Siblings are often the first people our own age that we become friends with within our lifetimes. Bound by the same parents and upbringings, brothers and sisters can relate to our problems, help us through tragedy, and even have some fun playing outside. If we’re lucky, our siblings are people we stay close with our entire lives.
TV siblings, therefore, are some of the best character combinations in the medium. Amalgams of different personalities, backgrounds, and motives help us compare and contrast TV siblings navigating similar stories on the screen. We want to celebrate the 22 best TV siblings of all time to understand these relationships’ extent fully. Remember that this list doesn’t necessarily define every sibling relationship as positive; these are the most interesting and complex pairings.
1 – Lisa and Bart Simpson (The Simpsons)
The Simpsons is the defining family show of the 1990s, and the dynamics between siblings Bart and Lisa are a huge part of the longevity of the comedy. Bart is sarcastic and hot-headed, and his rash personality sometimes fires up when he’s alongside the smarter, more sophisticated Lisa. We love watching this brother-sister team be there for each other despite their conflicts.
2 – Dexter and Debra Morgan (Dexter)
Dexter Morgan is the world’s most moral serial killer, and his relationship with step-sister Debra drives all of the best narratives in the Showtime series Dexter. Seeing how this brother-sister team hides certain things from one another, followed by the revelations in later seasons, adds to this rich and fascinating combination. The incest storyline later in the series is a little weird, though . . .
3 – Monica and Ross Geller (Friends)
Ross and Monica are the only pair of siblings in the main cast of characters of Friends, but their relationship perfectly shows how brothers and sisters can act like best friends and rivals simultaneously. Audiences can feel the love between the two even when long-standing feuds arise, and the chemistry between David Schwimmer and Courteney Cox is excellent!
4 – Will and Jonathan Byers (Stranger Things)
Amongst the scares and the thrills of the Duffers’ science fiction phenomenon on Netflix, the lovely brotherhood between Will and Jonathan Byers always warms the heart. Jonathan is the ideal big brother, always lending a shoulder for younger Will to cry upon, even if it means sacrificing his own desires for the good of the family. When Will is overcoming trauma from the Upside Down or trying to figure out his sexuality, Jonathan is his number one supporter.
5 – D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle Tanner (Full House)
Full House was the rare show in which the kids were the bigger stars of the sitcom than the adults. This is mainly due to the sweet scenes between sisters D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle. The age gap between the three fits like a glove, with D.J. mentoring Stephanie and Stephanie getting to pass down those learnings to Michelle.
6 – Raymond and Robert Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)
These jealous, petty brothers on the hit CBS sitcom were reminiscent of many real-life adults who bicker and bother each other. Ray and Robert reverted to their most childlike states when around one another, sharing in the annoyance of their overbearing mother and despondent father.
7 – Kendall, Roman, and Shiv Roy (Succession)
The Roy siblings are tragic, traumatized, and terrorizing to each other. They all have selfish reasons for wanting to own Waystar Royco, but the joint desire to take over their father’s legacy is the binding ingredient in their sibling relationship. Many fans worry that after the company was sold in the final season, they will never speak to each other again, a melancholy but realistic prediction for the trio.
8 – Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
The Baudelaire siblings are somewhat unrealistic in that they possess almost supernatural abilities to invent, read, decipher the information, and even bite, in the case of the infant Sunny. That doesn’t make them any less likable or interesting. The Baudelaires are constantly on the run from Count Olaf, and they need every bit of their talents to escape his grasp and discover the truth about the death of their parents.
9 – Drake Parker and Josh Nichols (Drake & Josh)
The Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh was an excellent example of a found family being stronger than blood. Drake Parker and Josh Nichols are step-brothers, but the antics and issues they face throughout the show are solved in only a way true brothers know how to do. Drake’s immature and spontaneous personality is always an awesome counter to Josh’s uptight demeanor.
10 – Carly and Spencer Shay (iCarly)
Perhaps the largest age gap on this list goes to the brother-sister pairing from iCarly. Spencer is over a decade older than Carly, but the little sister is often keeping her big brother in line. The two siblings are devoid of parental guidance, and Spencer is an awesome symbolic/surrogate dad for Carly as she pursues making web shows, getting into romances, and more.
11 – Erica, Barry, and Adam Goldberg (The Goldbergs)
The trio of Goldberg children on the long-running ABC period sitcom blends 1980s nostalgic yearnings with timeless banter. Erica is the spitting image of her mother’s personality, Barry dreams big but doesn’t think about how to execute those desires, and Adam is the spoiled youngest child who has his mother wrapped around his finger. Together, they form an alchemic formula that comes out just right.
12 – Frasier and Niles Crane (Frasier)
The hefty dose of brotherhood injected into the iconic Cheers spin-off, Frasier, makes us keep returning to the titular radio host from Seattle, Washington, years after the show has ended. Frasier and Niles are entertaining because they come from a demographic most of us can only imagine, and their predicaments are still highly relatable.
13 – Sam and Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
We definitely need a little fantastical monster hunting on this list. The brothers of Supernatural are about as tough as it gets. Using their 1967 Impala to parade around and destroy the supernatural forces in the show, Sam and Dean are the brothers most men aspire to be like.
14 – Axl, Sue, and Brick Heck (The Middle)
The financial struggles of the Hecks don’t stop Axl, Sue, and Brick from having a pretty typical sibling relationship. Their completely contrasting personalities lead to the usual arguments between brothers and sisters, but seeing each person’s unique way of living near the poverty line is always entertaining and worth cheering on.
15. Zack and Cody Martin (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody)
The high-maintenance brothers from this popular Disney Channel series never failed to entertain kids and teens as they got into constant trouble bothering the rich visitors of the Tipton Hotel. It didn’t hurt that actors Dylan and Cole Sprouse were twins in real-life, adding instant chemistry to the characters on the show.
16. Beaver and Wally Cleaver (Leave It to Beaver)
The age gap between Beaver and Wally Cleaver didn’t stop the bros from having many intimate moments and memorable scenes. Wally was always willing to dispel advice to his younger brother. The classic 1960s vibes from Leave it to Beaver are always comforting no matter how many years have passed since the show’s ending, allowing this sibling pair to shine bright decades later.
17. Jimmy and Chuck McGill (Better Call Saul)
There aren’t many brother pairings that are better written or acted than this tragic duo from Better Call Saul. Jimmy and Chuck McGill did love each other deep down somewhere, even between Chuck’s constant disappointment and jealousy towards his younger brother. Most of the decisions made by Jimmy throughout the series spawn from his history with Chuck, for better and usually for worse.
18. Daryl and Merle Dixon (The Walking Dead)
One of the most underrated aspects of AMC’s zombie drama was the intricate relationships between the vast number of characters, and one of our favorites was the brotherhood of Daryl and Merle. Much of the trauma inflicted on the younger Daryl was through big brother Merle, resulting in the strong yet emotionally closed-off heart of the series everyone came to know and love.
19. Brad, Randy, and Mark Taylor (Home Improvement)
The boys from Tim Allen’s 1990s sitcom were a funny mix of outgoing, smart-alec, and introverted. When they shared the screen simultaneously, the young actors playing them had excellent rapport and very good line delivery for people so young, and adding Allen’s character into the ensemble made for some great father-son scenes, too!
20. The Wilkerson Brothers (Malcolm in the Middle)
The absolute madness of Malcolm in the Middle can be summed up pretty well by the antics of the brothers in the family. Dewey, Reese, Malcolm, Francis, and Jamie are usually hurting one another more than help, but no matter how crazy the storylines get, it usually all works out in the end. Sometimes, a prank war can go a little too far, though . . .
21 – Phil and Lil DeVille (Rugrats)
All of the babies in Rugrats have funny and iconic moments, yet twins Phil and Lil are so inseparable they don’t have solo scenes. The Devilles are hooked to the hip, often enjoying the typical infantile antics that the other babies do. If trouble and adventure are on the horizon, Phil and Lil will be involved.
22 – Will Smith and Carlton Banks (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
Will and Carlton aren’t biological brothers or step-brothers but rather cousins. Still, their friendship grows into a strong brotherly bond that will make fans reminisce about the hilarious 1990s sitcom all over again. Will and Carlton balance each other out perfectly, with Will trying new things and forcing Carlton to loosen up just a little bit.