15 Toxic Anime Relationships We All Pretended Were Romantic

We need to have a serious talk about our childhood “ships.”

When we were younger, watching anime on late-night TV or streaming in 480p, we looked at certain couples and thought, “Wow, that is true love.” We romanticized the jealousy, the shouting matches, and the “I hate you but I love you” dynamic.

But revisiting these shows as adults? It is a completely different experience. You start to realize that what we thought was “passion” was actually just… a crime. Or at the very least, a case for a restraining order.

Anime has a habit of blurring the lines between romance and obsession (looking at you, yandere characters). Today, I am putting on my relationship counselor hat. We are going to look at the 15 most toxic anime relationships that we all convinced ourselves were romantic goals.

Goku & Chi-Chi (Dragon Ball Z)

Let’s start with a mild one that hurts my childhood soul. We laugh about Chi-Chi being the “nagging wife” archetype, but look at it from her perspective. Her husband is unemployed, constantly dead by choice, and leaves her to raise two super-powered children alone. Goku repeatedly prioritizes fighting aliens over his family’s financial or emotional stability. It’s not “cute” that he doesn’t know what a kiss is; it’s just sad.

Inuyasha & Kagome (Inuyasha)

This is the classic “Love Triangle” that dragged on for 167 episodes. Inuyasha is constantly comparing Kagome to her dead past life, Kikyo. He runs off to see his zombie ex-girlfriend every few episodes while Kagome waits around. And let’s not forget the beads of subjugation—Kagome literally has a command word (“Sit!”) that physically hurts him. If the genders were swapped, we’d call this abuse.

Zero Two & Hiro (Darling in the FranXX)

The “Darling” dynamic is iconic, but let’s look at the facts. Zero Two is known as the “Partner Killer.” She uses pilots as fodder until they die. For the first half of the series, she doesn’t care about Hiro as a person; she cares about him as a battery. It evolves into something sweeter, but the foundation of their relationship is built on usage and discarding others.

Taiga & Ryuuji (Toradora!)

I love Toradora, but we have to admit: Taiga is a menace. This is the quintessential Tsundere romance problem. Because she is small and cute, we forgive the fact that she breaks into Ryuuji’s house, beats him with a wooden sword, and treats him like a dog (literally calling him “Mongrel”). In real life, if your partner hits you because they are embarrassed, that is not “dere”—that is assault.

Erika & Kyouya (Wolf Girl and Black Prince)

This shoujo anime is frustrating to watch. Erika lies about having a boyfriend, and Kyouya agrees to fake it—if she becomes his “dog.” He constantly degrades her, mocks her, and makes her perform humiliating tasks. The show tries to play it off as him being a “sadist with a hidden heart,” but mostly he’s just a jerk who enjoys making a girl cry.

Haru & Shizuku (My Little Monster)

Haru Yoshida is often cited as a “misunderstood” character, but his behavior is terrifying. In the first episode alone, he threatens Shizuku, hits her (accidentally, but still), and pours a drink on her. He is possessive, follows her around, and doesn’t understand the word “no.” He isn’t romantic; he is a walking red flag with a lack of social capitalization.

Misa Amane & Light Yagami (Death Note)

Some people genuinely ship this. Why? Light Yagami does not love Misa Amane. He finds her annoying, stupid, and useful. He explicitly states in his internal monologue that he will use her until she is no longer needed, then kill her. Misa, on the other hand, is so obsessed she cuts her lifespan in half twice for him. It is a masterclass in manipulation, not romance.

Sakura & Sasuke (Naruto)

This is the “I can fix him” trope taken to the extreme. Sakura spends 700 episodes chasing a man who called her annoying, abandoned the village, became a terrorist, and literally tried to kill her with a Chidori. The fact that they end up married is a testament to Sakura’s stubbornness, not Sasuke’s love. He spends most of their marriage traveling dimensions to avoid being at home.

Louise & Saito (The Familiar of Zero)

This is arguably the most toxic Tsundere relationship in history. Louise summons Saito from Earth and treats him not as a partner, but as a literal pet. She beats him with a riding crop, starves him, and makes him sleep on the floor on straw. Fans call it “comedy,” but if you remove the laugh track and the magic, it’s just a hostage situation.

Ymir & Fritz (Attack on Titan)

While Eren and Mikasa get all the attention for being dysfunctional, the origin of the Titans is the real horror story. Ymir fell in love with King Fritz, the man who enslaved her, cut out her tongue, and hunted her for sport. Her twisted “love” for her abuser enslaved humanity for 2,000 years. It is the darkest deconstruction of “devotion” in anime history.

Akito & The Zodiacs (Fruits Basket)

In the original anime, Akito was portrayed as a male villain. In the remake/manga, Akito is a woman involved in twisted romantic dynamics with the older Zodiac members (like Shigure). She pushes one girl out of a window, blinds another character, and verbally abuses everyone to keep them “bonded” to her. It is a relationship dynamic based entirely on trauma bonding.

Yui & The Sakamaki Brothers (Diabolik Lovers)

This show is essentially “Abuse: The Anime.” Yui is sent to a house full of vampire brothers who treat her as a sentient juice box. There is no romance here. They insult her, bite her without consent, and play mind games. Yet, because the character designs are pretty, it has a massive fanbase of shippers.

Makoto & Kotonoha/Sekai (School Days)

If you haven’t seen School Days, you are lucky. Makoto Itou is the worst boyfriend in anime history. He cheats on Kotonoha with her best friend Sekai, then cheats on Sekai with everyone else. He gaslights them into thinking it’s their fault. The ending is famous for a reason—it is the only logical conclusion to a relationship this toxic.

Yuno Gasai & Yukiteru (Future Diary)

Yuno Gasai is the poster child for Yandere characters. She loves Yuki so much she is willing to kill his friends, his parents, and eventually herself for him. She kidnaps him and drugs him “to keep him safe.” While Yuki eventually leans into it, their relationship is built on fear and dependency. It is thrilling to watch, but let’s not pretend it’s #RelationshipGoals.

Shou Tucker & His Wife (Fullmetal Alchemist)

We usually focus on what he did to his daughter, Nina. But let’s remember: Shou Tucker’s first Chimera experiment was his wife. He sacrificed his partner for his career. This is the ultimate form of toxicity—viewing your family not as people to love, but as resources to be consumed. It remains the darkest depiction of a marriage in shonen history.

Did I ruin your childhood? Or did I miss an even worse couple? (I’m looking at you, Vampire Knight fans). Let me know in the comments below which anime couple you think needs immediate therapy!