By fist, blade, or fighting spirit-fueled drill, there’s something enthralling about a good Fight in anime. Oftentimes representing the climax of an arc or storyline, it culminates everything the viewer has invested themselves in, with wills and ideologies on the line along with the characters’ lives. Common sense goes out the window as each new attack tears through the air, sometimes as the swing of a sword and other times as a cataclysmic laser meant to rend the planet in half.

Since the medium was first created, we’ve seen a number of great fights, but these ones in particular are among the best anime fights of all time.

If you’re interested in reading about more anime, check out what we had to say about the best anime villains, anime senpai, and more!

*Warning: Major Spoilers For Multiple Series Ahead*

Asuka Vs. The Mass Production Evangelions (The End of Evangelion)

For all of the guff the End of Evangelion movies get from fans, it’s undeniable that the Battle between EVA Unit 02 pilot Asuka Langley and the Mass Production Evangelions is amazing.

Produced in secret by Seele, the mass production models stand between the survival of Nerve Headquarters and the end of the world, and as the only EVA pilot still standing after the events of the Series, Asuka has no choice but to give it her all in one last push.

Utilizing not only the brute strength and defenses of her EVA unit, but also the weapons of her enemies, Asuka proves definitively that she was meant to be a pilot in a stunning display of technique, strategy, and ferocity… making it all the more heartbreaking when the final blow of the battle is dealt.

It’s a brutal, yet impactful moment that sells the true gravity of the battle for survival happening throughout the original series’ conclusion. Not only that, but it shows that the film can and will turn on the blender with even the most beloved of the series’ characters.

Midoriya Vs. Todoroki (My Hero Academia)

The showdown between Midoriya Izuku and Todoroki Shoto in My Hero Academia shows how great a shonen anime fight can be when enough emotional investment is created.

Built up over the first half of the series’ second season, their fight for their beliefs on what it means to be a hero culminates in a clash of powers, unlike anything the series has brought to the table before. Limbs are shattered, and the arena is decimated as Midoriya launches blast after blast using One For All, while Todoroki creates literal mountains of ice and torrents of flame to counter him.

And yet, what really gives the fight its weight is what each gains from the confrontation. Midoriya is forced to step out of his goody-two-shoes persona to rile Shoto out of his self-imposed restrictions, while Shoto is forced to see that restricting who he is only feeds into the control his father tries to exert over him.

By the end, both have put their ideals of what it means to be a hero to the test, and the world is irrevocably changed by the birth of two new legendary heroes.

Saitama Vs. Boros (One Punch Man)

In a world where nothing has survived more than one punch from the protagonist, it’s only natural for the ultimate villain to be someone capable of surviving such a blow.

Able to regenerate the second Saitama lands his trademark blow, Boros provides a glimpse of the challenge Saitama has longed for throughout the series, taking their fight to new extremes he’s only dreamed of. Brawling to the moon and back, their exchange ends in the birth of a new, more powerful attack from the hero, as well as a renewed hope that life still holds equals for him to face.

This not only provides a payoff to Saitama’s character arc of trying to figure out what lies beyond achieving one’s long-held goal, but also gives anime fans a true spectacle of Sakuga. The contest of might between the two super beings carries weight behind each and every blow, and watching as they zoom across the screen and decimate their battlefield is a treat for the senses.

Ed Vs. Father (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

From the moment the two characters met, Fullmetal Alchemist was always going to end with this fight.

One way or another, Edward Elric was going to clash with Father. Both served as polar opposites to each other, whether it came to their morals or their ambitions, and one’s world could not exist properly while the other lived in it. As such, everyone’s expectations for the fight inevitably went sky-high with each passing episode and were astronomical by the time the moment arrives.

Despite these odds, it still manages to provide a payoff for the series-long build-up and then some. Much of this is thanks to the fact that the series provides the perfect motivation and emotional triggers to make the battle unforgettable. Everyone, including Ed, is fighting Father with all their might to make sure his plan doesn’t succeed and that the world will be saved from his plot. Al even sacrifices himself to give Ed his arm back as a means of ensuring he beats Father handily, resulting in their climactic one-on-one.

At the same time, the animation and Sakuga reach new heights to turn the brawl into a proper spectacle. Every punch from Ed, and every blow landed that rends Father’s supposedly ideal form, makes the fight feel brutal and unmissable.

It’s the fight fans of the series had always hoped for, leaving viewers on the edge of their seat all the way to the decisive final blow.

Alucard Vs. Walter (Hellsing Ultimate)

Alucard and Walter’s confrontation in London is both a shocking twist and a match made in hell for viewers of Hellsing Ultimate.

Given all of the foes Alucard sliced to ribbons over the course of the series and how little of a challenge most provided him, there were few others that could hope to act as his final opponent. Enter Walter, who had been proven to be on par with Alucard both in strength and cunning on several occasions. Their facing off would quite literally be the fight to top all fights, and so Walter’s betrayal of his allies felt both like a tragic twist and an opportunity.

And boy oh boy, does the fight ever deliver. Tinged with hatred and spite, every blow and attack feels like two old friends trying to hurt the other as much as they possibly can. Each slash from a razor wire, and each demonic abomination summoned, only goes to show how evenly matched the two are; or at least, it does until Walter’s power begins to waver and the sad truth emerges for why he did what he did.

Fans of gore, or over-the-top battles and tragic final confrontations didn’t, and still don’t, leave this fight disappointed.

Akira Vs. Ryo (Devilman Crybaby)

Building to a crescendo by the end of the series, the tensions between the two former friends boil over by the last episode as Ryo’s actions result at the end of the world and the death of Akira’s loved ones.

Seeing no other course of action, the two meet for one last world-shattering battle: Akira as the vessel of the devil Amon, and Ryo as the fallen angel Lucifer. When the dust settles, nothing remains except for the remains of two former friends left to watch the end of the world together. 

This is all done in the same striking art style as the rest of the show, presenting a visceral treat for any who see it. There are buckets of blood, world-ending explosions, and physical blows which can make even the most hardened anime fan wince, thanks to how visceral the animation is.

What really sells the conflict, though, are the flashes back to the two opponents when they were younger and still friends. Time and again, we see opportunities for Ryo to have joined Akira on a better path that would have seen them both end up happy. This eventually leads Ryo to realize what he’d lost through his actions, but by that point, the fight is over, and he’s left to deal with the consequences of his actions alone.

Nanashi Vs. Luo-Lang (Sword of the Stranger)

Where other series take their fights to cosmic scales of insanity, Sword of the Stranger captivates with how it makes a realistic and grounded clash of steel feel visceral.

Standing in the ruins of an occult ritual, the only obstacle between the wandering swordsman Nanashi and his friends reaching safety is Luo-Lang, the leader of a band of assassins who have pursued them across Japan. Both master swordsmen in their own right, the action never lets up once it begins, with attacks and counters flying out like machine gun fire.

Bolstering this even more is the fact that there isn’t any exposition or cuts away to a flashback. There is nothing but the battle for viewers to watch intently, taking in each slash or sheen of a blade in all of its marvelous beauty.

It’s a testament to how impressive a properly animated fight can look, and it still stands as one of the best anime fights ever animated, even well over a decade later.

Team Gurren Vs. The Anti-Spiral (Gurren Lagann)

The sky was always the limit with Gurren Lagann, which took its fights higher and higher in scale with each passing arc. By the series’ end, though, they rocketed past the sky and into space, taking on the villainous Anti-Spiral in a mech the size of creation.

If this sounds insane and over the top, that’s because it is. The two hurl galaxies at each other, fire off blasts with the same energy as the Big Bang, and clash with drills that could tear through entire universes with ease.

With animation and fluidity on par with films — and even surpassing most film animation standards once the fight was adapted for the series’ compilation movies — it’s exactly what the final battle of Gurren Lagann should have been, and continues to lend credence to the phrase “ridiculously cool.”

Gon Vs. Pitou (Hunter X Hunter 2011)

Built up over the course of several months during the Chimera Ant storyline, this fight ended up being decidedly one-sided and brutal.

After Pitou kills his former mentor Kite, Gon is hellbent on delivering vengeance against the battle-crazed Chimera Ant, to the point where his sanity is taken to the very edge. The only thing saving him is the hope that Pitou can reverse what they’ve done and revive Kite, and once they tell him it’s impossible, his rage awakens his dormant power, all of which he directs at Pitou again and again and again.

Animated in a stark, rough style compared to the rest of the show, viewers feel each crippling strike Gon lands on Pitou. Gone is the methodical strategizing and back-and-forth of the series’ fights, replaced with vicious and cruel blows made all the more painful to watch thanks to their Sakuga.

It’s equal parts terrifying and hypnotizing, and well worth the build-up to this landmark Shonen anime brawl.

Takamura Vs. Bryan Hawk (Hajime No Ippo: New Challenger)

Don’t let the series’ genre fool you. This boxing anime has fights that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone, especially this nail-biter from the second season.

One of the main characters of the Hajime No Ippo series, Takamura’s world title match, holds high stakes. Not only does he have to prove to his coach that all the effort they’d put into training was worth it, but he has to silence the boisterous and violent villain of a champion, Bryan Hawk, once and for all.

This emotional backstory drives the clash between the two champions. Punches are delivered with crisp animation that makes you feel the impact, and the ways in which characters’ hopes and fury are portrayed lend further weight to each scene.

Constantly teetering back and forth with who has the upper hand, viewers will find themselves fully absorbed in this fight, their breath gone with each down and jumping for joy when the last punch is delivered.

Naruto Vs. Sasuke (Naruto Shippuden)

The final fight between Naruto and Sasuke was always going to have the odds stacked against it. Hyped up for years in openings, story hints, and fan speculation, it was almost impossible for it to live up to fan expectations when it finally aired.

And yet, it surpassed them. Boasting some of the cleanest animation in the series, or even in anime, this battle between two super-powered shinobi was a treat to the eyes and validation to years of fandom. Shadow clones swarmed, Amaterasu scorched the earth, and Rasengan clashed with Chidori until, finally, the fight turned into a bare-knuckle brawl in the mud.

This is blended with exchanges between the two, where they lay their beliefs out plainly for each other, ensuring their ideologies are on the line just as much as their rivalry is. This remains true even when they’re too battered to fight on, and their battle concludes with the two finally speaking honestly with each other.

It’s a truly satisfying end to the bitter rivalry between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, and proof that few, if any, other mediums can present a fight in the same way that anime can.

Gohan Vs. Cell (Dragon Ball Z)

In a series filled to the brim with iconic fights that have shaped the Shonen genre itself, the battle between Gohan and Cell stands as the best.

From the moment Goku surrenders and offers his son the chance to unleash his powers in full, each hit and goad by Cell against Gohan feels like it’s building to a grand climax until, finally, Gohan snaps. Gone is the calm and gentle boy who doesn’t want to hurt anyone or anything, and in his place is an unstoppable force of Super Saiyan rage.

The fight then takes on a much more brutal and one-sided animation style, with every frame dedicated to selling just how much more powerful Gohan truly is than Cell.

Everything about the way the series presents this fight sells its emotional weight too. The direction of the episodes following Gohan’s transformation perfectly sells the dire points he and his friends had to go for him to achieve it. They then, in turn, become dire and desperate again when Cell returns in his “even more Perfect” form, acting as a punishment for Gohan not capitalizing on his advantage when he could have.

It’s a pure, undistilled essence of what makes Dragon Ball Z great, from the rapid-fire exchanges of blows to the final, do-or-die Kame-hame-ha blast launched by father and son.

Ichigo Vs. Aizen (Bleach)

Among the many foes Ichigo Kurosaki faces during his tenure as a Soul Reaper, Sōsuke Aizen is by far the most cunning and the one he has the most emotional investment in defeating.

Staging the creation of the Hollow-infected Vizards, the attempted execution of Ichigo’s friend Rukia and the full-on assault by the Arrancars, he carefully and meticulously takes down any and every obstacle between him and the pursuit of power.

Each and every one of these actions drags Ichigo and those he cares about into the fray. As a result, giving him all the motivation he needs to face down Aizen with everything he has. As such, it’s no surprise that the two’s final confrontation is charged with all of the anger and malice that has built up between the two over the course of the series’ arcs, and with the fate of the world on the line, no less.

And darn it if the animation and art direction doesn’t sell the weight of these two powerhouses clashing. Each sword strike, block, and special ability threatens to tear the world asunder, and by the end, their attacks are so flashily deadly that it’s clear neither will walk away from the encounter unscathed.

It’s arguably the best the series has to offer even given the amazing fights shown in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War; it’s still one of the best anime has had the pleasure of claiming to facilitate.

Spike Spiegel Vs. Vicious (Cowboy Bebop)

The final battle in Cowboy Bebop is not one remembered for its endless action, but for the immense emotion behind it.

Torn apart by a sordid love triangle, Spike and Vicious’ relationship has been frayed beyond repair, and their immense hatred for one another has resulted in more and more brutal encounters between the two. This comes to a head when Julia, the love of both their lives, is killed by Vicious’ men before Spike can get her to safety. Broken, tired, and dead set on vengeance, Spike decides to make a suicidal assault on Vicious’ headquarters, tearing through his henchmen before going for his old friend’s throat.

Clashing with sword and gun in rapid succession, the two’s battle is short, sweet, and decisive, resulting in an ending to the series that is as tragic as it is memorable.

Eren Vs. Reiner (Attack on Titan)

Despite being a gory fantasy Shonen about massive monsters eating people, Attack on Titan delivers one of the most grounded and technically impressive fights in anime via its second season.

After it is revealed Reiner is the Armored Titan in disguise, Eren launches into his titan mode to take the behemoth traitor down. It becomes quickly apparent, however, that the Armored Titan’s size and defenses render his usual attacks useless, forcing him to get creative and tactical with every move he makes.

Utilizing weight distribution, proper arm locks, takedowns, and the environment itself, the fight turns from the usual “punch each other until someone passes out” fare into a truly impressive display of how one would, and should, address a close-quarters battle. The direction and animation of this fight sells this shift as well, with it looking and feeling like a much more horrifying variant of a UFC match.

Even when compared to the more destructive and cinematic fights in the series’ Final Season, this fight still stands out as a must-watch from the series and within the wider genre of anime.

Kiritsugu Vs. Kirei (Fate Zero)

The two wild cards of their Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu and Kirei’s clash, is enough to put those between the many heroes of legend to shame.

The last of the masters left alive after the bloody conflict; each brings their all to the final encounter at the doorstep of the Grail’s birth. Kiritsugu, wielding time manipulation magic, puts his life on the line to place every shot and explosive in the exact right position, while Kirei uses his almost inhuman physical abilities to attempt to crush Kiritsugu into a paste.

This is only enhanced by the chess-like strategic analysis each brings to the fray, making each move and its counter-move feel exact, precise, and maximized in its deadly intent. Ufotable sells this brilliantly through their animation, which is just as incredible as its current shows, even given the technological limitations they had.

It remains a benchmark for the Fate series’ fights and is still a blast to watch, even compared to the stellar fights in other Fate properties.

Jotaro Vs. Dio (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)

A confrontation that was generations in the making, Jotaro’s battle with the stand-equipped vampire Dio is one for the ages.

Armed with world-breaking powers and an even distribution of Deus Ex Machina, both combatants throw chaotic attacks at one another in rapid succession. For every rain of punches delivered by Jotaro’s Star Platinum, Dio’s The World matches it with a barrage of time-altered blows of his own. For every steamroller hurled by Dio with the intent of crushing Jotaro into nothing, Jotaro returns it with the discovery of his own split-second dashes through halted time to survive.

Selling this even better is the series’ distinct art and animation style. While it might not flow and move as smoothly as something like Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen, it’s still entertaining to watch, thanks to its style and absurdity. The overblown proportions of the characters and the way they contort into insane poses as colors flash across the screen makes it just as enjoyable to watch as something with bucketloads of Sakuga.

It’s zany, nonsensical, and more than a little reliant on happenstance, but it’s a blast to watch through to the end all the same.

Mugen & Jin Vs. Kagetoki & Toube (Samurai Champloo)

Though these are technically two different fights, the two are intertwined enough to contribute toward the same perfect conclusion.

Separated by two different factions out to kill the wandering samurai, both are forced to tap into their skills like never before to survive. Mugen must utilize his break-dancing sword style to avoid chains, blades, and projectiles in rapid succession, while Jin must predict and dodge strike after strike from a master swordsman with years of experience over him. Both of these battles are animated beautifully and display a level of Sakuga other shows could only dream of.

By the end, both are battered, bloodied, and bruised but still alive and with enough strength left to try and confront each other for one last bout. It’s a fitting lynchpin for the series’ many battles and still serves to show how a series’ final fight should be done.

Full Armor Gundam Vs. Psycho Zaku (Gundam Thunderbolt)

There are many phenomenal fights in the long and storied history of the Gundam series, but the battle between the Full Armor Gundam and the Psycho Zaku in Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt stands out the most.

Decked out in heaps of experimental tech and weapons, each is at the top of the line for its army’s scientific research and built for the sole purpose of taking down all opposition. In exchange, though, both suits are slow, weighty, and limited in their movement in a way that’s fitting for giant mechanized weaponry.

It shows in the battle between the two as well, with each blast or movement matched by an equally well-placed decision on the opposing side’s part. Both pilots understand failure can mean damaging a vital piece of gear and being forced to operate against a much more deadly foe with far fewer offensive options.

The animation really sells all of this, with both the destructive attacks and the gargantuan movements portrayed in a way that makes the battle feel like two titanium titans clashing in the void of space.

What clinches this battle’s greatness, though, is the story that establishes how neither pilot is the supposed hero. Both have people they need to return home to and reasons to survive. With each landed blow, it feels less like an exciting battle between state-of-the-art mechs and more like a clash between two humans who are only fighting to live.

Shinichi Vs. Gotou (Parasyte the Maxim)