Top 10 Father vs. Son Anime Battles (ft. Todd Haberkorn)
For this list, we'll be looking at the times where fathers and sons in anime faced off. Doesn't matter if it's a friendly spar or a battle to the death, as long as it's blood vs blood – it counts. Get ready for paternal spoilers down the line, as well as the makings of some rather awkward Thanksgivings dinners.
#10: Rock Lee vs. Metal Lee
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“Boruto: Naruto Next Generations” (2017-) It’s written in the very fabric of reality that each new generation of ninja must come complete with at least one taijutsu enthusiast with a bowl-cut hairstyle. In this case, we have Metal. As it happens…he’s got a pretty bad case of anxiety disorder. However, thanks to the encouragement of both Lee and Guy, the mini-Bruce Lee find a way to push on through his crippling fear – and in doing so showed off just how much of a hand-to-hand prodigy he really was with a masterful display that even managed to make Lee work up a sweat. Check out Metal with the moves!
#9: Joichiro vs. Soma
“Food Wars” (2015-18) Ah yes, the one battle that everyone can benefit from – a culinary showdown! Following a surprise visit from his old man, Soma decides now would be a great time to challenge him yet again to see which of the Yukihira boys was the true MVP of the kitchen. While putting up a valiant effort in the form of a delicious looking dish, Soma’s cooking doesn’t have a patch on his father’s, which in turn manages to induce a foodgasm to everyone who tasted it. Must…resist…urge…to…lick…screen!
#8: King Muscle vs. Kid Muscle
“Ultimate Muscle” (2002-06) This wrestling match may be based around passing the torch from father to son through the most violent means imaginable, and it did have a rather sweet conclusion….but let’s be honest here people, that’s not what you remember this fight for. You remember it for both fighters bending over backwards and engaging in a fart war. As the battle intensifies, so does the gas immitted from their behinds, complete with such timeless techniques as the Gas Guzzler and the Filthy Finch. Aaah, smells like victory.
#7: Gozaburo vs. Kaiba
“Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters” (2000-04) For those of you that wanted to see Kaiba take his revenge on his manipulative foster-father, here is the battle you’ve been waiting for…in the form of a children’s card game, because what else was it going to be. Gozaburo can only blame himself for losing this one. Don’t get us wrong, watching Exodia Necross kick some Blue Eyes White Dragon ass made for a pretty cool spectacle, but why would you dismiss the only set of cards that allow you to automatically win the game? No wonder you got owned and left stuck in cyberspace.
#6: Ryuken vs. Uryu
“Bleach” (2004-12) With the threat of the Espada looming, Uryu decides now would be a really good time to get his Quincy powers back, but to do so he’s got to ask daddy dearest for help. Given how Ryuken Ishida isn’t exactly the most sensitive of individuals, not only does he make his son vow to never interact with Shinigami ever again, but reveals that the only way for a Quincy to get their mojo back is get themselves nailed with an arrow to the chest…after he nailed Uryu with an arrow to the chest. Jeez, if this is how he treats his only son I’d hate to see what he does to his patients.
#5: Silver vs. Gray
“Fairy Tail” (2009-) Just when you thought a demon apocalypse was the biggest problem this shirtless wonder had to deal with, he ends up coming face to face with his absentee father, who now appears to be throwing his lot in with Nine Demon Gates. That is until he reveals himself to actually be Gray’s eternal nemesis Deliora in disguise. Enraged, Gray pretty much goes on the warpath, almost crushing his foe with his ice magic…until Silver reveals he’s NOT Deliora, but rather a reanimated corpse forced to work for the demons. Fellas, I’m all for epic magical showdowns but can you please pick a back-story and stick to it!
#4: Rasa vs. Gaara
“Naruto: Shippuden” (2007-17) The Fourth Kazekage will most certainly not be winning any parent of the year awards anytime soon. After all, he sealed a giant monster inside of his own son, only to then try to assassinate him. It’s honestly a miracle that Gaara grew up to be a pretty swell guy, with the two finally getting their bitter reunion when Rasa was brought back from the dead to be used as a pawn in the Fourth Great Ninja War. While sand vs gold dust scuffle was pretty awesome to behold, the real meat of this fight was seeing Rasa face up to his sins after realising how much of a jerkface he had been.
#3: Judge vs. Sanji
“One Piece” (1999-) I think I speak for everyone when I say Judge deserves to have his overgrown neck wrung for what he did to our boy Sanji when he was a kid. Abused, imprisoned, disowned, the Straw Hat’s resident chef had a multitude of reasons to want to kick his old man to the curb, only to find himself given ample opportunity when the Vinsmoke Family came a’calling. While we have no doubt that Sanji could probably have melted Judge’s face off with his fiery footwork, the old bastard still managed to win the day when he had his own servants jump in to act as living shields. Is It too late to feed his soul to Big Mom?
#2: Umibozu vs. Kamui
“Gintama” (2006-) Family disputes are always ugly affairs, especially if the son in question is a murderous lunatic whose single goal in life is besting his father in battle to the death. This is made infinitely worse when the two in question are part of the Yato clan – and as such are imbued with ungodly strength. Put all that together and what do you get? A punch up equivalent to an earthquake. Despite trying to quell the bloodlust that has overtaken his son, all Umibozu can do is keep on hitting back while Kamui becomes more and more beast-like with every exchange. We’d rather take our chances with the invading Amanto forces than get in the middle of that!
#1: Goku vs. Gohan
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“Dragon Ball Super” (2015-18) Look, we all love Gohan, but ever since he became a responsible adult and started a family, he’s kind of lost a lot of his badass points. However, with the Tournament of Power just around the corner, he’s forced to kick it into high gear in order to defend his universe from destruction. Wanting to test his mettle against his Super Saiyan Pops, Gohan and Goku end up throwing down in an impressive sky battle. Despite getting wrecked as soon as Goku unleashes Super Saiyan Blue, at least Gohan showed that deep down he’s still that awesome character that wiped out Cell.
