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Fans just can’t get enough action from all the fights, escapades, and missions anime has to offer. Action has always been a widely popular genre in anime, if not the most popular genre. It’s even probably one of the more versatile that meshes incredibly well with most other combinations of genres. Melees full of god-like strength like in Dragon Ballcomedic slapstick brawls like those in Gintamagrappling with monsters like in Tokyo Ghoulaction-packed fantastical adventures like those of One Piece — there’s truly an action anime for anyone’s tastes.
Over the years, there have only been more and more awesome additions to the library of action-packed titles. More titles, more to watch, more to love, and, of course, more action. And how could audiences not be glued to the screen and on the edge of their seats with such fast-paced high stakes, intense battle choreography, and exciting adrenaline-pumping thrills? And while the list could go on and on with new and old titles that have had substantial fanbases over the years, these ones are the best of the best!
The Elric brothers, in their endeavor to bring their mother back from the dead, ignored the ban of human transmutation and ended up paying a hefty price. While trespassing the taboo cost Edward an arm and a leg, Alphonse lost his entire body. With their bio-mechanical engineer neighbor and friend Winry able to fit Edward with advanced automail prosthetic limbs, Alphonse had his soul bound to an entire suit of armor in Edward’s attempt to save him. Determined to restore their bodies, they set out to find the Philosopher’s Stone, an item said to allow an alchemist to defy the traditional laws of Equivalent Exchange, and become caught in the middle of a conspiracy along the way.
With secrets, mysteries, and conspiracies in a fantastical, action-packed adventure, the determined brothers face extremely high stakes in their quest. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a classic that has been at the top of the charts for anime in general for many years and for good reason.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood can be streamed on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
2) Slug
When feisty gyaru Momo Ayase defends the meek, geeky Ken Takakura, dubbed Okarun, from bullies throwing trash at the poor guy just trying to read his magazine, he follows after his new friend. Misunderstanding her intentions, he presumes she is also into aliens and the occult. Saying she’s not into aliens and UFOs but she does believe in ghosts prompts Okarun to chuckle that ghosts aren’t real. The two begin to argue their points on whether or not aliens or ghosts are the real deal. Thus, beginning their unusual, deepening friendship founded on the resulting, arguably more absurd, consequences – getting Okarun’s family jewels back from the very things they questioned existing.
Aliens, ghosts, grannies — oh my! But as formidable of foes Momo and Okarun face are, this duo manages to not only overcome whatever gets in their way of retrieving Okarun’s golden balls, but gain some incredible powers themselves along the way in this supernatural action comedy.
Slug can be streamed on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
3) Attack on Titan
When mankind had been on the brink of extinction centuries ago, they took to hiding behind massive stone walls from the man-eating humanoid monsters known as Titans. One hundred peaceful years came to pass without threat of Titans. That is, until one Titan managed to break through the wall, forcing the humans to return to fighting for their lives and living in fear. Eren Yeager, one such citizen who bore witness to his own mother perish at the hands of a Titan, vows vengeance upon the entire race by enlisting into the Survey Corps, a specialized military unit that fights back against the Titans outside the city walls. Along with his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and childhood friend Armin Arlert, the secrets of the Titans becomes something even more horrifying as each mystery is uncovered.
It doesn’t get much more action-packed than a plot that revolves around characters constantly fighting for their very lives against voracious monsters who wish nothing more than to gobble up the entire human race.
Attack on Titan can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
4) Mob Psycho 100
What reserved, passive middle schooler Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama lacks in friends due to his distant, inexpressive demeanor he makes up for in pure unadulterated psychic power. Or at least, in theory. Ever since lashing out and accidentally injuring his younger brother, Ritsu, Mob had resolved to keep his emotions, and therefore, psychic abilities, in check. Although, he does occasionally use it to try to impress his crush, Tsubomi Takane. But when she grows bored of Mob’s repetitive tricks, he seeks to better control his power, and so becomes the apprentice of the con artist, Arataka Reigen, who claims to also be psychic. In the business of exorcising evil spirits, Reigen exploits Mob’s supernatural abilities for money. As much as Mob tries to control his power by suppressing his emotions, his untapped potential fights to let his emotions run rampant, driving him towards exploding at 100% power capacity.
Although Mob tries to control his power by suppressing his emotions, his untapped potential fights to let his emotions run rampant, driving him towards exploding at 100% power capacity in pure unadulterated psychic power. As much as there’s a ton of intense supernatural action being dished out, there’s also plenty of relatable, endearing comedy
Mob Psycho 100 can be streamed on Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll.
5) Vinland Saga
Thorfinn, born in his homeland of Iceland, had once received a bespoke piece of advice from his father: “You have no enemies, nobody does. There is nobody who it’s okay to hurt.” But when a man named Askeladd kills his father, Thorfinn takes up work as a mercenary, seeking revenge with death and war becoming the reality Thorfinn endures in his daily life. With constant war between England and the Danes, the Vikings actually enjoy making a living collecting the spoils and making names for themselves. Recalling tales from sailors he’d heard as a young lad, tales of a land warm and fertile and free of fighting, Thorfinn seeks the legendary Vinland.
The Vikings in Vinland Saga live to fight, although Thorfinn fights in the hope that he can eventually find something more to live for himself. Even so, Thorfinn’s views on violence drastically change over the course of the story.
Vinland Saga can be streamed on Netflix, Prime Video, and Crunchyroll.
[RELATED: 10 Best Historical Anime for When You’re Done With Vinland Saga]
6) Jujutsu Kaisen
As a member of the Occult Club and having a bedridden grandfather, Yuji Itadori often spends his time either at school or at the hospital. But his relatively leisurely life comes to an abrupt halt when he discovers an actual cursed object, triggering a chain of supernatural consequences. Upon swallowing the cursed item, a finger belonging to the King of Curses, the demon Sukuna Ryoumen, Yuji gains his own powers and faces a whole new world full of Curses, beings of pure dread, malice, and negativity, that threaten society. Now having to attend the Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School, Yuji must now become a Jujutsu sorcerer.
Premiering in 2020, this supernatural action shonen series by MAPPA was and has been one of the most popular over the past few years, even garnering attention and praise as a sort of gateway anime for former normies turned new fans.
Jujutsu Kaisen can be streamed on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Hulu where available.
7) Spy x Family
As the neighboring countries Ostania and Westalis quietly plot against each other, spy Twilight takes on the alias of psychiatrist Loid Forger in the Ostanian city of Berlint to conduct intel. His target: the politician Donovan Desmond. The problem is Donovan only rarely appears at his son’s school, Eden Academy. In order to get closer to his target, Loid enlists Yor Briar, an unmarried city hall clerk, and Anya, his newly adopted daughter who he enrolls at Eden Academy, to act as a normal happy family. Unbeknownst to the spy, Loid’s new family hides their own secrets — Yor is actually an assassin known as “Thorn Princess” and Anya is a telepath secretly able to read others’ minds.
Through secret spy operations, assassination services, and school assignments, even though the family starts out as a façade, their love for each other grows to be true, each cherishing their forged relationships.
Spy x Family can be streamed on Hulu and Crunchyroll where available.
8) Naruto
In the Hidden Leaf Village, Konohagakure, Naruto Uzumaki, a young, aspiring ninja, is shunned by the wary community. The leader, the Fourth Hokage, had sacrificed his life and sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox demon within the newborn Naruto to prevent it from wreaking havoc on the village. But Naruto doesn’t let his circumstances and rejection from others deter him — with a rambunctious, mischievous nature, he’s determined to become the next Hokage and gain the village’s recognition and respect. Making friends along the way, Naruto trains to become a strong and capable ninja, facing many new foes and the demon inside himself.
With a franchise as bold, iconic, and enduring as the namesake himself, Naruto, though he faces challenge after challenge in ninja training, doesn’t let anything stop him. Naruto’s fight to accomplish his dreams in the face of adversity is the epitome of “never give up”. Believe it!
Naruto can be streamed on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Peacock, Crunchyroll, and more.
9) Neon Genesis Evangelion
As Earth is attacked by strange celestial alien beings known as Angels, it’s up to the mysterious scientific organization NERV headed by Gendo Ikari to defend humanity through the use of Evangelion, giant piloted humanoid “robots”. When Gendo calls upon his abandoned son Shinji to become one of these pilots, Shinji, alongside fellow pilots Asuka Langley Soryu and Rei Ayanami, faces a lot more at stake than defending humanity from giant monsters as the secrets behind NERV and Gendo’s ambitions are revealed.
Shinji Ikari may not be very eager to fight for humanity’s survival, but there’s certainly no lack of larger-than-life “mecha” combats. But his own fight for survival ends up being a bit more existential than simply saving his skin.
Neon Genesis Evangelion can be streamed on Netflix.
10) Bleach
Ichigo Kurosaki has the unique ability as an otherwise normal high schooler to see spirits. When his family is attacked by a Hollow, a corrupted spirit hungry for human souls, Ichigo’s thrust into not just observing but participating in the spirit world. After Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki is injured in her battle with the Hollow, Ichigo gains her abilities in order to defeat the malicious spirit and protect his family. But when Rukia is unable to regain her powers, Ichigo must hunt down Hollows in her stead. Later joined by classmates Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryuu Ishida with their own abilities, Ichigo endeavors to fight against the Hollows and other uncovered threats.
Bleach has been a long-popular series since its debut in 2004 and still is with its ongoing and final arc in Thousand-Year Blood War. With hundreds of episodes, Bleach has plenty of action to binge.
Bleach can be streamed on Disney+ or Hulu where available.
What’s your go-to action anime? Let us know in the comments what series you think would be an instant favorite to anyone!
