Top 10 Action Anime That Are Great to Binge Watch

You might think you’re hot shit when you’re blowing up fools online, but just how far will that gamer know-how take you when you’re forced to play it in real life, deaths included. After awakening on a tropical island filled with players, psychos and other fearful participants forced to partake in a real-life version of a highly violent video game, Ryota has no choice but to git-gud at running for his life and tossing grenades in order to stay alive. Throw in a believable romance, plenty of explosions, and this battle royale is a fine reminder that keyboard warriors are in name only.

Imagine a spiritual successor to the legendary boxing anime Tomorrow’s Joe, only with a quarter of the episodes and double the budget, all saturated in a rich future setting where the sport is dominated by fighters wearing mechanical enhancements that literally send sparks flying with every blow. Then there’s Joe, an amateur from outside the glamour of the city walls, whose only chance at the championship title is to pave the way with killer jabs and the crowd-pleasing yet dangerous gamble of going in with any gear. It’s an underdog story in its purest form, while also having the benefit of an incredible soundtrack and the glorious return of hand-drawn animation.

Demons, samurai, and one tragic soul wandering the land in search of his stolen body…while also slicing apart anyone who gets in his way with his sword arms. After surviving a ritual wherein his own father sold his body to the minions of hell in exchange for dominion and prosperity, Hyakkimaru sets out to hunt down each of the monsters hiding across the kingdom, reclaiming what was stolen for him piece by piece. With the titular Dororo acting as his guide and companion, this is one to watch if you’re in the mood for savage sword skirmishes and watching plenty of men and beasts getting decapitated along the way.

Bullied for most of his young life, Kenichi was about as pitiable as it gets…at least until he found himself encountering the beautiful and skilled martial arts apprentice Miu. From that point on, fuelled by his newfound affection for his crush and enthusiasm for martial arts, our boy dedicates himself to mastering the various styles of the Ryozanpaku, with a heaping helping of grand shounen fights and slapstick along the way. If you’re in the mood for training arcs, montages, all things martial arts as well as witness a lovable protagonist go from victim to giving hands like a boss, you could do worse than checking out Kenichi.

So, you’ve heard about this Gundam franchise, you want to dive in but you have no idea where to start, and for some reason you’re just not feeling the Universal Century. You want something self-contained, perhaps a little less of the doom, gloom and philosophy exploring war and its casualties? Then we humbly refer you right over to your nearest Gunpla Match! Set in a world where players can virtually create and pilot their own Mobile Suits in a series of competitive games, Build Fighters captures that light-hearted yet exhilarating sweet spot that you can’t help but fall in love with, especially as Sei and Reiji head towards the finals!

Of course there’s room for another sports anime, and none come better than Ippo’s journey to discover what it means to be truly strong. After discovering a raw talent for boxing, Ippo finds himself on the path of a true fighter, slowly shaping his body into a powerhouse that can take an unbelievable amount of punishment before returning it back with twice the force. With the series’ attention to detail and obvious adoration for the sport, even newcomers can get wholly invested in the preparation and subsequent bouts, which, by the way, are off the chart.

A group of mismatched warriors coming together to stop a great evil is nothing new, especially in the world of animated high fantasy. How does Adlet and the gang succeed in subverting the genre? By making the whole thing a whodunit! On the eve of their fated clash with the Demon God, the gathered heroes are shocked to discover that there are seven in total – meaning that one is an imposter sent to destroy them from within. With suspicion falling on Adlet, it’s up to him, and by extension us, to narrow down the list of suspects. With a mystery as engrossing as this, saving the world can wait!

Knocking right passed the limits of 3D CGI to give us one of the most enjoyable fighting series to come out of Netflix’s catalogue of anime, this series certainly doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the death matches that make up the Kengan Tournament – where corporations have fighters, killers and any other kind of combatant compete on their behalf in order to become the new Chairman of the Kengan Association. Standing at the forefront, we have Ohma, whose personal brand of badassery and drive for vengeance is all the reason you need to tune in. Trust us, the carnage is well worth it!

It’s considered a classic for a reason. With a fresh dub version covering the entirety of the long-running saga, there’s never been a better time to hop in and see for yourself why the Pegasus Saint is such a big deal. The battles are non-stop here, with absurd power levels going head to head as the Saints seek to protect Athena endless hordes of uber-powerful warriors. With beautiful 80’s animation and action sequences, you won’t want to miss this one!

There are plenty of martial arts fiestas out there in the world of anime, but there is only one Baki. Whether you were aware of the original series or not, his current resurgence has given way to battles that are as bombastic and crazy as having the likes of Mohammed Ali Jr. randomly show up. Oh wait, that happens too. Every fighter is beyond human in their capabilities, every battle is the furthest thing from generic, and there’s just enough weirdness in its plot progression to keep you coming back to see which road they’re going to take next. Though more often than not it ends with Baki destroying some poor fool.