10 Best Martial Arts Anime You Need to Watch

Some martial arts anime
Some martial arts anime (Image Credit: Larx Entertainment, Studio Madhouse, and TMS Entertainment)

Martial arts anime is an all-in-one combination of thrilling action, strong characters, and inspiring growth! This genre highlights what it means to train hard, face challenges, and grow stronger over time. Whether serious or humorous, each one gives fans exciting fights and powerful lessons.

If you enjoy anime filled with skill, spirit, and heart, these are ten martial arts anime you should not miss.


List of Martial Arts anime

1. Ranma ½

Ranma ½ (Image Credit: Studio Deen)
Ranma ½ (Image Credit: Studio Deen)

The story follows Ranma, a teenage martial artist. While training with his father in China, Ranma falls into a magical spring. Because of this, when hit with cold water, he changes into a girl. Hot water changes him back into a boy. He trains in the Saotome “Anything-Goes” school of martial arts, facing strange rivals and crazy situations.

This martial arts anime mixes wild fights with comedy. Though the story is silly at times, it also shows the effort behind martial arts. It gets more awkward when Ranma discovers that he’s been pledged in marriage to one of the Tendo sisters.

He gets engaged to Akane, a strong martial artist who hates boys. The anime blends action and fun and is a fine choice for fans who want comedy paired with martial arts.


2. History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi

History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi (Image Credit: TMS Entertainment)
History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi (Image Credit: TMS Entertainment)

This martial arts anime is about Kenichi, a weak, timid boy who is tired of getting bullied and wants to be stronger. He reads many self-help books but has trouble standing up for himself.

Then one day, he encounters a student named Miu, who is soon revealed to be strong as well as kind. After observing her fend off some thugs, Kenichi begs her to teach him martial arts. She sends him to Ryouzanpaku, a dojo full of powerful and unusual masters.

After joining the dojo, he begins to train under powerful masters, learning many fighting styles. Kenichi may not be naturally strong, but he puts in consistent effort and always keeps trying. The anime features thrilling battles and imparts important lessons about believing in yourself and advocating for what is just.


3. Fist of the North Star

Fist of the North Star (Image Credit: Toei Animation)
Fist of the North Star (Image Credit: Toei Animation)

In this classic martial arts anime, we are taken to a post-apocalyptic world where only the strong can even hope to survive. Kenshiro is strong and calm. He travels through a destroyed world to rescue his fiancée, Yuria, who is taken by his jealous enemy, Shin. On the way, he uses a powerful fighting style called Hokuto Shinken to stop enemies and protect people.

With one hit, he can make his enemies explode from the inside. His skills make him famous, drawing the attention of even stronger enemies. As the level of danger increases, Kenshiro becomes a symbol of hope. He fights not only for love but also to bring peace to a violent and broken world.

The show is packed with plenty of action and dramatic moments. Kenshiro is gentle and calm, but also powerful. This anime is full of action and emotion, highlighting the importance of justice and helping the weak.


4. Hajime no Ippo

Hajime no Ippo (Image Credit: Studio Madhouse)
Hajime no Ippo (Image Credit: Studio Madhouse)

This is an anime about boxing and growing up. Ippo Makunouchi is a quiet and kind high school boy with a simple life. One day, a boxer named Takamura saves him and takes him to a boxing gym. They realize that Ippo has incredibly destructive punches as a result of working with his body through hard labor.

Trained and coached by the loyal Genji Kamogawa, Ippo starts his new life as a boxer. As he grows stronger, he discovers hard work, friendship, and self-belief. He faces strong rivals and learns to believe in himself as he fights his way to the top.

The matches are full of emotion, and every fight is a big step in his journey. The anime mixes intense training with significant character moments. It depicts that true strength comes from inside and that martial arts can help you find your place in the world.


5. Kengan Ashura

Kengan Ashura (Image Credit: Larx Entertainment)
Kengan Ashura (Image Credit: Larx Entertainment)

This brutal martial arts anime is about secret underground fights where business deals are settled through combat. Fighters represent big companies, and only the strongest survive.

The main character, Tokita Ohma, is a skilled warrior who enters these deadly matches. He wants to become the strongest of all. He is chosen to represent the Nogi Group, and a quiet office worker named Kazuo Yamashita is made his manager. Together, they enter the dangerous world of the Kengan Association.

The anime features many martial arts styles, each with its own unique techniques. The animation is fast and powerful, with bone-crunching battles in every episode. And the most interesting thing about the battles is that anything goes.


6. Baki

Baki (Image Credit: TMS Entertainment)
Baki (Image Credit: TMS Entertainment)

This martial arts anime follows Baki Hanma, a teen who wants to become stronger than his father, the world’s most powerful fighter. To do this, he fights dangerous warriors from all over the world. After winning a deadly underground tournament, Baki continues training to defeat his father, Yuujirou Hanma, the world’s strongest man.

But peace doesn’t last long. Five deadly criminals escape from prison across the globe. Each one is a skilled fighter, and all of them head to Tokyo for the same reason—they want to feel defeat. Since Baki is famous, he becomes their main target. As the battle begins, top fighters from Japan join the fight, leading to nonstop action and brutal hand-to-hand combat.

The fights are brutal and nonstop, with wild moves and high stakes. The anime showcases the harsh world of martial arts and the extreme lengths people go to to win (or lose, in case of some of the characters).


7. Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin (Image Credit: Liden Films)
Rurouni Kenshin (Image Credit: Liden Films)

This classic martial arts anime tells the story of a man once known as Hitokiri Battousai, a feared assassin during Japan’s final years of war. After the fighting ends, he disappears. Ten years later, he returns—but not as a killer.

Now living as Kenshin Himura, he’s a calm wanderer who has sworn never to kill again. He wants to protect the weak and make up for his past. Kenshin soon meets Kaoru Kamiya, whose dojo is in danger. After helping her, he stays to live a peaceful life. But old enemies return, testing Kenshin’s promise and his sword skills. He uses a reverse-blade sword, which cannot kill, and protects people from danger.

It mixes action, history, and deep emotion. Kenshin fights with speed and skill as he also faces his past. The anime shows that real strength lies in helping others, not hurting them.


8. Katanagatari

Katanagatari (Image Credit: White Fox)
Katanagatari (Image Credit: White Fox)

This unique martial arts anime takes place in old Japan, where many sword styles exist. Shichika Yasuri is different because he does not use a sword at all. He fights with a style called Kyotouryuu, which turns his body into a weapon. Living in peace with his sister, his quiet life changes when a smart and bold woman named Togame shows up.

But she needs some help collecting twelve rare and valuable swords for the shogunate. Shichika eventually agrees to help, and they set out on their journey. They encounter powerful enemies and proceed as partners on a perilous journey. Every weapon is in the hands of a trained warrior, and no two fights are the same.

The art is bright and bold, and the combat pops. The anime has action, comedy, and engaging stories that make it amusing to watch. Katanagatari is more than just fights—it’s a colorful journey with incredible martial arts.


9. Ben-To

Ben-To (Image Credit: Studio David Production)
Ben-To (Image Credit: Studio David Production)

This fun and fast anime turns something simple like buying lunch into an all-out battle. At first glance, a supermarket seems like a normal place. But when the boxed meals go on half-price sale at night, everything changes. Shoppers turn into fighters, all trying to grab a bento before someone else does.

High schooler You Satou finds this out the hard way after walking into one of these brawls. Instead of running away, he decides to join. With help from the strong Sen Yarizui and the curious Hana Oshiroi, Satou learns what it takes to fight for his dinner—and win. Though the idea is silly, the action is serious.

Each bento match is treated like a real martial arts showdown, with strategies, rivalries, and honor. The fights are quick, exciting, and full of energy. The anime adds humor and style to everyday life, turning it into something epic. Ben-To evidences that even small battles can feel big when pride, hunger, and martial arts are on the line.


10. Tenjho Tenge

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This martial arts anime follows two teens who are ready to fight their way to the top. When two street fighters join a new school, they discover it’s full of martial arts clans with old rivalries and dark secrets. Souichiro Nagi and Bob Makihara enter high school hoping to become the strongest students around.

But they soon learn that Toudou Academy is not a normal school. It was built to bring back martial arts in Japan, so most students are already skilled fighters. After starting fights around the school, the pair is quickly stopped by upperclassmen Masataka and Maya. Instead of giving up, Souichiro and Bob train harder, pushing forward to prove themselves in a school filled with powerful opponents.

The story mixes school life with deep battles, flashbacks, and intense training. Every fight is flashy and full of emotion. The anime focuses on strength, loyalty, and facing the past. Tenjho Tenge has lots of action, drama, and cool martial arts. It's an exceptional show for anyone who enjoys fighting anime.


Conclusion

Martial arts anime offers exciting fights, inspiring characters, and stories full of heart. These ten anime each bring something special to the table. Some are serious, some are hilarious, but all demonstrate the power and meaning behind martial arts.

Whether you're new to anime or a long-time fan, the list is a wonderful example of how action and emotion can work together.

Edited by IRMA