One Punch Man broke onto the anime scene in the Fall of 2015 as a hyped-up adaptation for a well-beloved Web Manga. Saitama quickly became a fan favourite for his laid-back demeanour, showing so little effort in all he does and becoming the titular hero who beats any foe in one punch!

The comedic aspect of One Punch Man can leave fans wondering if the action is worth any attention at all, given the premise puts a limiter on most fights. However, Saitama finally comes up against a foe that requires more attention than he is used to in the form of the alien Lord Boros, who doesn’t go down after the first punch, instead, seeing Saitama shatter the restraining armour that is holding back Boros’ full power. The two knock each other around the ship in an incredible feat of animation, with Boros unleashing his Meteoric Burst to knock Saitama back. Still, the hero hits back with his consecutive normal punches and brings out his trump card of a serious punch, finishing the fight in true One Punch Man style.

A villain with a god complex that thinks the people around him are extras to his story, coming up against a high schooler with powers beyond his comprehension, is the perfect culmination to an anime with a story like Mob Psycho 100. The titular Mob, Shigeo Kageyama, has psychic powers that he barely understands, giving us the percentage counter that tracks how much he releases during situations.

Mob goes through the anime trying to talk other espers out of using violence or their psychic powers for evil. Despite all efforts, Touichirou is unreachable by Mob’s pleading words, leading to a brawl of psychic skill with both reaching their 100% outputs and buildings flying everywhere across the city before their powers create a vast explosion, bringing to an end the beautifully animated clash of minds.

The clash between the world’s greatest hero and the leader of villains doesn’t get much bigger in terms of fights. It was never a question of if these two would fight, but more of a when, as All Might was responsible for All For One’s disfigurement that limits his quirk’s ability to steal the quirks of others. All Might’s strength is unparalleled in the hero world, but All For One’s quirk allows him to catch up using others' abilities.

An ailing All Might who is slowly losing strength has to plan strategically for this fight against increasingly bad odds and All For One’s psychological tactics to get inside the hero’s head. Due to the waning strength of the number one hero, All Might can’t get an offensive upper hand against the strongest villain but uses the last of his failing strength to go for one all-out United States of Smash to beat the odds and bring All For One down. The result of this fight shakes up the entire hero world and moves My Hero Academia’s story into a new era of villainy.

The fight between Joe and Yuuri is different from the others on this list in that it is not based on crushing each other out of spite or hatred for their views; instead, it is based on respect for abilities. An early match in the series between the two results in Yuuri making short work of Joe as he is finding his feet in the boxing world when the time is right, and Joe has reached his potential, and the two meet for a rematch.

Yuuri goes through a medical procedure to remove his augmented gear and take on Joe in an even fight based solely on physical abilities, giving him the ultimate respect as an opponent. The two give their full 100% in the fight, slugging it out based solely on hard work, with the loser acknowledging the winner as the better fighter.

The Fate series is known for its quality fights between skilled servants and heroic spirits. Heaven’s Feel is the third route on the main story of the Fate Series, and Saber Alter makes an appearance as an even more powerful adaptation of the main Saber servant.

Berserker (Heracles) is a behemoth of a servant that uses immense strength to fight back against Saber Alter, using his incredible speed and regenerative abilities to take the fight head-on. Saber Alter combats this with dark magic that binds Berserker (Heracles) in place before a visually stunning sword fight between the two after his escape. The fight culminates in Saber Alter using a dark magic sword strike to blast the huge servant away after attempting to take on the skilled sword fighter with his hands.

Anime fights often utilise supernatural powers and exaggerated visuals to create an exciting clash. Still, Vinland Saga goes for the opposite, tapping into the realism of medieval European duels between exceptional individuals, and the fight between Thors and Askeladd demonstrates this exceptionally.

This fight appears, at first sight, to be a clash between brains and brawn as the larger Thors takes on the devious Askeladd in a single combat duel. However, halfway through, Askeladd realises that Thors is attempting to break his sword, allowing him the opportunity to go for a long stretched strike after breaking Thors’ sword. Still, Thors has planned for this from the beginning, countering with his fist against Askeladd’s arm. Finally, Thors takes Askeladd’s sword and asks for Askeladd to admit defeat. The skill of these two fighters is well displayed in an excellently choreographed clash of swords. However, Askeladd, in true mercenary fashion, disregards the rules of the duel and allows his men to do whatever afterward, demonstrating the lack of morals held by the band in their pursuit of riches.

Akudama Drive flew under the radar in late 2020 with the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen and Haikyuu!! Season Two airing in the same season. A story about the most dangerous criminals in the world labelled Akudama, working together against a corrupt police system after the public execution of an infamous Akudama “Cutthroat” is interrupted by an invisible hand that is offering up money for his escape.

Brawler is the typical meathead character that is good with his fists, hence the name, who comes up against Executioner who is leading the police efforts to take down the Akudama that assisted Cutthroat. These two demonstrate excellent martial arts abilities throughout this fight, with Brawler’s immense size coming up against the tactical wits of Executioner. The visuals and score for this fight are incredible, and watching these two slug it out is one you don’t wanna miss.

Another underground hit, Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song, was released during a Spring season full of sequels and highly anticipated manga adaptations. Despite that, Vivy has garnered a cult following for its stunning visuals and intricate plot about time travelling cyborgs, all set to a soundtrack that could stand alone as a media release.

Animators of sci-fi anime often get a lot more freedom when it comes to choreographing fights as androids and robots can go beyond the realm of human possibilities in their movements. Yuugo coming up against a combat android like Vivy and matching her moves for so long is a remarkable feat in terms of the characters' capabilities and the visuals of the two fighting it out in the snow. The exceptional visuals of this fight are accompanied by an equally great musical score, with heavy guitar riffs slamming in the background as Vivy slams Yuugo with metallic limbs in a dance to the death.

Attack on Titan will undoubtedly go down as one of the best anime series of the last twenty years after it finishes airing in the Winter 2022 season. Seeing the Scouts take on towering titans using their Omni-directional mobility (ODM) gear to get at the napes of the beasts for that satisfying finishing slash is animated so well with a story behind it to keep any viewers attention locked.

Levi is without a doubt the strongest human in the Attack on Titan world, with maybe Mikasa coming in a close second, but his fight against the Beast Titan cemented his place as humanity's best combatant against Titans. Erwin’s courageous sacrifice gave the scout captain an opening, seeing Levi close the gap on the Beast Titan and shred the Beast limb from limb in a magnificently animated sequence. The skills displayed by Levi to dodge the Beast Titan’s attacks are incredibly animated, and the whole clash gives a real sense of hope for humanity in the Attack on Titan world.

Demon Slayer is a fantastic anime that has demonstrated amazing animation with some of the best fights in the last ten years. Rengoku is the “fire pillar” of the demon slayer corps, and with such a grandiose title, it is to be expected that he has fire powers that make him stand above the rest. Akaza is one of the top-ranked demons under the demon king Muzan Kibujsuji, holding the Upper Rank 3 spot in the 12 Kizuki.

The stature of the two participants in this fight alone sets it up to be a stunner, and it delivers with animation quality to fit the character’s abilities. Akaza’s demonic body is twisted and contorted with fantastic attention to detail, only to be met with Rengoku’s flaming sword strikes that illuminate the whole scene with bright reds and yellows. The clash between a top-tier demon and the fire pillar is a must-watch, with the emotional weight of its conclusion bringing considerable changes to the world of Demon Slayer.

Despite sumo wrestling being a national sport in Japan and with all the sports anime that are out there, very little do we get to see anime based around sumo. However, Hinomaru Zumou has finally debuted to fill in that long overdue void. In case you didn’t know, a select number of high schools in Japan do have sumo wrestling teams and this anime is here to educate non-Japanese viewers on that. In the second episode, Hinomaru faces Chiharu, an amateur wrestler, in a grappling match to prove which style is superior. Due to the sumo philosophy where if one falls, it’s a loss, Hinomaru uses the balance training of sumo to defend the takedowns of Chiharu.

This fight perfectly demonstrates how these fighting styles contrast with sumo being a standing oriented form of wrestling that emphasizes on attacking above the waist, and with amateu wrestling being ground oriented and attacking below the waist. It’s a rather quick fight, but not only does this fight demonstrate the physical differences between these sports, but their cultural/philosophical differences as well. Wrestling is about training the body to the max, while sumo is also about training the mind and because of Hinomaru’s stronger mentality, he wins this challenge with ease while demonstrating that sumo is about balance between the body and mind, and how to equally use defense and offense at the same time to defeat their opponent.

Some can reasonably argue that ki or other elemental oriented attacks in anime are overused and that fights should be purely hand-to-hand. If there is any anime that can fill in that gap, it would without a doubt be Shijou Saikyou No Deshi Kenichi. What’s great about this anime is that it’s old school MMA of where a practitioner of one martial art fights another, but in order to be the best, you have to cross train, and that’s what Kenichi does. However, Kenichi has his greatest test against Odin, the leader of Ragnarok, a gang of teenage martial artists. To make things more surprising, Odin happens to be Ryuuto, Kenichi’s childhood friend, who is also cross trained in various styles.

As the fight begins, they are on equal footing as they can’t land their initial punches on each other. However, Ryuuto’s superior use of defense, or his Seikuuken, gets him into his rhythm and immediately allows him to follow up with his offense. Kenichi initially tries to fight using techniques he personally specializes in but fails to initiate any rhythm. When Ryuuto was at the brink of victory, as opposed to using the techniques he uses as himself, Kenichi purposely snaps and assumes the personas of his masters in order to throw Ryuuto off his game and create his own rhythm. Not only does he assume their personas, he assumes how they execute the techniques of their fighting styles. Thanks to this change in game plan, Ryuuto is unable to read Kenichi’s erratic fighting rhythm, thus losing the ability to effectively use his Seikuuken, and Kenichi comes out on top. This fight is an amazing addition to this list because in order to win a fight, it demonstrates that you need to know all kinds of fighting styles for certain situations.

While most of our fights listed here are hand-to-hand oriented, this addition is a notable exception since it’s a sword duel between two long lost rivals from the Boushin War - Kenshin Himura and Hajime Saitou. After 10 years, fate brings them back together and they duel in Kaoru’s kenjutsu dojo in the dark. If you want to know why Kenshin doesn’t want to revert to his Battousai persona (only as a last resort), this fight pretty much shows why. Saitou is virtually Kenshin’s equal as a swordsman and in order to fight on equal terms, Kenshin has to revert to fighting with his killer instincts.

The fights in Rurouni Kenshin are exciting as they are technical. Saitou and Kenshin aren’t just swinging swords, they are performing techniques they mastered to maximum efficiency. The battle demonstrates that proper grip, footwork, and posture is necessary in order to master the art of the sword. Their duel also portrays they have history since they show familiarity with each other’s fighting styles and manage to find counters to techniques they are familiar with. Since they haven’t fought in 10 years, they do show some surprises to keep things fresh. As the fight progresses, they were about to decide a winner but thanks to the interference of an influential politician, they end their duel and continue their relationship as reluctant allies.

If there is one villain that can match All Might, the world’s greatest hero, it would have to be their leader, All For One. As a matter of fact, it was All For One that caused All Might’s injury that would limit the use of his quirk as he aged. As for All For One’s quirk, it allows him to steal other people’s quirks and make them his own, which makes him equal to All Might in terms of raw strength with all the quirks he has acquired. After kidnapping Bakugo, they duel one more time to settle their rivalry once and for all. What makes this fight unique is how it’s a fight of brain vs. brawn. All Might tends to rely on brute strength (whatever he has left), while All For One utilizes psychological tactics such as trash talking to get into his head and throw him off his game.

Due to All Might progressively losing his strength, he has to approach strategically upon the start of the fight, but after seeing how he can’t gain any offensive advantage, and knowing how the people of his city and his students are at risk, he throws caution into the wind and uses the last fraction of his remaining strength to go for the knock out with the United States of Smash to gain the victory and bring All For One to justice.

Joe and Yuri have a rivalry that appropriately mirrors that of Joe and Rikiishi from the original Ashita no Joe series, which Megalo Box is a steampunk remake of. They initially have a hostile relationship, but as they get to know each other, they begin to respect one another and still maintain their rivalry on friendlier terms. In comparison to many fights on this list, this fight is more about respect. Though Yuri makes easy work of Joe at the start of the series in an underground boxing match, he acknowledges that he has the potential to be more than what he shows, and is willing to give him a rematch when the time is right. After Joe climbs through the rankings and makes it to the finals of the Megalomania tournament, he can settle the score with Yuri.

However, Yuri wants to show his respect for Joe by removing his augmented gear to fight him on equal terms, and prove that it’s skill and will, and not technology, which makes a champion. Yuri goes through a life-risking medical procedure at the cost of his health in order to remove the gear from his body, and doesn’t let that sacrifice go to waste when he enters the ring. When you see these two fight, you see what it means to put in hard work and make sacrifices just so you can have your moment of glory not for the spotlight or the money, but for yourself. You see Joe and Yuri give their 100% not out of some hatred, but out of respect for each other as fighters and as men. Then when it’s all said and done, you make no excuses, admit you gave it your all, and acknowledge the winner as the better man.

Like Kenichi, Baki has a reputation of being a pure fighting anime but on steroids (and we’re talking about the steroids you get in Russia and/or Mexico). With this edition of Baki exclusive to Netflix, fans are going to get fights that redefine brutality and insanity. It makes the most hardcore Japanese Pro Wrestling matches look like a G movie. If there is any fight in this series that takes hand-to-hand fights to a whole new level, it would be Doyle vs. Katsumi. They fight a handful of times throughout this series and no matter what, neither man wants to give in until one contests. They don’t want to settle it with a knock out, they want this to be an I Quit match meaning one has to verbally admit defeat.

Prior to their fight, Doyle and his other prisoners were humiliating black belts of the Shinshinkai Karate organization with a nasty combination of their brute strength, fighting abilities, and cheap tactics. However, Katsumi, the heir to the Shinshinkai, can’t take it anymore and wants to settle it with Doyle. This is a fight where it progresses to a very strange level where every time Katsumi manages to knock out Doyle, he waits for him to wake up just so he can hear him admit he lost. When he doesn’t, he knocks him out again and it goes to a point where he shatters his face. No longer willing to further break Doyle, Katsumi decides to admit defeat for moral reasons.

Shortly after, Doyle and Katsumi start to show respect for one another and Katsumi allows him safe passage to leave Japan and gives him a few tips in Karate. What makes this fight unique is not the brutality, but it shows how stubborn fighters and men truly are. Some like to say that in martial arts, you have to leave your ego at the door as it should be. However, some masters dispute that shouldn’t be taught because it’s our ego that drives us to do things. If this fight teaches us anything, it is ok for martial artists to have ego, but it shouldn’t let them cross a certain line.

Unfortunately, we never got to see Gokuu fight the main Androids in Dragon Ball Z, let alone meet them (he didn’t meet 18 until much later). 20 years later, Dragon Ball Super gives fans the opportunity to introduce Gokuu to 17, and test their skills against each other. Throughout Dragon Ball Super, the fights tend to be team oriented, and Gokuu’s fight with 17 gives us a chance to see a one-on-one fight. Without counting GT, this is the first time we get to see 17 back in action as well. Though it’s more of a sparring match as opposed to a serious fight, it offers everything fans could love - fast pace action, fist and leg collisions that cause tidal waves, and other geological anomalies as result of every blow that connects. We see how this fight could have gone done 20 years ago but this time, on friendlier terms. This fight is complimented by a beautiful sunset foreshadowing the true fight to come and what we’re seeing is only the beginning. You get a foundational portrayal of how powerful both characters are and if the fight were serious, not only was somebody going to die, but probably shatter a continent.

For most of Takamura’s boxing career, his biggest challenge wasn’t always the opponent in the ring (he usually tends to knock his opponents out in the first round), but making weight. Cutting weight was still a challenge prior to his fight with Hawk, but he was not going to be a walk in the park like his previous opponents. Hawk is the champ for a reason, and he demonstrates that in his fight with Takamura. Hawk not only has raw power, but a strange sense of reflexes and an unorthodox style that throws caution to the wind. As you watch this display of desperation, rage, and guts blow for blow, you are going to be amazed how an anime that concentrates mostly on a sport limited to punching can be just as entertaining, or even more so than a fight that relies on fireballs or anything that violates the laws of nature or physics.

Yes, a belt is on the line, but as you watch this fight, there is much more to it. It’s a fight about pride for their nations, and for themselves as men. Every punch they throw at each other, it’s not just with bad intentions, but with their worst. Every swing they throws, try to imagine them throwing the kitchen sink and that’s how intense this fight is. And whoever was going to lose, sure they’re going to live, but they would leave a ring a broken man never to be fixed again.

The original Street Fighter game may have popularized ki attacks in fighting games but throughout the anime movie, you don’t get to see many of them. Thanks to the supervision of Kyokushin Karate and K-1 Champion Andy Hug and K-1 and Seidokaikan Karate founder Kazuyoshi Ishii, they emphasize more on actual martial arts techniques as opposed to spamming hadoukens or sonic booms. If any fight best emphasizes that quality, it would certainly be Chun Li Vs. Vega. Vega is sent to eliminate Chun Li, but Chun Li isn’t going to have it as she fights for her life.

Vega initially uses his size to his advantage to claw up Chun Li, but with her superior speed and agility, finds ways to gain the advantage. She mostly fights on the defensive end even demonstrates brute strength by throwing a sofa at him. Thanks to an adrenaline rush, Chun Li finds the strength to win and drop kick Vega through the wall for him to plummet down to his death. What’s exciting about this fight is that it’s fast paced, and audiences can feel the intensity of Chun Li’s life is on the line. You get an excellent demonstration of pure martial arts action in anime with a smaller fighter like Chun Li, against a bigger opponent such as Vega. Many say martial arts was developed for a smaller opponent to defeat a bigger and stronger one, and if any anime fight can prove that, it is most certainly this one.

To top our list, we have a classic, Dio vs. Jotaro from the third arc to Hirohiko Araki’s epic saga. JoJo has always been reputable for its fights, and if any man-to-man fight can be considered the best in the history of both anime and manga (something you can say equates to the Thrilla in Manila in boxing), it would be without a doubt this one. Throughout the streets of Cairo, Jotaro and Dio fight to the death with everything on the line, and that’s the foundation to what makes this a great fight. It may not be as technical as Chun Li Vs. Vega, but it is certainly deadlier and more exciting! Every punch or kick they throw at each other is more than just the kitchen sink, you literally get street rollers! The fight is not only impacting, but ultraviolet to excite and scare viewers at the same time.

Dio approaches this fight like he doesn’t give a care about anything, and is willing to kill innocents in the process. He’s practically enjoying it by throwing knives at people when he freezes time! Jotaro is doing all he can to find a way to figure out the mystery to Dio’s Stand ability, and as the fight progresses, he finds clever ways to play mind games with Dio. The fight isn’t about brute strength or who has the biggest balls, but who has the biggest brains as well.

Whenever Dio freezes time, Jotaro manages to find ways to psyche Dio out by hiding magnets in his coat so he can still move when Dio approaches him, and throw him off his game plan. After fighting throughout the city and causing major damage, Jotaro focuses all of his rage into one single overhand punch, stops Dio’s incoming kick, and finally destroys him once and for all. Though Bruce Lee once said we need emotional content, not anger, Jotaro claims the reason why he won is because he made him angry. So, maybe there are some exceptions to such rules.