Best Action Anime

Action shonen anime are extremely popular, with series like Naruto and My Hero Academia having huge fanbases. Even non-anime fans probably know about those two shows. As action-packed as they are, the episodes also come with plenty of character development and slow periods, which may not gel well with every anime fan out there. These moments may be important to add more depth to the personalities on the show or explain certain powerups and how they come into existence, but it comes at the cost of the viewer possibly losing attention and moving on to another show.

As a result, some viewers may want to skip ahead to the action and don’t care as much about intricate plot lines. If that is the case, many shows offer more distilled experiences. It’s hard to get completely away from downtime, but the best action anime come pretty close, with their fight scenes being full to the brim with high stakes, fun powerups, amazing twists, and everything else along the same lines.

Updated October 20, 2024 by Mark Sammut: A new season always brings with it renewed hope and excitement, and Fall 2024 has (so far) met those lofty expectations. The lineup is packed with action, but which shows stand out from the crowd?

Shows like
Dragon Ball Z
,
Naruto
, and
One Piece
have been left out since they can have long stretches of non-action between battles. That said, they all have many great action sequences, particularly the former two.

Best Fall 2024 Action Anime

• 	Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War	Shangri-La Frontier	Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online	Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms (2024)
  Release Date	2022-10-11	2023-10-01	2018-04-08
  Studio	Pierrot	C2C
  Creator	Tite Kubo	Katarina
  Streaming Service(s)	Hulu	Crunchyroll
  MyAnimeList Score	9 (The Conflict)	8.14 (Season 2)

Fall 2024 is roughly halfway done, and things have shaken up nicely so far. While plenty of episodes still have to air, Fall is well on track to be the year’s best and most complete season. Except for a few niche categories like boys love and reverse harem, the lineup has most genres covered to an extent, with even rarities like horror getting a single decent episode.

To be a success, a season needs to have a couple of great action anime. It is simply required, and Fall 2024 is shaping up to be better than most. Even comedies like Dandadan and Ranma ½ have produced their share of incredible fights, and the same can be said for fantasy or adventure stories like Dragon Ball Daima, Demon Lord 2099, Re:Zero, and DanMachi. Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Disturbance is also great, but the story is currently building towards an explosion rather than depicting constant battles.

What are the season’s best action anime?

• Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict – Might as well start with the most obvious one. Bleach will probably go down as the best action anime of 2024, at least when it comes to fights. While not as relentless as Part 1, The Conflict‘s first few episodes contained top-notch action; more importantly, the season’s final third should be exhilarating.
• Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 – Returning to the god-tier game, Shangri-La Frontier is simply a joy to watch, with each episode typically having a good-to-great fight along with plenty of laughs. Even though the “just playing a game” premise means there are no real stakes, it also sets the stage to allow the protagonist to taste regular defeat. Consequently, each battle has an element of unpredictability that is absent from most battle shonen series.
• Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online 2 – Speaking of “just playing a game,” SAO Alternative is kind of unlucky to be airing alongside Shangri-La Frontier. This series does not do anything better than its contemporary, but that does not mean it is bad either. Gun Gale Online 2 is perfectly enjoyable as a piece of fluff, and this season has been pretty much non-stop action after the first episode.
• Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms – A lesser-known series compared to the others, this sci-fi anime tells a fine but unspectacular story featuring alien mecha that fuse with humans. Even if the plot is nothing special, Mecha-Ude goes surprisingly hard in the action department, delivering some of the most entertaining fights of the season.

Now, here are the best action anime that are not currently airing new episodes…

Baki Hanma

MyAnimeList Score: 7.66/10

A martial arts anime with some brutal fights, Netflix’s Baki and Baki Hanma are both brilliant action shows that focus on the battles of the titular character in an underground fighting arena full of savage combat that tests the fighter’s limits, and then some.

This ends up being perfect for Baki, who decides to hone his skills in this ruthless place to get revenge on his father. The show has some great animation, with the battles being a treat in every way. It helps that there are more than enough fights to carry the anime with ease!

Kengan Ashura

MyAnimeList Score: 7.44/10 (Season 1)

Kengan Ashura is a series that may seem a lot like Baki, and there definitely are some similarities to be pointed out here. However, Kengan Ashura still has some differences that make it worth checking out for fans of mature anime with more reasonable fighting techniques.

Tokita Ohma is the protagonist of the series, fighting on behalf of a businessman in an underground gladiator arena. The premise may sound rather cliched, but Kengan Ashura‘s bombastic action and brilliant pacing help it stand out as a quality shonen series. While most action anime have the occasional downtime, Kengan Ashura is largely an exception that focuses exclusively on fights, albeit presented in a way that makes them feel important.

Demon Slayer

MyAnimeList Score: 8.49/10

Demon Slayer is a series that admittedly starts off rather slow, with Tanjiro barely knowing how to swing a blade when his family is completely and utterly killed off by Muzan, with Nezuko turning into a demon in the process. It takes him a while to learn the basics, but Tanjiro quickly gets thrown into the action after learning the basics of Water Breathing and becoming a powerful swordsman in combat.

What follows is a series of battles against powerful demons, with minor moments of respite in between. There are many reasons why Demon Slayer has become such a popular show, and the amazing animation during its many awe-inspiring battle scenes is one of the main reasons why.

Jujutsu Kaisen

MyAnimeList Score: 8.63/10

Another anime that has become all the rage in modern times is Jujutsu Kaisen, with the story of Yuji Itadori and his twisted relationship with Ryomen Sukuna being quite fascinating to watch. The use of cursed energy in this series to fuel attacks and develop unique powers makes for a great time, with the show becoming a massive hit around the globe for its unique use of these powerups.

Jujutsu Kaisen‘s unique blend of humor, action, and horror makes its scenes pop out quite a bit, and the series doesn’t shy away from relentlessly showing several action set pieces that are a blast to witness in every way. It helps that the characters are all pretty unique and engaging in their own way, making it easy to see why fans are finding the wait for the next season to be positively agonizing.

Tokyo Ghoul

MyAnimeList Score: 7.79/10

Tokyo Ghoul is one of the biggest what-ifs in anime history, which is a shame given the immense quality of its first season. Barring an original ending, the show was pretty faithful to the manga and did a great job of adapting the gory action that fans of the series are intimately familiar with.

However, later seasons were a royal disappointment that rushed throughout the manga’s chapters, focusing mostly on the action and even switching up the narrative, which is a cardinal sin for any anime. That being said, there’s no denying that the animation was still brilliant during these battles, with Kaneki’s evolved powers looking mesmerizing at times.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

MyAnimeList Score: 7.89/10

Best believe that an anime based on a fighting game has countless action sequences and is far from the standard issue combat; this is JoJo’s Bizarre Universe, after all! With five seasons to choose from, each unique arc focuses on a different aspect of the Joestar Clan as they master their Stand abilities and artfully eliminate the enemy while attempting to lift the family’s curse.

The most recent addition to this franchise is Stone Ocean, which follows Jotaro’s daughter, Jolyne Cujoh, as she navigates through the prison system while a mysterious mastermind tries his hand at playing God. The fact that the girls take the lead this time around does little to dampen the bloodshed and instead offers back-to-back battles as Joylne and her crew fight for their lives.

Chainsaw Man

MyAnimeList Score: 8.54/10

Denji took the world by storm after he merged his dying form with an adorably demonic dog and received bonus chainsaw accessories and a new purpose in life as a result. There are no holds barred depicting how much damage Denji’s hardware can inflict, and amazingly, he’s not even the strongest guy around!

The ladies are a force of nature in their own right and dominate on the battlefield with their hardcore assaults (and refusing to allow the ecchi factor to deprive of the fight scenes’ quality). Funny, ferocious, and surprisingly sentimental, Chainsaw Man ticks all the boxes for most anime fans out there.

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War

MyAnimeList Score: 9.04/10

While the older seasons of Bleach often get bogged down with torturous filler episodes, the Thousand Year Blood War has caught up with the times and subsequently jammed exciting action scenes into each episode (so far.) Chaos reigns upon Ichigo and his friends from the very beginning, and they barely get a moment to catch their breath as humans, Soul Reapers, and Hollows team up against an all-new foe (or rather, a really old one!)

Set not long after the Arrancar Arc (approximately 1.5 years), both Sereitei and Hueco Mundo are in desperate need of the Substitute Soul Reaper’s assistance, and the team is spread thin as the believed-to-be-dead Quincy attack on all fronts. The Shinigami find themselves helpless for the first time, and the Espada are desperately missing their Queen; meanwhile, the fate of the Universe lies in the balance.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

MyAnimeList Score: 8.60/10

If Cyberpunk: Edgerunner’s artwork doesn’t captivate viewers, then the jaw-dropping battle mechanics will; this RPG-inspired show blows the term ‘cyborg’ right out of the water! While genetic enhancements are the norm in the dystopian Night City, some extremists take things to the next level, turning themselves into deadly machines (while putting their own lives on the line in the process.)

Battling the internal demons of Cyberpsychosis while struggling to survive against the nefarious forces of Arasaka and Millitech is guaranteed to keep anyone on their toes. The veterans may have some experience in the matter, but does a novice like young David have what it takes to live another day?

My Hero Academia

MyAnimeList Score: 7.88/10

Training to become a Hero without possessing natural-born superpowers is a tall task indeed, but Izuku Midoriya’s determination can overcome any obstacle. The Villains, however, are discontent with the distribution of power in society and wish to dethrone the false Heroes, while the UA students somehow end up entangled in their schemes at every turn.

There are a few brief moments of inactivity sprinkled through My Hero Academia’s timeline where things are toned down; however, the show is predominantly a classic battle shonen, and action is always around the corner. The first cour of Season 6, in particular, dishes out a consistent supply of combat and intrigue. Awesome worldbuilding combined with captivating Quirks and a debatable moral code (for Heroes and Villains) provides enough suspense to keep viewers glued to the edge of their seats.

Kaiju No. 8

MyAnimeList: 8.33

While great from the start, Kaiju No. 8 does not initially seem like a non-stop action fest. The first few episodes have bursts of mayhem, but they are short and explosive rather than extensive; however, once the protagonist joins the Defense Force, the anime’s pacing picks up considerable steam. Since then, nearly every episode has revolved around the heroes taking on invading kaiju threats, and they usually have to deal with armies rather than one colossal target.

Production I.G has generally handled the action sequences well, highlighting the kaiju’s scale while also emphasizing the human forces’ unique skills, teamwork, and tactical intelligence. While perhaps not as visually exciting as Demon Slayer or My Hero Academia at their peak, Kaiju No. 8 has arguably been better than either of those shows’ current seasons (which have been good, just to be clear).

Attack On Titan

MyAnimeList Score: 8.54/10

Attack on Titan should need no introduction. It’s about the last remnants of humanity holding out in various walled cities, safe from the terror of giant human-like monsters known as Titans. That is until the peace is disturbed when the Colossal and Armored Titan make a resounding appearance that completely changes Eren’s life for good.

There is some political intrigue and quieter moments, especially in seasons 2 and 4, in between the heart-pounding action, but more often than not, every episode is a thrill ride. No one is safe — even characters that seem like a big deal. It’s the intense nature of the action coupled with the hopeless nature of the world that makes Attack on Titan such a brilliant show.

Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress

MyAnimeList Score: 7.27/10

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress was actually directed by the same man behind a majority of Attack on Titan, Tetsuro Araki. It has a similar concept in that humanity is on the brink of extinction. The big differences are that zombies (called Kabane) are killing people, and the setting is in a steampunk version of samurai-era Japan.

The anime is very short, but there is a sequel movie as well that is worth checking out. The anime delivers near-constant action that is well-animated. As soon as viewers are able to get past the AoT similarities and take a moment to appreciate the gruesome, twisted content before them, jam-packed with intricately detailed and beautifully choreographed confrontations, they will understand what makes Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress so epic!

Kill La Kill

MyAnimeList Score: 8.04/10

Kill la Kill was the premiere anime for Studio Trigger, and they hit it out of the park. The plot follows Ryuko, a girl who is looking for her father’s killer. The city she travels to operates on a class system which she is also trying to bring down with her iconic scissor blade.

Ryuko also has a talking outfit that boosts her strength; unfortunately, the enemy students also have their own useful clothes in the form of the Goku Uniforms. The animation is without rivals, which makes the action an absolute treat to watch.

Solo Leveling

MyAnimeList Score: 8.29/10

Solo Leveling can be polarizing, and that extends to both the influential manhwa and A-1’s anime adaptation. On the one hand, the story starts strong but eventually settles into a predictable routine that can gradually lose tension due to Sung Jin-Woo’s never-ending march toward overwhelming power. After a while, Solo Leveling begins to seem like it has nothing to offer beyond fights, which can be disappointing since the world-building itself is not too bad.

All that being said, Solo Leveling‘s action is incredible. Even putting aside stuff like narrative stakes, these sequences are impressive simply on a technical level. A-1 clearly understood the manhwa’s main appeal and ensured that, if nothing else, every battle was a spectacle, delivering top-notch animation alongside great creature designs. Considering so many modern anime have to rely on noticeable CGI during their “big” fights, Solo Leveling‘s consistent and smooth animation is a cut above the rest.

Hellsing & Hellsing Ultimate

MyAnimeList Score: 7.49 (Hellsing), 8.35/10 (Hellsing Ultimate)

Hellsing has two anime adaptations from the manga. The first veered off course heavily but is still worth a watch just for the music alone. The reboot, Hellsing Ultimate, follows the manga closer and is considered the better of the two iterations. Both anime have a ton of action in them and are relatively short.

On the downside, the character development leaves a lot to be desired in this bloody vampire festival of gore and sarcasm. Hellsing Ultimate is perfect for the hungry action fans out there who want over-the-top characters, vicious action, and great animation.

One-Punch Man

MyAnimeList Score: 8.50/10

One-Punch Man is like a parody of superhero shows. The main character, Saitama, trained “super hard,” and now he can defeat any enemy with a single punch. His appearance looks silly, so people don’t take him seriously, a mistake many villains come to regret.

The comedy comes into play best when villains monologue about how strong they are, only to be defeated with barely a tap from Saitama. It’s a great takedown of the genre but also has some exciting fights with other characters.

The God Of High School

MyAnimeList Score: 7.07/10

The God of High School is a tournament show that has everyone signing up to win big. There’s more to the anime than just nonsensical brawling, but most episodes have a lot of combat in them. It looks great too.

This show is based on a South Korean manhwa by Yongje Park, which released its third volume early this year. While not Japanese in origin, The God of High School still looks the part and is epic all the same for those really craving some well-choreographed fist-to-fist action.

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex

MyAnimeList Score: 8.42/10

Ghost in the Shell started off as a manga but became more famous after its anime adaptation came out in 1995. The movie still looks great and has some amazing action, ideas, and music; however, it doesn’t have the time to explore the characters in a significant way.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which consists of two full-length seasons and a movie, manages to strike a better balance. Characters seem more human, especially the Major, who doesn’t come off as a total robot. Don’t worry, as there is still plenty of cool cyberpunk action.