Top 20 Epic Anime Last Stands

“One-Punch Man” (2015-)

The word “epic” doesn’t usually come to mind when you think of the Cyclist of Justice, Mumen Rider. But, he proved all the naysayers wrong when he single handedly took on the Deep Sea King. Or, he tried to, that is. In reality, the C-Rank hero spends this fight as nothing more than a life-sized rag doll. But, no matter how many times he’s knocked down, Mumen Rider just keeps getting back up. Again and again and again. His unwavering perseverance even earns the support of the crowd, which is the biggest victory Mumen Rider could have asked for. He still gets the lights knocked out of him, but it’s the thought that counts.

“Overlord” (2015-)

There was absolutely no way Ainz was going to lose this duel. We knew it. Ainz knew it. Heck, even Gazef himself knew it. And yet, that didn’t stop from trying. In the name of his kingdom, Gazef insisted on going out fighting. Odds be damned. You can’t help but respect his guts. Predictably, the fight didn't go his way, but at the very least, Ainz made it quick. Using his all-powerful time-stop magic, he put Gazef to rest before he even felt the fear of dying. Even though Gazef’s last battle ends in tragedy, there’s no doubt that he had a warrior’s death, through and through.

“Trigun” (1998)

For all intents and purposes, Wolfwoof won this duel. He had the killing shot on Chapel and everything. But, instead of continuing down his dark path, Wolfwood decided to spare his former mentor. Unfortunately, the possessed Chapel had no such qualms aiming his own gun. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished. It’s difficult to appreciate Wolfwood’s character growth when it leads to his own demise. Especially since he won’t get to remedy any of the wrongs he committed, either. But, that dichotomy is precisely what makes Wolfwood’s final moments so utterly unforgettable. He went out on his own terms. Not with a whimper, but with a bang.

“Naruto: Shippuden” (2007-17)

The pervy sage was always one to put on a show, and his last stand was no different. He wasn’t content just spying on the enemy. No, he had to treat them to a fight of the ages, too. First, it’s two-on-one. Then three-on-one. So on and so forth until, eventually, Jiraiya’s squaring off against the entire Six Paths of Pain. While Jiraiya’s thrifty Jutsu don’t make it easy on them, their numbers eventually overwhelm him. But, instead of accepting defeat, the Sannin spent his final moments leaving a coded message about Pain’s true identity. Win or lose, this soul-crushing death proved that “Jiraiya the Gallant” wasn’t just a nickname.

“Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” (2022)

Ah, young love. It makes teens do stupid things. Like, say, shooting up an entire building of corrupt cyber-criminals. But, in David’s defense, he does a pretty damn good rescuing his beloved, Lucy. In fact, he does such a good job that they send in the big guns. Also known as Adam Smasher. Against a brute of that caliber, all David can do is stall and hope for the best. It’s a nice gesture, and he puts up a hell of a fight. But it’s not a very pretty way to go out, that’s for sure. If there’s any mercy, it’s that David dies knowing that he bought Lucy enough time to escape.

“Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War” (2022-)

Apparently, wielding a Bankai is a lot like riding a bike. You never forgot how. That’s a really good thing, because Yhwach's assault on the Soul Society nearly burnt the whole place to smithereens. And Captain Yamamoto was the only one capable of stopping it. Sure, he clearly wasn’t as spry as he used to be. But, credit where it’s due, he and his fiery Bankai nearly brought Yhwach to his knees. If it’d been the real Yhwach, Yamamoto might’ve even won. Unfortunately, the real villain was one step ahead the whole time, ensuring that Yamamoto’s epic return to combat burned as bright and fast as his Bankai.

“Attack on Titan” (2013-)

The mission to Shiganshina wasn’t looking good, to put it nicely. The Survey Corp were pinned down, the Beast Titan was raining meteors, and there was no help on the way. So, with the entire operation hanging in the balance, Erwin did the only thing he could: Charge full-steam ahead. He wasn’t alone, though. Ever the motivational speaker, Erwin got the whole crop of new recruits to go with him. It’s an inspiring sight. At least, it is until the Beast Titan wipes them all out. But, the distraction bought Levi enough time to swoop in and save the day. It came at a steep price, but Erwin’s plans worked until the very end.

“Gurren Lagann” (2007-08)

In the midst of an increasingly dangerous mission, Simon and Kamina finally combine their mechs to deliver the smackdown to end all smackdowns. Thymilph does his best with his own fighting robot, but it’s nothing in the face of friendship, brotherhood, and Gurren Lagann. Suffice it to say, this is the kind of brawl that leaves your jaw on the floor. It’s so dazzling that you don’t even realize Kamina’s bleeding out until it’s already too late. Knowing what’s to come adds a whole new meaning to Kamina’s last act. The fight is still legendary, but the real impact of this scene comes from Kamina choosing to spend his final moments with his brother.

“Cowboy Bebop” (1998-99)

After losing the love of his life, Spike Spiegel has nothing to lose, and a whole lot of bullets to get rid of. So, he decides to go out the only way that feels right: with a gun in hand, and a whole lot of flair. Watching Spike brute force his way through the Syndicate’s base is easily one of the coolest scenes in the whole show. But, the real prize is at the top, where Spike’s archrival Vicious finally gets what’s coming to him. Spoiler alert: it’s a gunshot to the chest. Spike doesn’t last very long after that, but he can rest happy knowing he got his revenge, and then some.

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” (2019-)

Leave it to a Hashira to make going down in flames look so cool. Even when facing the fearsome Upper Rank, Akaza, nothing was going to extinguish Rengoku’s will to fight. Not a smashed eye, not his broken ribs, and not a fist through his midsection. Instead, the Flame Hashira mustered all his strength for a final strike that truly set his heart ablaze. Along with just about everything else in the general vicinity. But, it wasn’t enough. Rengoku later succumbed to his injuries, while Akaza escaped with nothing more than a bruised ego. Still, as Tanjiro said himself, Rengoku and his blazing spirit was the real victor here.

"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" (2012-13)

As Jonathan Joestar's Hamon teacher and surrogate father-figure, William A. Zeppeli quickly established himself as a lovable addition to Phantom Blood's line-up. Not to mention within the first minute of meeting him, he did pull off the now iconic frog punch. Alas, the shadow of death constantly lingered over him, given how he was prophesied to give his life in order to free a "young lion" and set him one step closer to his destiny. He ends up accomplishing this when the Dark Knight Tarkus tears him in half, but not before he gives the last of his Hamon to JoJo, providing him with the final boost he needs to take on Dio. Arrivederci.

"The End of Evangelion" (1997)

It doesn't matter if you're the biggest Angel on the block, there's nothing more terrifying than a pissed off Asuka coming at you full-speed with murder on the brain. With SEELE sending a whole swarm of mass produced EVA units in order to destroy the NERV facility and everyone inside, their last line of defense comes in the form of everyone's favorite tsundere. While she certainly puts up a valiant effort, she's eventually overwhelmed by the robotic vultures, resulting in a very messy end.

"Devilman Crybaby" (2018)

The world has gone to shit, Satan has gathered his forces, and Miki's dead. You can see how Akira might have been a tad unhinged after all that. Ready and willing to kill his former best friend, he assembles the last of the Devilmen and leads an assault on Ryou and his demons in a final battle for the Earth. While Akira does manage to put the kibosh on a fair few of his hellish minions, he ultimately ends up losing his life when his lower half gets blown to pieces. Just as Ryou is overcome with grief, God decides now would be a good time to nuke the planet.

"Fate/Zero" (2012)

In spite of their mutual respect for one another, there was only ever going to be one king left standing at the of the Fourth Holy Grail War. In order to defeat the Archer-class Servant, Rider unleashes the full power of his Noble Phantasm, leading an army of warriors in a desperate charge. Alas, numbers can't compare to Gigamesh's ultimate treasure; the sword known as Ea. Even after his soldiers are decimated, Rider pushes forward until he too is claimed by the Gates of Babylon. Now there was a ruler worth going to hell for.

"Naruto" (2002-07)

He may have been Naruto's first real antagonist, but you can't deny that Zabuza knew how to go out like a boss. After getting himself gravely injured and losing his beloved student, it's fair to say that the Demon of the Mist wasn't having the best day. Things only got worse when his employer betrayed him, arming himself with a horde of mercenaries that were all set to slice him up for his failure. Did he roll over and accept his fate? Nope, he slaughtered his way through them all with nothing more than a kunai in his mouth, all before dying of his wounds next to Haku.

"Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans" (2015-17)

Betrayed, isolated and leaderless, the child soldiers of Tekkadan were practically handed a death sentence after they found themselves surrounded on all sides by Rustal Elion's forces. With the goal of getting as many of his friends as possible to safety, Mikazuki pushes Barbatos to the limit as he cleaves through waves after waves of enemy Mobile Suits. Even after he gets blasted to pieces by Elion's use of illegal weaponry, he just brushes himself off and proceeds to go on a feral rampage. While his ending was undeserved, at least he went out defending the dream he and Orga had worked so hard for.

"Hunter x Hunter" (2011-14)

The old geezer was one of the most powerful Nen users to ever exist, easily able to smite the hell out of any foolish Chimera Ant that tried to step up to him. Alas, for all his incredible strength, he still wasn't a match for the King. After exhausting all of his options, even the deadly Zero Hand, Netero is unable to break through Meruem's defenses. Thankfully, he has one last trump card up his sleeve...one that unfortunately involves him taking his own life in order to trigger an explosion of catastrophic proportions. Needless to say, the Ant King felt that one.

"One Piece" (1999-)

Nothing lasts forever, not even the manliest anime character to ever live. Unable to save Ace from dying at the hands of the World Government, Whitebeard prepares for a final standoff against the Navy forces, as well as his traitorous ex-crew member Blackbeard. As a result, he gets stabbed, shot and blasted with magma until he finally passes away. Mind you, while all this was going on he did manage to royally wreck all of Marineford as well as teach Blackbeard a valuable lesson about why you should never betray your crew. The fact he died standing is just the cherry on top.

"Dragon Ball Super" (2015-18)

We think it's fair to say that out of everyone who competed in the Tournament of Power, Vegeta was the one who ended up going through the ringer the most. Not only did he have to blast his way through lesser combatants of various universes, but he also had to contend with Toppo in his God of Destruction form. A battle like that would have caused most people to call it quits, but not the Prince of Saiyans. In order to keep Universe 7 in the fight he constantly throws himself at Jiren despite getting the stuffing beaten out of him. At the end of it all, Vegeta puts aside his pride, trusting his last ounce of his energy in the hands of his eternal rival and now… only hope.

"My Hero Academia" (2016-)

It's the end of an era. After once again coming face to face with his ultimate adversary, All Might finds himself pushed to the edge due his rapidly-fading strength. The fact that All for One has multiple Quirks that he can summon at will doesn't help much either. However, thanks to the words of his mentor and the encouragement of the public, the Symbol of Peace manages to come through by using the last of his power to overcome this seemingly impossible hurdle, via quite possibly the greatest punch in all of anime in the form of the United States Smash.