Top 20 Anime Fights Of The Century (So Far)
#20: Ryuko vs. Satsuki
“Kill la Kill” (2013-14) Way before these sisters were battling it out against their mother, they were trying to hack each other to pieces. Both armed with their respective Kamui, Ryuko and Satsuki ditch their embarrassment and break out their blades for a showdown that could only come from the minds of Trigger, each ripping up the Academy as their Life Fibre synchronisation continues to expand. Combine it with its booming soundtrack, and this mini-calamity is a delight to watch, especially as Ryuko comes into her groove and holds her own against Satsuki.
#19: Inuyasha vs. Sesshomaru
“Inuyasha” (2000-10) Two demon brothers, both seeking power, both thrown into conflict by the choices of their departed father. While maintaining a bitter relationship throughout the majority of the series, these two siblings were finally able to settle things once and for all as to who truly was top dog. Crossing swords within the underworld, not only do we see the pair of them both use versions of Tetsusaiga, but a whole array of iconic moves that harken back to the series’ retro predecessor, only now with a modern polish. These two may never see eye to eye, but this fight certainly took the first step.
#18: Everyone vs. Father
Top 30 Anime Fights Of The Century (So Far)
“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (2009-10) He went from dwarf in the flash all the way to the being that swallowed the embodiment of God, with all the perks that come with it. While his newfound immortality was instantly nerfed by the Elric boys, the Father of the Homonculus was still very much a threat, one capable of being able to hold his own against all of Central and pretty much every one of Ed’s allies. It took the sacrifices of both Alphonse and Greed to give Ed the chance he needed to go all out and smash apart Father’s physical body, before cracking his Philosopher’s Stone and sending the sinful blob back into the jaws of the Gate of Truth.
#17: Eren vs. Reiner
Anime Duel: Guts vs Eren Yeager
“Attack on Titan” (2013-) How fitting that the greatest of betrayals would be followed by the greatest of heavy-weight fights! After suffering a breakdown and revealing himself and Berthodt to be the dreaded Armored and Colossal Titans, the Survey Corp falls into chaos, with the transformed duo making a dash to secure Eren. From there, all bets are off, as Eren goes full-on berserker, shifting into his Rogue Titan form with every intention of breaking apart the man he once considered an older brother. Every swing, every grapple, all of it has such a sense of scale, pulsating with the sombre knowledge that humanity’s last hope has become even further divided.
#16: Escanor vs. Estarossa
“The Seven Deadly Sins” (2014-) Just in case the Lion Sin of Pride’s introduction left you in any doubts that Escanor is the VIP of the fantasy anime scene, then this battle against the Ten Commandments all but cements it. Despite Estarossa being able to heal himself with Darkness, immobilise anyone who feels any kind of hated towards him, and is capable of reflecting any physical attack against his foe back with twice the force, he STILL falls under the magnificence of the Escanor’s unshakeable belief in himself, and as such gets a miniature sun right to the face!
#15: Kamogawa vs. Anderson
“Hajime no Ippo” (2000-14) Ippo and Takamura may have their shining moments as boxers, but even their triumphs pale when compared to the unrelenting brutality of their mentor, who in his youth was forced to battle it out in the ring with a prejudiced American soldier, who had every intention of adding a little fatality to his victory. In response, Kamogawa trained his fists to the point of permanent damage, but in doing so allowed him to deliver punches of such magnitude that he didn’t so much break Anderson’s body as he did shattered his spirit with only two blows. It’s so visceral that it’s almost beautiful.
#14: Tanjiro vs. Rui
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” (2019) Sneaking in at the last second to remind us why UFOtable are the animation gods, we’ve got Tanjiro’s mind-melting second wind against the spider demon dead-set on cutting him to ribbons and stealing Nezuko for himself. With his blade broken and his Water Breathing proving useless against the might of the Twelve Kizuki’s Lower Five, it looks like it's curtains for Tanjiro…at least until he’s reminded of the parting words of his father, allowing him to dig deep and unleash the Hinokami, paving the way for a new fiery dance that was so blinding to behold it’s no wonder it caused the mangaka to cry tears of joy!
#13: Kiritsugu vs. Kotomine
“Fate/Zero” (2011-12) One is a hired gun who will kill anyone if it means becoming a champion of justice and freeing the world from conflict. The other is a lethal executioner who will kill everyone just for the chance of finding a new purpose in life. Put them in a room together and what do you get? A battle of such intensity that it puts all Servants and their Noble Phantasms to shame. Between Kiritsugu’s accelerated reaction time and gunplay trading blows against Kotomine’s infinite supply of blades and inhuman reflexes, it’s a miracle either one of them walked away from this alive.
#12: Asta & Yuno vs. Licht
“Black Clover” (2017-) In spite of all the magic knights, elves and devils, there’s only one aerial assault that continues to hover above the rest as one of the greatest magical battles of the series, if not the genre! And wouldn’t you know it, it features both Asta and Yuno working in tandem. As the body of the half-awakened Licht goes on the attack, it falls to the Clover Kingdom’s most iconic rivals to push him back, Yuno with his Spirit Dive and mastery of mana, along with Asta in his Black Form and unshakeable determination. It’s fast, it’s furious, and just another reason why this series stands tall as one of shouen’s best.
#11: Gintoki vs. Takasugi
“Gintama” (2006-18) When Odd Jobs Gin fall out with one another, it’s hilarious. When the former students of Yoshida Shouyou fall out, it’s a literal bloodbath. With the life of the Shogun hanging in the balance, the White Demon and the Black Beast let their inner savages out the bag and proceed to nearly tear each other apart with their signature weapons. You haven’t seen punishment until you watch Gintoki take a broken blade to the shoulder while simultaneously slashing with enough force to turn to break Takasugi’s entire torso with just a wooden sword.
#10: Atsushi & Akutagawa vs. Francis
“Bungo Stray Dogs” (2016-19) Nothing brings hated foes together quite like the threat of a crazy capitalist with superpowers. While the were-tiger and the vessel of Rashomon would love nothing more than to rip each other a new asshole, Francis F and his plan to flatten their city forced the ultimate act of cooperation, leading them to combine their abilities and let loose to one hell of a tag-team against the leader of the Guild aboard the flying whale fortress that is the Moby Dick. Turns out that all the money in the world has got nothing on a defiant orphan with one hell of a fluffy bunch.
#9: Luffy vs. Katakuri
Ranking All Of Luffy's Major Fights in One Piece
“One Piece” (1999-) It’s the Straw Hat Captain’s most arduous battle to date, one that pitted him against Big Mom’s strongest son. A pirate of such infamy and power that not only could he use Haki to see into the future, but whose Devil Fruit was essentially a more versatile and capable version of Luffy’s. Of course, there’s only so much super-powered mochi can do compared to the bite of a snake! After accessing a new form of Gear Fourth, Luffy and his King Cobra were able to finally ensnare Dogtooth in the jaws of death, but holy crap if he didn’t have to work for it!
#8: Ichigo vs. Ulquiorra
Every Bleach Ichigo Fight RANKED
“Bleach” (2004-12) Sometimes to kill a monster, you’ve got to become one yourself. In spite of his victory over Grimmjow, Ichigo is woefully unprepared for the likes of the fourth Espada, and that’s even before he accesses his Resurrección. You’d think after getting beaten within a blink as well as a gaping hole blasted into his chest, that would be the end of the strawberry. At least until Orihime’s desperate cries and his own inner Hollow bring him back, now taking on a much more fearsome guise, with little room for anything other than destruction. It’s a comeback that’s so devastating that you almost feel sorry for the bat man as he gets wrecked.
#7: All Might vs. All For One
Top 10 Anime Fights of 2022
“My Hero Academia” (2016-) Ever wondered what it would look like if the OG’s of the silver age of heroes and villains clashed? Might look something like this. Stepping out of the shadows, the mastermind behind the League of Villains risked it all in a re-match with the Symbol of Peace, pitting the dying embers of One for All against an accumulated arsenal of stolen Quirks. Pulse-pounding and inspirational, watching All Might push himself beyond his limits and nail his nemesis with the United States of Smash remains the pinnacle of this superhero slugfest of a show.
#6: Dai-Gurren vs. Anti-Spiral
Top 10 Miraculous Anime Victories
“Gurren Lagann” (2007) It’s a mecha battle of cosmic proportions, one that saw the will of humanity along with their gargantuan sized robot battling an extinction event given form. With Nia in tow, it fell to Simon and the rest of his band of crazy rebels to prevent the Anti-Spiral’s single-minded goal of wiping out all life in order to halt the Spiral Nemesis, which naturally led to a tussle of epic proportions, in which entire galaxies are used as arenas, and the dreams of all living things rest on the use of a giant drill. It is utter madness and we love it!
#5: Jotaro Kujo vs. DIO
“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders” (2014-15) It took three generations of JoJo, a shit tone of Stands, and Jotaro’s unbridled badassery, but finally, the vampiric nemesis of the Joestar bloodline was defeated, in the most explosive way possible. While Dio’s immortal body, enhanced form, and time-stopping power of the World ensured that Jotaro had to go through a whole lot of crap, he and Star Platinum still emerged the victor, all thanks to a combination of some last second time manipulation, as well as a punch that encompassed a whole family’s worth of pissed off! How’s that for muda?
#4: Netero vs. Meruem
“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14) We won’t deny Gon punching Pitou’s face in didn’t make for a series highlight, but there’s just something otherworldly about the King of the Chimera Ants taking on a veteran hunter with one of the most staggering Nen abilities we’ve ever seen. Desperate to discover his true name, Meruem, takes on the full might of Netero and his ninety-nine hands of pain. As flashy as it is frantic, just when you’ve recovered from the sight of seeing the Zero Hand unleashed, along comes the reveal of the Poor Man’s Rose to cap off a clash between two giants of their species.
#3: Saitama vs. Boros
Anime Duel: Goku Vs Saitama
“One-Punch Man” (2015-19) There are few things that encapsulate anime hype quite like watching the world’s strongest hero tussle it out with a galactic tyrant who actually makes him put in just a tad bit of effort. Exchanging blows all over a spaceship, melting everything they come into contact with, kicking Saitama into the moon, nearly eradicating the planet in a single blast – Boros was truly a cut above the rest. Of course, like everything else in life, not even his unrestricted form could measure up against Saitama’s fist, though in this instance he certainly upped his game, courtesy of the Serious Punch!
#2: Naruto & Sasuke vs. Momoshiki
Top 10 Naruto and Sasuke Team-Up Fights
“Boruto: Naruto Next Generations” (2017-) Just goes to show that things do indeed get better with age, and that apparently applies to ninja as well, since years after apparently letting their children take the spotlight, shinobi frenemies Naruto and Sasuke left jaws agape as they teamed up to take down the jutsu demi-god that is Momoshiki, with spectacular results. With fluid combat, dynamic team-work, as well as a mind-boggling demonstration of just how OP these two have become since they put their teenage years behind them, this onslaught of animation might just be the singular reason for you to watch Boruto!
#1: Goku vs. Jiren
Top 10 Kid Goku Fights
“Dragon Ball Super” (2015-18) Harkening back to the glory days of DBZ while simultaneously bringing its iconic battles into the current era, there’s a reason why the finale of the Tournament of Power literally broke the internet. It has everything. A killer soundtrack, Goku once again obtaining a new form that puts all others to shame via Ultra Instinct, a blistering fight that doesn’t let up for even a moment. All before concluding with the unexpected yet oddly welcome sight of Goku and Frieza teaming up to best the strongest fighter Universe 11 has to offer.
