line, which he accepted as he too fell in love with her and they even planned a future together!
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]8. Shin & Sicily (Wise Man’s Grandchild)
The writer didn’t waste much time in this anime pairing up Shin and Sicily together. Frankly, I am not a fan of this pairing as it isn’t as strong as the other anime couples on this list. Watching the anime, it felt like the pairing happened just because the writer felt his MC should pair up.
However, the two characters genuinely care for each other. Sicily was the first to fall in love as Shin treated her like a human and not an object. Their love proves that you don’t need years to know if someone is meant for you or not!
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]9. Ban & Elaine (The Seven Deadly Sins)
As much as I would love to skip the romance between the two because of the controversy, it would be unfair. Elaine and Ban’s love causes controversy among weebs and otakus because of how both of them look. Elaine is more than a thousand years old, but she looks like a child while Ban looks like he is in his thirties, he is young and an immortal.
Controversy about looks aside, their love is so deep that both of them don’t feel the will to live when the other isn’t around. Both of them would go to extreme lengths for each other, even if it means betraying their friends!
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]10. Misaki Ayuzawa & Takumi Usui (Kaichou wa Maid-sama!)
I love how in this anime, the emotionally naïve person is the female MC and not the male MC as we have in most anime. Misaki and Takumi have the kind of love that is slow to cook. They didn’t rush into things and despite Takumi knowing that Misaki loves him, he gives her the time to come to terms with her feelings.
Takumi, however, saves Misaki the discomfort of discussing her feelings for him by kissing her when she was about to declare her love for him. That is how in sync both of them are. The two continued their relationship despite all odds and later got married even though initially they were said to be incompatible.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]11. Viktor & Yuuri (Yuri On Ice)
The pair grew from being coach and skater in the world of ice-skating to becoming implied lovers. The beautiful thing about this relationship is that it is genuine. You can feel the connection between the two of them. Both of them feed off each other, and despite the odds stacked against them, they grew to become one of the strongest duos in ice skating.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]12. Android 18 & Krillin (Dragon Ball Series)
Only Krillin can fall in love with a human turned Android who was designed to kill his best friend. Android 18 and Krillin may be an unusual couple, but there’s no doubt that the two care deeply for each other and are one of the best anime couples of all time.
Krillin began crushing on Android 18 when she kissed him on the cheek instead of destroying him. That act began a series of events that made Android 18 see how much Krillin felt for her and began to return the feelings he felt. The two are a power couple who would sacrifice anything for each other. It only fits that they married and have a child with each other.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]13. Erza Scarlet & Jellal Fernandes (Fairy Tail)
Have you ever loved someone so much that you believe the best thing you could do for them is not to show love so that they wouldn’t be hurt in the long run? This is what describes Erza and Jellal’s love perfectly. A series of sacrifices so the other person would be happy.
The two are obviously in love with each other; they have been ever since they were young, but circumstances do not give them the chance to act out their love. The two remain friendly with each other, but their emotions always make this friendliness look awkward.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]14. Haruhi Fujioka & Tamaki Suou (Ouran High School Host Club)
Tamaki has always had an interest in Haruhi, and that interest turned to attraction when he found out she was a lady in disguise. The two ordinarily are incompatible due to their backgrounds and personality, but slowly, they started to fall in love.
The two deny their emotions for each other as they didn’t know what it was. Later in the show, they realized what they felt for each other and confessed their feelings.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]15. Shikamaru & Temari (Naruto Shippuden)
They are one of my favorite anime couples on this list and I don’t want to hear a word of objection from anyone of you! The two first met when they were matched against each other in the Chunin exams, where they made great impressions on each other. When performing diplomatic duties between her village and the Leaf village, Temari would spend most of her time with Shikamaru.
And Shikamaru, known for his legendary laziness, would wake up early to see her off when she was done with her duties. The two have a blunt personality, and despite their emotional connection, they do not hold back criticisms and use harsh words if necessary. However, it’s pretty clear that the two love each other deeply and care for each other a lot.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]16. Kosei Arima & Kaori Miyazono (Your Lie In April)
When you love someone, tell them. Don’t allow fear to rule you and rob you of beautiful moments you might have with another person. You never know the time you have left to spend with them!
Kosei and Kaori have a tragic love for each other. They never got into a relationship and never declared their feelings for each other. They were not open enough with each other and let assumptions derail them from love. It crushed me when Kosei got the confirmation of love from Kaori through a letter Kaori wrote to him before their lives changed completely!
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]17. Tohru Honda & Kyou Souma (Fruits Basket)
Love is strong enough to break a curse, and Tohru and Kyou have shown us that. These two have a better ending than the anime pairing above, but they didn’t come to admit their love for each other readily.
Kyou was looking for reasons why Tohru would reject him as he had been an object of rejection all his life. However, Tohru wouldn’t let Kyou be.
This is because Tohru has always lost those who were dear to her. Kyou, as much as he would want to deny, made Tohru happy to be alive. This feeling would later reach Kyou and would also want him to fight his curse and his apparent destiny. These two epitomize what love should be, and I am glad that I witnessed their love.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]18. Celty Sturluson & Shinra Kishitani (Durarara!!)
Whatever you do, guys, don’t let your love turn to obsession. It is not pretty, and you might not be as lucky as Shinra, whose obsessive love Celty tolerated. Celty and Shinra have known each other since they were kids, and Shinra has developed feelings for her since then, but it was shortly into the series that Celty returned his affections.
The two have a great bond which grew stronger because of the clashes they’ve had. They enjoy doing things together, and there isn’t a length they wouldn’t go for each other.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]19. Takeo Gouda & Rinko Yamato (Ore Monogatari!!)
The love between Takeo and Rinko has taught me something, you don’t have to share the same ideals with someone before you can fall in love with them. And, you don’t need to have a specific reason to fall in love with someone as long as being with them makes you happy.
Although, these two would not have been together as Takeo didn’t declare his emotions because he thought Rinko loved someone else. It took the intervention of Takeo’s friend to clear the misunderstanding and both of them find a way to make it work despite their different ideologies about romance. Sweet, isn’t it?
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]20. Ryuu Yamada & Urara Shiraishi (Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches)
From the enjoyable harem anime, I present to you these two love birds. As flocked as Yamada is with many women’s attention, Shiraishi is the one who later captures his heart.
Shiraishi was the first to fall in love with him, but she didn’t admit it at first; however she wouldn’t allow the slightest contact to happen between her and other guys. That is how devoted she is to Yamada. I like that she later admitted her feelings for Yamada, which led both of them to date and eventually get married!
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]21. Rikka Takanashi & Yuta Togashi (Love, Chuunibyou, and Other Delusions)
These guys are a model pairing and probably the cutest anime couples on this list. They represent two types of people – people who live their lives according to society’s expectations (Yuta does this) and people who make their own expectations (Rikka does this).
Even with their differences, they fall in love gradually with each other and deal with their emotions by not dealing with them. Yuta wants to lead an everyday life, but he found out it is Rikka’s unusualness is the very thing that drew him to her because part of him doesn’t want to live by society’s rules. Both of them accepted each other for their imperfections and went on to have a wholesome love story.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]22. Subaru Natsuki & Emilia (Re:Zero)
Many female characters love Subaru in the show, which was how his journey in the show began in the first place. He was pulled into a fantasy world because someone loved him deeply. While Subaru cares for another character named Rem, Emilia remains his number one babe.
He fell in love with Emilia when they first met, and over time this feeling began to grow. Emilia’s feelings came later, but she didn’t know how to react to them. Despite both of them not having an official status yet, Subaru wants to marry Emilia. Both of them deeply connect and would fight the world to keep the other safe.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]23. Holo & Lawrence (Spice And Wolf)
You know the male MC is down bad when he asks himself this question, “what are you to me?” The question captures the essence of this show. Lawrence has been a loner all his life, so much that he doesn’t even understand what it means to love.
Over the course of the series, these two grew from acquaintances, friends, and then lovers while not being aware of it happening and despite their stark differences; part of it being Holo is a god while Lawrence is human!
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]24. Miyuki Shirogane & Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-sama: Love Is War)
Love is war with the way Miyuki and Kaguya went about it. The two are from very different backgrounds; Miyuki is poor, and Kaguya is rich. This pushed Miyuki to play mind games with Kaguya because he didn’t want to look weak, and Kaguya also doing the same to him because she is prideful and wants him to make the first move.
Miyuki later confesses his feeling when he got a university admission which would require him to travel. The two would go to any lengths to be with each other. For instance, Miyuki aims for perfection because he believes that’s the only way he can be with her, while Kaguya wants him to be his true self with her, weakness and all. I support Kaguya on this because you don’t need to hide your true self from the person you love!
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]25. Koizumi Risa & Ootani Atsushi (Lovely Complex)
These two have felt everything for each other; they have felt hate, friendship, and love. Love is unplanned, but their love even goes a level above that. They start to fall for each other, and Risa was the first to identify what she felt was love.
Ootani didn’t know what he felt; he believed he cared deeply for a friend. The dynamic changed when Risa confessed her emotions for Ootani, which meant he had to deal with his. Coming to terms with his emotion took a while, and it caused conflicts between the two. However, their love prevailed, and the two would go on to have a loving relationship and become one of the best anime couples.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]26. Lucy Heartfilia & Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)
The author used the entire show to tease us with a possible relationship between the two. Lucy and Natsu care about each other a lot, but both are naïve in romance. They don’t even know what to do with those feelings.
I am not even sure if they both love each other because Lucy wouldn’t admit something like that and Natsu is a dunce, as all MCs in shonen anime shows are. But the dynamic between the two is pretty clear and they seem to be a couple throughout the show, and I just hope that we get to have at least some confirmation from the author about them being a couple or not. Until that happens, they are the cutest anime couples at least for me!
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]27. Kakeru Naruse & Naho Takamiya (Orange)
Some people say if someone is meant for you, your relationship with them will happen one way or another. This is what happened between Kakeru and Naho.
Naho loves Kakeru but is slow in letting her feelings known to him, making Kakeru move on to another lady who asked him out. Although Kakeru still later finds himself in the loving hands of Naho and the two would go on to figure out what they feel about each other and do things according to their feelings.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]28. Satomi Murano & Shinichi Izumi (Parasyte)
True love is rare, and Shinichi is lucky to have a devoted partner in Satomi who deeply loves and cares for him. Despite Shinichi trying to avoid Satomi and continually hurting her in the process, Satomi believes in him profoundly and continued to support him.
Even when Shinichi was ignoring her and not giving her enough attention, for obvious reasons of course, Satomi was always present for him. This support allowed Shinichi to overcome the most challenging period of his life and rise above expectation to do the unthinkable.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]29. Haruka Takayama & Yuu Sonoda (Sakura Trick)
Their love pays homage to the LGBTQ community and shows that gender shouldn’t be a barrier when it comes to love. The two started as friends, but the emotions they both felt for each other ran deeper than usual.
The two benefit from each other in the relationship, and they help each other grow. For instance, Yuu was the one who allowed Haruka to be a better version of herself by opening up to people. Their relationship proves anime is more inclusive than most people think.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]30. Elizabeth Liones & Meliodas (The Seven Deadly Sins)
A love that spans over time and always happens, no matter where the two are and what time period they live in. Love lived in many lifetimes – a cursed love!
Meliodas and Elizabeth are a product of a cursed love; Meliodas wouldn’t die and he has to fall in love with and watch her die again and again, and Elizabeth would die, only to be reincarnated, find Meliodas fall in love with him and die once more. The two cannot end this vicious cycle, and even though they have lived many lives together, their love is always fresh and as strong as ever.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]31. Rintarou Okabe & Kurisu Makise (Steins;Gate)
A love that lingers and transcends time and space. Even due to the events of the series that caused Kurisu to lose her memory, she has some subconscious affections for Rintarou. The two of them are similar in personality, which means they fight a lot. Even so, they still make it work. The two of them are devoted to each other and would do absolutely anything to save each other.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]32. Ken Kaneki & Touka Kirishima (Tokyo Ghoul)
Love is forgiveness. Kaneki and Touka lived in different realities, and only fate brought them together. Touka didn’t exactly like the timid Kaneki in the beginning, but they started getting close as a result of the respect they started to have for each other.
Their respect grew to a friendship and their friendship to love. The two care deeply about each other and love being around each other. Even when Kaneki was brainwashed, he still felt drawn to Touka and fell in love with her all over again.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]33. Isaac Dian & Miria Harvent (Baccano!)
These guys are going to steal your heart away with the way they love each other. They support each other and spread joy to whoever they meet, including the viewers watching them. Time and distance are not a barrier to these lovers, and their love for each other is so genuine that they feel miserable when the other person isn’t there. They can’t bear to be separated from each other, and they hold each other in high esteem.
[divider style=”normal” top=”10″ bottom=”20″]Which Anime Couples Are Your Favorite?
It doesn’t matter what genre of anime you are watching, be it shonen, action, sci-fi, psychological, harem, or anything else, because it’s always great to have at least one couple in every show.
Depicting love between two characters always add a sense of realism to the story and allows us to get attached to the characters even more. This is probably the reason why there are so many couples in anime that we love, and even when there aren’t any couples, we ship our favorite ones and hope that they become one in the future!
So, I hope that you loved reading about the best anime couples right now and if you did, make sure to share the article with your friends and tell them all about these romantic pairings!
