Highlights

  • Tournament arcs are a common and effective storytelling device in anime, allowing for exciting battles and character development.
  • Some anime, like Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters and My Hero Academia, have executed tournament arcs exceptionally well, showcasing the power and uniqueness of this format.
  • These tournament arcs, such as the Duelist Kingdom in Yu-Gi-Oh!, the U.A. Sports Festival in My Hero Academia, and the Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event in Jujutsu Kaisen, have become fan favorites and memorable parts of their respective shows.

Tournament arcs are a staple in most anime. It's one of the best and cleanest ways to pit two great fighters in a battle against each other, with the end result almost always being spectacular. There are several anime that have used tournament arcs to great effect, giving side characters some much-needed exposure while also letting these fighters develop their character extensively. In some instances, these tournaments are so great that they easily become one of the best parts of the entire show.

It's a monumental achievement indeed, with many anime showing just how to execute a tournament arc properly. The fights featured in these arcs are in a class of their own and show why these tournaments are one of the most effective settings for any anime, shonen or otherwise, to excel on multiple fronts. Suffice it to say, fans who check out these arcs will completely understand why the tournament format is so common across most anime.

Updated December 18, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: Tournament arcs are common in anime that focus on battles. Most competitors are tasked with getting through a bunch of opponents that slowly increase in strength, before they reach a climactic encounter. Of course, not all tournament arcs are like this. Among all the anime out there, a few change up the formula in new and welcome ways. After all, there's only too much of the same trope one can witness before the overexposure becomes too much. Here are some anime that have done the best tournament arcs.

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19 Duelist Kingdom

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Maximillion Pegasus in Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Adventure
Fantasy

Release Date
April 18, 2000
Creator
Kazuki Takahashi
Studio
Gallop

There's no denying that the Duelist Kingdom arc might not hold up on a rewatch. However, there's something special about this arc that got many fans into the spirit of dueling in Yu-Gi-Oh!

The fact that this tournament was arranged by the devilishly entertaining Maximillion Pegasus made things even more engaging. All in all, Duelist Kingdom is a great watch that displays what Yu-Gi-Oh is all about.

18 Kengan Annihilation Tournament

Kengan Ashura

ouma in a fighting stance

The entirety of Kengan Ashura is one big tournament with a few breaks in between. This makes for a fun, mature thrill ride as viewers immerse themselves in the world of underground gladiatorial bouts, with Ohma Tokita at the helm.

The fights in the series are fantastic, and show the vice of greed and how heinous human beings can be. The show has way more depth than what meets the eye, even if the animation can be hard to watch at times.

17 U.A. Sports Festival

My Hero Academia

Crowd looks on at the sports festival in MHA
My Hero Academia
Action
Superhero
Release Date
April 3, 2016
Creator
Kōhei Horikoshi
Studio
Bones

The Sports Festival in My Hero Academia was a great celebration that helped all the students in the series showcase their powers brilliantly. After some preliminary competitions, the arc ended with a bunch of one-on-one fights in a tournament.

The highlight of this arc was easily Midoriya's fight against Todoroki, which helped the latter embrace the full extent of his powers. It was a great clash, although the fact that it happened in the semifinals did take the wind out of the sails in the finals when Todoroki and Bakugo faced off.

16 Universe 6 Tournament

Dragon Ball Super

Goku Versus Hit (Dragon Ball Super)

Dragon Ball Super brought the Dragon Ball franchise back from the grave, after many people felt like Toriyama had stopped working on the series, barring a few one-shots. Battle of Gods was a great addition to the lore of Dragon Ball, with Resurrection F bringing back the legendary Frieza too. Following these arcs, the first original story adapted in Dragon Ball Super was a tournament between Universe 6 and 7.

This made for some great moments as the concept of parallel universes allowed for some unique fights to take place. Vegeta became a mentor to Cabba, and Frost appeared as a unique version of Frieza who was just as conniving. Goku brought back the legendary Kaioken for an amazing moment that still stands strong as one of Super's best highlights...despite the poor animation that this show was riddled with.

15 The Grand Magic Games

Fairy Tail

Natsu and Team Fairy Tail at Grand Magic Games
Fairy Tail
Animation
Action
Adventure

Release Date
October 12, 2009
Creator
Hiro Mashima, Masashi Sogo
Studio
A-1 Pictures, Satelight, Bridge, CloverWorks

Fairy Tail is a popular shonen series, although it might not be the most groundbreaking one. However, there are moments when this anime shines. The Grand Magic Games are a great example.

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This was the moment when the Fairy Tail guild would finally prove its worth. The battles in this arc are amazing, and the final fight between the Dragon Slayers is a thing of pure beauty.

14 Battle City

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Yugioh - Battle City Tournament
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Adventure
Fantasy

Release Date
April 18, 2000
Creator
Kazuki Takahashi
Studio
Gallop

Duelist Kingdom may be a wild ride, but many fans agree that a lot of moments in this tournament arc came out of nowhere. This made for some weird moments when viewers watch it without their nostalgia-tinted glasses. Thankfully, Yu-Gi-Oh! fans were treated to a better tournament arc that learned from its past mistakes to make for an excellent experience from start to end.

Battle City set up many important things that would influence the rest of the series, and it helped that the arc was better structured and had great pacing too. This made for an enjoyable tournament arc that didn't have too many unexplained powerups and made for a better watch as fights had more logical and entertaining conclusions.

13 The Royal Knights Selection Exam

Black Clover

The Royal Knights Selection Exam in Black Clover
Black Clover
Action
Fantasy

Release Date
October 3, 2017
Creator
Yūki Tabata
Studio
Pierrot

Black Clover got off to a slow start, prompting many people to drop the show before it got good . However, after a long wait, Black Clover finally showed why it's worth all the hype.

This was especially prevalent during the Royal Knight's Selection Exam, where the most intimidating fighters around tried to get into this powerful group and defeat the Eye of the Midnight Sun. The matchups in this arc are great and set the stage for Black Clover to become even more riveting to watch.

12 The Interhigh Volleyball Tournament

Haikyu!!

karasuno team members
Haikyu!! (2014)
Sports

Release Date
April 6, 2014
Creator
Haruichi Furudate
Studio
Production I.G

Sports anime can be a hard sell for many people. However, shows like Haikyu!! prove why these shows are worth a watch. The Interhigh Volleyball Tournament is a major highlight of this series.

The emotions during this arc run high. The volleyball team's struggle to even get into this tournament keeps the stakes as high as possible. Karasuno High's team is one to root for, with other groups also being quite likable in their own right.

11 B-Rank Wars

World Trigger

World Trigger season 2 anime

World Trigger is a decent shonen series that fans can binge through if they want to check out some quality material that is simple to get into. In a bid to fight against the monsters called Neighbors, an organization called Border decides to step up to the task, employing the services of people who can use Triggers to attain an edge in battle.

These squads participate in tournaments to decide their superiority, with the top squads being selected for important missions. This is the premise for the B-Rank Wars arc, with the top two teams in this tier being selected for the Away Team.

10 Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event

Jujutsu Kaisen

Aoi Todo in Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen
Action
Supernatural

Release Date
October 3, 2020
Creator
Gege Akutami
Studio
MAPPA

Jujutsu Kaisen is easily one of the most popular anime these days, with each arc being incredible. Such is the case with the Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event, which takes on the guise of a friendly tournament before turning into something else altogether.

This arc introduces many great characters, including fan-favorite Aoi Todo. There are many highlights in this arc, such as Itadori learning Black Flash and the Zenin sisters facing off in an emotional battle.

9 Tournament Of Power

Dragon Ball Super

Dragon Ball Super: Kakarot Playable Characters

It would be impossible to talk about tournament arcs in anime without mentioning Dragon Ball. After all, the various Martial Arts Tournaments that take place in this series have already become the stuff of legends.

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The Tournament of Power is the final arc of Dragon Ball Super, and it's brilliant in every way. However, the Tournament of Power does place style over substance, which is why it still doesn't reach the lofty heights set by the other arcs in the series.

8 Corrida Colosseum

One Piece

Corrida Colosseum in One Piece
One Piece
Action
Adventure
Comedy
Fantasy

Release Date
October 20, 1999
Creator
Eiichiro Oda
Studio
Toei Animation

The Dressrosa arc is one of the best arcs in One Piece by a mile. The Corrida Colosseum is just a small part of this story arc, yet easily feels like one of its more important segments.

The cast of new and returning characters that appear are all memorable in their own right. It sets the stage for what's about to come in the Dressrosa arc and does so in brilliant fashion.

7 Heaven's Arena

Hunter X Hunter

Heaven's Arena in Hunter X Hunter
Hunter x Hunter
Action
Fantasy
Adventure

Release Date
October 2, 2011
Creator
Yoshihiro Togashi
Studio
Madhouse

Hunter X Hunter is one of the best shonen anime of all time, featuring the brilliance of Yoshihiro Togashi at its very best. Heaven's Arena is a great tournament arc in an anime that's infinitely watchable.

The fact that Heaven's Arena isn't even the best arc in the series shows just how high the quality of this series is. Gon and Killua take their time learning the basics of Nen before facing off against Hisoka once again.

6 The Survival Game

Future Diary

the character gasai yuno from the anime mirai nikki, the future diary
Future Diary
Mystery
Suspense
Action

Release Date
October 10, 2011
Creator
Sakae Esuno
Studio
Asread

Future Diary is a riveting series in which twelve people receive diaries that allow them to see into the future in unique ways, before pitting them against each other in a battle to become the next god. This, coupled with the riveting duo of Yuki and Yuno, makes this show quite a blast.

Future Diary doesn't pull punches when it comes to showing just how low humanity can sink to become a divine figure. It's an incredible watch, with the Survival Game being riveting to the end and easily one of the best tournament arcs in anime.

5 Holy Grail War

The Fate Series

Fate Zero anime Saber in battle
Fate/stay night
Action
Fantasy
Supernatural

Release Date
January 7, 2006
Creator
Type-Moon
Studio
Studio Deen

The Fate series is one of the most popular anime series around. Originating from a visual novel, it features multiple branches adapted across various adaptations in a rather ingenious manner. Fans grew fascinated with the various paths that Shirou Emiya could take while becoming an unwilling participant in the Holy Grail War.

The entire series focuses on the Holy Grail War, a tournament where masters employ the services of mythical servants to fight against other participants in a bid to become the winner. These battles are brutal and feature some awe-inspiring moments as the heroes discover their powers and manage to overpower the opposition standing in their way numerous times before finally securing victory.

4 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball Screenshot Of Goku Punching Piccolo
Dragon Ball
Action
Comedy
Adventure

Release Date
February 26, 1986
Creator
Akira Toriyama
Seasons
9
Studio
Toei Animation
Number of Episodes
153
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll , Funimation , Hulu
Based On
Manga
MyAnimeList Score
7.96

Dragon Ball's final arc involved the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, in which Goku was slated to face off against Piccolo. The battle is easily one of the best fights in the series and serves as a great sendoff to the first part of Dragon Ball's story.

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Goku used everything in his arsenal to try and best Piccolo during this amazing battle. It ended with the Demon King finally getting defeated, and failing in his quest to take over the world for his nefarious purposes.

3 The Chunin Exams

Naruto

Naruto fighting Neji in the Chunin Exams
Naruto
Animation
Action
Adventure

Release Date
October 2, 2002
Creator
Masashi Kishimoto
Studio
Pierrot

The Chunin Exams is one of the best arcs in Naruto. The tests featured in this arc serve as a great way to give side characters some much-needed screen time, while also letting them develop and showcase the full extent of their powers.

The sheer number of incredible fights in this arc is simply astounding. Highlights include Naruto Vs. Neji, Hinata Vs. Neji, Shikamaru Vs. Temari...and obviously, Rock Lee Vs. Gaara.

2 Cell Games

Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Estimating Goku's Power Level In Every Major Saga Cell Games Saga
Dragon Ball Z
Action
Adventure
Comedy

Release Date
April 26, 1989
Creator
Akira Toriyama
Studio
Toei Animation

The Cell Games serve as the culmination of Gohan's potential, which viewers have seen building from the very first episode. His massive power has been a constant source of intrigue throughout the series, and watching him attain the legendary Super Saiyan 2 transformation never gets old.

The Cell Games feature multiple amazing battles against both the titular villain and his army of Cell Juniors. It takes a Herculean effort from Gohan to finally defeat this enemy, coming at the cost of both Goku and Trunks' life.

1 The Dark Tournament

Yu Yu Hakusho

Dark Tournament in Yu Yu Hakusho
Yu Yu Hakusho
Action
Supernatural

Release Date
October 10, 1992
Creator
Yoshihiro Togashi
Seasons
4
Studio
Pierrot
Number of Episodes
112
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll , Hulu , Tubi
Based On
Manga
MyAnimeList Score
8.46

The Dark Tournament is one of the most legendary shonen arcs of all time. Most people consider it to be the best Yu Yu Hakusho arc, and understandably so.

Watching the four fighters showcase the full extent of their powers during this arc is a thing of beauty. This is especially true in the case of Yusuke and Kuwabara, who prove to everyone that their abilities are nothing to scoff at.

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