One of the best couple dynamics is the Battle Couple. Power couples don't need to come in power suits, they embody the idea that the couple who battles together stays together. They don't hold each other back nor do they only interact when their loved one gets hurt. These couples work best when they work side by side and face their enemies together.
These couples are either in love, or the romantic subtext is incredibly strong. Sometimes it's hard to iron out tender feelings in times of violence and upheaval. But whether they're a confirmed romantic couple or not, there's no doubt that they will always be there for each other.
10 Briareos & Deunan (Appleseed)
Appleseed gives "Beauty and the Beast" the sci-fi treatment with Briareos and Deunan. Some of the most iconic Appleseed images are where Briareos carries Deunan in his arms mid-melee, and he takes a protective stance over her as they both aim their guns. Briareos is an incredible cyborg, which makes him a useful war buddy.
Briareos and Deunan go way back, they were lovers long before they fought in any war. Their relationship must change with Briareos' changes, but they make one of the ultimate battle couples. It doesn't matter how many times the world turns upside down; they will always belong to each other.
9 Pip & Seras (Hellsing)
Pip Vernedead is Hellsing's unsavory ally and an accomplished soldier. His relationship with Sera Victoria is deeply implied in the OVA, and more or less confirmed in the manga. As is sometimes the case with shonen and seinen anime, the relationship confirmation takes a backseat to prolonged battle and conflict.
Seras is wonderful because she's a Draculina vampire saved by Alucard who helps him fight against other vampires. She starts off her relationship with Pip by challenging him to a duel, and it's not long before he's enamored with the vampire. Pip may not be the most gentlemanly character, but he gladly fights alongside Seras.
8 Sango & Miroku (InuYasha)
Sango and Miroku are at their most believable as a couple when they fight demons together in InuYasha. Sango fights with Miroku as much as she fights alongside him. She is a fierce woman who takes no nonsense from anyone – especially the guy she has a crush on.
Sometimes a battle couple needs to fight each other, even as they fight evil creatures. Miroku respects Sango in a truly singular way. Sango admires him as a person who drains his own life force to protect others in battle with his cursed hand.
7 Larva & Miyu (Vampire Princess Miyu)
Miyu's condition as a vampire isolates her in Vampire Princess Miyu. Most people forget her – that is, until Larva comes into her life. He storms in by trying to kill her first, but they each have something to offer each other.
Immortality is a heavy burden for Miyu, and Larva is very protective of her, referring to himself as her soul servant. In return, Miyu is protective of Larva and has her own offensive abilities. Their romance is left to subtext, and isn't technically confirmed, but there's strong evidence that hints toward romantic love.
6 Zoisite & Kunzite (Sailor Moon)
Even the most accomplished warriors need assurance sometimes, like Zoisite does in Sailor Moon. There's a lot on the line for the Dark Kingdom cohorts and their missions. If Zoisite fails, he's destined for an eternal sleep that he will never wake from.
In the 1990s anime, Zoisite and Kunzite are in love with each other. Kunzite may appear cold, and he is the most powerful of the Shitennou, but he has a soft spot for his sweet Zoisite. Zoisite is a crafty villain and Kunzite would gladly stand between him and danger, even if it means rebelling against his own team.
5 Guts & Casca (Berserk)
Guts and Casca first meet when they're fighting each other in Berserk. Casca tries to warn off her comrades from fighting the lone warrior on the road, but after Guts makes quick work of them, Griffith insists that Casca fight him. It's a bit of a shock to Guts when he knocks off Casca's helmet and realizes that she is a woman, but he continues to fight her, anyway.
Casca is mostly annoyed by Guts' devil-may-care attitude on the battlefield, but she is ultimately there for him. One of the best parts of Guts' and Casca's romance is how they understand each other as warriors. And though Guts wants retribution, he will not put his battles before Casca's wellbeing.
4 Sypha & Trevor (Castlevania)
Trevor meets Sypha when he saves her from a demon that turned her into stone in Castlevania. Sypha may have needed some help, as even the best warriors sometimes do, but she is by no means Castlevania's damsel in distress. Trevor may seem like a doofy disillusioned drunk, but he knows how to arrange a battle when the day calls for it.
Trevor is incredibly brave and knowledgeable about fell creatures because of his family history. Sypha, too, has a lot of knowledge as a Speaker. They knit together beautifully in battle. After they've dealt with Dracula, they go on to fight Night Creatures together with the efficiency of a weekly grocery shop. And in the season finale, when Sypha needs to use her magic, Trevor braces her with his own body, so she can do what she needs to do.
3 San & Ashitaka (Princess Mononoke)
San and Ashitaka start out as enemies, in a sense, in Princess Mononoke. The hatred is entirely one-sided. San is suspicious of Ashitaka and sees his interference on her behalf as a threat to her goal of protecting the forest. San has every right to defend her world, but Ashitaka ultimately wants to find a way to stand with her rather than against her.
It's not until Ashitaka and San take turns saving each other in battle that they start to really understand and appreciate each other. In the end, they do find a way to fight the good fight together. Each has strengths and weaknesses, and they compliment each other in that way, each making the other person better.
There's no overt confirmation that Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye's relationship is romantic in Fullmetal Alchemist. But they are no less one of the best battle couples that anime has to offer. Roy hides his true intentions behind a lazy playboy facade, but Riza sees his true self.
And though Roy likes to play games, he doesn't play games with his respect for Riza. They are a formidable force to go up against. And just as they would follow and defend each other in any battle, they also care about maintaining their integrity as warriors together.
1 Hak & Yona (Yona Of The Dawn)
Hak is also called the Lightning Beast in Yona of the Dawn. Yona is the young, naive princess that he grew up with and now protects with his life and service. Even when the whole world seems to turn against Yona, Hak will happily stand alone to protect her against any force.
It's not long, though, before Yona wants to learn how to defend herself and Hak. Hak hates the idea, at first, but he gets over his need to protect her (and his slight tendency to underestimate her). Not only does Yona prove him wrong, Hak comes around and coaches her, too.
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