All these fighters are like different universes since they each look and feel unique. Choose one where the world just clicks and where you shine like the legend you truly are.
All top anime fighting games share the same key features, typical to this sub-genre. The combat is super quick. Air dashes and air combos create the basis for most character gameplans. Special and Super Moves are over the top in terms of visual extravaganza — as it should be in a good anime show.
Extremely different games can be built on this basis. No anime fighter is alike: from artistic aesthetics to battle mechanics. Some titles are based on popular anime, bringing beloved characters to life. Others start new traditions and then even become sources for anime. It also happens that fighters are based on other games.
All the best and most popular anime fighters are listed and ranked here. In our article, you’ll find games with the biggest online communities, fights to play offline, and the most anticipated upcoming releases.
Top anime fighting games to play online
Newer fighting games are usually better to dive in. When you have a 1v1 match with another human being, the genre unleashes the best qualities: it’s like the excitement of unpredictable interactions. This is also true for anime fighters.
If a fighting game is new, it has a big online player base. Newcomers are more motivated to spend time training as they know these skills will come in handy in multiplayer fights. You don’t waste your time in the lobbies, as the opponents are easy to find.
These are basically the best anime fighters to play right now!
1. Guilty Gear Strive
Arc System Works went above and beyond with this release. The Guilty Gear series has earlier games, but Strive managed to combine the core identity, accessibility for newer players, and signature depth of the anime fighters sub-genre.
Guilty Gear Strive even has an anime within the game. The story mode is not about playing: you watch the show and get to know the world better. A dedicated series, Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers was released thanks to the game’s success.
- Characters: The game has a few beginner-friendly and easy-to-understand characters, like Ky Kiske and Giovanna. However, the classic anime weirdness is also here. Asuka activates random magic spells. Jack-O’ sets traps with her remotely-controlled robots. Bedman is actually a bed on the fighting ground.
- Visuals: Guilty Gear Strive is gorgeous and one of the best-looking fighting games ever. It’s a 2D fighter, but with the finishing Slashes, it shows the 3D view.
- Unusual mechanics: You can break the walls of a game stage with some moves and gain advantage for your character. Roman Cancel is a deep feature that can be used in defense or to extend combos.
- Music: The soundtrack deserves a special mention. To say it’s epic is to underestimate.
- Who is it for? Anyone can find something interesting in Guilty Gear Strive, but not everything in the game is for everyone. The best approach is to find what you like, and just enjoy that. The game is for those who like unique franchises, not connected to original anime series.
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X/S and One, Nintendo Switch.
2. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
This anime fighting game was born from a social mobile role-playing game (RPG), popular in Japan: Granblue Fantasy. It got a proper international release on PC and consoles as Granblue Fantasy: Relink.
The first iteration of Versus was notable for its accessibility. However, the developers went too far with this, so the game got the reputation of being simple. A hard reboot was needed to change this. GBVS: Rising came out with deeper mechanics and various improvements.
In general, it’s a more straightforward game than Strive. We’ve added Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising to our list of the best fighting games for beginners.
- Characters: They come from the original Granblue Fantasy game. If you didn’t play it, the fighters are still awesome. Some follow the archetypes of noble knights. Others are spicy villains. Most of them are rather simple, like Gran and Siegfried. For anime weirdness, check out Versusia or Nier.
- Controls: It’s one of the main features that make GBVS Rising great. You can use both simplified and classic input at the same time. Specials and Supers can be activated with one button, and input errors are not as common as with Smart Controls in FATAL FURY.
- Unique mechanics: The game is weapon-based, and movesets are a lot about this feature. On top of that, players can utilize various types of Supers, tricky counter-attacks with Brave Counter, unblockable Raging Arts, etc. All the fighting mechanics in GBVS Rising are pretty easy to comprehend and add to your active arsenals.
- Visuals: The game brings different beauty than Strive. It’s just a special type of anime.
- Online play: Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising comes with lots of fun mini-games in online lobbies. The very virtual space here is deeply cute.
- Who is it for? Play it if you like Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) since this anime fighter has a story adventure of this genre. Fans of Granblue Fantasy should try this out for sure!
- Platforms: PC, and PlayStation 4 / 5.
3. Dragon Ball FighterZ
The core idea of this game is to reflect the signature battles of the Dragon Ball universe in a fighting game. It was implemented perfectly!
DBFZ is very different from other top anime fighting games on our list. Not only does the original franchise affect how the game looks, but also, the developers went for a tag-team style. Players select three characters for their teams, and they can replace each other during battles. Powerful assists help create super long and damaging combos. Dragon Ball FighterZ took the formula of Marvel vs Capcom to a totally new level.
- Characters: The whole gang of Dragon Ball superstars is here: from Goku and Vegeta, with a variety of their forms, to such evil dudes as Frieza and Cell.
- Unique mechanics: As a tag-team game, FighterZ is especially quick and has fantastically elaborated combos. The most recent and probably the final DBFZ patch made this anime fighter extremely casual: you have an idea on linking attacks somehow, and it most likely works.
- Visuals: It’s like watching a Dragon Ball anime episode but you control it!
- Who is it for? You probably need to have at least a basic idea of what’s going on in Dragon Ball to fully enjoy this game. The anime fans must try it!
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X/S and One, Nintendo Switch.
One important thing to understand about Dragon Ball FighterZ is that the game is not new, and the player base gets smaller. This may cause issues with online matchmaking in some regions. It’s still popular, though, even if the pro community shifted to other titles.
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4. Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes
What started as a niche project turned out to be a cult series in the fighting games community (FGC) — at least among the anime enjoyers.
Under Night invites players to a mysterious night where people obtain mighty abilities. They use these powers to fight, sure. And these battles are a pure tradition of anime fighting games.
It’s the second iteration of the Under Night series. UNI2 is not too different from the original release, but it still has nice improvements.
- Characters: A variety of archetypes is a key feature of this game. All UNI2 characters are unique, so players can find their personal style with the anime fighting sub-genre.
- Unique Mechanics: The game is not simplified, but it’s rather forgiving in terms of input. UNI2 is one of the best to learn classic combos. When a special gauge is filled, characters can enter the Vorpal state and enjoy decent advantages. Under Night mechanics let players focus on the abilities of their fighters.
- A smaller anime game: However good UNI2 is, the player base is not too big. You may need to look for online opponents in the evenings and weekends to really have a match with someone of the same skill level.
- Who is it for? Go for this game if you like somewhat mystical anime stories, unusual characters, and rather simplified visual style. Beginners will find the game very accessible.
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch.
The best anime fighters for offline play
Time can be cruel to fighting games. New releases grab the attention of players, and previously top titles are considered dead. Not too many players are online, and it’s difficult to find fair matchups.
However, such games are still awesome to play offline: story modes, VS matches, and fights with friends.
- Melty Blood: Type Lumina. It feels unique, especially the movement, but the key advantages are similar to UNI2. Melty Blood is one of the best for beginners to understand fighting combos.
- BlazBlue Centralfiction. It’s another in-house anime game by Arc System Work. It’s perfect but outdated. While the developers are focused on Strive, enthusiasts can enjoy Centralfiction in its offline amazingness.
- BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. The game uses the tag-team formula with typical anime characters: from BlazBlue, Persona 4, and Under Night.
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. If you like Persona 4, don't hesitate to play this anime fighting game. The fights are great, and the original characters feel authentic.
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R. It’s also based on a popular anime, but you can play the game even if you are not a big fan of JoJo. I discovered the game first and then watched a few seasons of the show.
Upcoming anime fighting games we look forward to
More games of this wonderful sub-genre are certainly coming, and some of them are already known. Don’t sleep on these releases.
- Hunter x Hunter Nen Impact. The show is great, and Arc System Works adds their magic to create a tag-team anime fighter with Hunter x Hunter character. The game brings accessibility features to the tag-team formula for the first time ever, like simplified input with one-button Specials and Supers.
- 2XKO. The League of Legends fighting game is going to be a banger! Riot releases a free-to-play title, which is a rare occasion within the genre. It’s another tag-team game, but 2XKO teams feature two League of Legends characters only.
All the games in our list of top anime fighters are worth your attention. Don’t overthink the choice! If a trailer or a description resonates with you, dive into this amazing experience and have tons of fun.
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