Battle shonen and seinen anime can be some of the most entertaining genres to consume. These stories are often really fast-paced, making them exciting from beginning to end. The battles are often grandiose, with great stakes at hand. It's common to see the hero of the story break their limits to overcome a truly overwhelming force.

In doing so, they save the day and rescue those in danger. Even an anime about epic battles needs to have some manner of story. Fortunately, some of the best action-oriented stories also have compelling characters and amazing worldbuilding to keep viewers locked in.

Updated by Louis Kemner on December 19th, 2023: Series based around combat have been some of the most popular anime dating back to the '80s. These shows pull viewers in like nothing else, encouraging studios to keep making new ones, meaning there are plenty for fans to enjoy. This list has been updated to adhere to CBR's current publication standards.

30 Gundam Build Fighters Try Focuses More on Mecha Anime Than Politics

At the start of Gundam Build Fighters Try, the All-Japan Gunpla Battle Tournament looms large. For Hoshino Fumina to participate, she'll have to find two other classmates to join her Gunpla Club. Fortunately, she finds one in her old friend Yuuma Kousaka, while the other is a new student in Sekai Kamiki. Though it takes plenty of training to get their teamwork right, the three of them enter just in time to compete for the chance to be the best in the nation.

Gundam Build Fighters Try Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.20
• IMDb: 7.2
• Anime Planet: 3.76/5

Gundam Build Fighters Try is a Gundam series that trades the usual faction talk and politics to be just a great action anime. The focus is on teams beating each other in battle, and since the show can pull from several series, dream mecha match-ups are possible. With the protagonist relying on special techniques, the series feels like a battle shonen that cares about more than just its main characters.

29 Record of Grancrest War Stars a Soldier and Mage Who Will Save the World

The continent of Atlatan has come under threat from a mysterious enemy, referred to as "Chaos." This "chaos" has torn the world apart as they suffer attacks from powerful monsters. The best chance of restoring peace to the world is creating the ultimate "Crest," something that can only exist under one unified ruler. A young soldier named Theo teams up with a tactician and mage, Siluca Meletes, in the belief that they can create the ultimate Crest and protect Atlatan.

Record of Grancrest War Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.22
• IMDb: 7.1
• Anime Planet: 3.71/5

Record of Grancrest War is another new series from legendary fantasy creator Ryo Mizuno, previously responsible for Record of the Lodoss War. Grancrest shows both Theo and Silicua constantly having to fight to protect their land and increase what they have. Though there's a bit of interpersonal drama, fans who love fighting will be happy from episode 1.

28 Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Stars Naruto's Ninja Son, Boruto Uzumaki

Some Naruto fans might have a problem with a series following Naruto's son, but that doesn't mean Boruto hasn't turned into a massive hit in its own right. Taking place years after Naruto becomes the Hokage, Boruto: Naruto Next Generation follows Naruto's hard-headed son Boruto Uzumaki.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 6.04
• IMDb: 6.5
• Anime Planet: 3.47/5

Yet another class clown, this Uzumaki has all the talent, yet what he wants the most is his dad's recognition. Boruto's biggest problem is that most of its storyline is filler. Filler or not, there's plenty of combat in every single arc, presenting some of the best-animated fights ever.

27 Vivid Strike Features a Formidable Female Fighter Named Rinne

At first glance, a series like Vivid Strike might not seem very fight-oriented. The plot is about a young woman named Fuuka Reventon attempting to reconnect with the best friend she had as a child, Rinne Berlinetta. After getting adopted, Rinne got into a magical girl fighting league, and has spent years dominating as one of the league's strongest fighters.

Vivid Strike Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.00
• IMDb: 7.0
• Anime Planet: 3.45/5

Though Rinne has turned cold, Fuuka trains in order to reach the point where she can stand on the same stage as Rinne, in the hopes of rekindling their friendship. Fans who love traditional shonen anime will connect with Vivid Strike easily, thanks to familiar ideas like Tournament Arcs to introduce new characters. In general, the fights feel like magical girl shows if they were suddenly crossed with MMA combat.

26 Flame Of Recca Follows the Rise of a Ninja, Recca

Flame of Recca follows a young man named Recca Hanabishi, a teenager who wants to become a mighty ninja, pledging to become the vassal of anyone who can defeat him in combat. When Recca meets his fellow high school student Yanagi, however, he pledges to become her vassal without her throwing a single punch.

Flame Of Recca Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.34
• IMDb: 7.3
• Anime Planet: 3.48/5

Yanagi can heal people, which leads to both her and Recca being pulled into situations with powerful people wielding dangerous mystical weapons. Fortunately, Recca learns he can project and manipulate fire, allowing him to defend himself and Yanagi from danger. Some fans might call Flame of Recca a poor man's Yu Yu Hakusho. Given Yu Yu Hakusho's quality though, that still places Flame of Recca heads above most other shonen anime.

25 Hajime No Ippo Is a Classic Boxing Anime

Not every anime about fighting needs to involve superpowers. Hajime no Ippo isn't just about combat, but the purest form of fighting imaginable in professional boxing. The story follows Ippo Makunouchi, a teenager who gets bullied by his schoolmates because he's quiet and keeps to himself.

Hajime No Ippo Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.77
• IMDb: 8.8
• Anime Planet: 4.40/5

After being rescued from bullying by a boxer-in-training, Mamoru Takamura, Ippo takes an interest in learning how to fight. Though he has the strength necessary to compete, being strong isn't everything it takes to become a boxer. A long road of training, and a never-ending series of challenges, awaits Ippo.

24 Sengoku Basara Is an Action-Packed Adaptation of a Capcom Game

Set during the Sengoku Era, Sengoku Basara begins after the mighty Oda Nobunaga has established himself as the "Demon King of Owari." He's well on his way to uniting all the kingdoms, when two people appear to challenge him: Masamune Date and Yukimura Sanada.

Sengoku Basara Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.33
• IMDb: 6.7
• Anime Planet: 3.66/5

Both of them refuse to allow Nobunaga to have his way, but there's one problem: they don't stand a chance separately, and they view each other as rivals as well. An adaptation of Capcom's popular hack-and-slash series, Sengoku Basara has plenty of spin-offs and even a film for fans who take an interest in this unique spin on Japanese history.

23 Tenjou Tenge Is All About Martial Arts at School

Tenjou Tenge was a popular 2000s anime that ended far too soon. Set at Toudou Academy, Tenjou Tenge starts when two young students arrive at the academy, Souichiro Nagi and Bob Makihara. Two delinquent students, they both planned to rule over the high school by force, beating up anyone who challenged them.

Tenjou Tenge Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 6.87
• IMDb: 6.8
• Anime Planet: 3.56/5

When they arrived, Souichiro Nagi and Bob Makihara learned the school was already full of students studying martial arts. Both Souichiro and Bob find themselves up against enemies far stronger than they imagined in the school's Executive Council, and are forced to join the school's Juken Club to stand a chance. Tenjou Tenge isn't just about normal martial arts, as many of the students quickly display supernatural abilities. Soon, Souichiro and Bob realize they're caught up in a conflict that stretches back centuries.

22 The God Of High School Features a Martial Arts Competition

God of High School isn't a great adaptation of its manhwa, since it skips over a lot of crucial details and ends far too early. However, it's a great series for those who just watch an anime about fighting. Everything begins with Jin Mori being invited to a martial arts competition for high schoolers known as The God of High School.

The God Of High School Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.07
• IMDb: 7.2
• Anime Planet: 3.89/5

Jin loves fighting against strong people, leading to him entering the tournament, where the winner receives a wish fulfilled by the owners of the tournament. Along the way, Jin meets and teams up with some strong allies, while learning there's much more to the tournament than the owners are saying.

21 Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Is About Martial Arts Training

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple starts out with high school student Kenichi Shirahama struggling with being bullied every day. However, when Kenichi becomes friends with transfer student Miu Furinji, a path towards strength opens up for him. Miu's home happens to be a martial arts dojo known as Ryozanpaku.

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.05
• IMDb: 8.01
• Anime Planet: 4.18/5

Eager to become strong, Kenichi tries to train at Ryozanpaku, but there's a problem. Everyone there is impossibly strong, requiring Kenichi to do seemingly impossible training regimens. Even worse, all of them claim he has no talent for fighting at all. Still, the longer Kenichi trains there, the more attention he attracts from other teens who want to challenge themselves against other strong people.

20 Soul Eater Features Supernatural Fights and Living Weapons

In 2008, Studio BONES brought to life the shonen action series Soul Eater. The story focuses on Maka Albarn, a young Shinigami Meister trying to transform her partner, Soul Eater, into a proper Death Scythe. The two of them need to track down 99 evil souls and a single witch to reach their goal, but they're not the only Meister and Scythe pairing out there in the world.

Soul Eater Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.84
• IMDb: 7.8
• Anime Planet: 4.06/5

Soul Eater has plenty of incredible action scenes that focus not just on Maka and Soul, but the other pairings in the series that are introduced over time. The one downside is the frustrating last fight of the series, which comes from wrapping up before the manga finished.

19 Jujutsu Kaisen Is an Action-Packed Dark Fantasy Anime

Jujutsu Kaisen is a popular shonen action anime that made it into the "dark trio" alongside Chainsaw Man and Hell's Paradise, with all three being dark fantasy anime with gory action and rough characters. In Jujutsu Kaisen's world, deadly curses roam the land, so it's up to sorcerers like Yuji Itadori to slay them.

Jujutsu Kaisen Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.62
• IMDb: 8.6
• Anime Planet: 4.51/5

Inspired by the legendary Bleach anime, Jujutsu Kaisen is a lean, mean action anime with stunning fight scenes, vivid horror elements, wacky humor, and compelling characters any anime fan may love. This anime has strong "monster hunter" vibes, but it also has memorable sorcerer vs sorcerer fights as well in Season 1.

18 Dragon Ball Z Shows Goku Frieza, Buu, and More

In the world of Dragon Ball Z, super-powered individuals take it upon themselves to defend the Earth from alien races and magical creatures. The series takes the meaning of power to incredible lengths, as the characters reach literally world-shattering levels of enhanced might.

Dragon Ball Z Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.17
• IMDb: 8.8
• Anime Planet: 4.04/5

The focus on fighting in Dragon Ball Z is so strong that several episodes are dedicated just to the action sequences. These are fleshed out to where storylines focus on how the characters unlock new abilities, though they can often feel like frustrating deus ex machina. Everything’s over-the-top and the character development isn't always there, but there are few shows that can match DBZ's intensity.

17 Tokyo Revengers Stars a Time-Traveling Boy and Vicious Street Gangs

In Tokyo Revengers, Takemichi Hanagaki has developed the power to travel back to his time in middle school in 2005. All he wants to do is save the life of his ex-girlfriend and her brother, who were killed by the Tokyo Manji Gang. But every time Takemichi goes back in time, his changes result in someone else being harmed. Somehow, Takemichi must save the future and figure out a way for everyone to live.

Tokyo Revengers Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.96
• IMDb: 7.9
• Anime Planet: 4.19/5

For a show with such a high concept premise, Tokyo Revengers sure loves its battles. Each time Takemichi travels to the past, viewers are treated to some brutal action scenes between the different gangs from his time in middle school. While the combatants don't have superpowers, the resulting clashes remain some of the most engrossing fight scenes of the 2020s.

16 The Seven Deadly Sins Is a Medieval Fantasy Action Story

The Seven Deadly Sins follows a group of knights accused of plotting a coup of the kingdom. A decade later, the members begin searching for one another in order to clear their names and weed out the actual villains behind this conspiracy.

The Seven Deadly Sins Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.65
• IMDb: 7.8
• Anime Planet: 3.71/5

The action in The Seven Deadly Sins focuses on thematic quality, with the characters each having their own identity based on their strongest powers. The character designs are also a thing of beauty, making the fight scenes stand out from a visual standpoint.

15 Fairy Tail Features Wizard Battles From Beginning to End

Fairy Tail's basic premise can be deceiving for people looking for a series focused entirely on fights. While everyone is supposed to be a mage, in Fairy Tail, the mages work a little differently. Characters like Natsu and Gajeel punch their way out of problems, while heroines like Erza use blades to battle their enemies.

Fairy Tail Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.65
• IMDb: 7.9
• Anime Planet: 4.10/5

Fairy Tail ran for three seasons, and each arc is better than the last. The fight scenes get more intense and the world-building is always solid, though people shouldn't be surprised if they want a talking cat after the show's over.

14 Samurai Champloo Mixes Sword Duels With Hip-Hop

Samurai Champloo follows the story of Fuu Kasumi as she begins her journey in search of a mysterious samurai who smells of sunflowers. With only that single clue about him, she enlists the help of the free-form swordsman Mugen and the traditional samurai Jin to track him down.

Samurai Champloo Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.51
• IMDb: 8.6
• Anime Planet: 4.22/5

Though Jin and Mugen have agreed to help, they also can't stand each other, leading to them constantly being at each other's throats. Though Samurai Champloo features exciting battles between swordsmen, that's not exactly the appeal. The show is just as much a character study as it is a fighting anime, with beautiful standalone episodes and an amazing hip-hop soundtrack.

13 My Hero Academia Is the Ultimate Superhero Shonen Anime

To become a hero like the one he's always looked up to, My Hero Academia's protagonist Izuku Midoriya must overcome not only his insecurities, but the many villains that would see society descend into chaos. Fortunately, he can rely on the guidance of the legendary hero All Might who granted him the power of One For All.

My Hero Academia Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.87
• IMDb: 8.3
• Anime Planet: 4.25/5

In My Hero Academia, heroes and villains battle it out to see whose ideology will eventually win out. This never-ending back-and-forth conflict has led to some of the most entertaining anime battles of the last decade.

12 Edens Zero Features Exciting Sci-Fi Action Scenes

Edens Zero focuses on Shiki, a young boy who grew up on a planet full of robots. After all the robots on the planet stop working, he travels with B-Cuber Rebecca Bluegarden out into the galaxy to make as many friends as possible and discover the creator of the galaxy.

Edens Zero Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.29
• IMDb: 7.2
• Anime Planet: 3.76/5

This premise shouldn't fool viewers looking for plenty of action. As Shiki and Rebecca expand the crew of their ship, the Edens Zero, they make plenty of powerful enemies. While Shiki would rather make friends, he's never afraid to use his gravity powers to take down anyone who tries to hurt others.

11 Demon Slayer is a Monster Slayer Anime With Stellar Animation

Demon Slayer is the most successful manga of the last decade. Not only did it outsell most manga released during the last few years, but it outsold massively popular series like Bleach in only a few years. Demon Slayer focuses on the Demon Slayer Corps' constant battle against Muzan Kibutsuji the demon king and his demonic army.

Demon Slayer Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.49
• IMDb: 8.6
• Anime Planet: 4.47/5

Every season of Demon Slayer provides thrilling and exciting fights. Additionally, each character has their own unique fighting styles. Animation studio Ufotable makes sure every battle is breathtakingly beautiful, and the sound effects and music added take it to another level.