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, usually with a spectacular end result. 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, with many anime showing 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 April 7, 2024, by Oluwatokiloba Folami: When there is a tournament, there is action. Such events in anim often feature contestants from all over the world and intense competition for an overall prize, which could be money or a championship belt that comes with bragging rights. The tension between the fighters makes the experience fun for both viewers watching onscreen, and the audience in the stadium at the tournament. Some tournament arcs in anime have become fan-favorites because of the tension, the thrill, and the dedication the contestants have to win. These tournaments have different roles to play in the anime they appear in. They could be to shed light on a particular character, showcase the growth of the protagonist, or bring rivals together. Whatever the reason, fans love them.

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22 The Corpse Carnival*

Deadman Wonderland

In Deadman Wonderland, the titullar facility is a privately owned prison where the protagonist, Ganta Igarashi, is waiting for his death sentence. Ganta’s world is not as it used to be as he goes from a middle school teacher to a Deadman, who is someone who can control blood. In Deadman Wonderland, the prisoners partake in deadly and dangerous activities to entertain the visitors.

The Corpse Carnival is a brutal event similar to the gladiators’ battle that took place in ancient Rome, but in this case, the Deadmen in the prison have to compete with one another. The loser of this game will have to undergo surgery without any form of anesthesia, in which a part of their body will be removed.

21 The Inter High Tournament

Yowamushi Pedal

Onoda’s only friend is his city bicycle. He has been finding it hard to make new friends, particularly those who share the same interests as him. Onada is a die-hard fan of anime and manga; in other words, an otaku. Going into high school, Onada’s plan was to join an anime club and make friends, but his dreams were quickly crushed when he found out that his new school does not have an anime club anymore.

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However, Onada's love for cycling catches the attention of Naruko, who encourages him to join their school’s bicycle racing club. The Inter High is a yearly cycling event where all the schools in Japan with cycling clubs come to compete for the title of champion, and since Onoda joined Sohoku’s cycling club, he has been participating in this event. During the 43rd Inter High tournament, Onoda becomes the captain of the cycling team at his school.

20 Maximum Tournament Saga

Baki The Grappler

Baki The Grappler has a simple storyline, follwing a young boy aiming to overtake his father as the strongest man in their world. This anime is filled with men training every muscle in their body. From an early age, Baki starts learning every technique martial arts has to offer under his mother’s guidance. After he realizes he needs more than what martial arts have to offer, he leaves to seek other types of strength.

The Maximum Tournament Saga is a martial arts tournament where different fighters come to show their strength and get the title of champion and a Pankration belt. Baki attends and participates in this tournament. He was initially disregarded because of his height, but that turns out to be a great mistake as Baki enters the ring and shows everyone he is the boss. He wins the tournament and leaves as the Champion of the Underground Arena.

19 Duelist Kingdom

Yu-Gi-Oh!

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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!!

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, and the other groups alre quite likable as well.

11 B-Rank Wars

World Trigger

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, as the top two teams in this tier are selected for the Away Team.

10 Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen is easily one of the most popular anime these days. 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

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

The Dressrosa arc is one of the best arcs in One Piece. 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

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 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

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. The Survival Game is riveting to the end and easily one of the best tournament arcs in anime.

5 Holy Grail War

The Fate Series

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'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

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.