After compiling the first list of overwhelming defeats in Anime, I quickly realised, that there are many more intense fights I want to cover and so this list came to be. Whereas the first list focused on many comical fights and overwhelming beatdowns, this list will be have a bit of a more serious tone, consisting of some of the more brutal fights and overwhelming defeats in anime. Conflicts, where one fighter dominates the other both morally and physically.
Why These Fights are the Most Overwhelming Defeats in Anime?
10. Souichiro Nagi vs Takanayagi From Tenjou Tenge
Takanayagi was set up early in the series as one of the strongest characters in the series, and won the hearts of many watchers, ironically by beating up the main character in the series. The fight was such a beatdown and Nagi left such a poor impression on viewers, that many commentators on Youtube expressed their shock at discovering, that Takanayagi was not in fact the main character of the series. During the fight Nagi is owned easily at the beginning of the fight, but uses some dirty tactics to get one cheap shot in. After that, however, he receives one of the most overwhelming defeats in Anime by Takanayagi, who savagely beats him to a pulp. Check it out!
9. Young sasuke vs Itachi
Now, this is a classic and nostalgic fight for many Anime fans. Besides spawning the ‘choke Sasuke’ meme, it is also one of the most overwhelming defeats in anime of beloved young Shonen characters. Sasuke’s entire character is built behind his obsession with exacting revenge against his brother, Itachi, who killed his entire Uchiha clan, including their mutual mother and father. Naturally then, when Itachi and his partner Kisame break into Hidden Leaf Village, Sasuke is infuriated and tries to exact revenge right then and there. The result is that Sasuke receives a demoralising and depressing defeat from his primary enemy, Itachi, and is left to contemplate his insufficient strength and ability to fulfill his character arc. Awesome.
8. King Bradley vs Greed, from FullMetal Alchemist
This fight was primarily memorable due to the epicness that it King Bradley. Bradley was one of seven Homunculi (superhumans influenced by a philosopher’s stone), but the only one that was originally a human, and therefore retained a natural ageing process, akin to humans. So by the time of the events in the Anime, Bradley is already over sixty years old, and certainly not in his prime. To make the odds stacked even more against him, He is fighting against the Homunculus Greed, who possesses “The Ultimate Shield”, the ability to turn his body as hard as diamond.
Unfortunately for Greed, however, Bradley ain’t no bitch. In fact, he is the best swordsman and physically the most talented soldier in the series. Additionally, he has the power of “The Ultimate Eye”, which grants him accurate precognition of all of his enemies behaviour. The result is obvious, King Bradley easily incapacitates Greed with enormous skill, who survives only thanks to his regenerative capabilities.
7. Zoro vs Mihawk, from One Piece
Back in the East Blue Saga of One Piece, the powers of even the most powerful characters revolved around physical feats, rather than Haki or overpowered Devil Fruits. Zoro’s fight against Mihawk, however, served as the first real indication of the real level of power in the world of One Piece. As the World’s Strongest swordman, he represents Zoro’s end-goal: to become the strongest swordsman in the world. Due to this, the overwhelming defeat Zoro suffered at his hands, was a symbolic loss, that both showcased Mihawk’s awesome prowess as a swordsman, and demonstrated how far Zoro has to go in terms of skill and power in the One Piece World.
The first taste of Mihawk’s strength was shown to the audience, when he cut a huge galley ship with a single swing of his sword. Cool, but before Zoro actually challenged him to a duel, it was unclear how big the difference between them truly was. As Zoro himself remarks: “Our abilities are this far apart?! This can’t be right! There’s no way that its this far!” Mihawks confirms his worst fears, by delivering one of the most overwhelming defeats in Anime, making it clear that he is merely toying wit the man. He easily deflects Zoro’s strongest attacks without breaking sweat, using just a tiny little toy blade, that he hangs on his neck as a necklace. He does, however acknowledge Zoro’s unwavering conviction to not back down and run. Zoro refuses to gain a cut on his back, “the shame of a swordsman”, so Mihawk slashes him with his black blade Yoru, as a sign of respect.
6. Griffith vs Ganishka, from Berserk
Ganishka was hyped up in the story of Berserk to be nigh invincible, as was seen when the members of Griffith’s reborn Band of Hawk were powerless before his strength. Being one of the stronger apostles in the series, one would think that he could give Griffith some resemblance of a fight? Right? Wrong, in fact, Ganishka was both strategically outwitted and outclassed in terms of power. Griffith summoned a powerful wind, that blew away the gas and lightning surrounding Ganishka, and appeared before him and completely overwhelming him spiritually, leading to the proud Ganishka falling to his knees in disbelief. Truly even the emperor of the greatest empire in Berserk is powerless in front of the Hawk.
5. Luffy vs Charloss, from One Piece
Now this is one of the more emotional scenes from One Piece, and one of the quintessential “Luffy punches” in the series. During the Sabody Archipelago arc, Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates are reunited with their old enemy Hachi from the Arlong pirates. Hachi, however was always kind of a simpleton who did what Arlong told him to do, and showed deep regret for what they hat done to Nami and Kokoyashi village in the Sabody arc. Thus, it was even more shocking when Hachi was violently attacked by a cruel and vicious Tenryuubito, Saint Charloss, who had been taught that all people are below him, an that fish men are disgusting creatures, that should be exterminated.
Upon seeing Hachi in the auction room for slaves, Saint Charloss decides to take immediate aim at Hachi, and shoots him. The reason why the Tenryuubito get away with all manner of disgusting behaviour and even murder is because they are the protected nobles of the world government. So people live in fear and dear not raise their hand against them, because, the World Government will most definitely send a Navy Admiral to execute everyone whodares harm the Tenryuubito. Luffy, however, fearless as always is absolutely enraged by Charloss shooting Hachi and delivers one of the most satisfying one shot K.O’s to Charloss who considered himself an untouchable god.
4. Kenshiro vs Club, from Fist of the North Star
This is a brutal and highly entertaining fight from Fist of the North Star. Club was a minor villain from the series who’s main claim to fame is the very scene where he gets disposed off in a spectacular way. Shark is a sadistic individual that likes slashing his victims with claws that remind one of Freddy Krueger. His big mistake in life, however, was going against Kenshiro who is very brutal in this fight, both verbally and in terms of martial arts. His first sentence to Shark is: “You don’t deserve to live in this world. Die!”, after which he uses a technique called “Five Finger Explosive Burst”, which shatters Club’s arms from the inside. After this Club goes for his signature move “Praying Mantis”, but is easily countered by Kenshiro, who presses “Meimon”, a pressure point in the body that causes the victims spine to collapse in half after thirty seconds. Kenshiro calmly counts down the seconds, and lets Club know that he will fall into an endless sleep without dreams, and leaves him to die. Savage.
3. Sanji vs Kuroobi, from One Piece
The next one is a relatively unknown fight from One Piece, which is in fact one of my favourites from the entire series. I love how Oda incorporated the superior abilities of fish men in water, and also showcased Sanji’s insane durability and will power in this fight. In the earlier part of the fight, Sanji sets out to rescue his new captain Luffy, who is stuck inside water, and only has his rubber-extended head outside of the water. While he is swimming towards his goal, he is ambushed by Kuroobi, who proceeds to punch the water out of his lungs and tries to drown him at the bottom of the pool. Sanji, manages to bite into Kuroobi’s lungs, however, and come up for a breather as well assave Luffy in the process.
What proceeds then, however, is what got this fight in this list. Sanji draws out his best arsenal of kicks and completely overwhelms Kuroobi on land, ending it with a brilliantly animated Muton Shot. His cheesy-cook line at the end of the kick “I guess you don’t want dessert” is stupid and extremely badass at the same time, just like his character.
2. Thorfinn vs Askelladd
The Vinland Saga Anime is one of the best adapted stories to come out in recent years, and this scene is definitely one of the best in the series. Askelladd is a brilliantly conflicted character, who is both directly responsible for the death of Thorfinn’s noble father, and also his main mentor and father figure in the series. Thorfinn joins Askelladd’s band of Vikings due to Askelladds promise of fighting him one-to-one in a Viking duel, if he keeps on fulfilling the goals he sets him. In this scene he finally gets his chance to avenge his father, but is easily outwitted and outclassed by Askelladd.
Askelladd isn’t a fair fighter, like Thorfinn’s father was, but uses trickery and the emotions of his opponents against him. It is apparent in the fight that Thorfinn, who is an extremely talented fighter, has grown in skill, and Askelladd allows him to demonstrate some skill out of curiosity. After getting a good measurement, however, Askelladd taunts him skillfully, and makes young Thorfinn lose his cool, which leads to him eing easily subdued, but not harmed. Check it out, the animation and soundtrack are both amazing.
1. Yusuke vs Sensui
Our number one spot in our list of overwhelming defeats in Anime, is reserved for a particularly brutal beatdown from Yu Yu Hakusho. Togashi truly is a master storyteller, and manages to create multi-layered characters and savage fights that imprint themselves on your mind for good. The beatdown was all the more insane, because Yusuke’s opponent Shinobu Sensui was extremely dangerous. In fact, so dangerous that he had actually killed Yusuke before he was resurrected and possessed by his demon ancestry, resulting in this savage beatdown, destroying on of the best villains in Anime in a spectacular beatdown. Yusuke’s demon form is super cool and influential, as it seems pretty clear that it influenced the designs of Sasuke’s cursed mark form and Devil Jin from Tekken.
I hope you enjoyed this list of overwhelming defeats in Anime! Stay tuned for part three of the series!