Favourite Fictional Siblings

One of my favourite things about stories is when there are strong relationships between characters. I love character dynamics that messy and flawed, and for some reason even more so if it involves siblings. I have no idea why this is, but there is something with books and shows that feature sibling dynamics at their core that I really love.

1. Lada and Radu (The Conqueror's Saga)

Nothing screams flawed sibling relationships more than Lada and Radu. Lada is terrible and violent and brutal, but she'd do anything to protect her baby brother. Radu also does some really awful things in this series, but he's the only one who can reason with Lada. I loved the way in which the pair kept coming back to each other even when they were apart, and how their lives are eternally and messily intertwined.

2. Joey and Beck (A Thousand Perfect Notes)

I read this book recently, and I loved the characters so much. Beck is a ball of angst but his little sister is so bubbly and together they are just so cute. Beck tries to protect Joey from his mother's intensity as best he can and it breaks my heart to think he might have once been as cheery a child too. I'm really glad their relationship wasn't brushed aside for the romance in this book, because they are really sweet.

3. Kell and Rhy (A Darker Shade of Magic)

Kell is Rhy's adoptive brother, but Kell would do literally anything for Rhy. I'm pretty sure he's killed a few people just so his brother would stay safe, and pretty much signs off his own life in the process. But he doesn't care because it's Rhy and he loves him. I can just imagine all the things these two would get up to as kids. Plus I can't get over how much Kell loathes Alucard for hurting Rhy even after it's been years.

4. Will and Jem (The Infernal Devices)

It's been so long since I've been in the Shadowhunter world, but Clockwork Angel was my first read. I wasn't that invested in the love triangle to start, but these two boys meant the world to me, and obviously each other. Will is a walking disaster of self-pitying, and Jem is the soft boy who loves him like a brother anyway. I really love the whole concept of the Parabati bond because it's like a power stronger than blood, and these two really exhibit that.

5. Keith and Shiro (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Onto the TV shows! Oh boy, I did not expect this show about space adventure and mechanical lions to hurt me so much, but it did. A LOT. The 8th and final season comes out in December, but we don't really learn what Keith and Shiro mean to each other until seasons 6 and 7. Keith was an aimless rebel kid before he met Shiro, but the older boy took him under his wing and Keith became a stronger person because of it. The way these two save each other over and over again melts my heart, and I have cried a good number of times because of them.

6. Pidge and Matt (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Pidge and Matt are another Voltron sibling relationship I have cried over. We learn from episode 1 that Pidge is looking for her missing brother, who never returned from a mission to another planet. It's obvious before we even meet Matt that Pidge would do anything for him, and when we finally see him in her flashbacks it's clear why. They're brilliant as individual characters, but together they are the ultimate science nerd duo.

7. Edward and Alphonse (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

OH BOY. This show blew my mind in every respect from world building to character to animation. And core to it all are brothers Ed and Al, who have a beautiful bond that broke me. Ed is a small boy filled with sass and rage, and Al is a soft-spoken and incredibly kind-hearted boy whose soul is bound to a suit of armour. These two go through hell to have their bodies restored, but they always put each other first. Their personalities couldn't be more different, but the way they'd do anything for each other is so pure.

8. Dipper and Mabel (Gravity Falls)

I loved these weirdo twins from the very start. Dipper is obsessed with the supernatural goings-on in their town, whilst Mabel tends to look on the extremely bright side of things. The pair are goofy and work really well together, but the final season also gets surprisingly intense with the sibling angst. I'd say more but it would really spoil the whole plot of the show, but just know that these kids are precious nerds and must be protected.

9. Joan and Mark (The Bright Sessions)
I've become kind of a sci-fi podcast addict recently, but in my post obsessing about The Bright Sessions I neglected to mention how much I loved the relationship between Joan and Mark. These two have a messy relationship and rarely see eye-to-eye, but it feels so true to life. The two drifted a lot as adults, but Joan goes to extreme lengths to protect her little brother and I loved seeing their relationship be both sweet and flawed.

10. SPOILERS (The Adventure Zone: Balance)
I don't know how to talk about how much I love these two without spoiling half the podcast, so I'm going to avoid saying either of their names. These two seriously hit me right in the feels. They pretty much grew up on the streets together, but throughout all of those difficult times they had each other. They are really weird and get up to the most rediculous things together, but they're also each other's whole worlds. Knowing that they were separated for so long crushed my heart into tiny pieces, but seeing them together was honestly one of my favourite parts of the entire podcast.

What are some of your favourite fictional sibling relationships?

This post was inspired by the prompt 'Platonic Relationships in Books' on Top 10 Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.