Fighting anime is supposed to entertaining the audience with thrilling battle. A battle that drive us going crazy, pumping our blood and adrenaline and feel the spirit from the characters we seen are what we expected for fighting anime.
A great fight. It can involved hand-to-hand combat, swords, superpower ability or combination of all, with the different fighting style and techniques.
A lot of fights. If it's the kind of anime you want to find and watch, you are in the right place. Here is the best fighting anime series you might considering to add to your watchlist.
Delinquents Fighting Anime
1. Tokyo Revengers
Follow a freeter Takemichi Hanagaki who is go back to the past after heard about the death of his girlfriend he dated in middle school, Hinata Tachibana. She had been killed by Tokyo Manji Gang. He is now back twelve years exact when he is at middle school. Reliving his middle school years, he decided to prevent the death of his girlfriend by saving her using her knowledge from the future.
Tokyo Revengers is one of the best anime fighting involving the school gang wars you can find in the last decade. An anime that will make you addicted to it with generally good character development and plot. Not only fighting, Tokyo Revengers granted you good drama and comedy.
Release Date: 11 April 2021
Studio: Liden Films
Recommendation: Best Fighting Manga (Fist Fight)
2. Beelzebub
A delinquent Tatsumi Oga found a baby turned out to be the son of the great demon king. He chosen as the one to raise him, along with the baby's maid, Hilda. The story will follow his life raise the baby while enrolled the Ishiyama High, a school for delinquents.
Beelzebub is an action comedy about the strongest delinquent raises a "next demon lord" baby. It's served with average story but still enjoyable to watch, especially the comedy that drive you a lot of laugh. It's also featured a supernatural elements, demons and conflict among them. Not to forget that Ishiyama High is also the place for delinquent to fight each other, including the girls.
Release Date: 9 January 2011
Studio: Pierrot+
School Fighting Anime
3. My Hero Academia
Set in a world where the 80% of human population has Quirks, a superpower ability, which occur in children within the age of four. Izuku Midoriya, a young boy is lacking a Quirk, in the world where most population has quirk, dreaming to becoming hero. Having All Might, the greatest hero in the world, as an idol and motivation didn't stopped his dream to becoming a hero despite being a kid with no superpowers ability. His passion and desire enough for All Might passes his quirk called "One For All" to Izuku, thus begin his path to becoming a hero enrolling the Yuei Academy.
The next-gen big shounen anime you should watch especially if you like superheroes-themed anime. An anime about superheroes with great storyline and characters development. Definitely a perfect anime to watch for newcomers anime fans.
Release Date: 3 April 2016
Studio: BONES
4. Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei
Set in 2095 where magic is exist and practiced as rigorous discipline. It's follow brother and sister, Tatsuya and Miyuki who enroll First Magic High School which segregates it's student based on the magical abilities. Miyuki enters the first course student and viewed as one of the best student while his older brother relegated to second course and considered incompetent magically. However, Tatsuya being seen as irregular due to his technical knowledge, combat abilities and unique magic techniques. Good story, good characters. A generally good superpower anime where the main character is so OP but still worth to give it a try.
Release Date: 6 April 2014
Studio: Madhouse
5. Medaka Box
Follow a perfect honor student Medaka Kurokami initiated a suggestion box where they can help every student with any problem. Medaka herself is the first ever freshman student to be elected as Student Council President with 98% of vote. Along with her childhood friend Zenkichi Hitoyoshi and other student council members, they are addresses these request in suggestion box in an unconventional manner. This where they start to learn about Flask Plan, a project to forcefully experiment the regular students, called Normal, and turn them into superhuman called Abnormal.
Release Date: 5 April 2012
Studio: Gainax
Gangs Fighting Anime
6. Durarara
Ikebukuro, a place where violent and mysterious event happening everyday. A young boy named Mikado Ryuugamine is moves to Ikebukuro and express his excitement for life in the big city and reunited with his childhood friend, Masaomi Kida. In this city, Masaomi warns Mikado to not involved with the dangerous people including the mysterious gang "The Dollars". A local legend also become the talk in the area and it's about Black Rider who ride around Ikebukuro and is rumored to have no head under her helmet, similar to Dullahan from Irish' mythology.
Durarara is obviously a recommended anime you should try if you never watch it yet. Random violences happening around the city where all the "main characters" involving in it. It's told from the perspective of eleven main characters for every episode and a narrator will gives the opinion toward the current situation. At first, you might feel bored, but if you manage to continue watch it you will find it amazing, like a hidden treasure.
Release Date: 8 January 2010
Studio: Brain's Base
Street Fighting Anime
7. Air Gear
Fighting but in air, while riding Air Treck, a self-propelled shoes equipped with powerful suspension, air cushion systems, and ultra-small motors in the wheels. Air Gear follow Minami Itsuki, a middle school boy who starts his journey in the Air Treck street fighting and racing world. As time goes by he is involved and participate in more fights and begin to develop his own gang and gaining more territory.
An unique combination between the street fight and sport. Air Gear also delivered good story, drama and comedy. Basically an anime that never to be expected that good but turned out to be good and enjoyable anime.
Release Date: 4 April 2006
Studio: Toei Animation
Girls Fighting Anime
8. Air Master
Air Master is actually street fighting anime with a tall high school girl as main character, named Aikawa Maki. She is known as Air Master on the streets because of her ability to fly through the air while beats her opponent. This is a story about her finding and challenges stronger opponents to achieve the highest level of street fighting.
Release Date: 2 April 2003
Studio: Toei Animation
9. Kill la Kill
Set in Honnouji Academy led by Satsuki Kiryuin as student council president. Goku Uniforms, a special wear for the student constructed with Life Fibers that give the user a superhuman abilities. The school and the city also arranged into stratified class structure. The higher their ranks the more powerful Goku Uniforms they can obtain. This in in turn affects the social status of the student's family.
Kill la Kill follow a vagrant transfer student named Ryukoi Matoi armed with a scissor-shaped longsword that can cut Goku Uniforms. She move to the city to find the murderer of her father and bring her to Honnouji Academy. In this militaristic high school she will try to challenges Satsuki Kiryuin and her Elite Four along with Senketsu, a Life Fiber sailor uniform that increases her abilities while transformed.
100% Action. 100% Fighting. Maybe not, there will be some ecchi and comedy. A fighting anime where the characters using a special uniforms to fight and show their power. The animation is so great and full of excitement and will pump your adrenaline. Kill la Kill is definitely a must-watch fighting anime.
Release Date: 4 October 2013
Studio: Studio Trigger
10. Kenka Bancho Otome -Girl Beats Boys-
Basically an anime about the girl student enrolling the all-boys school and switching her places with her older twin brother. Hikaru and Hinako are the twins that separated for long time with Hinako didn't aware that she has a twin brother and living as an orphan until now. Due to being a child of powerful Yakuza family, Hikaru is obligated to reach the top of Shishiku Academy, an toughest delinquents all-boys school. For some reason, he ask Hinako to switch with him, hide her identity and fight to lead the school. Kindly to remember that Kenka Bancho Otome is a shoujo anime rather than action anime, but still worth to mention.
Release Date: 12 April 2017
Studios: A-Real, Project No.9
Recommendation: Best Japanese Fighting Movies
