Every anime fan loves a good fight scene. While anime is certainly a well-rounded art form full of many unique sub-genres, some of which are entirely nonviolent, there's no denying that a big part of what made anime as popular as it is are the fights. Whether they're larger-than-life mecha battles, all-out martial arts brawls, or intricately choreographed clashes of swords, anime has given anime fans some of the greatest battles of all time.
If there's a downside to having so many epic battles, it's that many of the best ones get overlooked among the pack. Maybe it's due to it belonging to a newer series, or perhaps it's part of a show with too many great fights to pick from. Nevertheless, some of the greatest fights in anime are either sorely overlooked or criminally underrated.
10 Mob Humbles The Mysterious Leader Of Claw
Mob vs Toichiro Suzuki (Mob Psycho 100)
Mob Psycho 100 is already slept on in terms of its combat scenes, which are some of the coolest in anime. The animation, colors, and music all combine to make Mob's fights some of the most attractive shonen battles to look at. A master class in that domain is Mob's fight against Toichiro, the leader of the enigmatic esper group Claw.
Toichiro was the strongest enemy Mob had ever faced and the first one that truly made Mob push his limits and show the extent of his latent power. The magnitude of their fight was enough to crumble entire cities, a feat that's impressive enough to put Mob's name in the conversation with shonen anime's most powerful heroes.
9 Gon Thinks Outside The Box
Gon vs Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter)
While most Hunter x Hunter fans will talk about Gon's utter annihilation of Pitou, many forget one of Gon's best early showings is his rematch against Hisoka. This fight was so important because it showcased Gon's growth up to that point and Hisoka's masochistic, mentor-like relationship with Gon.
After trying everything to hit Hisoka, Gon realizes he's entirely outmatched in a straight-on fight. To compensate, Gon pulls off one of the most resourceful moves in all of anime tournament fight history. After lifting a tile off the ground, he breaks it into pieces and — using a large piece of it for cover — lands his first-ever clean hit against Hisoka.
8 Yuno Finally Recognizes Asta As His Equal
Asta & Yuno vs Licht (Black Clover)
Asta and Yuno's fight against Licht is one of the most epic in Black Clover. After all they'd been through, Yuno finally shows Asta respect and acknowledges him for his strength, enough to consider him an equal to fight at his side.
While Black Clover is a popular series, it often falls just short of "Big 3" consideration. However, fights such as Asta and Yuno's against Licht showcase why the show still deserves to be considered one of the very best in shonen anime.
7 Naruto & Sasuke Grew Further Apart Than Ever
Naruto vs Sasuke (Naruto)
When talking about the greatest fights in Naruto, fans often like to cite many of Shippuden's awesomely choreographed battles. However, one of the most emotionally powerful and epic fights in the franchise was actually at the end of the first Naruto series.
Naruto and Sasuke's meeting at The Valley of the End was a heart-wrenching moment for Naruto fans everywhere. It was a precarious ending to a rollercoaster of a series and paved the way for where Shippuden would lead off.
6 Yoruichi Reminds Soi Fon Who Her Master Is
Yoruichi vs Soi Fon (Bleach)
Everyone loves to talk about Ichigo and Aizen's fight or Nel's surprising transformation against Grimmjow, and while those are certainly Bleach moments worth the hype, Yoruichi's fight against Sui Feng was one of the coolest battles in the anime. For starters, the history behind their fight was enough to add deeper levels of emotion to each strike.
One of Soi Fon's signature abilities lets her place a death mark on the enemy that, if hit in the same place twice, instantly kills her foe. Still, in the end, Yoruichi showed Soi Fon why she was given the title of the Flash Goddess.
5 Tanjiro Marches To His Own Drum
Tanjiro vs Kyogai (Demon Slayer)
One of the coolest and least-talked-about fights from Demon Slayer is the fight between Tanjiro and the demon Kyogai in the Tsuzumi Mansion. Kyogai has the ability to control the rooms of the Tsuzumi house by banging on the drums lodged into his body.
This was also the arc that first introduced Tanjiro's two great companions, Inosuke and Zenitsu, making it legendary in and of itself. However, the final fight between Tanjiro and Kyogai is particularly exciting as Tanjiro adapts to the constantly changing rooms around him to behead the demon once and for all.
4 All Might Solidifies His Place In Hero History
All Might vs All For One (My Hero Academia)
Most fans will undoubtedly point to Midoriya's fight with Overhaul as the coolest fight in My Hero Academia, and understandably so; it's filled with incredible animation, the emotional weight behind Lemillion's loss of quirk, and the wholesome duo that is Midoriya and Eri.
However, a fight that should always be in the conversation of best fights is All Might's fight against All For One. This is a clash between the greatest hero and villain rivalry in the world of MHA, and it certainly lives up to expectations. All Might's heroic sacrifice and victory due to sheer willpower alone should put him in the running for greatest heroes of all time, anime or otherwise.
3 Kenshin Teaches Sojiro A Valuable Lesson
Kenshin vs Sojiro Seta (Rurouni Kenshin)
Even though Rurouni Kenshin fans love to put the spotlight on Kenshin's fight with Shishio, his encounter with Sojiro was truly one of his best. Part of the fight's greatness comes from Sojiro's character, whose confused mind state is at odds with the villainous life he came to know.
Sojiro is a prodigious fighting genius and only second in skill next to Shishio himself. Sojiro's fighting style, consisting of him hopping on one leg, has become iconic in the Rurouni Kenshin fanbase, and he is one of the most popular villains in the series. While he was raised by Shishio and only ever knew to kill, Sojiro is utterly broken when Kenshin defeats him and teaches him that there is another way.
2 Bringing A Knife To A Gun Fight Works In Kirito's Favor
Kirito vs Sterben (Sword Art Online)
The mixture of guns and swordplay in SAO 2 is a dynamic that could have been ridiculous, but the context of Gun Gale made it work perfectly. In the Gun Gale Arc of Sword Art Online, one of the best fights in the series takes place between Kirito and Sterben, also known as XaXa, the mysterious assassin who was once a member of the Player Killing guild Laughing Coffin in SAO.
Sterben was an accomplice to countless murders alongside his brother, who would kill players in the real world as Sterben killed their character in the game. Sterben's skills with a rapier completely outclassed Kirito in their one-on-one battle. Still, Kirito is able to pull off the win at the last second by combining both gunplay and swordsmanship in one final epic attack.
1 Goku's Fights Constantly Set The Bar For Anime
Goku vs Piccolo Jr. (Dragon Ball)
Goku and Piccolo Jr.'s fight at the end of Dragon Ball is one of the most legendary yet slept-on in anime. This battle should constantly be in the top ten of all time in anime due to its influence alone. Yet, it is often understandably overshadowed by Goku's other epic encounter with Frieza during Z.
Despite the well-deserved hype that Goku's fight with Frieza has received, his face-off with Piccolo Jr. was essentially the pilot that would define the direction that Dragon Ball Z would take. While Dragon Ball Z had some of the most iconic fights in television, let alone anime, none of that would have been possible without Goku and Piccolo's larger-than-life bout at the end of Dragon Ball.