Summary
Shonenanimeis characterized by action and adventure, thrills and excitement. As such, the best fights in shonen anime are often the sequences that fans remember the most, and the most fondly as well. They are the ones that stand out the most from shows full of fight scene after fight scene, for a variety of reasons.
Most often, these fights are the ones that take the characteristic action of their show to its greatest extreme, giving fans the absolute most of what they’re there for.
Other times, they are major character moments for the combatants involved, with both winners and losers capable of great change as a result of the fight. And in particularly special times, it introduces something entirely new to the show as a whole.
Chainsaw Man
Cast
Chainsaw Man follows Denji, a young man burdened by debt, who teams up with his pet devil Pochita to fight devils under the yakuza’s control. Released in 2022, the series portrays Denji’s struggle to achieve his dream of living a simple, peaceful life.
Chainsaw Manis considered by many to be one of the best new shonen anime in years, and a major reason for that is its horror elements and blood-soaked battles. Denji is a murdered yakuza Devil Hunter saved by his pet Devil, Pochita, resurrecting him and turning himself into Denji’s new heart. Now, conscripted into the Public Safety Bureau,he takes delight in slaughtering stronger and stronger Devils for a living.
Of all the Devils Denji faces, Katana Man is one who’s out for Denji’s blood specifically. But his revenge fantasies crumple in the face ofChainsaw Man’s actual power: not only does the chainsaw beat katana in terms of brute force, but Denji can outwit his opponent easily. The only thing more satisfying than seeing Denji hand Katana his rear end on a platter is hearing him gleefully mock him for it the entire time.
Demon Slayeris home to many of the best fights in modern shonen, and the finale of the Mugen Train arc is no exception. Tanjirou Kamado and his demon-slaying companions have successfully defeated Enmu, whose power over dreams took over the train, and saved the lives of all the passengers. But surprise:an even stronger demon, Akaza, shows up to cancel out their happy ending by challenging Rengoku.
Rengoku and Akaza’s fight is as much a clash of ideologies as it is of strength. Akaza expresses respect for Rengoku as a warrior by trying to convince him to become a demon, gaining immortality and even more power; Rengoku refuses, determined to show Akaza humanity’s resilience and worth. Of course, it’s also a showstopping display of each of their powers: fully unleashed, Rengoku’s Flame Breathing is explosive and thrilling to watch.
Hunter x Hunter
In Hunter x Hunter, young Gon Freecss discovers his long-lost father is a legendary Hunter, an elite class of adventurer with the license to go anywhere or do almost anything. Determined to find him, Gon sets out to pass the Hunter Examination, a life-threatening challenge that draws hundreds of hopefuls seeking fortune, fame, and adventure. Along the way, Gon becomes friends with other candidates, including the vengeful Kurapika, the ambitious Leorio, and the enigmatic Killua. Together, they face a world filled with bizarre creatures, sinister criminals, and unpredictable adventures.
The heroes ofHunter x Hunterare all powerful up-and-comers, and all have fights where they absolutely shine: Gon versus Hisoka, Killua versus Rammot, Kurapika versus Uvogin, Leorio’s fist versus Ging’s jaw, the list goes on. But the most stunning fight sequence in the show isn’t any of theirs: the honor goes to side characterChairman Netero, who is the one to fight the main villain of the Chimera Ant Arc, Meruem.
Meruem is one of thescariest characters inHunter x Hunterfor his ridiculous strength and his cold disregard for life, but he somehow gets even creepier when he gains respect for humans. In response to Meruem’s declaration that he will rule over humans as a dictator instead of slaughtering them all, Netero busts out techniques honed to perfection over decades of training. Though Meruem survives Netero’s self-sacrificing last resort, the Miniature Rose — a nation-leveling bomb — gets him later via radiation poisoning.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen follows Yuji Itadori, a high school student with extraordinary strength, who becomes intertwined with curses after ingesting a cursed object. Under the guidance of sorcerer Satoru Gojo, Yuji joins Tokyo Jujutsu High School to combat malevolent forces and navigate his new, perilous existence.
Jujutsu Kaisenhad exciting fights all throughout season 1, but season 2 and the Shibuya Incident Arc are different beasts entirely. With the entirety of the Shibuya ward of Tokyo held hostage by Kenjaku and his most vicious cursed spirits,Japan’s jujutsu sorcerers must pull out all the stops to protect its people.One of those cursed spirits is Mahito, who went out of his way to make Yuuji furiously hate him immediately upon meeting him.
This turns out to have been a very bad move on Mahito’s part. As powerful as he is, not only has Yuji gotten stronger, but the trauma of Sukuna using his body has him resolved to kill curses with a machine’s determination. With Todo’s help, Yuji lays waste to Mahito, enough to make him flee in utter terror, with his coldness and brutality perfectly represented by a visual of white wolves chasing a rabbit through the snow.
Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho 100 follows Shigeo Kageyama, a young boy struggling with self-expression while possessing formidable psychic abilities. As he strives for normalcy by suppressing his powers, he faces challenges from false psychics, malevolent spirits, and enigmatic entities, bringing his emotional and psychic thresholds to critical levels.
Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama is one of themost powerful psychics in anime, astonishing everyone he shows his off-the-charts abilities to. But if one were to askMob, he would say that his psychic powers are the least interesting thing about him,and he’s just concerned with being a normal, decent person. Meanwhile, Keiji Mogami uses his powers 100% selfishly, and particularly likes tormenting those he believes deserve it.
As an evil spirit, he’s strong enough to trap Mob for six months in a torture realm to break him into a heartless killer like himself. Just barely saved from being corrupted, Mob unlocks 100% Courage for the first time to free himself from Mogami and reassert his own optimistic worldview. However, this fight is notable not just for Mob’s victory: it marks the increase in difficulty he’ll face against his psychic abilities.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese multimedia franchise created by Hirohiko Araki. It follows the adventures of the Joestar family, spanning generations, each with unique abilities and battling supernatural enemies. Known for its eccentric characters, distinctive art style, and creative battles, it includes manga, anime, games, and merchandise.
With a huge variety of powers, from Hamon to ancient vampirism to some of thescariest Stands inJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure,this long-running anime is packed full of creative fights. However, its most famous is inarguablythe final battle in the absolute gauntlet that isStardust Crusaders.Even fans who know nothing about this ending are very likely to be familiar with it from the memes alone.
This four-episode fight is a team battle against the Joestar family’s greatest enemy. Though Dio makes short work of Kakyoin and Joseph, their teamwork uncovers vital clues to the workings of Dio’s game-breaking Stand, The World. When Jotaro is left to take on Dio largely on his own, he must rely on quick thinking, intuition, and a little more help from a friend before he can fully unleash Star Platinum’s power to destroy Dio for good.
One Piece
The One Piece anime began in 1999 and follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with rubber-like abilities, as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary treasure “One Piece.” Inspired by the pirate Shanks, Luffy aims to become the King of the Pirates, accompanied by a diverse crew.
Manga readers waited patiently for over a year to see Monkey D. Luffy’s final form adapted into the anime. When the aptly named “Luffy’s Peak - Attained! Gear 5” finally aired, anime-only fans were abruptly plunged into a world of wild creativity in the back half of Luffy’s fight with the draconian Beast Pirate Kaido. Certainly it’s nothing that Kaido, being abruptly dragged back into the fray by long noodle arms, could ever have expected.
Gear 5 is one of thebest super modes in anime, and as Luffy proudly declares, it is the pinnacle of his Devil Fruit abilities. It gives him ultimate power not just over his own rubbery, super-flexible body, but the entire world around him as well. He turns the battlefield into a stretching, pulsating epitome of cartoon madness, and though Kaido is the strongest opponent he’s faced up until now, unlocking Gear 5 made it a piece of cake.
Fullmetal Alchemist
WhileFullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodfaithfully adapts the increasingly bombastic fights of the manga, the original 2003 anime was free to make bold choices of its own as it neared its final third with no more manga to adapt at the time. Tricked into believing that Greed has killed Dante and kidnapped Al, Edward attacks him, figuring out the weakness of his Ultimate Shield in the process.
Ed’s final one-on-one match with Greed features the famously fluid work of famed animator Yutaka Nakamura, who is known particularly for his expert fight choreography. Its dark atmosphere, tragic tone and ability to pack such a punch to the viewer in such a short time is excellent. Most importantly, Ed’s victory is pyrrhic: though Greed wanted Ed to kill him, freeing him from a life of manipulation, Ed is haunted at having taken a life with his own hands.
Naruto
Naruto is an action-adventure anime series based on the manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. The titular Naruto Uzumaki is a fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit sealed inside him, which once wreaked havoc on his village. Shunned by his community yet determined to earn their respect, Naruto dreams of becoming the greatest ninja, the Hokage. This series follows his journey through the Ninja Academy as he continues to train and grow, hoping to prove himself to his peers- and himself.
This is not the first fight Naruto and Sasuke ever had, nor would it be the last. But their battle at the Valley of the End is not only the climax of Part One, but the turning point of their relationship and a show of what both young shinobi are capable of when they stop holding back.As a treat, its location introduces viewers to Madara and Hashirama and foreshadows how far back Naruto and Sasuke’s hereditary rivalryactually goes long before either actually starts to affect the story.
As they both make clear in their fight-long screaming argument, Sasuke is bent on gaining power even at the cost of his own life, and Naruto will do anything to bring his friend back to safety instead. They spend considerable time fighting hand-to-hand on the surface of the water, harkening back to one of the first ninjutsu techniques they learned together while beating the absolute tar out of each other. Finally, theclash of their strongest techniques knocks Naruto out cold, and Sasuke at the last moment refuses to kill his friend before fleeing, even with the guarantee of Mangekyo Sharingan if he does.
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Z follows Goku, who lives a peaceful life with his family until the arrival of Raditz, a mysterious warrior claiming to be Goku’s brother. This revelation unveils their true heritage as Saiyans, a formidable warrior race known for conquering planets.
Dragon Ballremains a legendary series for many reasons, its innovations and creativity influencing decades of shonen anime to come. The multi-episode brawl between Goku and Frieza inDragon Ball Zis a shining example of this, serving as the finale of the Frieza Saga and providing some of the show’s most iconic moments. Chief among them is theintroduction of Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation, a staple of the franchise from there on out.
Frieza appeared unstoppable, destroying worlds and pummeling heroes left and right. Goku,“pure of heart and awakened by fury”, is the one who gains the power to kick Frieza all over the planet, making sure to rub it in as much as he can that it’s a being Frieza was so sure was inferior that’s finally getting the better of him. Goku shows strength and superiority even further than winning the fight, moving past his rage to show Frieza mercy: Frieza’s real downfall is refusing to accept it and trying to stab Goku in the back instead.
