Hello, how are you? In this article, we will provide you with a list of the best fighting animes. Just to note that fighting is not exactly a genre but rather a subgenre, meaning a genre within another genre. In the case of fights or combat, it is included in genres like action, martial arts, and samurai, etc.
Some popular animes involving martial arts fights are Naruto, Katanagatari, Yuu Yuu Hakusho, Dragon Ball, Freezing, Ben-to, Maken-Ki, and others. We don’t want to limit ourselves only to fighting animes that use martial arts, but we intend to mention animes that involve other types of fights, whether with mecha or with powers.
Table of Contents
Fighting Animes for a Purpose
To start, only the animes where everyone fights in tournaments, street fights, etc., to achieve some prize, reward, or title and similar things. Of course, fights are not regulated by any type of rule in all animes, so don’t cling to the idea that there can only be one objective or reward by participating in a regulated tournament.
Tiger & Bunny
In Stern Bild City, those with special abilities are called “NEXT” and can use their powers for good or for evil. A unique organized group of NEXT appears regularly on Hero TV, where they chase down wrongdoers to attract the attention of their sponsors and earn Hero Points in the hope of becoming the next “King of Heroes.”
Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, known as “Wild Tiger,” is a veteran hero whose performance has been declining lately, partly due to his inability to cooperate with other heroes. After a disappointing season, he is paired with a new hero who identifies with his real name – Barnaby Brooks Jr.
Comments: I couldn’t have a better synopsis. Although it lacks some points, it’s nothing that makes a big difference. And I won’t comment much on this anime since it’s been a while since I watched it. But I had great moments watching it. So much so that I gave it a 9, so there’s no way I didn’t like it.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki are regular high school girls with regular lives, but all of that changes when they meet Kyuubey, a magical familiar, and Homura Akemi, the new transfer student.
Kyuubey offers them a proposal: he will grant any one of their wishes and, in return, each of them will become a magical girl, gaining enough power to fulfill their dreams. However, Homura Akemi, a magical girl, urges them not to accept the offer, stating that everything is not what it seems.
Comments: As one of my favorite animes, I couldn’t leave it out here, and I must mention that it is one of the animes with a rating above 8. This may not seem like much, but don’t be fooled, this is a very good rating.
Kill la Kill
After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi has been wandering the land in search of her killer. Following her only clue – the missing half of her invention, the Scissor Blade – she arrives at the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school unlike any other.
The academy is governed by the imposing and cold student council president, Satsuki Kiryuuin, alongside her powerful subordinates, the Elite Four. In the brutally competitive hierarchy of the school, Satsuki grants those at the top special outfits called “Goku Uniforms,” which grant the user unique superhuman abilities.
Comments: I have nothing to comment, I honestly have something against female protagonists. It’s not sexism, because I’m not in any way a sexist. The problem is that we tend to put ourselves in the place of the main character to watch, at least I do this.
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
The Holy Grail War is a battle between seven mages who serve as Masters. Masters, through the use of command seals given when they enter the war, command Heroic Spirits known as Servants to fight for them in battle.
In the fifth Holy Grail War, Rin Toosaka is among the mages entering the competition. With her servant, Archer, she hopes to obtain the ultimate prize – the Holy Grail, a magical artifact capable of granting its bearer any wish.
Comments: And to not flatter the beautiful graphics and photography of this anime, I will mention the child editors who did not include the best scenes from the original work here in the anime. I’m talking about the romance/love/finally scenes, etc., anyway, the sex scene that everyone was waiting for. They cut it without any need.
Fate/Zero
With the promise of granting any wish, the omnipotent Holy Grail has unleashed three wars in the past, each one very cruel and fierce to leave a winner. Despite this, the wealthy Einzbern family is confident that the Fourth Holy Grail War will be different; that is, with a Holy Grail vessel now within their reach.
Only for this reason, the hated “mage killer” Kiritsugu Emiya is hired by the Einzberns, with the marriage of their only daughter Irisviel as a mandatory contract. Kiritsugu is now at the center of a fierce survival game, facing six other participants, each armed with an ancient familiar and fueled by unique desires and ideals.
Comments: One of the best animes in this franchise is definitely Zero, not because it is extremely engaging with its various characters and their many different stories, nor because of its incredible graphics and beautiful visuals, nothing of that is good enough to compare to its tendency towards the dark side of things as it does.
Fighting Animes – Enhancement Techniques
Well, these are basically animes that make use of some resources to increase their combat power. It can be Mechas, genetic alteration, or the occurrence of some relevant event that gave powers to some humans. These are simpler than they seem.
Parasyte -the maxim
Suddenly, they arrived: parasitic aliens that descended upon Earth and quickly infiltrated humanity, burying themselves in the brains of vulnerable targets. These insatiable beings gain total control of their host and can transform into a variety of forms in order to feed on unsuspecting prey.
Shinichi Izumi, a sixteen-year-old high school student, falls victim to one of these parasites, but it fails to take over his brain, ending up in his right hand. Unable to move, the parasite, now called Migi, has no choice but to rely on Shinichi to stay alive.
Comments: Although it may seem strange, it is a great anime and its plot is at least interesting. Besides being one of the few where the protagonist gets to the end with a girl, and that is a big detail. I still wonder how it is that the aliens arrived here.
One Punch Man
The seemingly ordinary and expressionless Saitama has a rather unique hobby: being a hero. In order to pursue his childhood dream, he trained relentlessly for three years – and lost all his hair in the process. Now, Saitama is incredibly powerful, so much so that no enemy is able to defeat him in battle.
In fact, all it takes to defeat wrongdoers with just one punch has led to an unexpected problem – he can no longer enjoy the thrill of fighting and has become quite bored.
Comments: His fame precedes him, and many people have already watched it, and so many others have heard of it. And how can we not talk about the most famous parody of recent times, where the protagonist is so powerful that he destroys everything and everyone with just one punch.
Darker than Black
It has been 10 years since the Gate of Heaven appeared in South America and the Gate of Hell appeared in Japan, veiling the once-familiar night sky with an oppressive skyscape. Their unknown objectives, these portals are spaces where the very laws of physics are ignored.
With the appearance of the gates came contractors who, in exchange for their humanity, are endowed with supernatural abilities. In the Japanese city surrounding the Gate of Hell, Section 4, Chief Misaki Kirihara finds herself at odds with the infamous Contractor codenamed Hei.
Comments: I don’t even need to comment on this, I just need to say that the protagonist is not a flower to be smelled and to top it off, he is extremely powerful, cold, calculating, and manipulative. Besides this, he also has a very good romance to watch and his drama is at the same level. I recommend it for those who like protagonists like that.
Eureka Seven
In the remaining city of Bellforest lives a 14-year-old boy named Renton Thurston. He wishes to leave his home behind and join the mercenary group known as Gekkostate, hoping to find some adventure to brighten his mundane life.
However, caught between his grandfather’s insistence on becoming a mechanic like him and the pressure of his deceased father’s legacy, the only excitement Renton finds is in his hobby of riding the Trapar wave particles that are scattered through the air, an activity similar to surfing.
Comments: It won awards including “Best Script,” “Best Television Series,” and “Best Character Design” at the 5th Tokyo Anime Awards, an award in the “Domestic Digital Content Category” at the 20th Grand Digital Content Prize, and “Best Female Character” and “Best Television Series” during the Anime Expo SPJA Awards of 2006 in the USA.
Tengen toppa Gurren Lagann
Simon and Kamina were born and raised in a deep underground village, hidden from the legendary surface. Kamina is a loose cannon free spirit determined to make a name for himself, while Simon is a shy young man with no real aspirations.
One day, while digging in the earth, Simon comes across a mysterious object that turns out to be the ignition key of an ancient war artifact, which the duo calls Lagann. Using their new weapon, Simon and Kamina defend themselves from a surprise attack from the surface with the help of Yoko Littner, a redhead wielding a huge weapon who roams the world above.
Comments: The boy who became a hero. Every time I watch this anime, I get excited. Well, it’s kind of cliché that the mecha genre is mainly associated with fights. But still, it wouldn’t be fun if giant robots didn’t fight against something.
Fighting Animes – Romance Always Gives More Strength
It’s a huge cliché, but I can’t deny that when someone falls in love, they always remember that person in times of distress, and somehow this thought unlocks something and Boom, an extra dose of adrenaline appears and out of nowhere the fight is decided. I don’t know how this works, but here are some animes that contain romance.
Katanagatari
In a lush Edo period Japan with a variety of sword fighting styles, Shichika Yasuri practices the most original: Kyotouryuu, a technique in which the user’s own body is wielded as a blade.
The enigmatic seventh head of the Kyotouryuu school, Shichika lives quietly in exile with his sister Nanami until one day – the uncontrollably ambitious strategist Togame invades their lives.
Comments: This is that typical anime that is bad but also good. I can’t explain this, as there is no explanation, it’s an anime that you can explicitly see is bad, with no wonderful graphics, no charismatic protagonists, and various other flaws but at the same time you find it good because it is like that and somehow you end up finding it very good.
KenIchi the Mightiest Disciple
“Weak Legs” Kenichi Shirahama prefers to spend his time reading self-improvement books rather than fighting. However, when he finally gathers the courage to become strong and join his school’s karate club, he is coerced into fighting an aggressive senior who wants to kick him out of the club.
He is about to give up everything until he falls in love with his mysterious new classmate, Miu Furinji. To face this challenge, he undergoes rigorous training at the dojo where he lives, Ryouzanpaku.
Comments:How good it is to have talent. And don’t come with that talk that with a lot of effort a failure can surpass a genius, that only exists if the genius were an ignorant who didn’t care about any of his potential or was negligent enough to think that no one would ever take his place and that he is untouchable.
Boy and The Beast
Bakemono no Ko is the story of a boy and a beast: both lonely, stubborn, and strong. For 9-year-old Ren, things couldn’t be much worse. His mother died in a car accident, his father is nowhere to be found, and his family is cold and distant. Desperate, Ren runs away to the streets of Shibuya to try to survive on his own.
In the beast kingdom of Shibuten, the fierce warrior Kumatetsu is certainly feared but not appreciated or respected. When the Lord decides to retire, Kumatetsu would be a natural candidate to replace him. But Kumatetsu is so anti-social that he has never managed to hold onto a disciple. And until he proves he can, he will never be a serious candidate.
When Ren gets lost in a maze of alleys and finds himself in the strange land of Shibuten, fate brings these two stubborn and fiercely strong souls together.
Comments: I would say that this anime is the sum of several clichés in a single film that worked out. Let’s agree that the protagonist losing his parents is a cliché, another world is also a cliché, him finding someone who takes him in is also a cliché, him becoming very close and helping the person who took him in is yet another cliché, and it goes on until the end of the movie.
Angel Beats!
Otonashi awakens only to find that he is dead. A rifle-wielding girl named Yuri explains that they are in the afterlife, and Otonashi realizes that the only thing he can remember about himself is his name.
Yuri tells him that she leads the Shinda Sekai Sensen (Afterlife War) and wages war against a girl named Tenshi. Unable to believe Yuri’s claims that Tenshi is evil, Otonashi tries to talk to her, but the encounter does not go as he intended.
Comments: Yes, yes, yes. My beloved Angel Beats is on the list, I don’t even need to comment much about the plot. But for those who haven’t watched it yet, I advise you to hydrate a lot because there’s a risk of becoming dehydrated after watching this anime, that is, drink plenty of water before binge-watching this, then comment below if the advice was useful.
Rurouni Kenshin
In the final years of the Bakumatsu era lived a legendary assassin known as Hitokiri Battousai. Feared as a ruthless killer, he was unmatched throughout the country but mysteriously disappeared at the height of the Japanese Revolution.
It has been ten peaceful years since then, but the very mention of Battousai still strikes terror in the hearts of war veterans. Unknown to them, Battousai abandoned his blood-stained lifestyle in an effort to atone for his sins, now living as a wandering swordsman with a cheerful attitude and a strong will.
Comments: I haven’t watched this anime yet, so I can’t comment much. But there are plenty of animes with the historical genre. So I’m sure it won’t be long before I start, and if you’ve already watched it, leave your comment about what you thought and give it your rating.
Other Animes Involving Fights
And here is a list of the best animes to watch that contain fights. From the most varied themes and genres and not just those I mentioned above. All and a little more, and always the best for you to choose, good luck with your marathons and no becoming hikikomori, unless it’s inevitable.
- Action Animes – Best animes with fights and confrontations
- Giant Robo
- Slayers Next
- Durarara!
- Kurenai
- One Piece
- Gurren Lagann
- Fairy Tail
- Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions
- Naruto Shippūden
- Slayers
- Ranma ½
- Crowds insight
- Log Horizon
- Re:CREATORS
- Chivalry of a Failed Knight
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