The 10 Most Complicated Sibling Relationships In TV Shows, Ranked

From the complex relationship between Aegon and Rhaenyra Targaryen in House Of The Dragon to the wholesome bond between Judith and RJ Grimes in The Walking Dead, there are different variations on sibling relationships portrayed on TV shows.

In the iconic sitcom Full House, the audience gets an adorable and complicated relationship between three sisters being raised by a single father. On the other hand, the relationship between Stefan and Damon in The Vampire Diaries is hostile and strained. These are just some examples of the complicated sibling relationships seen on TV.

10/10 The Tanner Sisters

Full House

Full House is one of the most wholesome family shows. For the time, the sitcom was very modern in capturing a father that was struggling to raise his three young daughters by himself. The loss of their mother left a hole in this family that they had to mend through understanding and love.

This unique situation in their household led to a complicated relationship between DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle as they grew up. The two older girls often battled for attention, while Michelle struggled as a child never knowing her mother. They were all loving siblings, and they all grew through their bond with their father and their unique family situation.

9/10 Michael And Lincoln

Prison Break

There’s no doubt that Michael Scofield was a dedicated brother. Not many siblings would get thrown into prison and plan a complex prison break to help get his brother out of a dire situation. However, these brothers didn’t have a relationship of unconditional love.

Michael and Lincoln go on an intense journey to not only break out of prison but find the people that got Lincoln locked up in the first place. This leads to a lot of tension between the two brothers, which occasionally led to an altercation or fight. While there was a lot of love in this relationship, there was also underlying hostility.

8/10 Claire And Mitchell

Modern Family

Claire has some shady burns on Modern Family and many of these are directed toward members of her family. She has a complicated relationship with her brother, Mitchell, mainly due to both of their competitive natures.

One aspect of their lives that cause tension between them was Mitch’s need to prove himself to their father while Claire clearly is the “favorite” child. However, despite their occasional sibling spats, they also had a close bond that surfaced in endearing ways, proving they still loved each other despite their rivalry.

7/10 Jaime And Cersei Lannister

Game Of Thrones

Cersei and Jaime’s relationship was a major storyline in Game of Thrones. The twins began an intimate sexual relationship as young adults and had three children together while Cersei was married to King Robert.

While the relationship in this series was certainly unsettling for many viewers, it wasn’t as bitter as other sibling relationships because the two consistently loved each other until their deaths. This sibling relationship may have been complicated because of their need for secrecy, and while they at times treated each other terribly, neither loved another more.

6/10 Piper, Phoebe, And Paige

Charmed

In the earlier seasons of Charmed, Piper and Phoebe made up the trio of the Charmed Ones with their oldest sister Prue. However, after Prue’s death, they learned that they had another sister, Paige, who was given up at birth.

This was an awkward situation for the two sisters who grew up with one another and were still grieving over the loss of Prue. This complicated their relationship with Paige, who had different powers than they did and was an adult at the time of their meeting. Despite this fraught beginning, the women created a bond of sisterhood that resembled the one with their deceased sister.

5/10 Stefan And Damon

The Vampire Diaries

Stefan and Damon have many great quotes throughout the series that sum up their complicated relationship. Their brotherly issues started in the earlier 1900s when they both fell in love with the same woman, who eventually revealed herself to be a vampire and turned both of them.

The two brothers had a complicated and often toxic relationship after becoming vampires. They often fought over opposing views and the lack of trust they had for one another. Though they clearly loved each other, their relationship in much of the series was quarrelsome and uncommunicative.

4/10 Sam and Dean

Supernatural

Sam and Dean Winchester are very close throughout Supernatural, but the story didn’t start off this way. At the beginning of this show, Sam was trying to separate himself from the monster-hunting lifestyle, and this caused a rift in his relationship with his brother.

As time went on, and they team up to fight monsters, ghosts, and demons, the brothers grew closer. However, their relationship was often complex because of their differing approaches to certain situations and what they individually considered moral. These brothers cared about each other over almost everything else in the world, but this also caused complications when they were faced with having to do the right thing.

3/10 Merle and Daryl

The Walking Dead

One of Daryl’s greatest enemies in The Walking Dead was also one of the people he strived to protect. Daryl had a complicated relationship with his older brother Merle, who led him down a difficult path before the apocalypse, but he still loved Merle and wanted to make sure he was safe.

When Daryl was separated from his brother and assumed he was dead, he was excited to learn Merle was alive. However, Merle didn’t fit in with Daryl’s group, causing complications and forcing Daryl to make a hard decision. Despite the difficulties, the brothers were bonded by their past and had mutual respect for one another.

2/10 Buffy and Dawn

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Buffy Summers, the Slayer, and her younger sister Dawn have one of the most complicated sibling relationships on TV. Dawn suddenly appeared in the show in the season 5 premiere, confusing fans. It’s later learned Dawn was created to protect a powerful force she is created from, called “the Key.”

When Buffy and later Dawn learn about her true origin and all of their memories together are false, it causes a lot of confusion within the family dynamic and Dawn lashes out. Ultimately, despite Dawn’s unconventional existence, the two had an unmistakable sibling bond that was more important than what had come before.

1/10 The Big Three

This Is Us

This Is Us is one of the most emotional sibling dramas ever on TV. When Kevin and Kate’s parents lost their triplet in labor, they adopted Randall as their third child, and they all grew up together.

These three siblings struggled a lot growing up and into adulthood when it comes to their relationship. All three of them had a strong bond, but there were certain situations in which the disagreements among them created serious rifts. While they all did overcome their differences later in life, these three siblings had one of the most complex relationships in TV history.

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