Big brothers in anime are known for being protective of their younger siblings and can go through anything just to bring a smile to their faces. Being the good older brother, they have a greater influence on their younger siblings. The bond between the two brothers, despite their age gap, is stronger and unbreakable.
The Big Brothers are nowhere behind, showing their immense love for their younger siblings. They can even sacrifice themselves to save their little brother/sister or even destroy everything in their way if anyone tries to hurt them.
Here are some of the older brother characters known to be the best.
Greatest elder brothers in anime of all time
10) Jack Hanma - Baki
As Jack and Baki both share the same goal of surpassing their father, their bond has become stronger. After getting defeated by his younger brother, Jack became more humble towards him. Jack helped Baki get up and raise the winners’ belt.
Jack Hanma was inferior to his younger half-brother Baki as he found out after getting beaten up by the latter in a match. Despite considering him as a rival, Jack deeply cares about Baki and also likes him as well.
9) Byakuya Kuchiki - Bleach
At the death request of his wife Hisan, Byakuya adopted Rukia as his adoptive sister. His wife also asked him to never tell Rukia that she was her sister. Behind his cold exterior, Byakuya really cared deeply about his adopted sister but never tried to show.
After the Aizen Incident, Byakuya became lenient towards Rukia and also started addressing her like a big brother. He even saved Rukia multiple times by putting his life at risk. Byakuya might be all about honor and principles, but when it comes to his little sister, he will break all of them.
8) Rin Okumura - Blue Exorcist
Rin and Yukio are the children of Satan. Rin was born to inherit the demon prowess from his father, while his younger brother Yukio was born a complete human. Rin cherished his little brother and protected him from all harm. Yukio is smarter than Rin, but he never stops looking up to his elder brother.
In his childhood, when Rin heard about some exorcist saying that they were going to kill his just born twin brother, he got enraged and awakened his flames to save his brother.
7) Killua Zoldyck - Hunter x Hunter
Each member of the Zoldyck family has a distinctive personality that ranges from possessive to borderline insane. However, when it comes to Killua and his sister Alluka, they are both not as crazy as their family. These siblings are known for their most endearing relationship with each other.
Killua was prepared to go against his family, who considered Alluka a tool. He loves his little sister more than anything else in the world. Killua even threatened his older brother, Illumi, that if he considers Alluka an object, the former won’t show mercy.
6) Gohan - Dragon Ball
In the absence of his father, Gohan helped his mother raise Goten. Gohan has been a mentor and a father figure to Goten as he has taught him many things besides basic combat. During Goten’s training, he amazed his elder brother by going Super Saiyan at a very tender age.
Gohan acknowledged the strength his little brother possesses and praised him for his accomplishments. Gohan loves his brother a lot and enjoys spending time with him. Goten admires his big brother and considers him to be the strongest individual he has ever known.
5) Kamui - Gintama
When Kagura was born, she became the light of his life. He has taken utmost care of his little sister as well as his ill mother. However, since the death of his mother, Kamui has developed a hatred towards his father for not being around her.
Kamui’s pain and agony of losing his mother blinded him with rage, where he tried to kill his sister on several occasions and told her that she was weak.
Behind his façade of hatred, he cared about Kagura and even told Gintoki to take care of her. After Gintoki knocked some sense into Kamui and made him realize his true self, his care for Kagura became even clearer. Kamui adores his little sister and he also stated that her face reminds him of their mother.
4) Portgas D. Ace - One Piece
Although Ace and Luffy were not related by blood, they were strongly bound by a brotherly bond. At the starting point of their relationship, Ace was not that fond of Luffy. However, he later began caring towards the Straw Hat. When Blackbeard tried to kill Luffy, Ace threatened him and said if he laid a single finger on him, he would see his wrath.
Ace was protective of Luffy and even tended to ask the Straw Hat crew to keep an eye on his little brother. When Luffy gained his first bounty, Ace was overjoyed by his achievements and wasted no time showing the wanted poster to Whitebeard.
3) Edward Elric - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Edward and Alphonse Elric have the most endearing brotherhood in the anime universe. Both the brothers' lives completely changed from the point they attempted to resurrect their dead mother through a transmutation ritual. The ritual ended up being a disaster that tragically trapped Alphonse’s body in steel armor and Edward lost his arm and a leg.
Edward blames himself for everything that happened and wants to bring Alphonse back to normal. He cares deeply for his little brother and can give up anything for him. He will even put his life on the line if the situation demands it.
2) Tanjiro Kamado - Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Nezuko is the only family Tanjiro is left with after their entire family got massacred. The demon not only just annihilated Tanjiro’s family but also turned Nezuko into a demon. Even though she became a ferocious creature, Tanjiro never lost hope. He set out on a journey to find a cure for her little sister that would turn her back to being human.
Tanjiro gets agitated when people talk ill of his sister. After knowing that Nezuko would die if exposed to sunlight, he carries his sister in a wooden box, everywhere he goes. Tanjiro can be a nice person, but if anyone hurts his little sister, he can become more terrifying than a demon.
1) Itachi Uchiha - Naruto
Itachi is one of the most heavily misunderstood characters in Naruto. He started as an antagonist who annihilated the entire Uchiha clan and killed his own family, leaving his younger brother Sasuke alive. However, everything he did was to prevent another war from happening on the orders of Danzo.
Itachi loved his little brother more than his family and wanted him to live on and become stronger. Itachi wanted Sasuke to hate him so that the latter would work hard to become a strong shinobi. Moreover, Itachi wanted to die by Sasuke’s hand as retribution. He sacrificed everything just to protect his village and mostly his little brother.
Note: The article reflects the writer's own views.