The 30 Best Fighting Anime Right Now (2023)

Thrill and action are almost in every anime, and that certainly makes the series entertaining and exciting to watch until the end. A dull, passive, or even comic series follows a regular pattern, and we know that with the progress of the plot, there will not be much more to watch.

Still, inaction series, the fight scenes come all of a sudden, making the plot all more intriguing. Dive right into the list of best fighting anime! Action anime or Fighting anime features several best fight scenes of the main character.

The characters might not constantly be fighting, yet the hero’s fight with the bad guys or evil spirits getting equivalent exchange replies in return makes the anime fans watch more. If you are a true anime fan, you are bound to love Fighting anime as well.

Fighting anime generally features the hero having excelled in martial arts, or is a member of ninja clans, fighting abilities, goes through intense training, and shows their character development. Not all seasons are going to be equally exciting to watch. Sometimes the second season might lack the essence, and sometimes the third but the overall story matters.

Here is a list of the best fighting anime in Japanese animation history.

30. Noragami

The anime Noragami is so underappreciated. You are missing out on a fantastic anime if you haven’t seen Noragami. It is unfortunate that the next season of this anime has not yet been released. The manga is still going strong and remains gorgeous.

So, read the manga if you want to learn more about Noragami. Noragami, however, is about Yato, a delivery god who aspires to have a shrine devoted to him. He works every job he can find for only five yen in order to fulfill his dream. Check out Noragami if you need some recommendations for a lighthearted anime.

29. Cowboy Bebop

28. Chainsaw Man

• Voice Director: Mike McFarland
• Animation Studio: MAPPA
• Voice Production: Crunchyroll

Technically speaking, this is not an anime yet. Amazing action manga called Chainsaw Man is being animated by MAPPA. Recently, the Chainsaw Man trailer debuted, and the hype is genuine. It might be Jujutsu Kaisen’s main rival despite Jujutsu Kaisen’s reputation as the best new-gen anime.

The story of Chainsaw Man centers on a man named Denji who was murdered by a devil working for a yakuza. Denji, however, gained the power of the chainsaw devil when he merged with his pet Pochita. Denji is now prepared to do anything to fulfill his teenage fantasies.

27. One Piece

• Director: Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Munehisa Sakai, Hiroaki Miyamoto, Toshinori Fukazawa, Tatsuya Nagamine, Kohei Kureta, Aya Komaki, and Satoshi Ito.
• Writer: Eiichiro Oda
• Voice Cast: Collen Clinkenbeard and Mayumi Tanka as Monkey D.Luffy, Kazuya Nakai as Roronoa, Akemi Okamura as Nami, Hiroaki Hirata as Vinsmoke Sanji, Yuriko Yamaguchi as Nico Robin, Mari Yaguchi as Yoko, and many more.
• IMDb Rating:8.7/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 87%
• Watch it on: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Funimation, Crunchyroll.

These action anime focus upon Moneky D. Luffy, who is all smitten by the stories of the powerful pirate Red Haired Shank and goes on for a quest to find the precious treasure, famous as the One Piece. He also wants to be the pirate king, and therein the adventure begins.

The legacy of this series is well fabricated, with several fights that might not be intense at the same level but does enhance the story.

26. Naruto

There isn’t a single person on the planet who hasn’t had Naruto recommended as an anime. You urgently need some educated friends if you haven’t heard of Naruto. Naruto tells the tale of a young boy named Naruto Uzumaki, who was born with a monstrous being named Nine-tails sealed inside of him.

Now that Nine-Tails has been sealed inside of him, Naruto is a hyperactive youngster living in Hidden Leaf Village who is shunned by the locals. Naruto, who is having a hard time fitting in, has a dream of becoming the village’s Hokage.

25. Moribito: Guardian Of The Spirit (2007)

It hailed as the adaptation of the first of a 12-part novel series, is every bit the fantastical tale one could hope for. Moribito examines the life of spear-wielding Balsa and her work as Prince Chagum’s bodyguard in a historical fantasy version of Asia.

Balsa and Chagum quickly learn about the prince’s connection to the supernatural while avoiding the assassins who are after him.

The Moribito animation excels in both visual prowess and a keen eye for martial arts, despite its fantasy roots. Since most of the warriors in the anime use spears, Balsa and her allies get to demonstrate various fighting techniques with realistic footwork and use of the surroundings, from quick spear-turning to hard thrusts.

24. Street Fighter II V (1995)

What better way to experience the pure adrenaline rush of martial arts than to indulge in one of the most celebrated fighting games ever?

The video game Street Fighter II V, which shares the same director as Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, is a loose adaptation of the Super Street Fighter II Turbo video game from 1994.

Street Fighter II V treats the game’s characters more liberally than the movie, which closely followed the game’s plot. As a result, the intended backstories and personalities of characters like Ryu and Ken, as well as their allies and enemies, frequently diverge.

Regardless, Street Fighter II V has some of the greatest anime fighting scenes ever.

23. Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple (2012-2014)

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is one of the most intense martial arts anime ever made, despite the fact that it is a comedy. The story, which was first published in 2006, centers on high school student Kenichi Shirahama’s effort to stop bullying by becoming a martial artist.

While many of the episodes feature shenanigans and other hijinks, Kenichi steadily gets better at martial arts with each passing day.

Over the course of the anime’s 50 episodes, viewers eventually witness his development from a novice warrior into a master, which makes watching him advance quite enjoyable.

22. Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (2005)

It is a martial arts anime with a similar “ninja scrolls” theme. Basilisk, which was published in 2005, is an adaptation of a 1958 novel as well as a 2003 manga.

The story takes place in 1614, when the ninja clans Kouga and Iga battle it out to see who will succeed Ieyasu Tokugawa as the next shogun.

The idea that ten elite ninjas from each clan must battle it out to the death is much more exciting than the premise itself, which reeks of classic martial arts goodness.

Basilisk places a greater emphasis on weapon combat and fluid bodywork than the supernaturally focused Ninja Scroll, which increases the intensity of its ninja battles.

21. Ninja Scroll (1993)

Ninja Scroll from 1993 isn’t necessarily an anime series but rather a film, and it’s possibly one of the most intriguing martial arts anime of all time.

Jubei’s task is to prevent this group, known as the Eight Devils of Kimon, from bringing down the Tokugawa shogunate.

Jubei isn’t traveling alone; the kunoichi Kagero, whose body is filled with toxins, and the government snitch Dakuan are both with him.

Read More: The Best Anime Like Demon Slayer

20. Vinland Saga

• Director: Shuhei Yabuta
• Writer: Hiroshi Sugita, Kenta Ihara
• Cast: Naoya Uchida as Askeladd, Kenichiro Matsuda, Yuto Uemura, Atsushi Ono, Shizuka Ishigani as Thorfinn, Akio Otsuka, and more
• IMDb Rating:8.8/10
• Watch it on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video.

The series focuses upon the journey of Thorfinn, who goes on a mission, a mission to seek revenge for his father’s death. He faces all the situations alone and, in the concluding part, faces emotional events between his past and present life.

He also feels that it is honorable to face death in a duel rather than any other situation and develop into one of the best warriors.

19. Gantz 

• Director: Ichiro Itano ‘
• Writer: Masashi Sogo Cast: Hiroshi Kamiya as Masanobu Hojou, Daisuke Namikawa as Kei Kurono, Chris Patton as Joichiro Nishi, John Swasey as Naozumi Saito, Chris Ayres as Kei Kurono.
• IMDb Ratings: 7.2/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 50%
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video, 9anime

The story of Gantz is quite exciting as well as frightening. The story shows how Kei Kurono and Masaru died in an accident yet were brought back to life. They saved a man before getting hit by a train and then woke in an apartment situated in Tokyo.

They cannot escape the toom and are forced to take part in a game of hunting aliens. It is a famous action anime and will surely excite you.

18. Fate/Zero

• Directed by: Ei Aoki
• Writer: Akira Hiyama, Akihiro Yoshida
• Cast: Crispin Freeman as Kirei Kotomine, Kari Wahlgren as Saber, Rikiya Koyama as Kiritsugu Emiya, Ayako Kawasumi as Saber, sayaka Ohara as Irisviel, Joji Nakata as Kirei Kotomine, Bridget Hoffman.
• IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
• Watch it on: Hulu, Netflix

Fate/Zero is an actual action anime that depicts the fight of seven mages or their Servants to win the Holy Grail that is said to have the capability to fulfill any wish. The series showcases an ample number of fights, and each of them is exceptionally well-executed and is highly entertaining.

If you are an avid action series fan, then don’t even give a second thought to whether to watch it or not. You should just go for it.

17. Berserk

• Director: Shin Itagaki
• Writer: Kentaro Miura
• Cast: Sean Schemmel, Kevin T. Collins, Nobutoshi as Guts, Ikuya Sawaki, Michelle Newman, Toshiyuki Morikawa as Griffith, Yuko Miyamura.
• IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 87%
• Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix.

Berserk is full of action, adventures, thrills and mysteries. The series opens with Guts, who kills the ruler of an empire initially, giving the audience a sign of his brutal nature. He goes on in his adventures and witnesses several troubles along his way, but none seems to frighten him.

He meets Griffith and becomes a member of The Band of the Hawk. The story is fascinating and has been highly loved by the audience.

16. The Seven Deadly Sins

• Director: Tensai Okamura
• Writer: Shotaro Suga
• Cast: Bryce Papenbrook, Erika Harlacher as Elizabeth, Max Mittelman as King, Christina Valenzuela as Hawk, Erica Mendez as Diane, Ben Diskin as Ban, Erik Scott Kimerer as Gowther.
• IMDb Ratings: 7.9/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 66%
• Where to Watch: Hulu, Netflix

The Seven Deadly Sins is a famous anime in the fighting genre that deals with a group of holy knights held guilty of plotting against the Liones Kingdom. A decade later, Elizabeth, the third princess, goes on a quest to find the Seven Deadly Sins and request them to help her capture her kingdom.

The fourth season of Seven Deadly Sins was not expected, yet it is one of the most praised fighting anime. So, if you have not yet watched it, do it now.

15. Hellsing Ultimates

• Director: Umanosuke Iida
• Writer: Chiaki J. Konaka
• Cast: Katie Gray as Seras Victoria, Crispin Freeman as Alucard, Victoria Hardwood as SirIntegra, Ralph Lister as Walter C. Dornez, Joji Nakata as Alucard, Fumiko Orikasa as Seras Victoria.
• IMDb Ratings: 8.3/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: NA
• Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Hellsing Ultimate is a classic example of action anime. The series is all about war though Alucard and his chief Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing and Seras Victoria are all against conflicts. SS Major wants to start a war with his vast army of Vampires, but Alucard is determined to restrict it by any means and save the human world.

The series is full of action and violence and if you love fights, watch this series as soon as possible.

14. Demon Slayer 

• Director: Haruo Sotozaki
• Writer: Koyoharu Gotogue
• Cast: Zach Aguilar as Tanjiro Kamado, Hiro Shimono as Zenitsu, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Hashibira, Takahiro Sakurai as Giyu Tomioka, Ayumi Mano as Sumi Nakahara.
• IMDb Rating:8.7/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 88%
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Funimation, Hulu, Crunchyroll.

Demon Slayer is a popular anime series that shows the journey of two siblings who fight against all odds to keep themselves alive and support each other in every situation. When demons attack their family, all the other members get executed, and they are the ones to flee and survive.

Tanjiro aims to become a demon slayer and stop his sister from getting turned into a demon fully. Read More: The Best Anime Like Demon Slayer

13. Dorohedoro

•  Director: Yuichiro Hayashi
• Writer: Hiroshi Seko
• Cast: Wataru Takagi as Caiman, Reina Kondou as Nikaido, Kenyu Horiuchi as En, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Shin, Yu Kobayashi as Noi, Kengo Takanashi as Fujita.
• IMDb Ratings: 8.1/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 100%
• Where to Watch: Netflix

Dorohedoro features Caiman and a reptilian-headed being found in a dark alley by Nikaidou. Caiman is unable to recover his memories as well as his proper appearance.

He believes that by killing the right sorcerer, he will regain his lost features, but when the news gets spread, En, the head sorcerer, declares to cleanse the Hole, thereby leading to a war between the two groups.

12. Dragon Ball Z

• Director: Daisuke Nishio, Shigeyasu Tamauchi
• Writer: Takao Koyama
• Cast: Doc Harris, Christopher Sabat as Piccolo, Scott McNeil as Piccolo, Sean Schemmel as Goku, Terry Klassen, Brian Drummond, Sonny Strait, Stephanie Nadolny.
• IMDb Ratings: 8.7/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 91%
• Where to Watch: Funimation, AnimeLab

The anime revolves around the fight of Son Goku, the main character, against the Saiyan Warriors, who works for Frieza. It is a sequel of Dragon Ball and deals with the same story arcs to fight against evil to save Earth.

This series shows how Goku takes every measure, even attempting to join hands with Piccolo and save everyone he loves. Dragon Ball Z has several best fighting scenes executed brilliantly, so if you are looking for action anime, watching Dragon Ball Z is a must.

11. Samurai Champloo

• Director: Shinichiro Watanabe
• Writer: Shinji Obara
• Cast: Kazuya Nakai as Mugen, Ginpei Sato as Jin, Ayako Kawasumi as Fuu, Steve Blum as Mugen, Kirk Thornton as Jin, Kari Wahlgren as Fuu, Doug Stone, Erik Davies as Pinwheel Merchant.
• IMDb Ratings: 8.5/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 88%
• Where to Watch: Hulu, Netflix

Samurai Champloo features three characters chiefly, Fuu, Mugen and Jin. The story is set in the Edo Period, and the trio meets each other in a tea shop. Fuu is the waitress in the tea shop when she is disturbed by a group of Samurais, Mugen, a rogue and Jin, a traditional samurai, who comes to rescue her.

If you want to witness action anime, then Samurai Champloo will be a good choice since it has several fighting scenes and is a well-praised fighting anime.

Read More: The Best Anime Like Hunter X Hunter

10. Fairy Tail

• Director: Shinji Ishihira
• Writer: Hiro Mashima
• Cast: Aya Hirano as Lucy Heartfilia, Yuichi Nakamura as Gray, Miyuki Sawashiro as Ultear, Tetsuya Kakihara as Natsu Dragneel, Rie Kugimiya as Happy and more.
• IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 65%
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Hulu.

This series has a lot of fictional characters that are bound to mesmerize you. The chif character here is Lucy Heartfilia, who has several friends. They all go for new adventures and missions every day to fight against all dark powers of evils.

The series takes several turns of events, which makes the fan all more curious about what will happen next.

9. Bleach 

• Director: Noriyuki Abe
• Writer: Tite Kubo Voice
• Cast: Masakazu Morita as Ichigo Kurosaki, Johnny Yong Bosch as Ichigo Kurosaki, Fumiko Orikasa as Rukia Kuchiki, Hiroki Yasumoto as Yasutora Sado, Kentaro Ito as Renji Abarai and many more.
• IMDb Rating:8.2/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 71%
• Where to watch: Hulu

The story of Bleach is all about Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenage boy who bears an extraordinary power, a power to see ghosts almost in everyday life. He gains the soul reaper powers bestowed to him by Rukia Kuchiki, and from then onwards, and he aims to save the world from Hollows, who also attacked Ichigo and her sister one day.

As a soul reaper now, Ichiga must do whatever is required to purify Hallows. Ichigo even confronts Soul Society to save Rukia and has a very well fabricated plot in the anime history.

8. Hunter X Hunter

• Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi
• Writer: Yoshihiro Togashi
• Cast: Megumi Han as Cluck, Mariya Ise as Killua Zoldyck, Matthew Mercer, Christina Vee, Erika Harlacher as Kurapika, Erica Mendez as Gon Freecss.
• IMDb Rating: 9/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 87%
• Where to Watch: Netflix

Hunter X Hunter is a famous series in fighting anime history. The story highlights Gon Freecss trying his best to become an excellent and famous hunter. He is being constantly helped by his few friends and is now searching to find his father, who was abandoned at a tender age.

He even leaves his native place to fulfill his wish of becoming a professional hunter. This is a fast-paced anime, so if you are thinking of watching it, remember to watch every detail of this fighting anime precisely. Read More: The Best Anime Like Hunter X Hunter

7. Sword of the Stranger

• Director: Masahiro Ando
• Writer: Fumihiko Takayama
• Cast: Tomoya Nagase as Nanashi, Yuri Chinen as Kotaro, Koichi Yamadera as Rarou, Akio Otsuka as Sogen Itadori, Unsho Ishizuka as Lord Akaike.
• IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 91%
• Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Amazon Instant Video

The story of this series depicts the story of Kotarou and his dog Tobimaru. He takes shelter under the guidance of Nanashi, who serves as his bodyguard from then onwards. Killers chase him from Ming Dynasty though he does not know why.

There are several fighting scenes in this series, but the best one comes in the concluding part of the series.

6. Boku No Hero academia

• Director: Kenji Nagasaki, Tomo Okubo, Masahiro Mukai
• Writer: Yosuke Kuroda
• Cast: Daiki Yamashita as Izuku Midoriya, Nobuhiko Okamoto as Katsuki, Ayane Sakura as Ochako, Justin Briner as Izuku Midoriya, Kaito Ishikawa as Tenya.
• IMDb Ratings: 8.4/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 100%
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll

Hero academia is a brilliant anime series that shows how things are more than they appear. The story depicts the life of Izuku Midoriya, who possesses no such superhero powers as others.

He, however, gains the superheroic powers of All Might and believes that becoming the best can now be possible for him.

He gets admitted to the High Scholl for heroes, and from therein, his journey begins. There are several fighting scenes in this series, and it has been praised for providing a well-fabricated plot. If you are searching for a fighting anime, then this series is to be looked upon.

5. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

• Director: Naokatsu Tsuda and Kenichi Suzuki
• Writer: Hirohiko Araki
• Cast: Matthew Mercer as Jotaro Kujo, Daisuke Ono as Jotaro Kujo(later), Unsho Ishizuka as Joseph Joestar, Toru Ohkawa as the narrator, Fuminori Komatsu as Jean-Pierre Polnareff, Richard Epcar as Joseph Joestar, Philip Reich as Giorno Giovanna, Kensho Ono as Giorno Giovanna, Yuichi Nakamura as Bruno Bucciarati, Yuki Ono as JOsuke Higashikata, Kyle Hebert as Noriaki Kakyoin, Kellen Goff as Diavolo and many more.
• IMDb Rating:8.4/10
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Ratings: 87%
• Where to Watch: Netflix

Jojo’s bizarre adventure is the story of the Joestar family, who all combat against all evil forces. There is no such single protagonist in this series but are many. The entire family gets engaged in Fighting and has their respective role. It is one of the most iconic fighting anime ever made and makes the audience love it.

This is not only a popular fighting anime but also has a lot of adventures and subplots in it.

4. Gurren Lagann

• Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi
• Writer: Kazuki Nakashima
• Cast: Yuri Lowenthal as Simon, Sam Riegel as Viral, Johnny Yong Bosch as Rossiu, Karen Strassman as Kiyoh, Barbara Goodson Kunba, Steve Blum as Leeron Littner, Stephanie Sheh as Kinon, Marina Inoue as Yoko Littner, Kyle Hebert as Kamina, Jamieson Price as Spiral King, Michelle Ruff as Yoko Littner, Katsuyuki Konishi as Kamina, Christopher Corey Smith as Kittan and many more.
• IMDb Rating:8.3/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 100%
• Watch it on: Netflix

If you love fiction and want action in it, the Gurren Lagann is the best choice to watch. The background here is a fictional world governed by Lordgenome, the Spiral King. The protagonists of this series are Simon and Kamina, who, along with other humans, are forced to thrive in the underground village.

Their wish to come to the surface and their fighting spirit does let them combat with Lordgenome making it one of the best action scenes ever in an anime and is a must-watch.

Read More: The Best Anime Like One Punch Man

3. One Punch Man

• Director: Shingo Natsume for season 1 and Chikara Sakurai for season 2
• Writer: ONE
• Cast: Makoto Furukawa as Saitama, Max Mittelman as Saitama, Robbie Daymond as Mumen Rider, Kirk Thornton, Kaito Ishikawa as Genos, Zach Aguilar as Genos, Marc Diraison and more.
• IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 84%
• Where to Watch: Hulu, Netflix, Crunchyroll.

One-Punch Man, the name itself says there ought to be fight scenes in the series. The story of this series focuses upon a man named Saitama, an extraordinary person who does not even need a single fight to defeat his opponents but just one punch from him is enough.

This is one of the most popular fighting anime and has several fighting scenes, but his fight scene against Lord Orochi is best. Read More: The Best Anime Like One Punch Man

2. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood 

• Director: Yasuhiro Irie
• Writer: Hiroshi Onogi
• Cast: Vic Mignogna as Edward Elric, Maxey Whitehead as Alphonse Elric, Travis Willingham as Roy Mustang, John Swasey as Hohenheim, Collen Clinkenbeard as Riza Hawkeye, J. Michael Tatum as Scar, and many more.
• IMDb Rating: 9.1/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 100%
• Watch it on: Netflix, Hulu.

The story focuses upon the determination of two siblings, Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric, to bring back their mother, who died of a disease. The duo also follows their father’s footsteps and indulges in alchemy. They believe that with the power of alchemy, they will bring their mother back to life.

However, they failed to do what they aimed for during their actions and instead had to cope with several difficulties, one of them being Elric giving up his arm to make Alphonse’s soul stay in the physical world.

Like other fighting anime, this series also has several action scenes and is an excellent anime adaptation of the Full Metal Alchemist manga.

1. Attack on Titan 

• Director: Tetsuro Araki, Masaki Koizuka, Yuchiro Hayashi, and Jun Shishido.
• Writer: Hajime Isayama Voice
• Cast: Yuki Kaji as Eren Yeager, Yui Ishikawa as Mikasa, Marina Inoue as Armin Arlert, Hiroshi Kamiya as Levi, Kisho Taiyama as Jean Kirstein, and many more.
• IMDb Rating: 9/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 96%
• Watch it on: Netflix, Hulu, Funimation Now, Crunchyroll.

Attack on Titan is a great fighting anime and a top-rated anime series where you can witness great fights. The protagonist of this series is a young boy, Eren Jaeger, who vows to kill every Titan since they have been mass killing humans for a long time.

The most thrilling fighting scene here is the combat of Eren and Titan from Annie. There are other intense battles in Attack on Titan, so do watch it.

Conclusion:

Action series are intriguing to watch, especially when you love a character and want them to fight against all odds and evils. In the previous days, they were primarily satiric or adventurous. Still, with the passing days, many other genres are also included, and one of the most genres is an action or Fighting in an anime.

Anime is progressing day by day. Who will not want their superheroes to be the most powerful?

Be it physically or mentally. Heroes must excel in all the fields and be the best. Fighting anime is gradually getting all praise and notice and everyone is paying more attention to it nowadays than any other anime genre.