Top 10 Anime Fights of 2015

Top 10 Anime Fights of 2015

Written by: ClayDragon & Shiggins

Fighting has become somewhat of a staple for anime shows, to the point where even non-shonen series tend to have at least one brawl in there somewhere. Some people may claim to be above such base forms of entertainment, but when you get right down to it everyone likes to see someone get punched in the face, and 2015’s anime had plenty of that to go around.

Side note: Whilst we made an effort to watch lots of shows that started airing this year, we couldn’t see them all. So if there’s a fight that you think should be on this list but isn’t, then it’s probably because we never got around to watching it, as opposed to us not liking it.

As is this the case with many of these lists, SPOILER ALERT. You have been warned.

10.)        Hotaru vs Fujimoto (Aoharu x Kikanjuu) (Written by: Shiggins)

It's time to man up and sack up! This isn't just any war or silly spat with those soldiers. This is real battle. THIS IS PAINTBALL! The sport of champions! There isn't a human alive who can truly escape the badassery that is paintball! You think you're safe? You think you're cool for not taking part in it? Well, screw you! You don't even know what paintball is! And as this battle from Aoharu x Kikanjuu proves, you could never survive it! You gutless crapload of failure!

Truly a glorious battle between a great man and an astounding trap.

Hotaru Tachibana; newest member of Team Toy Gun Gun, vs Takatora Fujimoto; the long-running member of Hoshishiro. Together, they will carve out a battle for the ages. They are fighting for their teammates and the will of the sport, determined to bring honour to their comrades and play by the rules of paintball! Do you understand? Whether you use a simple pistol, or in Takatora's case a giant minigun, you fight for victory and glory! These two may be on opposite sides, but there is respect!

...YOU HAVE LOST ALL RESPECT!

These two fight it out, one of them ignoring the man-love he feels for his leader, because there is no time for romance during the occasion that is commonly known by the masses as ”battle”! Hotaru may make some mistakes, and Takatora may be a blubbering manchild when it comes to his emotions, but you can be DAMN sure that this ending will actually surprise you and your feeble brain. Seriously, the ending is surprising. And in the end, that is what makes this... PAINTBALL.

9.)           Goku vs Beerus (Dragon Ball Super) (Written by: Shiggins)

No, not THAT one. And no, not that one either. I'm talking about the second time Goku fought Beerus, but the 4^th time we've seen it. Confused? Allow me to explain. Beerus kicked Goku's ass easily in the film. Then Goku became Super Saiyan God and fought Beerus. Then Super was released and Goku got his ass kicked by Beerus easily. THEN we come to the fight I am talking about. When Super Saiyan God Goku fights Beerus but NOT the first time we've seen it and... ah, confusion!

Gotta go fast!

To be honest, the fight is a bit too long. You can easily make the argument though that this is to make it feel more like the original Dragon Ball Z series, as they had fight scenes last for Beerus knows how long! I shouldn't even have to mention the insane length of Frieza's final battle against Goku, because that's just disturbingly long. Luckily, the nostalgic feel of Dragon Ball managed to shine through perfectly, even if some fans were unable to stop bitching about every tiny detail throughout.

OH GOD NO! NOT THAT! NEVER THAT!

If Beerus has been a boring run-of-the-mill villain like say, every single goddamn character in GT, this fight would have been enormously dull. Luckily, Beerus has enough charm, sophistication, childish outrage and an adequate competitive streak to keep this from being the case. He's sometimes funny, he's sometimes serious, but he's always great. And his fighting style against Goku's is fast and explosive, with just as many ridiculous stunts as the movie has. If not more.

8.)           Bell vs Minotaur (Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?) (Written by:                               ClayDragon)

RPGs always have that one boss, an enemy so overpowered that they can destroy you without batting an eye. For Bell Cranel, whose entire life is pretty much an RPG, this boss came in the form of a gigantic sword-wielding minotaur. Despite the fact that minotaurs shouldn’t show up on easier levels of the dungeon, Bell found himself and his companion Lilli under attack. After telling Lilli to run away, Bell decides to fight the monster to buy her enough time to escape.

Sure is lucky that none of the blood got in his eyes.

However, Bell ends up with him arm impaled by the minotaur’s horn, and even though his friend/mentor Aiz tries to save him, he demands to fight it one-on-one. Although he’s at a huge disadvantage, Bell manages to disarm his opponent and use its own sword against it, opening up a gaping wound in its chest. After getting right up against the minotaur, Bell finally kills it by shooting multiple fireballs directly into the wound, causing the beast to swell up and explode.

Credit where credit's due - I'd be dead in seconds if that were me.

This was really the stand-out fight of Dungeon. It’s fast, fluid, and the sheer fact that Bell is able to win despite the huge difference in strength is frankly amazing. His sheer determination to not be saved by Aiz again is what motivates him to keep getting back up, and seeing him finally cause his opponent to go up in flames is immensely satisfying to watch.  

7.)           Nagisa vs Takaoka (Round 2) (Assassination Classroom) (Written by: Shiggins)

I'm weirdly in love with Nagisa, to the point where I don't like to watch Assassination Classroom's last episode with company. I need to be alone when Nagisa does that beautifully sadistic smile, as he goes up against his former opponent for the second and final round. It's so... titillating. To see such an arrogant toolbag get taken down by someone so cute in such a cruel way... I think I need to lie down.

Yum...

That's it, Nagisa! He's the asshole who poisoned your friends and he has the only cure. You're going to take him down, using everything you can. You defeated him once in a more controlled environment, so you know you have the power. You can control anyone. Just be cool. Just be calm. Be mine! I mean uh... Be the assassin! Takaoka may have some skills and training, but you were born to kill!

"If you're a sexy killer and you know it, clap your hands until his brain explodes!"

Ok, so he doesn't actually kill Takaoka but he does leave that dude crying. If I told you Nagisa won this battle with the power of a simple clap, you'd call me mad! A fool, you'd say! Why, he's clearly just gay for Nagisa! Well, I'm not... Shut up! He does, and he makes Takaoka foam at the mouth in misery because of it. It's great, and if a grown-ass man crying his eyes out because a teenager fucked him up forever isn't a salacious way to end a season of anime, then I don't know what is!

6.)           Yato vs Bishamon (Noragami Aragoto) (Written by: ClayDragon)

In Noragami, it was obvious that Yato and Bishamon had some history together. Bishamon held a huge grudge towards Yato, to the point where she repeatedly tried to kill him if she so much as saw him. But we never found out why she hated him so much until it was explained in the second season. After being blighted by Kugaha, her doctor, Bishamon goes on a rampage against Yato, who was lead to believe that she had kidnapped Hiyori. Bishamon’s already fragile mental state was made worse by the fact that a lot of her Shinki were being murdered by Kugaha’s phantoms, and seeing her old enemy caused her to snap.

Gonna need more than a plaster to heal that up.

Despite not being in the best frame of mind, Bishamon manages to put up a hell of a fight against Yato, and is only prevented from killing him by Yukine sacrificing himself for him. Thankfully this causes Yukine to gain a more powerful form instead of dying, and the fight continues until Kazuma finally tells Bishamon the whole story behind her history with Yato, and the battle ends with her crying in Kazuma’s arms.

Don't worry, at least the ones whose names we knew survived.

This was one of Noragami’s best fights, hands down. It was emotional, it revealed a lot of information regarding Yato and Bishamon’s past, and Yukine’s sacrifice was done perfectly. The fact that neither combatants were really in the wrong made this fight a bit more morally ambiguous, and seeing the two main gods of the series battle it out was certainly a sight to behold.

5.)           Meliodas vs Hendrickson (Nanatsu no Taizai) (Written by: Shiggins)

It feels a bit unfair to claim Meliodas is the only one to fight Hendrickson, but it sounds better than saying “fuck ton of weirdly-coloured knights and a bunch of criminals vs a guy who used to be the leader of knights but now looks like the offspring of Satan and a muppet”. Although, not by much... At any rate, this is the final climatic showdown of Nanatsu no Taizai, which I mentioned before in our Best Moments of 2015 list. 

Why am I getting Raditz flashbacks?

Hendrickson transforms quite a few times during this battle, but that's only part of the intrigue. He drinks the blood of demons to get stronger, he converts all his own minions into demonic monsters and he even... KILLS THE MASCOT! Yes, Hendrickson breaks one of the holy rules of the Anime Bible, because he is that awesomely evil!

Hmm... I wonder why this image never made it into the anime...

Everybody gets a turn with taking on Hendrickson, and everyone helps out with the final blow by building up Meliodas' own portrayal of the Spirit Bomb; The Revenge Counter. I'd probably say my favourite little moment that isn't the Revenge Counter is when Ban gets a shot at Hendrickson's second form, but that's a personal preference. See, I have good taste. And I know many don't, hence why they aren't in love with that scene.

4.)           Klaus vs Don Arlelelle Eruca Fulgrouche (Blood Blockade Battlefront) (Written by:                           ClayDragon)

Chess is complicated. There are massive books and multi-layered strategies telling you how to win. But chess is not enough for the inhabitants of Hellsalem’s Lot, and another game called Prosfair is played instead. Prosfair gets exponentially more difficult the longer the game lasts, with extra boards coming into play after a set amount of time. It becomes so complex that players are in danger of becoming physically injured.

From a simple board like this...

Trying to gain information about a new drug on the streets, Klaus challenges one of his contact to a game of Prosfair, with the information at stake. However, instead of his victory being dependant on him actually winning, Arlellele promises to give Klaus the information (and spare another of Klaus’ contacts) if he can survive playing Prosfair for 99 hours straight. Klaus rises to the challenge magnificently, and despite ending up with blood flowing from his nose, he succeeds – all whilst giving a speech about how he loves humanity.

...to...whatever the hell this is...

Okay, this one is bending the rules a little bit since it isn’t actually a physical battle, but we couldn’t not put it in. It was a wonderful way to establish Klaus as a character, the animation perfectly showcases how Prosfair develops over time, and Ode to Joy even starts playing as the match reaches its climax! Blood Blockade Battlefront puts its unique spin on everything, and chess is no exception.

3.)           Wendy vs Ezel (Fairy Tail) (Written by: ClayDragon)

Sometimes, character development can be so subtle that you never really notice it until it’s pointed out to you. This fight was the point at which Wendy fully outgrew her status as the tagalong kid and became a proper badass. In an attempt to stop the Face bomb from removing all magic from the country, Wendy and Carla plan on destroying it before it detonates. However, Ezel manages to intercept them and, after knocking Wendy away from the bomb, threatens to eat Carla alive right in front of her.

Well, the good news is you won't be disappointed for much longer.

As it turns out, this was a bad move. Wendy absorbs the high concentration of ethernano from the surrounding area and activates Dragon Force, giving her the power she needs to properly fight Ezel. And fight she does. Face’s constant countdown gave this fight a real sense of urgency, and seeing Wendy get properly serious and take out an enemy this strong was simply amazing to watch.

Lesson learned: Do not try and eat Carla.

Granted, this fight might not be flashy or have any unique twists, but it’s so high on this list because of the focus on Wendy’s character development. Going from a scared, clumsy little girl into a bona fide, ass-kicking Dragon Slayer is no mean feat, and most viewers probably didn’t notice such a change had even occurred until this awesome fight shoved it in their faces.

2.)           Digidestined vs Alphamon (Digimon Adventure tri.) (Written by: ClayDragon)

When Digimon Adventure tri was first announced, many people were curious as to who the main villain would be. And whilst we may not have a definitive answer yet, Alphamon seems to be playing the role for the moment. I mean, the guy’s first appearance involved him utterly annihilating the cast of Digimon Adventure 02, so he’s obviously a) evil, and b) insanely powerful. However, we never saw him until a hole between the Digiworld and the real world opening in a shopping centre, and he stepped out in all his glory.

It was nice of them to fight in a deserted wasteland.

Despite their best efforts, the original Digidestined get tossed around like rag dolls, and it takes Tai and Matt teaming up again and DNA digivolving their partners into Omnimon before the tide starts to turn in their favour. Even though Alphamon never speaks, the sheer fact that he has to bring out his actual weapon speaks volumes about how powerful Omnimon is. Sadly, Alphamon retreats fairly quickly, but the fight we got was absolutely amazing.

Yes, I know I used this gif in the last Top 10, but that doesn't make it any less relevant.

Sure, it’s probably the nostalgia speaking, but seeing Omnimon fight with such beautiful animation was a wonderful sight. Hell, even seeing the other partner Digimon get so easily defeated was interesting, since it showed just how powerful their new opponent was. And given that this was only the first fight of the series, I can’t wait to see what happens next.

1.)           Saitama vs Boros (One Punch Man) (Written by: Shiggins)

Must... Stop... Praising... One Punch Man! I am a writer who loves strategy and development and unpredictable endings! This goes against every fibre of my being to love scenes in this! Why couldn't Toei Animation pick these guys up? It'd be so much easier to handle because then this intense showdown would look okay at best! It wouldn't look and feel SO GODDAMN BREATHTAKING!

Cool guys don't look at explosions, but awesome guys never look at their victims.

What else can I say about this fight that you don't already know? Even if you haven't seen it, the sheer awesome impact from the final punch was enough to make your body shiver like a fish on dry land. It resonated down your spine, and made you... tingle! YES! That tingle was Saitama's Serious Punch, which breaks the sky!

Pretty much the face I had when I realised I like this series...except give me a mouth. And no other changes are needed.

Sometimes, a fight is great because of how the emotions run deep and personal, such as the final battle between Naruto and Sasuke. Sometimes, a fight is great because it involves genius planning and processing, like all those times Light fought against L in Death Note. The rest of the time, a fight is great because it looks good, sounds good and moves good. One Punch Man's final battle may seem basic on paper, but when the characters move, the music plays hard, and you all watch in awe at the amazing graphics, you will call it anything but “basic”. Boros is an adrenaline-pumping wonder, and that is why his battle makes it to the top of our list.

Honourable Mentions:

Tsugumi vs Paula (Nisekoi:)

Decim vs Ginti (Death Parade)

Shizuo vs Egor (Durarara x2)

Is there a fight you feel we missed out? Or do you have any suggestions for another Top 10 list? Let us know in the comments below!

Seriously, go watch this fight right now.

Thanks for reading!

ClayDragon:









ClayDragon is currently studying Physics at university, and is constantly bewildered by it. The main method of contacting him is his Gmail account at claydragon.on@gmail.com. He has an ask.fm account at ask.fm/ClayDragon. When not playing games or reading, he can be found with his head in his hands whilst trying in vain to understand quantum physics. Happy New Year!

Shiggins:[Admin]   .

Shiggins enjoys many strange forms of communication, especially those including cosplayers or presents or videos. However, until that wonderful day comes when people care enough to give him things for being him, you can contact him on his Skype; shigginsishere. He can also respond to you if you contact him through GMails at shigginsishere@gmail.com, and you can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere.