As we mentioned earlier, Sherlock’s character was introduced much later in the anime. However, we’re introduced to his intelligence almost immediately which almost rivals that of Moriarty (well, sometimes we think that Moriarty was smarter..). One thing we learn about him soon after that is that he cannot sit still when there’s a great mystery out there left unsolved. Sherlock is addicted to that curious part of him that simply wants to know the truth. His friend, James Watson, is the first one to point out that it wasn’t a good trait for him.

But in Season 2, we see Sherlock actually taking an interest in other things that aren’t simply related to the great mystery of who the Lord of Crime is. He actually chooses to protect Irene Adler even if it means at the cost of his own life and this is completely different from the Sherlock Holmes we knew in the first season. He is no longer obsessed with the great mystery but he is still very much interested in protecting people and finding out just who the Lord of Crime really is. One of the most disappointing reveals was when Milverton made the Lord of Crime, William Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes meet and realize the whole truth. This really threw off the whole chase of the entire anime but Sherlock used that opportunity to prove to William that he is a man of his own will and that he will not be controlled by William and his schemes.

His friendship with Moriarty is something that almost everyone who watched the anime fell in love with. While some started shipping them together, we at Honey’s Anime really couldn’t see it beyond what it really was: a platonic and great friend that is bred only when two are rivals in a grand scheme. Think about it, that friend who you hated or had disagreements with at first is probably someone who you love and cherish the most right now. That’s exactly the friendship between William Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes. This friendship was really beautiful because it was born out of chasing each other in a battle of wits. Both these characters who are extremely intelligent simply brought out the best in each other through that intelligence. They bonded like nobody else even if the moments were few and still hoped that one day, they’d be great friends in a different life.

Sherlock’s character arc came full circle when he chose to save Moriarty from dying. He threw away his notion of giving justice to a man of crime because he realized that what Moriarty was doing was actually done with good intentions. Moriarty didn’t see this however and he still thought that he should die. The fact that these two characters balance each other out with their opposite thinking is also incredibly great and really highlights their characters.