Top 10 Anime Battles That Changed EVERYTHING

Garrett Alden
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the conflicts in anime both large and small that had major implications on the story and world of their series, and/or on anime in general. Because of how monumental these effects are, there will be spoilers ahead!
#10: Fairy Tail vs. Acnologia
“Fairy Tail” (2009-19)
When the top members of the Fairy Tail guild go to an isolated island to see who’s worthy of promotion to S-Class, they get interrupted - several times, actually. The final time is by Acnologia, the black dragon of the Apocalypse. Everyone pools their magic and attacks together, and for once, the power of friendship doesn’t work. Instead, they join together and are able to survive Acnologia’s island nuking attack, albeit by remaining in suspended animation for 7 years. When they return, their guild is a laughing stock. However, that only makes their comeback and constant flexing at the Grand Magic Games even more satisfying.
#9: The Shibuya Incident
“Jujutsu Kaisen” (2020-)
A group of powerful Special-Grade curses attacking civilians in Shibuya on Halloween is bad enough, but it gets so much worse than that. Gojo, the world’s strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, is sealed inside a prison cube. The dozen or so fights between Jujutsu sorcerers and their opponents causes several main characters to be killed or severely injured. Sukuna taking over Yuji’s body and fighting throughout Shibuya results in thousands of civilian deaths, traumatizes Yuji and gets him marked for death, levels most of Shibuya, causes Tokyo to be evacuated, and exposes the existence of curses to the world. The Shibuya Incident ensures that nothing is ever the same again in “Jujutsu Kaisen.”
#8: Naruto vs. Sasuke (Round 1)
“Naruto” (2002-07)
While there are several crucial fights in “Naruto,” this is arguably the one upon which the whole series hinges. Naruto pursues Sasuke after he leaves the village, planning to join the rogue ninja Orochimaru in pursuit of the power to get revenge on his brother. Naruto, unwilling to let his friend and rival go, tries to bring him back by force. Their clash is epic enough on its own, but its ramifications are long lasting throughout the franchise. Sasuke emerges as the nominal victor, and continues pursuing vengeance. Meanwhile, Naruto decides to undergo training of his own from Jiraiya. All of this leads to a 2-year timeskip that shakes up the status quo even further.
#7: Battle of Shiganshina District
“Attack on Titan” (2013-23)
Given how many twists and turns its story takes, plenty of battles in this grimdark anime change the course of the story forever. But none compare to the Survey Corps’ attempt to retake Shiganshina District. Most of the Scouts are massacred during the battle. Major characters meet tragic ends. Titan powers switch hands. And after it’s over, Eren and company finally reach his basement - where his dad’s diary upends everything they, and we, knew about their world! Most of humanity isn’t dead - our heroes live on an island and everyone else hates the people living on it, and those of their race, because only they can become Titans. This battle completely changed the game and set the stage for the devastating events that follow.
#6: Ryoka Invasion
“Bleach” (2004-12; 2022-)
Ichigo and his friends invading Soul Society to save Rukia from execution changes “Bleach” in so many ways. Prior to this arc, “Bleach” was relatively small scale and low stakes. But after this assault, everything opens up. Dozens of new characters are introduced. The peak of Shinigami powers, Bankai, is revealed. Ichigo obtains his own Bankai and faces off against many powerful opponents. Oh, and there’s the small matter of Aizen faking his own death, stealing the powerful Hōgyoku, and then bouncing along with 2 other traitorous captains! The Ryoka Invasion expertly raised “Bleach”’s stakes to an enormous degree, with incredible fights and superb twists, while also deepening the series’ lore and developing its characters.
#5: Team Dai-Gurren vs Thymilph
“Gurren Lagann” (2007)
A lot of us were fooled when we first watched this hotblooded mecha anime. We all thought Kamina was the main character. But then, Team Dai-Gurren faces off against the Beastman general, Thymilph. The ape-like antagonist manages to wound Kamina, but he fights through the pain, delivers an inspiring speech, and combines with Simon to form Gurren Lagann. Their Giga Drill Break saves the day and everything’s okay…until it isn’t. Kamina dies of his wounds. The loss of the apparent main character left viewers shook. More importantly, it forces Simon, the real MC, to step up to be the new leader and become the him that believes in himself.
#4: All Might vs. All For One
“My Hero Academia” (2016-)
Bakugo getting kidnapped by the League of Villains causes a chain of events that leads to a rematch between All Might, the world’s greatest hero, and All For One, the world’s vilest villain. Although All Might is able to decisively defeat his foe, the outcome is still far from ideal. The Symbol of Peace must retire as a hero, because he uses all his remaining power during the fight. This leaves the world without its strongest protector, and Deku has to succeed him as the next user of One For All sooner than expected. Likewise, All For One’s apprentice Shigaraki is left to fill the power vacuum of his master. The beginning of “MHA” ends here, with the pieces moving into place for the endgame.
#3: Everyone vs. Pucci
“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” (2012-)
Final battles in “JoJo” tend to go big, but none of them go this big! Enrico Pucci’s Stand has evolved into Made in Heaven, allowing the villainous priest to accelerate time for everything that’s not alive. The ensuing battle sees Pucci kill most of the main cast, including multiple “JoJo” protagonists, leaving only young Emporio left. As if that wasn’t wild enough, Pucci accelerates time so fast that the entire universe collapses on itself, creating a second Big Bang and effectively resetting the universe! Emporio somehow ekes out a victory and kills Pucci, which sets off another universal reset! We should’ve known something profoundly shocking would happen - this part is set in Florida, after all.
#2: Summit War of Marineford
“One Piece” (1999-)
The Marines vs. the Whitebeard Pirates, with Luffy dropped in the middle, trying to save his brother Ace. Listing all the effects this war has on “One Piece” and its world would take an entire video. It’s the culmination of story threads laid throughout the first half of the series and involves nearly everyone. In short, both the pirates and Marines suffer heavy losses and experience changes in leadership. Ace dies, devastating Luffy. Whitebeard dies and confirms the existence of the One Piece, inspiring a new generation of pirates to find it. Blackbeard, his killer, usurps Whitebeard’s position as an Emperor. Meanwhile, Luffy decides he and his crew need to get stronger before they reunite, leading to a timeskip. And that’s just scratching the surface!
#1: Goku vs. Frieza
“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)
Most of these anime fights had huge ramifications for their respective series. Goku’s battle with Frieza changed not only “Dragon Ball Z,” but also anime as a whole! The epic showdown on Namek devastates the entire planet, while also taking the power-scaling of the series to absurd new heights. But the real crux of it is Goku transforming into a Super Saiyan after Frieza kills Krillin. Sure, Goku fighting Frieza in this form fulfills the revenge of the Saiyans against the space emperor who killed them all. But, the impact of Super Saiyan on the anime that followed “DBZ” cannot be understated! So many transformations and maybe even entire series would probably not exist, if not for this fight alone!
Is there a game changing anime battle we forgot? Fight for your favorites in the comments!
