Many people find training arcs to be a means to an end for most anime, which is a shame since these impactful sections of the story can do a great job of fleshing out the world and the powers that lay within. That being said, it's understandable why some people may not be huge fans of training arcs, since they can go on for quite some time and feature many interactions and instances that can feel meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
However, there are many anime training arcs that are pretty iconic in their own right, doing a great job of introducing new concepts and ensuring that viewers stay hooked as their favorite characters attain a ton of power and manage to conquer threats that seem downright impossible to beat.
8 Ichigo Learning His Bankai (Bleach)
After realizing that he was still out of his depth when it came to fighting the giants of Soul Society like Byakuya, Ichigo had to accept that he needed to train and unleash his full power by unlocking his Bankai. This led to a break in-between the non-stop action of the Soul Society arc where Ichigo fought Zangetsu for two-and-a-half days, striving to unleash his latent potential.
While this training arc is short, it does a great job of explaining this power in Bleach. It helps that Ichigo ends up becoming even stronger and shows the extent of his training when fighting Byakuya, revealing his Bankai and surprising everyone in the process.
7 Preparing For The Dark Tournament (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Yu Yu Hakusho is a legendary shonen series written by none other than Yoshihiro Togashi himself, the man behind the masterpiece that is Hunter X Hunter. The series features spirit detective Yusuke Urameshi, who comes back from the grave with supernatural powers that he uses to eradicate evil in all forms.
After learning about the carnage inflicted by the Toguro brothers, he decides to participate in the Dark Tournament in a bid to face off against this dastardly duo. This requires quite a bit of training, with Yusuke getting personally tutored by Genkai while the rest of the group hone their skills as well, hyping up the events of the Dark Tournament quite a bit.
6 Tokyo Training Camp (Haikyuu!)
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Sports anime are easily some of the most entertaining shows around, with Haikyuu! being one of the many series around that fans of the genre should definitely check out. Watching the Karasuno High School volleyball team rise from the ashes to become a feared volleyball team once again makes for a great time.
The light-hearted approach to this training arc coupled with the many meaningful ways the team spends time together makes for a wholesome watch in every way. Not many training arcs end up being a rollercoaster of fun and emotion, but Haikyuu! proves that the long-established structure can be changed quite a bit to make for a great time indeed.
5 Cutting The Giant Boulder (Demon Slayer)
Demon Slayer is one of the greatest anime ever made, with its stellar production qualities leading to this show becoming a massive sensation all over the globe. Even the training arc of this series is full of raw emotions, and the simple act of cutting a boulder turns into a great way to build the morose world of this title and how badly demons have destroyed everything.
After tackling who he thinks are Sakonji's students, it turns out that Tanjiro was being encouraged by their spirit all along. After finally landing a hit, Tanjiro realized that he had unconsciously cut down the boulder with what seemed like a meager sword, proving to both himself and his sensei that he could fight against the demons after all.
4 Greed Island (Hunter X Hunter)
Hunter X Hunter is a show that knows how to masterfully weave its shonen tropes, with Greed Island being a great example of how to craft a riveting training arc. Watching Gon and Killua struggle with the challenges in this location shows just how out of their depth the two really are.
Thankfully, the adorable Bisky comes to the rescue and hones everything from their harnessing of Nen to improving their physical capabilities. For a training arc, the events on Greed Island are a blast and help flesh out the world of Hunter X Hunter even more.
3 Pro Hero Internships (My Hero Academia)
There are many training arcs in My Hero Academia, but most people would argue that the Pro Hero internship arc is easily the best of the bunch. From the introduction of new characters like Gran Torino to the manner in which Midoriya finally manages to control his powers, this internship is full of great moments.
It marks the birth of the Full Cowl technique, finally allowing Deku to use his One for All powers without breaking the bones in his body. It's a much-needed training arc that finally helps Deku evolve and stop being a glass cannon in every battle.
2 Training For The Cell Games (Dragon Ball)
The Cell Games are arguably the highlight of Dragon Ball, featuring Toriyama's powers at their very peak. The bio-android Cell is a force to be reckoned with, and it's clear that the Z Warriors need to up their game if they want to save Earth from this villain's tyranny.
This leads to the Z Warriors training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, with Goku and Gohan's training being particularly noteworthy. Watching the young Saiyan transform for the first time is an amazing sight and sets the stage for his fateful clash against Cell.
1 Mount Myoboku (Naruto)
Naruto is a series full to the brim with excellent training arcs that help the main characters reach new heights in power time and time again. Perhaps the best training arc in the series is when Naruto wishes to avenge Jiraiya, heading to Mount Myoboku in a bid to achieve Sage Mode.
This makes for a great time as Naruto slowly harnesses the powers of his sensei and secretly learns how to throw the Rasen-Shuriken as well. However, during his training, he doesn't realize that Pain had launched an assault on Konoha and had razed almost the entire village to the ground before Naruto could come back to save the village.