9 Action Anime That Will Hook Fans From The Very First Fight

Anime fans come into new action series hoping to be thoroughly entertained right away, and many want that high level of entertainment as soon as possible. This means more often than not, anime that take off quickly are heavily preferred, especially when they feature thrilling fight scenes right from the very beginning.

This doesn’t mean shows with slower starts are implicitly bad, but fans simply do not have the time to wait several episodes before getting their first real dose of excitement. As a result, it is important for these anime to impress from the first battle sequence and build an immediate rapport.

They do so through stunning encounters that are aided by brilliant animation and an amazing soundtrack. They showcase masterful fight choreography and pivotal confrontations even with newly established characters. They promptly set the tone for a great series, and give their audience no choice but to stick with it if they want to see more.

The Seven Deadly Sins

The Seven Deadly Sins is infamous today for the sharp decline in quality in its third season, but it couldn’t have had a better start in its first. The plot follows Elizabeth Liones, a princess in search of seven legendary warriors named the Seven Deadly Sins, hoping to save her kingdom from the Holy Knights.

She stumbles upon a cheerful, diminutive tavern owner named Meliodas who appears completely harmless, though equipped with a broken sword hilt. Elizabeth is revealed to be on the run from the Holy Knights and is pursued out of the tavern when some hostile officers stationed near the area come knocking.

This sets the stage for Meliodas’ first encounter, facing off against the apprentice Holy Knight, Twigo, who displays an impressive show of strength by slicing off a large part of a cliff. He subsequently attacks the seemingly feeble Meliodas, but is repelled effortlessly and defeated just as Meliodas is revealed to be the peerless leader of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Kill la Kill

Kill la Kill centers on Ryuko Matoi, a giant-scissor-wielding girl who transfers into the prestigious Honnouji Academy. It is a school with special attire called Goku Uniforms that grants its wearers superhuman abilities. Ryuko immediately faces off against the Boxing Club Captain Takaharu Fukuroda and loses badly due to his uniform’s capabilities.

She smartly retreats to her rundown childhood home and unintentionally awakens Senketsu, a sentient piece of clothing that gives her immense power. With him by her side, she returns to the school and requests a rematch with Fukuroda. She dons her new outfit and overwhelms him completely with Hiroyuki Sawano’s iconic “Don’t Lose Your Way” playing in the background.

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is a brilliantly animated masterpiece from studio Ufotable. It centers around a secret ritual known as the Holy Grail War, where seven Master-Servant pairs compete in a deadly battle royale to claim the wish-granting Holy Grail. Generally, Masters are made up of proficient mages, while Servants are legendary historical figures split into unique classes.

The anime starts off incredibly strong, as soon after being summoned, the Archer-class Servant faces off against the Lancer-class Servant in the prologue episode. It fully encapsulates the level of their terrifying strength and is followed by yet another high-profile battle between Saber and Lancer in the first main episode.

My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia is set in a world of superpowered humans whose abilities are called Quirks. It follows a quirkless teenager named Izuku Midoriya, who aspires to be a hero despite his powerlessness. He meets the world’s greatest hero, All Might, and learns of his top-secret condition, which has left him in a greatly weakened state.

The opening episodes expertly depict the two characters who seemingly couldn’t be more different, both risking their lives to save a student captured by a sadistic sludge villain. In a mighty show of strength, All Might succeeds in blowing him away, and subsequently bestows his power upon young Midoriya in one of anime’s most iconic scenes in recent times.

Mob Psycho 100

Mob Psycho 100 follows Shigeo Kageyama, an unassuming middle schooler who also happens to be a powerful esper. The first few minutes of the anime feature Mob in a dream-like landscape as a dark silhouette fighting monsters and reaching his iconic 100% explosion. The display features incredible visuals that would go on to be a standout characteristic of the show.

The story resumes in the real world, showing Mob accompanying his mentor and con man Arataka Reigen to exorcise troublesome spirits. They receive a request to clear a haunted tunnel that has claimed over 30 lives, which Mob effortlessly resolves. Although the strongest and final spirit gets a massive build-up, Mob annihilates it instantly, maintaining an aloof demeanor throughout.

One-Punch Man

One-Punch Man follows the story of Saitama, a bald hero who has grown too strong for his own good. The anime begins with a confrontation between him and a purple being called Vaccine Man, oddly resembling Dragon Ball’s Piccolo. Prior to their meeting, it laid waste to the landscape and defeated a large number of heroes in the process.

Despite his threatening aura, Saitama shows up and defeats him in one punch. The show also covers Saitama’s backstory, where he struggles against a crab monster, and a present fight where he decimates a giant villain. The episode ends within a dream where Saitama is thoroughly tested by subterraneans, cementing an action-packed premiere that made fans flock to the series.

Vinland Saga

Vinland Saga is an anime with a Nordic setting that starts its first scene back in 987 AD in the Battle of Hjörungavágr. The conflict stars Thors, a warrior with superhuman strength, jumping from ship to ship and executing enemies with his incredible strength. He appears troubled throughout the affair, however, and soon after drops his sword in favor of a peaceful life.

Years later, the focus shifts to his son Thorfinn and his aspirations of becoming a warrior. When Thors leaves on urgent business, Thorfinn sneaks onto his ship, and they are ambushed by ruthless mercenaries. In a standout battle, Thors surrenders and is killed to save his son, which in turn ignites an unrelenting flame of vengeance in Thorfinn’s heart.

Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man is a dark fantasy anime centered around devils, following the unfortunate protagonist Denji. Devils are supernatural creatures born from humanity’s fears that can manifest in various forms. Denji himself is a devil hunter, partnered with the small Chainsaw Devil Pochita, and stuck working for the yakuza due to the massive debt his father left behind

In the first episode, it is revealed that the yakuza are under the Zombie Devil’s control, who commands them to lead Denji into an abandoned warehouse. There, he is killed and then dismembered by a group of zombies, but is brought back to life after Pochita merges with his heart.

He subsequently pulls on the new starter cord attached to his chest and sprouts deadly chainsaws from his arms and head, becoming the titular Chainsaw Man. He takes on the Zombie Devil and its subordinates in what is a savage, bloody display, and triumphantly comes out on top by morning.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen is also one of anime’s new-gen dark fantasy titans, centered around the concept of curses and cursed energy. Cursed energy is a form of energy emitted from humans due to negative emotions. It gives birth to curses and cursed spirits, and can be harnessed by special individuals known as Jujutsu Sorcerers.

The climax of the first conflict in the anime notably features a partly reincarnated legendary sorcerer, Ryomen Sukuna, and the strongest sorcerer of modern times, Satoru Gojo. It only lasts for about ten seconds in real time, but it showcases stellar fight choreography and serves as an early example of what the strongest figures in the series are capable of.

Release Date: October 3, 2020
Network: TBS, MBS, CBC, Tulip Television, BSN, tys, NBC, HBC, RKK, i-Television, SBS, IBC, BSS, MRO, OBS, TUF, RSK, TUY, tbc, RKB, SBC, KUTV, RBC, UTY, RCC, MRT, atv, MBC
Directors: Ryohei Takeshita, Masataka Akai, Chie Nishizawa, Daisuke Tsukushi, Tomomi Kamiya, Kakushi Ifuku, Ken Takahashi
Writers: Hiroshi Seko