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Unlike usual shounen and action anime, martial arts anime have an emphasis on both dynamic movement and practicality. Most of the time, martial arts anime focuses on realistic fight sequences - making for some memorable encounters. However, just which are the best martial arts anime of all time?
Updated on July 13, 2022, by Rhenn Taguiam: With the likes of My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer providing recent examples of artful and fluid combat in anime, it makes sense for some players to wonder whether it’s possible to find anime that emphasizes the sheer thrill of dynamic martial arts. Thankfully for fans, anime such as Ninja Scroll, Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, and Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls are classic examples of timeless martial arts animations.
14 Ninja Scroll (1993)
Perhaps one of the most interesting martial arts anime of all time, Ninja Scroll from 1993 isn’t necessarily an anime series but is rather a film. Set in Feudal Japan, Ninja Scroll stars Kibagami Jubei, a ronin or a mercenary swordsman who has to fight a team of shinobi with supernatural powers. Jubei’s mission is to stop this team, called the Eight Devils of Kimon, who plan on overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate.
Jubei isn’t alone in his journey, as he’s accompanied by the kunoichi Kagero who has a body filled with toxins, and government spy Dakuan. Despite its age and prominence of supernatural abilities, Ninja Scroll highlights the quality of hand-drawn art and precise martial arts prominent in the 90s, boasting some of the most fluid animations out there.
13 Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (2005)
Another “ninja scrolls” themed martial arts anime comes in the form of Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls. Released in 2005, Basilisk is an adaptation of a 2003 manga, which is also an adaptation of a 1958 novel. The story takes place in 1614 when ninja clans Kouga and Iga fight each other to determine which grandson of Ieyasu Tokugawa has the right to become the next shogun.
This premise alone reeks of classic martial arts goodness, and much more thrilling is the idea that ten elite ninjas from each clan have to fight each other to the death. Compared to supernatural-focused Ninja Scroll, Basilisk has a particular emphasis on weapon combat and fluid bodywork that adds a different level of intensity to its ninja battles.
12 Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple (2012-2014)
Despite its nature as a comedy anime, Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is probably one of the most intense martial arts anime of all time. Originally released in 2006, the story focuses on high school student Kenichi Shirahama and his quest to learn martial arts to stop being bullied.
While a lot of its episodes contain hijinks and other shenanigans, Kenichi steadily improves on his performance as a martial artist with each passing day. Fans of the series eventually see his improvement from a fledgling warrior into a master across the anime’s 50 episodes, making his progress quite a delight to watch.
11 Sword Of The Stranger (2007)
Another martial arts anime that fans of fluid fighting must watch is definitely Sword Of The Stranger. Although an adventure film rather than an anime series, Sword Of The Stranger is quite a spectacular watch despite its 2007 release. Its story follows the young orphan Kotaro who finds himself being hunted down by swordsmen from the Ming Dynasty. However, things change in Kotaro’s favor when the ronin Nanashi starts protecting him.
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Unlike other martial arts anime and films of the time, Sword Of The Stranger boasts extremely fluid animation, with each sword strike and fancy footwork precise and properly planned. Instead of relying on flashy theatrics, Sword Of The Stranger manages to grab the attention of its viewers through cinematic-style fighting sequences.
10 Street Fighter II V (1995)
What better way to feel the sheer thrill of martial arts than to relish in one of the most acclaimed fighting games of all time? Street Fighter II V serves as a loose adaptation of the 1994 Super Street Fighter II Turbo game, and from the same director as Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Unlike the movie that followed the game’s plot closely, Street Fighter II V takes a more liberal approach to the game’s characters. As such, characters like Ryu and Ken, as well as their comrades and opponents, often have deviations in their intended backstories and personalities.
Regardless, Street Fighter II V has perhaps some of the best fighting scenes ever to grace anime. Aside from maintaining the same level of flow and choreography as with the popular animated film, Street Fighter II V finally manages to make fights last much longer given the episodic format.
9 Moribito: Guardian Of The Spirit (2007)
Hailing as the adaptation of the first of a 12-part novel series, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is every bit of fantasy one could imagine. Set in a fantasy version of Asia in historical times, Moribito explores the life of spear-toting Balsa and her service as the bodyguard of Prince Chagum. While eluding assassins that target the prince, Balsa and Chagum soon uncover mysteries of the Prince’s connection to the supernatural.
Aside from its fantasy roots, the Moribito animation does excel in both visual prowess and a keen eye for martial arts. With most warriors in the anime wielding spears, Balsa and her companions get to showcase different fighting styles - from swift spear-turning to hard thrusts - with realistic use of footwork and the environment. Fight scenes maintain a gripping atmosphere, especially as the series highlights the sheer flexibility of the spear as a weapon.
8 The God Of High School (2020)
Anime often shows brawls that happen in school, but The God Of High School has a world where it’s possible to become the best fighter across all of Korea’s high schools. In The God Of High School, high school student Mori Jin gets entangled in the mysterious The God of High School tournament, where he fights and eventually befriends Karate expert Daewi Han and epeeist prodigy Mira Yoo. As the Korea Team, they have to fight various other students across Korea using Borrowed Power, a mystical ability obtained from supernatural entities. And the prize of winning The God of High School is for any wish to be granted.
Aside from the crazy premise, The God Of High School is quite an interesting take on the traditional tournament format present in other martial arts anime. And with each protagonist and opponent boasting a unique fighting style, there are more than enough matches to entertain fans of different martial arts.
7 Hinomaru Sumo (2018)
While Japan is known for sumo, it’s perhaps only until Hinomaru Sumo that it had an actual series that dedicated its time to martial art. Originally a sports manga that ran from 2014 to 2019, Hinomaru Sumo stars Hinomaru Ushio as he becomes a member of Odachi High’s sumo club. Aside from his already short stature, Hinomaru aims to become the yokozuna - the sport’s highest rank - and eventually compete in sumo tournaments.
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Despite its short 24-episode run, Hinomaru Sumo is perhaps one of the most criminally under-watched sports anime in recent years. It’s only until Hinomaru Sumo that sumo viewers got a look at the tense atmosphere inside the ring, where each move has to be thought of, and where grapples and throws also seem to be heavily calculated.
6 Naruto (2002-2007)
While fans of Naruto would remember much of Naruto: Shippuden involving high-stakes, massively-empowered use of ninjutsu, it’s the original run of Naruto that heavily focused on one-on-one fights and tactical martial arts. To the uninitiated, Naruto chronicles the tale of Naruto Uzumaki, an outcast in the Hidden Leaf Village, and his quest to earn the respect and friendship of everyone in the village by being its leader, the Hokage.
Despite the presence of fantastical elements like chakra and ninjutsu, it’s Naruto that showcased the awesome blend of martial arts and special techniques such as using Shadow Clones to fight opponents, seeing through an enemy’s chakra points with the Byakugan, and even copying techniques outright with the Sharingan.
5 Kengan Ashura (2019)
Martial arts fans looking for a no-holds-barred fighting anime can look no further than Kengan Ashura to get their fair share of awesomeness. Set in the modern time, Kengan Ashura tells the story of Nogi Group salaryman Yamashita Kazuo as he’s roped into managing the affairs of Tokita “Ashura” Ohma, a fierce fighter. The pair are eventually invited to the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, where the winner gets a seat of power in the prestigious Kengan Association. Aside from having to tame Tokita Ohma, Kazuo will have to explore the nefarious nature of the Association and their true intentions of inviting Ohma to the tournament.
Now hasn’t been a better time to showcase brutal fistfights, especially with Kengan Ashura. The anime combines a mix of 2D art with stellar 3D graphics, depicting fights as though they’re high-quality video game cutscenes. This approach is made exceptionally awesome with the story’s inclusion of unique techniques from the fighters - from fierce punches to actual body transformations.
4 Afro Samurai (2007)
When it comes to the sheer awesomeness of martial arts, none could perhaps compare to the sense of style that comes from Afro Samurai. Popular first as a manga from 1998 to 2002, Afro Samurai got a 2007 anime adaptation that transformed the manga’s breathless fight scenes into unforgettable moments. Set in a feudalistic Japan in the near future, the titular Afro Samurai is on a relentless search for his father Rokutaro’s killer, named Justice.
Outside its straightforward premise, everything else about Afro Samurai revolves around the sheer beauty of swordsmanship, a hip soundtrack, and impressive visuals. Aside from the ambiance of the narrative and the setup for fights, combat itself is weaved beautifully with remarkable choreography, even for an older anime.
3 Hajime No Ippo (2000, 2009, 2013)
Granted, while boxing in itself is just as a sport as it is a martial art, anime fans can’t deny that Hajime No Ippo shows the potential of boxing to have captivating stories. With an ongoing manga that began as early as 1989, there are plenty of stories and matches for each anime adaptation to take inspiration from.
Starring Ippo Makunochi, Hajime No Ippo talks of Ippo’s journey into boxing as early as high school. Aside from Ippo’s sheer motivation being carried over from one fight to the next, martial arts will appreciate the sheer level of detail put in both fights and technical analyses.
Instead of strange techniques, Ippo and his rivals possess and acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses present in modern boxers today. For instance, Ippo is known for his destructive power, and a penchant to chase knockouts before the 9th Round. However, his lack of technical know-how in boxing techniques does consistently put him at a disadvantage.
2 Grappler Baki (2001, 2018, 2021)
What better way to indulge in martial arts than in Grappler Baki, where fights are all-stakes, with no rules, and sometimes to-the-death. Thanks to an ongoing manga series since 1991, Keisuke Itagaki’s story has quite a lot of segments from which its many anime adaptations can indulge in. And regardless of the starting point, the premise remains the same: Baki Hanma slowly grows out of traditional martial arts to learn ruthless techniques, all in the name of defeating - and even killing - his father.
After suffering a harsh defeat from his father, Baki has resorted to traveling the world and joining various underground tournaments to hone his skills. Unlike other martial arts anime, Grappler Baki just allures the action fan with its pure and brutal take on combat - featuring a mixture of realistic martial arts with equally-fantastical techniques, durabilities, and body compositions. Nothing gets close to Grappler Baki in terms of rawness in martial arts.
1 Fist Of The North Star (1984-1988)
Perhaps nothing truly beats a classic like Fist Of The North Star. Adapted from the 1983 manga from Buronson, Fist Of The North Star follows the life of Kenshiro as he travels the world in the 1990s just after a nuclear war. Armed with the assassination arts of the Hokuto Shinken, Kenshiro leaves his peaceful life to once again walk the path of violence in order to save his fiancee, Yuria.
Despite its age, Fist Of The North Star doesn’t fail to get the allure of audiences on the get-go. Its mixture of martial arts and special techniques on a backdrop of a post-apocalyptic Western has an appeal that transcends age. Not to mention, it’s always satisfying to see Kenshiro whip out a technique from the Hokuto Shinken - particularly his 3-second killing move Gekitsui Shi, which spawned the popular meme “Omae wa mou shindeiru” (You are already dead).
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