June 6th is known as “Brother’s Day”.
The constellation Gemini is said to have originated from the twin brothers Castor and Pollux (the Dioskouroi) in Greek mythology. This special day was established on the day precisely in the middle of the Gemini period. The day was proposed by manga artist and author Hatada Kunio, who also established “Younger Brother’s Day” on March 6th, “Younger Sister’s Day” on September 6th, and “Older Sister’s Day” on December 6th.
In the world of anime, countless characters hold the position of being an “older brother”. Their depictions vary widely – some are relied upon by their younger siblings, while others are seen as messy or unreliable and exasperate those around them. There are also characters who are not related by blood but are affectionately called “Aniki” and looked up to.
Following our annual tradition, Anime! Anime! conducted a reader survey titled “Who is Your Favorite ‘Older Brother’ Character?” We received responses from 767 people during the survey period from May 26th to May 31st.
The gender ratio was approximately 30 percent male and 70 percent female, with a higher number of female respondents. The age demographic was centered around younger generations, with about 45 percent being 19 years old or younger and about 25 percent in their 20s.
Table of Contents
■Brotherly Qualities Vary Character to Character!
1st Place
Taking the top spot is Chousou from Jujutsu Kaisen. With approximately 6 percent of the vote, he maintained the same position as last year.
Comments highlighted his dedication: “Ever since he became convinced that Itadori Yuuji was his younger brother, he has truly lived by his line, ‘I will fulfill my role as an older brother with all my might.’ While there are many brother characters, Chousou might be the only one whose very identity is centered on being a brother.” Another fan shared, “He’s a reliable older brother who wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice his own life for his siblings. He might be a bit unusual, but the depth of his love is genuine. ‘Move it!!! I’m his older brother!!!’ – I wish someone would say that to me too.” This character, who has the blood of both curses and humans, remains at the top this year.
He ranked from a title that currently has the compilation film Gekijouban Soushuuhen Jujutsu Kaisen Kai-Gyoku Gyo-Setsu released.
2nd Place
Coming in second is Itoshi Sae from BLUELOCK. He was only a few votes behind the top spot and significantly climbed the ranks from not being in the ranking last year.
Sae is a professional soccer player active in Europe and the older brother of Rin, who is participating in the “BLUELOCK” project. Readers commented, “For his younger brother Rin, Sae was an object of admiration, and Rin started playing soccer because of him. Due to a certain event, they had a falling out, and their relationship is now cold, but I wish Sae’s true feelings were still like the kind older brother he used to be…” Many readers expressed nostalgia for their past sibling bond. Some readers who hope for their reconciliation mentioned, “In the mini-anime ‘Additional Time’, their close relationship in their childhood was depicted, and it truly tugged at my heartstrings.”
3rd Place
Securing third place is Kamado Tanjirou from Kimetsu no Yaiba. He climbed up from 4th place last year, being just a few votes behind 2nd place. The top three characters were all very close in votes.
Respondents praised his strength of will: “Tanjirou walks a difficult path to turn his sister, who became a demon, back into a human. His determination, saying ‘I’m the oldest son, so I can do it, I will do it!’, is so reliable, and I felt he truly deserves to be a representative older brother character.” Other comments included, “His kindness in treating not only his real sister but also his companions in the Demon Slayer Corps with care makes him the ideal older brother,” and “His line, ‘I could endure it because I’m the oldest son, but I couldn’t if I were the second son,’ is packed with his pride and resolve as the eldest.”
Furthermore, Shinazugawa Sanemi ranked tied for 12th place, and Rengoku Kyoujurou ranked tied for 20th place. This survey reaffirmed that Kimetsu no Yaiba is a treasure trove of appealing older brother characters.
■Other Comments!
For Idia Shroud from Disney Twisted-Wonderland, a fan commented, “Even though he’s shy, he’s so gentle with his younger brother Ortho, it’s heartwarming. His line ‘Leave it to big bro’ is practically dripping with love.”
Regarding Kujou Ten from IDOLiSH7 Gekijou Soushuuhen, a reader shared, “He’s a perfect idol called a modern-day angel, but his real personality is so prickly he’s called a cold hedgehog. However, he always worries about his twin younger brother, and in the game, he finally admitted he has a brother complex.”
About Matsuno Osomatsu from Osomatsu-san, a fan said, “Since they’re sextuplets, you’d think the ‘older brother’ feeling would be faint, but it’s cute how he frequently acts like the big bro, saying things like ‘As for your older brother…’. Just trying to keep such individualistic younger brothers together makes him a perfectly admirable older brother.”
Morofushi Takaaki from Meitantei Conan also received votes, with a reader noting, “He is the older brother of Morofushi Hiromitsu, also known as Scotch. In the movie Meitantei Conan Sekigan no Zan-Zou, it was incredibly clear how much he still cherishes his brother, even though they were separated.”
In this 2025 edition, many older brother characters who hold deep love or complex feelings for their younger siblings ranked high. Each character portrays a different form of what it means to be an older brother, making for a series of strongly memorable results.
Don’t miss the top 10 ranking below!
■Ranking Top 10
[“Who is Your Favorite ‘Older Brother’ Character?” 2025 Edition]
1st: Chousou Jujutsu Kaisen
2nd: Itoshi Sae BLUELOCK
3rd: Kamado Tanjirou Kimetsu no Yaiba
4th: Portgas D. Ace ONE PIECE
5th: Edward Elric Hagane no Renkinjutsushi
6th: Uchiha Itachi NARUTO -Naruto-
7th: Kamui Gintama
8th: Tanizaki Junichirou Bungou Stray Dogs
9th: Morofushi Takaaki Meitantei Conan
10th: Tenma Tsukasa Project Sekai Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku
10th: Yamada Ichirou Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-
(Survey Period: May 26, 2025 – May 31, 2025)
《Takahashi Katsunori》
