Our Top 4 Best Anime Pets
Everyone loves a good pet. Someone to hang out with, who is going to love and support them unconditionally and go on the occasional adventure with. The only difference with anime pets is that sometimes the scale of those adventures tend to be a bit bigger. Often straddling the line between pet and co-worker, these are the animals who help carry the show in some way. I thought it was about time we at Rice Digital pay our respects to the four-legged companions to some of our favourite heroes.
Our Top Anime Pets
Akamaru from Naruto
Naruto is exceptional at giving every single character on the screen a schtick. If they’ve got a name, they’ve got some sort of weird power that makes them different from everyone. For Kiba, his thing is he’s got a dog. Not just any dog, though. A Ninja Dog named Akamaru. Starting out as a puppy when they are both first introduced, the pair are largely inseparable throughout the series run. Kiba’s fighting style and skill-set are deeply dependant on his partnership with Akamaru, to the point where they take part in a fighting tournament together because separating them would be unfair.
Though it would have been easy to show Akamaru as purely a tool for Kiba to use in combat, they constantly show genuine love and affection for each other, putting their lives on the line to defend the other. They are simply two halves of the same person, which is what earns Akamaru a place among the best anime pets.
Ein from Cowboy Bebop
We all suspect that our dogs are smarter than the average dog, but in Ein’s case it is true. He is the product of experimentation and transformed into a data dog, which basically means he’s smarter than most of the people in the show (though sometimes that’s not the saying much). Despite not being able to directly communicate with many of his people like the others on this list, Ein’s intentions are never in question.
Ein’s one of the top anime pets because he’s a full member of the Bebop crew. He can hack. He can drive. He plays shogi with the best of them. He’s as dependable as anyone in the crazy world of Cowboy Bebop and we will run into danger with them as fast as his tiny little corgi legs will carry him.
Luna from Sailor Moon
Most cat owners would probably like a talking cat if given the chance, though they’d probably regret that decision because cats would undoubtedly be just as sassy and bossy as Luna is to Usagi throughout the series. Sure, there is just as much companionship and support as the rest of the anime pets on this list, but Luna also never lets her human forget the true nature of their relationship.
Luna is older and more mature than Usagi at the start of the series, so she is often a mentor and teacher to the young heroine. It is safe to say that Sailor Moon would not be very good at fighting evil by moonlight without Luna’s support, so it is impossible not to list her as one of the top anime pets.
Morgana from Persona 5
If you thought I wouldn’t include Mona on this list because he is originally from a JRPG, then you don’t know me that well. Besides, I’ve already reviewed the anime’s dub, meaning this one is fair game. Morgana is a lot of things to the Phantom Thieves. He is a teacher to be listened to. He is a pet to be fed fatty tuna. He is a mode of transportation when travelling through Mementos.
Morgana is one of the top anime pets because, much like Luna above, he is an equal companion to his people. They take on the rules of society together, seeking to make the world better, no matter the cost and no matter the sacrifice. Morgana is still bossy and demanding and self-centred at times, but that’s just because he’s a cat and you can’t completely change someone’s nature.
So those are my top anime pets. Who are you favourites who didn’t make the list? Let us know on our Discord or on the usual social channels!
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