9 most iconic anime twins who are polar opposites

Anime twins are one of the most common tropes seen in the medium, with many series affixing their iteration of the trope in the limelight. Even in series where anime twins only briefly appear, they’re almost always given exceptional characterization and memorable scenes, which often stick with audiences for a long time.

One of the more interesting tropes for anime twins, however, is when the two are polar opposites of one another. This can be portrayed in many ways, but is typically done via dichotomous personalities or conflicting opinions on a certain topic.

On that note, here are the 9 most iconic anime twins who are polar opposites.

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New-gen series and old classics dominate list of polar opposite anime twins

1) Osamu and Atsumu Miya

The Miya twins from Haikyu!!’s Inarazaki high school are one of the most feared pairs in the series during its high school years. Both are incredibly talented at volleyball, and can work in perfect sync with one another on the court.

However, the two are complete and utter opposites when it comes to how they feel about volleyball, and in their general emotionality. Atsumu is an addict to volleyball and is very open and forward about his emotions, while Osamu is much more reserved, and isn’t as in love with the sport as his brother.

Despite their teamwork, these anime twins' personalities lie on opposite ends of the spectrum.

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2) Rem and Ram

Re:ZERO’s Rem and Ram couldn’t be more opposite if they had tried. While older sister Ram can come off as cynical and mistrusting, she’s actually merely reading people and trying to understand them. Rem, meanwhile, is more outwardly polite and occasionally impulsive, but is often hiding dark, violent thoughts and plans behind this facade.

The two are also visually opposed, with Ram’s color scheme being pink and Rem’s being blue. The two also part their hair on opposite sides of their face, exposing opposite eyes in the process. While the two do have some similarities, a vast majority of the personalities of these two anime twins are directly opposed.

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3) Vash the Stampede and Knives Millions

Trigun’s Vash the Stampede and Knives Millions are quite possibly the most distinct and different set of anime twins on this list. Vash travels the world as a determined pacifist who desires to help everyone he meets that he’s able to, whereas Knives sadistically wishes to exterminate humanity. Knives loves violence and places no value on life other than his own.

The two are constantly in conflict with one another, given that the series’ overarching plot involves Knives trying to tear down Vash and get him to abandon his ideals. It makes for an incredibly engaging series, and an even more engaging dynamic between this pair of anime twins.

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4) Sakon and Ukon

Naruto’s Sakon and Ukon debut during the series’ Sasuke Retrieval arc, a story segment which many consider to be their absolute favorite. These anime twins are similar in many ways, both being called the strongest members of the Sound Four and both being incredibly confident.

One major difference between the two arises in how they prefer to fight opponents, with Sakon preferring to toy with his opponent and Ukon preferring to end things quickly. The former was also much more easy going than the latter, with the latter shown to be incredibly quick to get angry over even the smallest offense.

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5) Johan Liebert and Nina Fortner

Despite their different paths in life which led to different last names, Johan Liebert and Nina Fortner’s shared birth cement them as anime twins. Moreover, they’re some of the most distinct anime twins on this list, with each having incredibly different personalities. While Johan views the two as one half of the same person, Nina wants nothing more than to rid herself of him.

Johan also shows extreme prejudice and murderous intent towards general humanity, whereas she feels that people and humanity are inherently good.

Furthermore, he desires for the two to be united with one another once more, living together and becoming the single being he feels them to be. Nina, meanwhile, wants nothing more than to kill her brother and begin her life anew.

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6) Rin and Yukio Okumura

The twin sons of Satan himself have an incredibly unique and interesting relationship amongst all other anime twins present here. Both feel jealousy and slight resentment towards one another, yet for very different reasons.

Rin’s demonic attributes, for example, make him powerful but socially awkward, making him jealous of Yukio for being effortlessly perfect.

Yukio, on the other hand, was trained in exorcism by their adoptive father to protect his brother, leading him to feel that Rin was the only one who was truly loved. This training also necessitated Yukio learning the truth of their origins, which created further jealousy from Rin for feeling purposely left out of such an important truth.

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7) Zero and Ichiryu Kiryu

Vampire Knight’s Kiryu Twins are a pair of vampire hunter anime twins who, despite their outward similarities, are remarkably different as people. Zero, for example, remains composed despite other students accusing him of being aloof and almost mean.

He’s also incredibly compassionate, which is masked by the barriers he builds around himself emotionally.

Ichiryu, meanwhile, is very open with his emotions and actions, which are often conflicting and at odds with his own true desires. He also eventually becomes jealous and resentful of Zero, lamenting his brother’s leaving him behind as children.

Despite his opinion of his brother changing with the weather, it’s clear that he’s also compassionate about Zero, even if he forgoes caring for most of the rest of humanity.

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8) Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin

Ouran High School Host Club’s Hikaro and Kaoru Hitachiin are certainly one of the most interesting pairs of anime twins present on this list. Much of their distinct personalities come out via their shared love for series protagonist Haruhi, and how each deals with their budding feelings for her.

Hikaru is shown to be much more high-strung, also having difficulty dealing with others, being less mature, and depending on Kaoru more than the other way around. Kaoru, meanwhile, is shown to be more insightful, more easy-going, and is shown to be a selfless, pleasant, and overall more mature when separated from his twin.

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9) Mairu and Kururi Orihara

Durarara!!’s Mairu and Kururi Orihara are a particularly interesting set of anime twins on this list, having literally assigned themselves differing characteristics as children and sticking to them. Kururi approaches life in a more quiet, withdrawn, and reserved manner, while Mairu is boisterous, outgoing, and energetically chatty.

Interestingly, the two adopt each other’s personalities when online, almost switching roles from real life into the virtual world. Despite Mairu still being as vulgar online as she is in real life, it’s an interesting relationship which stems from childhood trauma of being told that they must be different.