I for one am a sucker for a good fight. It can both wow me with amazing animation, or tell a great story, even if no words are exchanged. Great fights often do both. Well for this ranking we’re diving into anime that have some of the most amazing fight scenes in the genre.
20. Akame ga Kill!
Although this show is about assassins, there’s only one character that actually assassinates people. That might sound like a bad thing. But what it really means is that people are constantly fighting in this show, and it tends to be equal part gory and amazing. From a dude wielding a flamethrower to a girl with a cursed sword and an evil anime Elsa, this show has quite the array of fighters. And once you get into the show you’ll realize that both plot armor and a PG rating are non-existent here. There’s one character in particular that not only gave me nightmares, but also converted me into a cat person… check it out and you’ll see why.
19. Dororo
If you love seeing samurai dash across the battlefield and mince everything in their path with a blood-soaked katana, then Dororo is bound to be a fun watch. However, it’s important to note that this is far from just some samurai flick. As the antagonists are literal demons, and the protagonist starts off his journey as a big prosthetic doll with katanas for hands. The animation quality for each fight scene is honestly off the charts. And the battles flow with a hint of primal anger and badassery that you’ll seldom find in other anime.
18. Log Horizon
Log Horizon holds a special place in my heart. Not because the battles are necessarily flashy and fluid, but rather because of the amount of strategy that goes into each fight. It’s your typical MMORPG isekai, however it actually stays true to its roots. Meaning that agro juggling, proper team comps, and cooldown windows are all essential aspects of the battle. And it’s just so refreshing to see, as there’s no one overpowered character that saves the day. Rather just a group of well-coordinated individuals. Heck, the protagonist is a support mage!
17. The Seven Deadly Sins
Although the fourth season of The Seven Deadly Sins left the audience rather disappointed, the first three are still full of some top notch fights. Escanor in particular stole the show whenever he came to the stage. His unyielding ego, soul crushing one-liners, and the power to equal a god, always managed to get me hyped. Meliodas also has some great duels under his belt. And I would love Ban even if he never lifted a finger at all.
16. One Punch Man
If we’re talking about animation quality in fight scenes then One Punch Man has to be mentioned. Even though the battles themselves hold little narrative weight, the animation and sound design team were such S-class artists while working on this show. Every battle is an absolute spectacle that you can re-watch a thousand times and still not get bored. And even if you don’t care much for flashy fights, maybe you like more down to earth skill-based duels, well the second season is still bound to tickle your fancy.
15. Mob Psycho 100
I like to clump this anime together with OPM, as they do have the same creator and a similar vibe. However, do not go into Mob Psycho 100 expecting a One Punch Man duplicate. The show has plenty more to offer. The fights here are like explosions of color. And unlike OPM, most fights here still tend to carry some weight. Plus, there’s an actual story to back up all the blood, sweat, and tears flying around.
14. Sword of the Stranger
As far as samurai movies are concerned, this one is probably my favorite. The concept is pretty straight forward: a man, a kid, and the most adorable puppy are on an adventure. They keep getting attacked because a certain someone is convinced he can gain immortality. But the highlight of the entire movie is a certain clash that happens at the very end, where the animators really just flex on us and bring me one step closer to buying a katana.
13. The God of High School
When this show first aired, it blew everyone away with the animation quality and meticulous fight scene designs. Characters embodied many different fighting styles, and every move and blow carried so much weight that you could feel it in your groin. The more typical martial arts fade away in the latter part of the story, as a certain power system is introduced. But the battles definitely do not drop in quality, they just get a lot flashier.
12. Naruto
People often like to dog on Naruto and call it trash. But you cannot look me in the digital eyes and tell me Naruto doesn’t have some of the best fight scenes in anime. Gaara vs Lee was an instant classic that’s still fondly remembered to this day. Kakashi vs Obito did an amazing job telling a story, and is on par with the very best when it comes to animation quality. And of course, the final showdown between Sasuke and Naruto basically signalled the end of an entire era. And even when faced with such a big title, I do not think it disappointed. Don’t even get me started on the Ninja War or anything involving the Akatsuki.
11. Demon Slayer
Do you want to know just how good the fights are in Demon Slayer? They’re so good that the conclusion of a single fight went trending across the entire world. That’s right, even your weird uncle who still calls anime “those weird cartoons” has probably heard about this one particular fight in Demon Slayer. And I for one think it deserved the hype. You’ll quickly see that the show uses a very specific visual style to convey the movements of a sword. And it is breath-taking (you’ll get that pun once you’ve watched the show, too).
10. Kill la Kill
This anime had no right to be as good as was. The show just has a half-naked woman jumping around in her talking outfit, and beating up students whose clothing powers are weaker than hers. It sounds stupid, and it is stupid. And yet it’s the most fun you’ll ever have watching an anime. The comedy is brilliant, the fanservice plentiful, and the fight scenes are way better than you would ever think a show like this would have. I swear, Kill la Kill is just one surprise after another.
9. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
There are two distinct eras in JoJo’s when it comes to fighting. Initially the fights were just bundles of testosterone where grown men would breathe really well in order to punch a bird person off a volcano. But in the second half, with the introduction of Stands, every battle became just very manly 3D chess. The rules are constantly changing, half of the pieces are confusing, and every move ended with a knuckle sandwich. Jokes aside, Stand battles are one of the more carefully thought out battle systems in anime. And seldom can you actually predict how any battle is going to unfold. I mean, who could have seen that giant road roller coming?
8. Hunter x Hunter (2011)
Speaking of amazing power systems that just gave way to even more amazing fight scenes, we have Hunter x Hunter and the concept of Nen. Although I can’t say the battles in Hunter x Hunter are as calculated as in JoJo’s, since here power cliffing is way more apparent. But the show has some real bangers. The killer diddler clown never fails to hype me up about playing cards, and the properties of both rubber and gum. Killua warms my edgelord heart. And Gon, well let’s just say that he surprised me quite a bit. Don’t get me started on Netero vs Meruem, that was a masterpiece in its own right.
7. My Hero Academia
If you like superhero movies (and more importantly superhero fights) then My Hero Academia is bound to be to your liking. The show has a few arcs where the students are just training or doing some school activities, like practicing for a festival, and you almost feel like it’s a slice of life show. But when the action starts it does not stop until your pants are completely blown away. The Overhaul arc? Back to back amazing fights between people with such specific powers that you can never predict who will win, or how they’d win. One for All vs All for One? One of the most memorable boss battles, and an absolute tearjerker. The tournament arc? Okay you get the point.
6. Jujutsu Kaisen
Now this show is the youngest on this list, and yet it has made such an impact already. I can’t really even define what makes the fights so fun, except by saying that it’s so unpredictable. I mean sure, the animation is polished to a tee. But it’s really the fact that the bad guys, curses, have such odd powers that make the show so good. The protagonists are also rather specific. One of them is a panda for god’s sake, so you really just have to sit back and enjoy the chaotic beauty that’s taking place on your screen.
5. Bungo Stray Dogs
Bungo Stray Dogs has everything you would want from a good modern shounen. The abilities are rather unique (the dude who gets stronger when he spends money is a prime example). The animation is polished too, and there’s no single overpowered character that solves every problem. Most characters in this show have had a handful of decent fights. And as they say, variety is the spice of life! I also just can’t get over how badass the Port Mafia characters are. It must be because they’re all wearing suits.
4. Black Clover
I’m going to be honest with you: 90% of Black Clover is definitely not suited for this list. But man, do those 10% make me hyped! The thing with Black Clover is that antagonists are hyped up pretty well. And once the battle has commenced, you’re looking at dozens of episodes of mouth-watering fight scenes between everyone and anyone. For me, what sold me on this anime was just how badass Yami was. And what made me believe in the further potential of this show was a certain demon and his fight against the protagonists. The animation might not be on par with most other shows on this list, but the generated hype definitely is.
3. Samurai Champloo
In case you don’t really like superpower-based fights, I wanted to include one more masterpiece in the art of the sword. Samurai Champloo features two amazing warriors, one with razor like precision and discipline, and the other with so much raw energy that you can never predict how he’s going to strike next. The choreography in this show is top-notch. Especially if a battle takes place in a confined space. And the soundtrack just really allows you to get truly immersed into this funky samurai world.
2. Attack on Titan
There are two major sides to the fighting in Attack on Titan. The majority of the show features the protagonists whizzing around on their manoeuvre, slashing titans and doing their very best not to become minced meat. On the other hand, we have titan battles. These are quite rare, but man do they get your blood boiling. Even though it’s basically just a fist fight, these fights come off as so entertaining. Because you know one wrong move means the death of countless people. Especially in the last season, boy that season sure is something.
1. Fullmetal Alchemist : Brotherhood
Alchemy is one of the most interesting plot devices in battle for this show. Because every battle focuses more on brains that brawns. But what makes Fullmetal Alchemist stand out in my mind is its capacity for storytelling mixed into the fights. Mustang vs Envy wasn’t all that impressive in terms of animation, or you know, an actual battle… and yet it still made me scream at the top of my lungs simply because you get so attached to the characters. A must-watch if you’ve never seen it before.
