Anime and manga are known for wanting to instill various messages and ideals into their viewers, especially since they are often made for young boys and girls. One common theme that frequently appears in shonen anime is friendship, and how teamwork and bonds can give people strength.
While many examples of friendship helping the heroes win out exist in anime, there are some times when the power of friendship doesn't work out so well. Sometimes the threat is too strong for friendship to have an effect, or the series itself has a more cynical approach that doesn't acknowledge the strength of friendship. Here are some anime where the strength of friendship is not as effective.
7 Highschool Of The Dead
Highschool of the Dead takes place during a massive zombie apocalypse where Japan is quickly and horrifically overrun by zombies. In a world where society has collapsed and danger is everywhere, it becomes very important to work together with others in order to survive.
While the main characters of Highschool of the Dead prove themselves more than capable of cooperating with others, some other characters show themselves unable to stay true to that. In an early scene, two high school girls are seen running away from zombies and declaring that they'll be best friends forever. However, when one of them gets caught by the zombies and begs for help, the other desperately attempts to get away by herself. Ultimately, both girls are killed.
6 Soul Eater
In the world of Soul Eater, Shinigami meisters are paired with humans with the power to turn into special weapons. It's incredibly necessary for a meister and their partner to be able to synchronize their soul wavelengths, so building bonds and strengthening friendships is obviously a very big part of becoming stronger.
However, friendship alone is not enough. During a mock battle against Death the Kid, Black Star tries to wield Soul as his weapon, and they claim that their friendship will make things work out in their favor. Unfortunately for them, this does not appear to be the case, and Black Star is unable to wield Soul properly.
5 Attack On Titan
Attack on Titan is an incredibly brutal and dark series, so it might be surprising to see the power of friendship brought up here. However, it is frequently brought up that camaraderie and teamwork are important when fighting Titans, and that strength is stronger in groups.
However, there are times when such camaraderie fails to deliver success. During a mission, the Special Operations Squad face off against the Female Titan, claiming that their strong bonds will see them to victory. However, their struggle against the Titan is fruitless, and they are killed mercilessly.
4 Buso Renkin
Main character Kazuki Muto uses the alchemical power of a kakugane, a special object that allows him to summon a special weapon to fight homunculi. Kazuki is a rather standard shonen protagonist and frequently claims that he is able to draw power thanks to the bonds that he has with his friends and family.
However, a later revelation reveals that this may have been more literal than Kazuki was meaning. It is revealed that Kazuki's kakugane is special, and allows him to draw on the life energy of not only his friends and classmates but anyone who happens to be around him. This revelation ironically forces Kazuki to separate himself from the friends and family that supposedly gave him strength in order to keep them safe from his life-draining ability.
3 Fist Of The North Star
Fist of the North Star takes place in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world where bandits run rampant across the land and kindness is in short supply. Nevertheless, the main character Kenshiro is able to build strong connections with many of the warriors he meets while traveling, regardless of if they are friends or foes.
Despite this strong focus on friendship and bonds, Fist of the North Star has its share of tragic turns. In a battle against Raoh, Ken and his comrade Rei find themselves outmatched. When he attempts to use his forbidden final technique, Rei cries for the strength of his friends and comrades, only to be condemned to death by Raoh's own technique.
2 My Hero Academia
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As a standard shonen series about a superhero school, it wouldn't be surprising to hear that My Hero Academia puts a strong emphasis on friendship and bonds. Class 1-A is frequently tasked to work together in order to get through the various deadly situations they end up in, and their bonds are what often get them through each trial.
However, the heroes are not the only ones who can make use of the power of friendship. Despite being the antagonists, the upstart League of Villains has formed a tight-knit unit of misfits and outcasts that have no one but each other. Their bonds end up strengthening them as much as the heroes, even allowing them to gain new powers like heroes usually do.
1 Naruto
Naruto is the poster boy for the power of friendship; he constantly tries to connect with those who hate him and holds his bonds with his comrades extremely close. It's no surprise that many people think of Naruto when they think about anime that constantly talk about the power of friendship.
However, Naruto also has a chilling example of what happens when the power of friendship goes too far. The Uchiha are a powerful ninja clan known for their Sharingan technique. The Sharingan can be leveled up to a Mangekyo Sharingan, but it can only be obtained by losing a close friend. Since the easiest way to attain this is to kill that friend, this can have dangerous implications for Uchiha members looking for more power and the darkest implementation of the power of friendship.