Anime can engage its fans in a variety of ways. Its distinct sense of culture can make itself seem innately adventurous. Its animation can bring instant spectacle to any fan. The stories of rising heroes and falling angels can grip anyone's heartstrings. However, if there was anything that combines all of the above with incredible, organized ease, it would be the addictive anime trope that is tournament arcs.
Reaching deep into Japan's historical obsession with games and merit, tournaments arcs have allowed fans insight into the histories and alliances of an anime world with the fun addition of getting to see who the cream of the crop is or how strong a particular character has gotten. This list will be having a tournament of the tournaments themselves, as it ranks the best in all of anime.
Updated September 19th, 2020 by Sean Cubillas: The anime world isn't just a rosy walk through the park. Following Japan's cultural passion and competitiveness, the medium is rife with more obstacles than one can count. However, they are all overcome just the same. With the anime industry continuing to move forward with its challenges, this list will be including a few more of the most intense tournaments that have really tried its characters' spirits.
15 The Corrida Colosseum Tournament (One Piece)
One could argue that the decades-spanning race to find the titular One Piece treasure is a tournament within its own right; but to be more in theme, this entry is dedicated to the series' actual entry into the competitive world. Fans have been waiting for one of the most iconic Shounen series to have a tournament arc of its very own, and the series certainly didn't disappoint.
The Corrida Colosseum Tournament is comprised of four separate battle royals, each filled to the gills with talented fighters from all over the world. They're all vying for the grand prize, Portgas D. Ace's lost Flame-Flame Fruit, and there's no telling who between all of these strong fighters is going to earn it.
14 The Megalonia Tournament (Megalo Box)
Megalo Box is the futuristic rendition of Tomorrow's Joe that equips its boxers with mechanically enhanced gear. The Megalonia Tournament is dedicated to finding who is the best of the best with both talent and resources in mind. The tournament really becomes a John Henry-esque tale of its own as its ill-equipped hero must fight increasingly tough machines.
13 The Grand Tournament (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Women in anime tournament arcs never really get the screen time or agency that they really deserve. That's why a series like Revolutionary Girl Utena was, well, revolutionary for having a strong, female lead that could stand against all other competitors with great competency and dignity.
While the tournament itself is literally dedicated to winning one girl's hand in marriage, Utena fights for so much more as she literally sword fights against the various complexes of her classmates. The fights themselves are a sharp uptick of the series' iconic surreal imagery, as metaphor and action meet in a heated dance.
12 The Royal Knights Selection Exam (Black Clover)
While series such as My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer have dominated the Shounen conversation as of late, one must never forget one of the earliest entries that made way for the modern generation. Black Clover is a grand example of Shounen fundamentals at their strongest, and there's no better showcase for the series' colorful characters, world-building, and power systems than The Royal Knights Selection Exam.
Not simply just a martial arts exhibition, this exam randomly places its competitors into groups of three and has them compete in a castle defense-style tournament. With everyone competing to become a Royal Knight, everyone needs to have both brawn and brain aplenty to succeed.
11 Carnival Corpse (Deadman Wonderland)
Nothing beats an endless battle to the death in anime. After an apocalyptic tragedy clears out an entire section of Japan, its space becomes occupied by a little privatized prison that combines both the grueling subjugation of The Shawshank Redemption with the wonderful camp of Disney.
While most of the prisoners of Deadman Wonderland are used for labor or cruel stints for public entertainment, those gifted with the mysterious ability to weaponize their own blood are brought to a secret level, where they are forced to fight one another for even greater prizes and even harsher punishments.
10 Sports Festival (My Hero Academia)
My Hero Academia has shown its worth in more ways than one as the next big thing in Shounen anime. Its eclectic world uses its quirky characters and, well, Quirks, to create a constant state of action and growth that perfectly fits the genre. This is at full display in their special version of a tournament.
Every year, the students of U.A. Academy get a special opportunity to prove their skills and gain sponsors in a nationally renowned Sports Festival. In it, students get to show off their hero acumen and Quirks in a variety of challenges that only seek to thin out the herd each step of the way.
9 Battle City (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Yu-Gi-Oh! has found a variety of ways to make a children's card game look way more important than it actually is. It has entire economic industries focused on it. Its players literally put their lives on the line. Due to some deep-seated Egyptian legend, it also decides the fate of the entire world. Each of these facts is at full display in the original series' best tournament arc, Battle City.
Seto Kaiba's special arrangement to locate all of the Egyptian God cards has players across the world use an entire city to compete against one another to both advance and collect each other's cards. Such a tournament has included entire card hunting groups, cults, and one guy who brought buzz saws.
8 *The Tournament Of Power (Dragon Ball Super)
No other anime tournament has been in the modern conversation quite as much as Dragon Ball Super's iconic return to and evolution of form. In an effort to decide which Universe is the toughest, Zeno and Future Zeno arranged and interdimensional brawl-for-all that pushed the Z Fighter to their limits and into new territory.
RELATED: Dragon Ball: Every Participant in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai, Ranked From Weakest To Most Powerful
The stakes have literally never been higher, as the losing universes risk being erased from existence. In a grand, battle royal, old friends and foes of the series' long history must stand alongside each other to decide which Universe is really the best (and gets to exist). With even more iconic fights galore, the Tournament of Power is one of anime's best.
7 Heaven's Arena (Hunter x Hunter)
Hunter x Hunter is a strong example of everything Shounen at its best. That is especially so for its take on tournaments. For those in the world who value strong, combat competition, there really is only one mecca in the entire world, Heaven's Arena. In it, martial artists and champions of all sorts work their way up 251 floors of increasing difficulty and harsh competition.
Those who are able to win on their floor are awarded with both advancement and cash prizes. However, once one reaches the final floors, they come face-to-face with the Floor Masters, ten champions of successive power who each rule over their own floor. Only the strongest can rule the top floor, and those below them only struggle to work their way up.
6 The Holy Grail Wars (The Fate Series)
Death games overall don't have a high regard for being complex, competitive tournaments. Their main premise is to just have a group of people do anything that it takes to kill one another. However, if there was one anime to really have its battle to the death come with some air of prestige and history, it would be the Fate series, and its infamous Holy Grail Wars.
Every so often, magi across the world fight for the coveted Holy Grail by summoning the help of Servants, proxies of history's and fiction's greatest heroes. With complex alliances and mysteries galore, the Holy Grail War truly is a tournament like no other.
5 Honnoji Academy First Naturals Elections (Kill La Kill)
Studio Trigger used Kill la Kill as proof of the company's drive to be as indulgent as possible. Everything that is anime action was involved in this series, and it would suffice to say that it knew a thing or two about having a tournament. And while the exact rules weren't all that complex, the action and intensity were there.
In an effort to find the strongest student, the school president, Satsuki Kiryuin, initiates the First Naturals Election, having the entire student body conduct a seven-day battle royal as the first round. With Ryuko having survived the turmoil, Satsuki would then have her fight each of the Elite Four in singles combat. Everything but fair, the First Naturals Election helped personify everything spectacular and grand about the series.
4 Grand Magic Games (Fairy Tail)
While not always seen as the best, Fairy Tail has always been a series that loved being Shounen, exemplifying everything anime and action in quick, addictive succession. Needing a clear outlet for all of its characters' pent up energy, the series would arrange a tournament arc that more than defined hype, the Grand Magic Games.
To find the best magic guild in the kingdom, the Grand Magic Games pits all groups against one another, first having them race to get to the tournament grounds and then placing them what were essentially just different flavors of fighting. With memorable moments like Natsu's fight against Sabertooth or Erza's marathon against an army of monsters, it's hard to take this arc away from the Fairy Tail fandom.
3 Chunin Exams (Naruto)
Often seen as the very highlight of all of Naruto, the Chunin Exams were an intense exhibition of high concept powers and battle as well as the peak display of the series' world and character building. To start things out, the young ninja somehow finds a way to make even taking a test look exciting, as they use various ninja techniques to steal information from one another.
After that, the tests of the grueling world are at full display in a vicious biome that acts as a battleground for an all-out battle royal. Once the best find their way through that, the series just strips the bells and whistles away and just has the characters fight things out in one-on-one combat. The Chunin Exams pulls double duty here, as it includes everything to love in both Naruto and all of Shounen anime.
2 Dark Tournament (Yu Yu Hakusho)
The Dark Tournament was perhaps the most definitive and memorable experience for Yu Yu Hakusho and, even to this day, is a standard-bearer for all Shounen tournament arcs.
In another effort to protect the fate of the world, Yusuke Urameshi and friends train to their bone to take on the monstrous threat of the Younger Toguro. Displaying great action and well-paced build to an ominous, final boss, the Dark Tournament does near everything right.
1 World Martial Arts Tournament (Dragon Ball)
What else could stand at the top of this list than perhaps the most influential tournament of them all? In the world of Dragon Ball, the World Martial Arts Tournament is a world-renowned event to award a single champion among a menagerie of the world's premier fighters. Its history in the series has offered plenty of memorable characters and encounters, including Goku's meeting with Master Roshi, his fight with Tien, and the epic clash to defeat Piccolo.
While many more would try to replicate and even improve upon the original's hype and majesty (looking at you literal tournament across different dimensions), the World Martial Arts Tournament will always hold a special place in everyone's hearts.
