Up first to bat, we have the eponymous Vanitas. A human who’s taken on the name of the Vampire of the Blue Moon, Vanitas is a walking book of contradictions. He’s reckless and impulsive yet sharp-witted and strategy-minded, abrasive and short-tempered yet caring (in his own roundabout way) and mischievous. In his own self-loathing-induced, emotionally stunted way, he really sees Noe’s worth; case in point, how he stalks and repeatedly pesters him about becoming his “bodyguard,” undeterred by constant rejection.

Much like damp wood resigning itself to rot, Noe sort of caves and thus begins their strange dynamic of mutual dislike and grudging friendship. Fuelled by healthy arguments, contrary actions and denial, Vanitas seems to be in an eternal push and pull with Noe, from stalking him to work together to then wanting nothing to do with him. Like any bad boy, Vanitas refuses to admit his affection for Noe, yet displays his own appreciation for their friendship through his fierce protectiveness, implicit trust (even though they just met) and affinity with his company. While sort of backward (tbh, red flag) it’s sweet to see how protective and loyal these two can be towards another. From Vanitas having to chase down an easily-distracted wandering Noe and Noe having to babysit Vanitas through his bratty tantrums, it’s clear these two constantly get on each other’s nerves, often making their dynamic a whole lot more fun and comical in our opinion. However, when balanced out with the more wholesome elements like Noe’s open fascination with Vanitas and his book and Vanitas’ fierce protectiveness amidst his usually cold persona, this bromance becomes a ship that we can’t help but can get behind!

Next we have Roland Fortis, a fanatical Chasseur paladin and combat extraordinaire. Roland is the quintessential nice guy; strong, curious, friendly, and brave. In spite of being seemingly oblivious to the havoc he causes, Roland is quite intelligent and sharp as he succeeds in cornering Vanitas and Noe, going as far as putting them on the backfoot.

What makes Roland swoon-worthy, in our opinion, is his open-mindedness. When Noe, instead of fighting Roland, decides to put his faith in his humanity and approaches him to talk things out in spite of the proven formidable danger he poses, Roland is impressed. He easily acknowledges Noe when he defies his preconceived notions of what a vampire is and admits his change of heart without reservation, being able to absolve himself of all bias (cue swoon). In fact, Roland sincerely declares Noe a friend, which is further proven when he teams up with Noe and Vanitas against Moreau in the Catacombs. With little to no regard for the difficulty this could pose for his position, Roland takes his new perspective on vampires and unapologetically runs with it, showing a Noe level of curiosity and Noe-like fascination (and Noe-esque desire to become best bros). Talk about a guy willing to take a stand. What a catch, right?

This mutual respect, shower of praise, and admiration is certainly mutual on both Roland and Noe’s part. While Roland is easily able to admit his admiration and praise for Noe, Noe just as eagerly is able to reciprocate his desire to connect with the Chasseur. Full of positivity, sparkly vibes and rosy delight (you can literally see it if you squint), Noe and Roland are the kind of affirmative BrOTP we all hope to be!

A vampire of the Crimson Moon and a tortured curse-bearer, Louis de Sade is a ghost from Noe’s past who continues to haunt his dreams. While they eventually became incredibly close, Noe and Louis were not fast friends. Louis’ haughty attitude and snarky manner of speech made him almost cruelly blunt in spite of being visibly distressed by other’s suffering, an unfortunate result of his cynical and jaded personality.

Dark and twisty, Louis and Noe’s emotionally-wrought relationship was complicated. While initially disapproving of Noe’s naivety and idealistic perspective, Louis warmed up to Noe in spite of his own cold aloofness. He held Noe in the same high-esteem as he did Domi. Much like Vanitas, Louis also seemed to find amusement in eliciting reactions from Noe, however, this appears to be motivated more by wanting proof that, unlike his own family, Noe cared about Louis. They shared a connection so deep that as Louis’ mental health deteriorated Noe became one of the last people he could really connect with. He even spent the months preceding his death carving stakes to give to Noe as he wished him to be the one to end his life, and eventually he did die in Noe’s arms.

The first real friends either of them really had, Noe and Louis seem to be connected far beyond the grave. With a transcendent bond like that, it’s no wonder that Noe still longs for his childhood, a time where he, Louis and Domi were happy together. So while it may not be a bromance we can watch unfold, we can still see this ship from the past winning the OTP.