Top 20 Greatest Arcs in Anime

Top 20 Greatest Arcs in Anime

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Top 10 Greatest Arcs in Anime

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Greatest Arcs in Anime. For this list, we’re looking over the storylines in anime that shone the brightest in terms of their narratives, characterisation, or just for how damn enjoyable they were. Be on the lookout for spoilers, since we’ll be talking about each of these series at their peak! Did we skip an arc you adore? Let us know in the comments!

“Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai” (2020-22) Admittedly, this fantasy-fest of a series had its highs and lows while telling the tale of the little hero Dai and his quest to defeat the Dark King’s armies. But when it hit, it hit hard. And nowhere is a better example than the confrontation with Baran – a fellow Dragon Knight who always happens to be Dai’s father. This arc doesn’t only raise the emotional stakes but delivers probably the best battles of the whole show, and undoubtedly its greatest villain to boot!

#19: The Guild Arc

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“Bungo Stray Dogs” (2016-) Apparently three times is the charm. The introduction of the Armed Detective Agency and Port Mafia was certainly enough to get fans invested in this world of literary characters with thematic abilities, but it was the arrival of this third faction that launched them all to greatness. Having fierce foes forced to team up against the likes of Francis F and his cohorts was awesome - plain and simple. It’s not everyday you see a weretiger team up with a literal edgelord to fight the Great Gatsby atop a flying Moby Dick after all!

“Kinnikuman” (1983-92) Wrestling fanatics, eat your heart out, since this tournament packs everything plus the kitchen sink into its spree of royal rumbles, one that sees many of the mainline cast meet a bloody end, all the while Kinnikuman and his masked duplicate team up for the ultimate tag team against the likes of the very best of cheesy 80’s anime villains via the likes of the Stray Devil Combo and Hells Missionaries. WWE got nothing on this, just saying.

“Inuyasha” (2000-10) Imagine that - the only arc where Naraku is featured as a background character, and it’s honestly amazing. In the half-dog demon’s most shounen outing to date, he’s forced to battle seven resurrected warriors famed for their bloodlust, leading to a slew of struggles that pushes him to his limits. While it might seem like just a repeat of Inuyasha battling it out in order to snag another jewel shard, the fights and foes included are some of the series’ best – something very much needed when it was practically drowning in filler!

#16: Entertainment District Arc

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“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” (2019-) A condensed yet thrilling slew of immaculate battles, as well as the biggest Ufotable animation flex to date, Tanjiro’s clash with Gyutaro had so much hype weaved into it that we could barely take a breath before something equally epic exploded onto the scene. The fights are without a doubt stunning to behold – from Usui strutting his stuff, Tanjiro’s breathless swordsmanship, all the way to Nezuko entering her alpha phase, there truly was no shortage of entertainment to be had here. Just not the geisha kind.

“My Hero Academia” (2016-) What was supposed to be a simple counterattack turned out to be the biggest and bloodiest bout between masked heroes and villains in the series to date! While watching Mirko go all out with her killer thighs was a treat, the real draw here was how both Deku and Shigaraki truly came into their own as mortal enemies – and all the trauma that came with it. Honestly, this arc felt like it wouldn’t stop! From Shigaraki disintegrating a city, Deku continuously gaining more Quirks, to the reveal of Dabi being Endeavour’s thought-dead son, come the end of the conflict everyone was exhausted – us included.

#14: Elf Reincarnation Arc

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“Black Clover” (2017-21) Even naysayers who had still been doubting this anime as a legit shounen powerhouse were quickly swayed when they got a gander at how hard this arc went! Having revived themselves inside of the various Clover Kingdom mages, it fell to Asta and company to bring back their friends from the brink – engaging in epic battles all the while. Usually something like Mereoleona’s debut or that Asta/Yuno combo fight against Licht would have been enough to earn it high praise, but then they went and added in one of the best modern one-off anime villains for a secret boss, in the form of the Word Devil! This whole arc was high octane from start to finish!

“Fairy Tail” (2009-19) Turns out all Natsu and the rest needed to give their anime a shot of a magical adrenaline was a seven-year time gap and one big-ass tournament arc! While it certainly introduced a flood of new characters, to the extent it can almost seem overwhelming at times, mercifully those introduced turned out to be some of the best side characters the series ever produced! Plus the four-way battle between Dragon Slayers, not to mention Erza’s solo run against a hundred monsters, made for great spectacles and worth the price of admission alone!

#12: Dio’s World

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“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders” (2014-15) Okay, okay, it’s only a few episodes long but for gods sake how could we not include Dio freakin’ Brando! After so much searching, so many battles against Stand users, Jotaro and company finally find themselves taking on the Joestar Family’s greatest foe. Unfortunately for them, not only is Dio a vampire, but he possesses arguably the most powerful Stand. This all culminates in a brutal brawl as Jotaro struggles to finish what his ancestor started so many decades ago, a task made infinitely more difficult when faced with the time-stopping power of ZA WARUDO!

“Gintama” (2006-18) While this exceptionally extensive franchise has managed to fine tune the art of parody and satire to a tee, it’s worth noting that when Gintoki and the others want to, they end up creating some of the most brutal and exhilarating fight scenes in all of anime. Which is pretty much the reason why this arc manages to stand above its many others. With the Shogun’s life on the line, Gin finally settles the score with his bloodthirsty former comrade Takasugi. Needless to say, they nearly tear each other to pieces in the process, and we couldn’t be happier.

#10: Battle City

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“Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters” (2000-04) Goes to show that with the right amount of tension, pacing and crazy characters even a children’s card game can be epic! With the arrival of the villainous Marik, his Rare Hunters and the insanely awesome Egyptian God Cards, the series takes everything great about the duelist kingdom arc and took it to new heights. With a shadow game around every turn, plenty of unfortunate duellists losing their souls, the much-anticipated rematch between Yugi and Kaiba, as well as an intriguing antagonist, this was Duel Monsters at its finest.

“Rurouni Kenshin” (1996-98) Two words; Makoto Shishio. The perfect foil to the remorseful Kenshin, the second Man Slayer was just what the series needed. Over time we were introduced to the pair’s differing ideologies on killing, love and life itself, all leading up to their destined fight, and boy oh boy does it not disappoint. Not only are the action scenes something to boast about, especially for a classic series, but the conclusion only solidifies why these two are icons. Now if only we could forget about season three.

#8: Dark Tournament Saga

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“Yu Yu Hakusho” (1992-94) Who doesn’t love a tournament arc? While various anime have managed to produce some stellar battles in this format, it’s fair to say that they’re all just chasing the shadow left behind by this demonic slugfest. As the death matches escalate, our favourite Spirit Detective and his allies find themselves engaging in everything from a good ol’ round of fisticuffs on a knife’s edge, all the way to a final bout with the near invulnerable Toguro. The boys all get a chance to shine here, with Hiei showing off the power of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, Yusuke unlocking his true potential, even Kuwabara gets his own macho speech!

“Naruto Shippuden” (2007-17) Fuelled by vengeance, motivated by the desire to erase suffering, the knuckle-headed ninja and the leader of the Akatsuki were similar in more ways than they would have liked to admit. After decimating the Hidden Leaf Village, Pain and his Six Paths take on Naruto in a battle to decide the fate of the ninja world. Not only is the fight as explosive as you would have expected, but it manages to make great use of the emotional tension left over from Jiraya’s death. This was a clear example of this series at its best.

“Attack on Titan” (2013-) Up until this point, Eren’s war against the giant creatures that destroyed his life had been nothing but a bloodbath layered with an ever-growing mystery as to the true state of the world surrounding them, and his place in it. But this – THIS was the arc that not only gave us some of the most gratifying action and devastating character deaths in recent memory, but also flipped everyone’s perceptions on their head as they finally learned the truth beyond their shores. Bringing down the Colossal Titan, Levi vs the Beast Titan, the introduction of Marley, the explosion of lore – it cannot be understated how intrinsic yet monumental this narrative thread truly was.

#5: The Golden Age Arc

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“Berserk” (1997-98) Prepare for dark fantasy at its peak, with this flashback to Guts’ time with the Band of the Hawk chronicling their rise to glory, their fleeting moments of happiness, as well as their crushing end. Gut’s bouts against a hundred soldiers as well as his near-death encounter with Zodd are still exquisite, but the real brilliance of this arc lies in the overlapping relations between our main trio. Just as you’re riding the high of seeing Guts and Casca find true love together, you’ve got the events of the Eclipse and Griffith’s ungodly betrayal. Prepare to suffer and love every minute of it.

“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14) While you could easily say that everything that happened with the Phantom Troupe was more eventful, what made this arc so gratifying was its meditation on character. Not just for Gon, but regarding the series’ ultimate villain Meruem. As dark reflections of one another, this arc chronicled how the young Hunter and the King of the Ants came face to face with the cruelty of the world as well as where they stand as individuals. The short answer being as immeasurable engines of destruction. While the action may be limited, the fact the series contains the awesomeness that is Meruem vs. Netero and Gon vs. Pitou more than makes up for it.

#3: Soul Society Arc

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“Bleach” (2004-12) You have to give it to Bleach, it certainly went out of its way with its first major story arc and presented us with the perfect introduction to the militarized life that was Soul Society. As he desperately tries to save his friend Rukia from execution, Ichigo finds himself branding his blade against the combined might of the Gotei 13. From Ichigo’s fights with Kenpachi and Byakuya, all the way to the surprising reveal at the end, the fact there are too many awesome moments in this arc to count solidifies the “Soul Society” as one of anime’s best arcs.

“One Piece” (1999-) Just when you thought things couldn’t get any bigger or better than Marineford, along comes the Straw Hats’ war against the likes of Kaido in order to free the country of Wano from its bloody grip. Everything got an unbelievable jump in quality here – animation and fight sequences included! You’d think between Zoro and Sanji’s epic battles against King and Queen, the seemingly never-ending climactic showdown between Luffy and Kaido, as well as new best girl Yamato would be enough. But no! This arc also gave us Oden! You’re spoiling us here Oda! Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions! Magnostadt “Magi” series (2012-16) Winter Cup “Kuroko’s Basketball” (2012-15) Farm Arc “Vinland Saga” (2019-)

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96) The events on Planet Namek are what made this series the juggernaut that it is, primarily due to the actions of a certain tyrannical alien overlord. Where do we start? The Namekian massacre, the battle against the Ginyu Force, Vegeta’s lament, Goku turning into a Super Saiyan, some of the greatest moments in Dragon Ball are full on display here. Of course, we can’t dismiss the sheer magnetism of Frieza’s villainous charm. Who can forget about his marathon long battle with Goku on a dying planet or his untimely demise at his own hand? No matter the highs and lows that came after, to many this will always stand as the pinnacle.