What Is “Oniichan”? Here Are The Best Oniichan Characters in Anime

Anime
(C)2013 佐島 勤/KADOKAWA アスキー・メディアワークス刊/魔法科高校製作委員会
Anime

Oniichan, we all know someone with one or you might have one yourself. Sometimes your experiences may vary from having a loving and sweet oniichan or having an annoying oniichan who is always bothering you out of entertainment. Regardless of how they treat you, they are family at the end of the day.

In today’s article, we wanted to share with you our top 15 oniichan characters that you’ll wish were yours.

Q
What does “oniichan” mean?
A

“Oniichan” is a Japanese term used as an affectionate nickname for an older brother. It literally means “older brother”.

Q
Which anime is oniichan from?
A

The term oniichan does not have a specific origin when it comes, but popular anime like Oreimo and OniAi helped popularize it with viewers. This popularity led to it becoming a hit meme with netizens who would use it satirically with their friends.

Taihei tops our list at number 1 because he possesses all those brotherly qualities we want in a sibling. He loves to cook and is tolerant when it comes to those around him slacking off. Taihei is also a company worker, he really is the giga-chad of bros.

Taihei is described by others as polite and intelligent, he was even nicknamed Demon Taihei due to his outstanding performance as a student and his pointy hair. He is also quite oblivious to the feelings of women around him, but unlike Issei from Highschool DxD, it’s one of his charms.

Taihei is a pretty wholesome guy, in episode 7 of the series he can be seen dreaming of cats (he loves cats). Whenever he gets angry at his younger sister, he takes a more friendly and calm approach to resolving disputes between them.

2. Tatsuya Shiba/The Irregular at Magic High School

©2016 佐島 勤/KADOKAWA アスキー・メディアワークス刊/劇場版魔法科高校製作委員会

Tatsuya is the main protagonist of the series and is depicted as a highly skilled and powerful magician who enrolls in First High School, a magic high school. This guy is built like a unit, at only 5’11 (according to the wiki), Tatsuya has an athletic build.

Tatsuya’s analytical are pretty scary in terms of strength. He categorizes people into 2 genres: hostile and non-hostile. This is pretty good since his future has to do with politics and military activities. Despite his exceptional abilities, Tatsuya is often seen as emotionless and aloof, leading some to view him as a cold and distant individual.

A common trope we see in oniichan animes is that the brother is overprotective and loving towards his sister, and this anime portrays it quite well. He may not be emotional, but when it comes to his sister, he can break off from his stoic personality and show a rare side of himself.

3. Tanjiro Kamado/Demon Slayer

(C)吾峠呼世晴/集英社・アニプレックス・ufotable

Tanjiro is a demon slayer and the main protagonist of this series. Despite his tragic start of losing most of his family members to demons, he keeps pushing forward in hopes of curing his little sister Nezuko.

Tanjiro’s personality brings warmth to the cold world that the demon slayers live in. He can be seen as an aloof go-getter whose personality can infect those around him. Even the stoic Giyu Tomioka was influenced by him in a way. He also has a strong sense of justice and does not rest until he gets the job.

Throughout the series, Tanjiro grows and develops as a character, becoming a skilled and powerful demon slayer. We also see his interactions with Nezuko, he really does care about her and even at a point in the manga got into an argument with another character and said “Nezuko was the beauty of our hometown!”. He truly is a ride-or-die sibling.

4. Kamui/Gintama

Kamui is a member of the Yato Clan, a powerful and feared group of aliens, and is depicted as a ruthless and cunning individual who is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. He can be considered an antagonist of Gintama. He is someone who really cares for his sibling.

During his youth, Kamui was kind and caring, this changed as he got older. One event that changed him intrinsically is when he failed at saving his mother and the loss of hope/grief from it led him to a new goal; to become stronger that his father.

At first, Kamui thought of Kagura as nothing but a weakling, but after his fight with Gintoki in Rakuyou, his feelings became more clear and he was able to face the truth that he does in fact care for his sister. One of the reasons why Kamui refused to go see his sister is that she looked just like their mother, from this we can understand that Kamui has really been through it, and the tragic event of losing his mother really hurt him and his relationships.

5. Itachi Uchiha/NARUTO

©岸本斉史 スコット/集英社・テレビ東京・ぴえろ

Itachi Uchiha is really that brother who loves their sibling to death. He was a member of the Uchiha Clan, one of the most powerful clans in the Naruto universe, and was depicted as a highly skilled and powerful ninja. Despite his reputation as a top-ranked member of the criminal organization Akatsuki, Itachi was portrayed as a complex and mysterious character who had a deep and tragic backstory.

Throughout the earlier part of Itachi’s life, we see his love for his brother, always trying to be the role model for his brother that his friend Shisui was for him. Itachi grew up during a time of corruption and in-fighting, so no matter how beaten down he was, he would put a smile on Sasuke’s face when he could. His signature forehead poke is iconic for anime fans since it translates to his way of saying “I love you”.

Throughout the series, Itachi’s motivations and actions were revealed to be driven by his love for his younger brother Sasuke and his desire to protect the village of Konoha. Despite being portrayed as a villain for much of the series, Itachi was eventually revealed to be a tragic hero who made great sacrifices for the greater good. He had to become hateful of his brother in order to keep Konoha safe, R.I.P the G.O.A.T

6. Portgas D. Ace/ONE PIECE

©尾田栄一郎/集英社

Portgas D. Ace is the adopted younger brother of the main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. He is also the biological son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and the older brother of Sabo, another important character in the series. His devil fruit is the Mera Mera no Mi, it gives him the ability to control and manipulate flames, allowing him to create and control fire at will.

Ace was depicted as a strong and confident individual who was highly respected by other pirates, and was known for his exceptional combat abilities. Despite his tough exterior, Ace was depicted as having a kind and caring personality and was fiercely loyal to his friends and family. He was an impactful character who was well-received by fans from his introduction.

The relationship between Ace, Luffy, and Sabo is depicted as a strong and close sibling bond, with each of them supporting and protecting one other. Throughout the series, their relationships and interactions with each other play a significant role in driving the plot forward and shaping the characters’ development.

7. Shinnosuke Nohara/Crayon Shin-chan

©臼井儀人/双葉社・シンエイ・テレビ朝日・ADK

Shinnosuke Nohara, also known as Shin-chan, is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series Crayon Shin-chan. He is a mischievous and energetic 5-year-old boy who is known for his crude humour and antics.

Despite his young age, Shinnosuke is depicted as being highly independent and has a strong personality, often getting into trouble and causing chaos wherever he goes. Despite his mischievous behaviour, Shinnosuke is depicted as a loving and caring individual who has a close bond with his family and friends.

Usually while watching Shin-chan go about his daily life we get introduced to a lot of comedic situations. One of my favourites is when he and his sister Himawari interact with one another. Sometimes we get Himawari smugly teasing Shin-chan while he’s unable to do anything about it. We also get to see the two dynamics of their characters which reflect their parent’s qualities making some humoresque situations.

8. Killua Zoldyck/Hunter × Hunter

(c)P98-22

Killua is a member of the famous and powerful Zoldyck family, who are known for their skills as assassins. Despite his upbringing and training as an assassin, Killua is depicted as a kind and caring individual. He has 5 siblings including himself and he ended up being the middle child, so you know he has that angst, haha.

Gon and Killua share similar personalities when it comes to being cheerful, kind, and caring toward others. They differ in the aspect that Killua can also be downright rude to others. He can go from a warm cinnamon roll to a cold, calculating, bloodthirsty assassin at the drop of a pin.

Killua and Alluka have a really nice dynamic. First off, Alluka was once deemed uncontrollable and dark due to the circumstances of her birth. This later changes when she reunites with Killua. Whenever she’s around Killua she turns into this adorable little sister. This is in part due to Killua being the only one to show her affection. She also calls him Oniichan while Nanika (the dark spirit that possessed her) calls him by his name. Killua is really that loving big brother we all would want.

9. Edward Elric/Fullmetal Alchemist

(C)荒川弘/鋼の錬金術師製作委員会

Edward is the older of two brothers and serves as the protagonist of the series. Edward is depicted as a highly capable alchemist and is known for his exceptional skills and intelligence.

He is depicted as being caring and compassionate and is often willing to put himself in harm’s way in order to protect his friends and family. Despite his tough exterior, Edward is also depicted as having a sensitive side and can struggle with feelings of guilt and insecurity. On the outside, he may seem immature or childish, but on the inside, he has matured far beyond others’ thoughts.

When I think of an anime oniichan, usually Edward is who comes to mind, he and his brother went through a lot together and stuck by each other despite what happened. He was always a shoulder Alphonse could lean on and someone you can reach out to for great advice.

10. Mahiro Oyama/Onimai: I’m Now Your Sister!

Mahiro Oyama turns in a sister. Now I know what you’re thinking “HUH?!?! truly something manga could pull off”, and to that, I say yes. Not much is known about his life as a male, but from his sister’s remarks, we understand that he was a NEET and was socially inept. He locked himself in his bedroom and became a hikikomori who only played ero-games and talked with his sister only. Mahiro as a male was internally broken, but this changed when he came a female.

With the support of his sister, he started to think more positively and had a better outlook on the world around him during his transition. His close bond with his sister is where we can see the trust that he has for her as well as his high regard for her too. After his transformation into a female, Mahiro learns how to break out of her shell and create friendships with others. She still does struggle in some settings, but we’re all cheering her on.

Mahiro went from being a big brother to a big sister, and with the support of her little sister, she got a second chance at creating a life for herself. This last entry is quite different from those above, but I feel like it fits simply due to it showing the great bond a once big brother had with his sister.

Summary

Oniichan anime often explores taboo or unconventional relationships and can range from lighthearted comedies to darker, more serious dramas. The characters and plotlines in oniichan anime vary widely, but many centers around themes of family, love, and growing up.

Despite its controversial nature, oniichan anime continues to be a popular and polarizing genre in the anime and manga world, attracting both fans and detractors for its unique take on relationships and family dynamics.

We hope you found an oniichan that piques your interest!

Be sure to keep checking back on our site for more great anime recommendations!

We are a group of experienced web editors based in Japan.

Our goal is to provide a stimulating reading experience for those who are interested in Japanese entertainment cultures such as anime, manga, and J-drama.

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