There are times when brute strength and violence are not the answer, like when a strong character realizes that they are outmatched and are in clear danger, or when a character is simply trying to get out of a predicament that they shouldn't have found themselves in to begin with.
When all else fails, escaping is the only avenue a character has left to ensure their survival and that they live to fight another day. Whether it's in the blink of an eye or by the skin of their teeth, escaping an intense situation in a shonen anime is a feat worthy of praise.
10 Rukia Kuchiki Barely Survived Her Execution (Bleach)
Rukia Kuchiki was set to be executed for giving Ichigo Kurosaki her powers, and it was none other than her brother who was leading the case. Ichigo had come up against Byakuya Kuchiki before and knew that he had to become far stronger to have any hopes of defeating the intimidating captain and rescuing Rukia. After learning Bankai form from Shihoin Yoruichi, that's exactly what he did, and his actions narrowly saved Rukia from an unjust death.
9 Legoshi Risked Everything For Love (Beastars)
The female dwarf rabbit known as Haru meant the world to the gray wolf Legoshi, and he couldn't just stand by with the knowledge that anything could be happening to her at the hands of the Shishigumi. The organized crime unit may have ended up doing any number of unfathomable deeds to Haru, including eating her, but after a bold raid on their fortress, Legoshi made it just in time to save her from the hands of the fearsome felines.
8 Senku Ishigami Had A Back-Up Plan (Dr. Stone)
Senku Ishigami knew that he would be no match for the brutal Tsukasa Shishio in a direct confrontation. The two rivals were about to face each other head-on to determine the direction they would take the stone world in. But, luckily for Senku, he had a backup plan in place.
After noticing the peculiar revival properties of the stone material that petrified humans, he ensured that he had enough left on the back of his neck to be able to revive himself after receiving what seemed like a fatal blow from Tsukasa.
7 Izuku Midoriya Saved Katsuki Bakugo From An Impossible Situation (My Hero Academia)
The students of U.A. High School had traveled to Kamino Ward to find out more about the ongoing case against the League of Villains and perhaps help with saving their classmate in the process. When they found Katsuki Bakugo, they did not expect that it would be in the midst of a fierce battle between All Might and All For One. In a situation where the students were clearly outmatched, Izuku Midoriya came up with a plan to snatch Bakugo away from the fighting and make a daring escape.
6 Levi Ackerman Was Pushed To His Limits (Attack On Titan)
In what was meant to be a simple reconnaissance mission to gather intel on their enemies, Levi Ackerman and the rest of his Scouts were caught with their pants down after a surprise attack by Kenny The Ripper and his band of gun-wielding mercenaries. With his signature skill at using ODM gear, Levi swiftly evaded the onslaught of gunfire and mobile attackers as he weaved through the city streets and even managed to escape from a bar surrounded by gunmen.
5 Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck Had To Improvise (Hunter X Hunter)
The two young hunters were up against the proverbial wall when they found themselves stuck inside a room with the sword-wielding Nobunaga Hazama.
Time was not on the side of Gon and Killua and they knew that they couldn't fight their way out either. So, the duo worked together to escape by bursting through walls on opposite ends of the room and even creating further broken walls to act as decoys on their route to safety.
4 Hyakunosuke Ogata Outsmarted His Enemies (Golden Kamuy)
After an intense showdown in the icy Strait of Tartary, Saichi Sugimoto and his allies had finally managed to find a moment of peace. The team had captured Hyakunosuke Ogata and were letting a Russian doctor treat his injuries. However, after Ogata regained consciousness, he seemingly disappeared from his hospital room, and while Sugimoto and the crew ventured out to find him, they unknowingly fell for a bluff. The sniper was hidden in the room the entire time and waited for his foes to leave before making his true escape.
3 Grace Field House Was The Site Of A Daring Escape (The Promised Neverland)
For the children of Grace Field House, something wasn't adding up. It wasn't long before the brightest minds among them figured out the horrifying truth behind their home and they needed to escape before it was too late. During a season-long build-up, Emma, Ray, and Norman orchestrated an escape plan for many of the children whilst also putting the necessary pieces together one at a time. When the day finally arrived, the plan was put into motion, and, along with some clever improvisation, the children just about made it out unscathed.
2 Monkey D. Luffy Barely Made It Out of Impel Down (One Piece)
Impel down was hailed as an inescapable prison, partly due to warden Magellan and his poisonous Devil Fruit powers. When Monkey D. Luffy needed to escape in order to find his brother, Portgas D. Ace, he came into direct contact with the intimidating warden and suffered the consequences.
After some fast and decisive action on the part of allies like Ivankov, Luffy managed to survive and escape the prison, but at a deadly cost.
1 Yoshikage Kira Got Away Against All Odds (Jojo's Bizzare Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable)
Jotaro Kujo and Koichi Hirose had managed to track down the serial murderer, Yoshikage Kira, to a tailor shop while investigating a lead. In the tense battle that followed, Kira used new attacks with his stand to get the better of both Jotaro and Koichi, but he couldn't fool Josuke Higashikata into healing him upon the young Joestar's arrival. Yet, despite his blunder, Kira managed to run away from the stand users, force Aya Tsuji to change his face, and disappear into the crowded Morioh town.