One thing all anime tend to have in common are incredible battles. Characters display their powerful and diverse abilities in hope of defeating their opponent. Anime like Baki illustrate brute strength and destruction. Naruto takes advantage of its diverse jutsu, allowing characters to defeat enemies much stronger than them. And then there are series like Death Note and Code Geass, where the battles often take place in the minds of their genius protagonists.
Although no two fights are the same, anime slugfests tend to stick to some vital components. One such component is the unexpected. Fans of anime watch battles with no clue of who the victor will be. Just when it seems defeat is inevitable, the losing character pulls out a win at the last second.
10 Light Yagami Refuses To Panic (Death Note)
This is an all-time great battle of wits, causing the blood pressure of its viewers to go through the roof. Naomi Misoka is investigating the death of her husband, believing he was a victim of Kira. Light realizes the information she possesses will reveal him as the holder of the Death Note.
Using his supreme charm, Light finds out Naomi's name, writing it in his Death Note and waiting for her to die. But that doesn't happen. Naomi provided a fake name and as the police station approaches, Light must do all he can to get her to reveal her true identity. Eventually, she does, and Light smirks as the Death Note takes effect, forcing Naomi to end her life. The protagonist survived, by the skin of his teeth.
9 Minato Proves He Is The Fastest Shinobi (Naruto)
Minato was widely regarded as the fastest shinobi in history, earning the nickname "yellow flash" for his perfection of the flying thunder god Jutsu. During his time as Hokage, Minato met his match in the form of his old student Obito (disguised as Madara).
The two great shinobi engaged in an epic fight, both utilizing the techniques that make them untouchable. Just as Obito believes his Kamui has won the match, Minato teleports to a previously thrown Kunai, escaping the clutches of the masked maniac and defeating Obito with a rasengan.
8 Netero Reveals His Inescapable Plan (Hunter X Hunter)
Netero's fight against the Chimera Ant King Mureum was a battle for the ages. The Chairman Of The Hunters Association called upon his greatest technique, the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, in an attempt to swat the ant and prevent Mureum from growing even stronger.
Against any other opponent, this would have ensured victory. However, the Ant King was too durable and too intelligent, finding openings to counter Netero. Muruem, along with viewers, believed he was the victor. But at the last moment, Netero activated a bomb he had placed inside his heart, destroying that Ant and himself in the process.
7 Roy Mustang Proves You Can Never Keep A Good Man Down (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Viewers had said their goodbyes to Mustang after his defeat at the hands of the homunculus Lust. The Colonel's body was full of holes, an injury severe that survival wasn't considered an option. Lust moves on to Captain Hawkeye and Alphonse Elric, pressuring the pair without breaking a sweat.
Just when fans thought this was the end, Mustang returns, incinerating the villain with his flame alchemy. It turns out Mustang seared his wound shut, almost passing out in the process. This scene confirmed that the Colonel was not to be messed with.
6 Never Take Your Eyes Off Killua (Hunter X Hunter)
During Hunter X Hunter's Chimera Ant arc, Killua faced off against a number of powerful Ants with challenging Nen abilities. Arguably the closest he came to meeting his end was against the Ortho Siblings. The Ants used the game of darts, combining Nen with the game to turn their opponent into a human darts board.
The young Hunter took an absolute beating and the siblings celebrated their win after the final dart was thrown. After they left the safety of their lair to boast about their victory, Killua beheaded the pair in an instant. He survived by using his own Nen ability to improve his reaction time and catch the dart before it pierced him. The prodigy lived to fight another day.
5 All Might Wins The Battle But Loses His Power (My Hero Academia)
The world's greatest hero vs. the world's greatest villain— the two heavyweights put on a show for the ages. For the most part, All For One dominates the battle, using his varied quirks to push the hero to his limits. All Might, no longer in his prime, struggles to cause any significant damage and the beating he has taken begins to take its toll.
Reverting back to his human form, the hero no longer sports the classic All Might look. No matter: All Might summons his last bit of strength and unleashes One For All, defeating the villain in the process.
4 Gaara Shows Off His Ultimate Defense (Naruto)
The Chunin Exams provided Naruto fans with amazing battles. None were better than Rock Lee vs Gaara. Lee is a shinobi whose only talent is Taijutsu. Gaara is a prodigy and Jinchuriki, with sand that acts as the ultimate defense. Lee becomes the first ninja to hit Gaara, displaying inhuman speed and passing his limits throughout the fight.
When Lee opens the sixth gate and unlocks his maximum power, he unleashes his ultimate move, driving Gaara into the ground. Lee believes he is the victor, but at the last moment, Gaara encased himself with sand, breaking his fall. With Rock Lee too exhausted to continue, the sand ninja goes in for the kill.
3 Escanor Justifies His Pride (Seven Deadly Sins)
It's not often Escanor is pushed to his limit. After all, he stands atop the pinnacle of all races. But Meliodas, now more demon than ever, loses all sense of humanity. Escanor and the Demon are encased in Merlin's perfect cube, trading blow after blow. Meliodas dominates and injures the Lion sin.
But the sun continues to rise, and Escanor's power rises with it. Just as Meliodas is about to deal a final blow, noon arrives, and Escanor knocks Meliodas out. Who says a human can't defeat a demon?
2 Tanjiro Discovers A Hidden Power (Demon Slayer)
Rui was a member of the 12 Kizuki, meaning he was one of the strongest demons in the entire series. Tanjiro is your typical protagonist, able to overcome anything through sheer willpower. But for most of the fight, fans were left with the impression that willpower wasn't enough. Rui possessed extraordinary power and a mastery of his blood demon art. Tanjiro remained on the backfoot, his natural talent no longer enough.
It appeared that Tanjiro would experience defeat. However, his love for his sister Nezuko spurred him on and he unlocked a new ability, the Hinokami Kagura, using it to cut off the demon's head.
1 Midoriya Breaks His Limit (My Hero Academia)
Izuku Midoriya vs. Muscular was your classic heavyweight fight. Two characters who rely on their inhuman physical abilities to overwhelm their opponents, this fight was simply about who hits harder. Still in the process of mastering his quirk, Izuku finds himself outmatched early on.
Even using One For All at 100% wasn't enough, as Muscular protects himself by covering his body in massive amounts of muscle fibres. Midoriya's solution? To use his quirk at 1,000%. Breaking his limit, Izuku lands a blow on Muscular that puts him out of business for good. It's simple math.