Summary
Love triangles are more common than you might think in romanceanime. Some common tropes include a childhood friend who comes back to mess with the main couple or a new student who comes in to shake things up. Adding a third person always sparks controversy and forces each character to confront their true feelings.
While we all love romance anime where things go smoothly and there’s one main couple, it’s always fun to watch your favorites fight for their love. But it’s not a true love triangle unless the third person sparks emotions in our main character. Keep reading to find your next favorite anime!
10Yakuza Fiancé
Childhood Friend
Yakuza Fiancé is a newer anime that follows Yoshino Somei, a mafia heir. She’s as tough as it gets, even going so far as to sell her own kidney just to anger the man her father wants her to marry. The two main love interests are Kirishima Miyama and Azami Suo.
Kirishima is a bit toxic, wanting all of her attention and loving her endlessly. He is the man her father wants her to marry, and while she at first rebels against the idea, she eventually develops feelings for him. Azami Suo is her childhood friend and self-proclaimed protector who she just can’t seem to let go of.
9Inuyasha
Old Vs. New Love
Inuyasha might have one of the mostinfamous love triangles of all time. There are two women for him to choose from: Kagome, the girl who traveled through time to be with him, or Kikiyo, the girl he loved who he thought betrayed him. The anime shows a lot more of Kagome than Kikyo, but in the moments they are together, the sparks truly fly.
The wild thing about this love triangle is that Kagome is practically a reincarnation of Kikyo. They have the same powers and look incredibly similar. The only difference is their personalities. Kagome is younger and more bubbly, were Kikyo is more stoic and willing to cross others.
8Romantic Killer
Epic Lovers
Romantic Killer is unique because it’s a bit more of a reverse harem anime than a classic love triangle. However, within that harem two love interests are more prominent than the rest: Tsukasa Kazuki and Junta Hayami. One is the beloved childhood friend who returns home deeply in love with her, and the other is the most popular guy in school who doesn’t easily trust.
They’re both classic tropes, but as the show goes on you realize that they are so much more than that. On the surface, this seems like a simple rom-com, but if you give it a chance, you’ll realize how much more there is to each and every character.
7Vampire Dormitory
Deliciously Bloody
Vampire Dormitory came out with mixed reviews, but it’s a really fun anime for romance lovers. The story follows a girl who becomes a vampire familiar because she’s alone and in desperate need of love. She ends up in the middle of him and another half vampire who longs to save her from the vampire lifestyle.
These two are great love interests. They’re both flawed and a bit messy, and they both have a lot of time with the main character (and love for her). If you love campy vampires, you’ll adore this anime.
6Yona Of The Dawn
Yona, at first, has very strong feelings for Suwon. After he kills her father, she’s forced to run away with her childhood friend and bodyguard, Hak Son. While we see her mostly with Hak, and it’s clear that he’s the best choice for her in the long run, Suwon is like a ghost in her life.
She carries his last gift to her always and thinks of him often. Every time she starts to get over him, they have some sort of run-in that makes her second guess her feelings for Hak. All three of these characters are complicated and grow a lot, but Yona’s struggle between these two men helps shape who she becomes, which isonly heightened in the manga.
5A Lull In The Sea
Ocean Love
A Lull in the Sea takes place in an alternate universe where humans live underwater. Many humans longed to live above the surface, which created two different worlds. Four students from under the seas end up in the surface school.
This leads to multiple, messy love triangles. There are a lot of unrequited crushes and heartbreaking moments. The most prevalent of them involve Hikari Sakishima, Manaka Mukaido, and Tsumugu Kihara. If you’re looking for beautiful, messy love triangles and first loves, this is the anime for you.
4Golden Time
Golden Trio
This is one of the sadder love-triangle anime, but it’s well worth watching. It follows a college student with amnesia, looking to figure himself out. He begins to have feelings for Kouko Kaga.
As his memories start to return, he realizes he had feelings for his former love, Linda. This obviously adds a lot of complications, and he struggles with blending who he was with who he’s becoming.
3Maid Sama
Childhood Romance
The first season of Maid Sama mostly features Usui, the perfect school prince who saves the protagonist and is clearly so in love with her that she’s all he can think about. They have silly shenanigans as she works in a Maid Caféto support her familyand runs the school as the student council president.
But later on, the anime introduces her childhood friend, Hinata. He comes back just for Misaki, and loves her desperately. Though she has feelings for Usui, Hinata’s determination gets to her, and she slowly lets him back into her life.
2Vampire Knight
Two Worlds
Vampire Knight is an older show, but it’s beloved by many fans for having an incredible love triangle. In this world, there’s a day school run by humans and a night school run by vampires. Yuki is a school guard who gets mixed in both worlds. The human, Zero, loves her, as does the vampire, Kaname.
Yuki has to decide which world she loves more: the human world she’s grown up in or the enticing vampire world. This love triangle isn’t just for the girl - it goes as deep as deciding her entire future.
1Fruits Basket
Mix And Match Couples
Fruits Basket hasmultiple love triangles, but there are two that take the cake. The first is Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki. Though it’s revealed at the end that Yuki’s love for Tohru is more familial, there are two whole seasons where it’s unclear about how he feels, and it’s clear Tohru loves them both, even if one is more romantic.
The second huge love triangle is Kyo, Tohru and Kagura. Kagura adores Kyo and considers him to be her boyfriend even though he’s developing feelings for Tohru. Kyo isn’t sure he deserves Tohru, which makes this triangle more complicated.
