Top 10 Most Impactful Anime Fights of All Time
Top 10 Most Impactful Anime Fights of All Time
Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 most impactful anime fights of all time. For this list, we’ll be going over some of the most hard-hitting clashes in anime. Since many of these fights are plot relevant, there will be spoilers. If there’s an anime fight that knocked you off your feet, hit us up down in the comments!
#10: Joe vs. Mac
“Megalo Box 2: Nomad” (2021) The finale of this sequel season sees fallen champion Joe face off against rising star Mac Rosario in a megalonia match with their enhanced gears. The fight itself is strong, with some great hits and near misses. However, it’s more about the culmination of both characters’ respective journeys. Joe has come full circle, donning gear again, while also helping Mac achieve his dream of fighting through his own demons. It seems odd that two characters can help each other by beating the stuffing out of each other, but that’s exactly what they do.
#9: Kogami vs. Makishima
“Psycho-Pass” (2012-) In a dystopian future where everyone’s criminality is determined by mental and emotional scans, enforcer Kogami’s only priority is hunting down the elusive Makishima, whose “Psycho-Pass” somehow doesn’t recognize his criminal acts. During a confrontation atop a tower, Kogami and Makishima duke it out hand-to-hand. There aren’t any flashy powers here, just really solid and grounded choreography, including lots of jabs that really make you wince. It’s not a very long fight, but it’s executed flawlessly and with great stakes, even if Akane did steal the win at the end…
#8: Baki vs. Oliva
“Baki Hanma” (2021-) No one can say Baki’s stint in prison was uneventful; his goal being to be one of the strongest men in the world. Known as Mr. Unchained, Oliva is a huge mass of muscles, to the extent he easily puts the Son of Ogre through his paces. There are plenty of ridiculous highlights here, from Baki jumping into a standing position with his back muscles, to Oliva going full Pac-Man! In the end though, it comes down to the fighters hitting each other as hard as they can! Baki miraculously manages to push Oliva back so far that he punches his way out of prison. The testosterone levels are almost as staggering as the blows!
#7: Gon vs. Hisoka
“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14) Hisoka Morow is the magician that has loomed over Gon Freecs as an insurmountable challenge. The two of them finally face off in Heaven’s Arena, with Gon eager to deliver a punch to repay a debt, while Hisoka is…uhhhh…Hisoka. Though his creep factor does little to betray just how breathtakingly brilliant this battle is. While Gon is primarily toyed with by Hisoka throughout most of the fight, he still gets some good hits in, proving he’s far from the same youngster from the Hunters Exam. Maybe could have won if he hadn’t forgotten Bungee Gum has the properties of both rubber and gum.
#6: Vanitas vs. Noe
“The Case Study of Vanitas” (2021-) These two have a weird friendship. While usually comedically hostile to each other, things turn truly violent when Vanitas refuses to disclose secrets that could save Noe’s dear friend. Since Noe can view Vanitas’ memories by sucking his blood, the desperate vampire goes all out. The theme park aesthetics are a clear standout here, but what really makes it hit hard is the emotional baggage. It’s a brutal slugfest, but it also serves as a moment of understanding between the two, as Noe comes to realize just how deep Vanitas’ despair goes. .
#5: Brawler vs. Master
“Akudama Drive” (2020) Speaking of anime fights at rainy amusement parks. One of several unnamed convicts roped into a deadly caper, Brawler is a beast through and through, seemingly unbeatable, only to meet his match with the equally anonymous Executioner of the dystopian police. By the time they reach their final showdown, both men are already heavily wounded, but with nothing to lose but their lives, the two go all in, their fighting spirit utterly infectious. It’s just a shame they took the series’ best moments along with them!
#4: Everyone vs. Yeagerists
“Attack on Titan” (2013-22) The Rumbling is here, and with it, the divide between former comrades in arms. In a last ditch effort to stop Eren, the original Survey Corp takes on the Yeagerists at a harbor to reach the boat they need. The battle itself is as electric as it is fluid. You’ve got Falco turning into his Titan form, Floch’s desperate gambit to sink the ship, and let’s not forget - Mikasa’s savagery on full display. Cutting a man’s head off, tying his body to someone else, stabbing the other guy through him, then blowing them both up and standing in a blood shower? There’s only so much waifu we can take.
#3: Rengoku vs. Akaza
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” (2019-) To say the Flame Hashira’s battle against the Upper Demon Moon is a real barnburner would be a gross understatement, with Rengoku’s fiery sword work matched against Akaza’s supernaturally powerful martial arts. The attacks are as stunningly rendered as they are hard-hitting. While we share Akaza’s admiration for his opponent’s skill, it’s Rengoku’s unbreakable will that keeps the hype train going. Right until the final ember burns out, this fight is a glorious spectacle.
#2: Thorfinn vs. Askeladd
“Vinland Saga” (2019-) While these two duel each other many times, it’s their last encounter that resonates most. Thorfinn despises Askeladd for having his father killed during a duel so consumed by his vengeance he becomes blind to his own shortcomings. Even without a sword in hand, Askeladd easily beats Thorfinn down. Granted, Thorfinn was recovering from a broken arm, but it’s still brutal to watch, made all the worse when he’s berated for not managing to accomplish his revenge after ten years, despite ample opportunities, essentially accusing him of using his hatred for his father’s killer as a reason to live. That hits harder than any punch.
#1: Takamura vs. Hawk
“Hajime no Ippo” (2000-14) The road to become champion is paved with hardships…and lots of body-breaking punches, as it turns out. Mamoru Takamura and Bryan Hawk are both egotistical fighters with plenty of personality faults who are convinced of their own greatness in the ring. Despite their flaws, their penchant for boxing brought one of the best bouts in the entirety of the anime sports scene. The two get positively vicious, to the extent that by the time the final bell hits, they’re not so much men as they are demons desperate to snuff each other’s lights out!