Top 10 Most Badass Anime of All Time

#10: “Kengan Ashura” (2019-23)
Tournament arcs will never not be fun to watch unfold, especially if the bloodsport is especially brutal and the combatants are especially zany. This is certainly true of Ohma and his fellow participants in the Kengan Tournament – where colossal conglomerates sponsor fighters, killers and borderline monsters to beat the bejesus out of each other until one takes the crown. Don’t be thrown off by the 3D animation, the fights here are gloriously gory and expertly choreographed, especially when they abandon realism and start going pseudo-Super Saiyan.
#9: “Hajime no Ippo” (2000-14)
Everyone loves an underdog story. Everyone loves a great sports anime. Put them both together and what do you get? The trials and triumphs of one Ippo Makunochi, a former punching bag whose discovery and aptitude for boxing set him down the path of becoming Japan’s featherweight champion. The reverence for the sport is evident across every episode, the characters are beautifully realized, and most importantly of all – the boxing matches are top notch! There are too many cheer-worthy moments across this series to count!
#8: “Baki” (2000-23)
The insanity that takes place across Bakii’s fighting career cannot be understated. Blending together martial arts mastery, historical figures, and sheer lunacy, watching these fighters defy physics and logics in the name of adrenaline fuelled beatdowns is a sight we never get tired of watching. From fighting through prisons, prehistoric warriors, Muhammed Ali’s son, as well as his walking extinction event of a father, Baki is a series that will perplex you just as much as it will thrill you.
#7: “Vinland Saga” (2019-23)
Part historical fiction, part character study – there’s perhaps no better written character across the modern anime scene than that of Thorfinn and his journey through both revenge and redemption during the time of Vikings. The battles are beautifully bloody, no doubt, but when the introspection among its cast is this good, and with every player on the board this rich, then you’ll find yourself just as moved by the dialogue as you will by the sword swings. Compelling doesn’t even begin to cover it.
#6: “Golden Kamuy” (2018-23)
A hunt for ancient treasure, the map tattooed on the bodies of escaped convicts, and a nigh unkillable man at the center of it all. Golden Kamuy is a ride and a half and we are here for it! There are certainly macabre elements to it, and the fights can be especially savage, with Sujimoto and company having to face up some of Japan’s most dangerous denizens. But rest assured, there’s enough intrigue and absurd comedy to off-set it when the moment calls for it. It's a great twist on the globe-trotting western adventure stories of the past, and we can’t wait to see it continue.
#5: “Black Lagoon” (2006)
An island filled with criminals, where extortion and violence are the norm – the perfect setting for all kinds of chaos. And leading the charge is Lagoon Company, a small group of smugglers for hire, who often find themselves embroiled in all kinds of craziness. With the gun-slinging, foul-mouthed Revy acting as both mascot and muscle, Black Lagoon revels in the lawlessness of its world. You won’t get through an episode without at least one body dropping. While the brutality never stops, it does have a heart to offset the foulness of Roanapur.
#4: “Getter Robo Armageddon” (1998-99)
A sequel to a non-existent retelling of this classic mecha series sounds like a bit of a confusing premise, but somehow Armageddon pulls off one of the most engaging and blood-pumping anime series in just 13 episodes. Invaders have infiltrated earth and taken over its most powerful asset - the mind of scientist Dr. Saotome. In order to combat this new threat, the old team has to get back together and pilot an amped up version of their legendary machine. If you like your mecha with both edge and cheese, then we can’t recommend this enough!
#3: “Cowboy Bebop” (1998-99)
Roaming the stars, haunted by the shadows of their pasts, and encountering the wildest spectacles life can throw at them, the residents of the spaceship Bebop deal with the outrageous and the philosophical on a daily basis. With effortlessly cool Spike Spiegel at the helm, the crew’s personal struggle combined with the violence they face every day as bounty hunters ensures that for as episodic as their encounters are, each are brimming with either high octane action or profound meaning. Also, that soundtrack slaps from here to Venus.
#2: “Fist of the North Star” (1984-87)
An apocalyptic world. The end of civilization. Raiders running amok. And one hulk of a man who can kill them with just a poke of his fingers. Put it all together and you’ve got yourself a simple yet endearingly epic series that showcases just how you can indeed watch muscle-bound ruffians explode over and over again…and have it never get old. Kenshiro may be a man of few words, but the language of death he speaks with his fists and high-pitched war cries is more than enough to captivate any action fan.
#1: “Berserk” (1997-98)
The pinnacle of dark fantasy, Berserk may not be for the light-hearted, and the fate of its anime adaptations not exactly picturesque, but its initial take on the masterful source material was utterly sublime. In the most harrowing way possible. Alone in a medieval world filled with war and vice, the series chronicles Guts’ rise from vicious outlander to his place amongst the legendary mercenary group known as the band of the hawk. Needless to say, shit gets really, really dark. The battles, the bloodshed, the betrayals, the beauty – Berserk remains as haunting as it is timeless.
Which anime do you think is awesome to the nth degree? Let us know in the comments!