Top 10 Anime Moments that Live in Our Heads Rent Free

“Digimon: Digital Monsters” (1999-2007)

English dubs can be hit or miss today, and during the ‘90s and early 2000s…well, let’s just say there were some “interesting” line readings by the voice actors. One of the strangest from “Digimon” occurs during a soccer game, in which Davis is matched against his rival Ken. As Davis’s friends cheer him on, Ken remarks: “Some nice friends you got there Davis.” The quiet, bizarre delivery from actor Derek Stephen Price is so memorably strange, that this moment became an early meme among “Digimon” fans. Is he jealous? Vindictive? We have no idea, but fans have loved inserting it into random videos for decades.

“Neon Genesis Evangelion” (1995-96)

As one of the most popular anime ever made, “Evangelion” has spawned plenty of iconic moments. But the one that seems to crop up in our heads the most is this scene from the infamous ending. Amid all the weirdness in the finale, Shinji achieves some nice self-actualization and is congratulated repeatedly by the rest of the cast (and a penguin), who all applaud him as well. This ridiculous scene has been parodied and referenced countless times since it aired. Plus, it’s hard not to remember it whenever we see someone being congratulated. You can applaud Brenda for her promotion, and make an anime reference at the same time!

“Death Note” (2006-07)

This supernatural thriller series has so many memorable twists, turns, and memorable moments that it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. But the moment of truth when Light Yagami is finally exposed as the supernatural serial killer will forever stick with us. Cornered in a warehouse by Near and his own investigation team, Light has run out of lies at last. During a breakdown, Light delivers an unhinged laugh and admits to being Kira. Regardless of whether you’re watching the dub or the original, the voice actor knocks it out of the park. His wild cackling and subsequent speech still haunt us to this day.

“Bocchi the Rock!” (2022)

Hitori Gotoh, better known as Bocchi to her bandmates, is as relatable as she is adorable. Her many insecurities and anxieties have become fodder for memes. However, arguably the most striking and hilarious moment from her occurs while working at a maid cafe for her school festival. Bocchi nervously worries that her experience there will be just like her upcoming gig the following day. As she expresses this to herself, her character model gradually shifts into an unfinished 3D model, complete with T-pose, that goes flying off through a bunch of boxes. And honestly, anxiety do be like that sometimes.

“One Piece” (1999-)

Given its length and impact, we could easily do a whole list with just “One Piece” moments. Still, songs have a way of getting stuck in your head, and this is one of the catchiest from within the show. After Usopp leaves the crew, the sniper is too proud to come back - as himself, anyway. Cue the introduction of the mysterious masked man Sogeking! Usopp’s alter ego gets his own theme song in the style of a tokusatsu intro. It’s such a silly, fun moment, and we find ourselves humming or singing it way more often than we’d like to admit…Daily. It’s daily. Much like Sniper Island, it’s…in our…hearts…

“Zatch Bell!” (2003-06)

Speaking of songs, this is another earworm that entered our brains and doesn’t seem to want to leave. Zatch and company encounter many eccentric characters in this show, but Victoream arguably takes the cake…or in this case, the melon. After tasting the fruit, the V-shaped Mamodo bursts into an impromptu song with Zatch and Tia joining in. The simple, repetitive lyrics, strange dance, and Victoream’s bizarre appearance made it an instant classic. Just try not singing this the next time you eat a melon - we dare you! It’ll “catch your heart, Very Melon!”

“Vinland Saga” (2019-)

At the heart of this epic Viking anime is its main character, Thorfinn, and his growth over time. When he’s a kid, his father Thors tells Thorfinn that although he’s a great warrior, he has no enemies. Thorfinn doesn’t understand until he’s an adult, and begins to embrace pacifism instead of revenge. He endures 100 punches to gain an audience with the king. And at last, he understands, and echoes his father’s sentiments. It’s a powerful, moving scene that speaks to Thorfinn’s character development and encapsulates the series’ messages. And sure, people have turned it into a meme, but that’s a credit to how fantastic the scene is!

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

The number of times this moment has been referenced, meme’d, and otherwise paid tribute to is considerably more than 9000! When Goku arrives at the scene of the battle between his friends and his fellow Saiyans, he’s understandably angry to see several of them dead. As he powers up, Nappa and Vegeta are famously shocked by Goku’s strength. And cue the famous exchange! It may be different from the original script (it’s supposed to be 8000), but this Funimation dub version is so over-the-top and has been repeated and parodied so much that it might as well be the truth.

“Naruto” (2002-07)

This ninja franchise is packed with unforgettable moments that we couldn’t forget if we tried! Yet, there’s something about this moment from Rock Lee’s fight with Gaara that just gets us all hyped just thinking about it! The bowl-cut ninja finds himself unable to hit Gaara through his automatic sand defense. But, after getting permission from his similarly stylish sensei Gai, Lee removes his massively heavy training weights from his legs. Everyone’s jaws are the floor, audience included, as Lee becomes a blur whose superhuman speed lets him do the impossible and injure the seemingly invincible Gaara! We’d have an easier time lifting Lee’s weights than forgetting this epic moment!

“Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters” (2000-04)

Given its objectively ridiculous premise and infamous dub, “Yu-Gi-Oh!” has plenty of memorable scenes and weird lines. But the king of them all, and indeed our list, is this moment from a duel between Yami Yugi and Insector Haga (or Weevil Underwood, if you prefer). Yami is furious at Haga for pranking him into thinking Yugi is dead. As revenge, the ancient pharaoh in a Japanese teenager’s body uses an exploit with his cards to repeatedly draw until he gets a non-monster card, while attacking automatically every time he gets a monster card. The utter overkill of the moment makes it surprisingly awesome! Plus, with the gratuitous Engrish and overly dramatic setup, it’s a moment we never fail to DORA from our memories!


Is there an unforgettable anime moment that somehow slipped our minds? We’ll congratulate you for your picks if you share them in the comments!