Dragon Ball Super's 85th chapter was released on June 20th, and fans are still witnessing the intense battle against Gas. This fight seems like it'll be one of the longer ones for Dragon Ball Super.
Dragon Ball has never been a series to hold back with their fights, giving fans plenty of content of aliens in combat. But there are plenty of other shonen series that do the same. On Ranker, fans voted to decide what they found to be the best of the long fights featured in shonen anime, and these are the winners.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Goku vs Frieza - Dragon Ball Z
There likely won't ever be a fight more iconic in anime than Goku vs Frieza. This is an epic battle spanning over twenty episodes, and for a large chunk of those episodes, only about five minutes passed in the Dragon Ball universe.
The battle against Frieza isn't about revenge or justice. What makes Goku such an ordinary character is that he isn't fighting Frieza because he thinks the Emperor needs to be punished. He's fighting to test his own limits. While it's true Goku cares for his friends and became a Super Saiyan because of the loss of Krillin, he wasn't fighting there to save anyone. And in the end, despite being victorious, he couldn't even kill Frieza.
Gohan vs Cell - Dragon Ball Z
The Cell Games set Gohan up as the main protagonist, initially giving incredible parallels to Goku's past. The characterization of Cell alone was genius and helped set him up as the perfect antagonist.
This fight is one of the most unique battles in Dragon Ball Z, and fans are still obsessed with Gohan to this day because of it. This conflict brings a different character to the forefront as the protagonist, a unique decision on Toriyama's part. It is also a lesson of Gohan learning who he is. Despite his flaws, he is able to overcome Cell and become the hero of the Earth.
Yusuke vs Toguro - Yu Yu Hakusho
The conclusion to one of the best tournament arcs in shonen anime, Yusuke vs Toguro was a battle where two men who hated each other also deep down respected one another. Yusuke in many ways wanted to be like Toguro and Toguro wanted Yusuke to be like him. But the forsaking of humanity wasn't something Yusuke could stomach.
Unlike Toguro, Yusuke couldn't throw his friends aside and relied upon them as he pushed forward in battle. It was the believed death of Kuwabara that allowed him the necessary strength to win.
Netero vs Meruem - Hunter x Hunter
An ironic battle that makes fans question who is in the right. Who is really good in this situation and who is evil?
Meruem is introduced to fans as the villain, yet as the story progresses, he gains humanity and begins to change. His objectives are no doubt still ill, but Netero's approach isn't exactly heroic himself. Netero is a representation of human malice and hypocrisy, which makes the dynamic of this fight more interesting than it already is. Hunter x Hunter has yet to see such intensity again when powerful forces such as these go at each other with full strength.
Luffy vs Doflamingo - One Piece
For anime-only watchers, some fans may have felt this fight went on a little too long. One Piece has always been rather infamous for its bad pacing, but the fight is still riveting.
In many ways, Doflamingo is similar to Crocodile, a powerful warlord in One Piece, seizing an entire kingdom and forcing them under his rule. But Doflamingo is far more menacing and shares an interesting background with Law. Luffy's battle against Doflamingo is one that reflects Law's past, of someone who can stand up to Doflamingo. The battle is intense, ending with a giant punch from Luffy who was able to overcome Dolfamingo's awakened Devil Fruit.
Battle of Shiganshina District - Attack on Titan
Wit Studio animated this part of Attack on Titan beautifully, delivering one of the best parts of the series.
The entire battle in the Shiganshina District is intense and heartbreaking. There is nothing more bone-chilling than the charge Erwin performs with the Scouts heading at the Beast Titan and fans watch in horror as they are all torn apart. But Levi's assault on the titans and fighting against the Beast Titan was absolutely incredible, delivering Levi's best moment in the series.
Sasuke vs Itachi - Naruto Shippuden
Fans had known about Sasuke's longing for revenge since the early chapters of Naruto, so to finally see him battle against his brother was a surreal experience...and Kishimoto did not disappoint.
It's almost hard to believe that this fight was nearly back-to-back to the Pain fight, and that's why this section of Naruto Shippuden is most Naruto fans' favorite. Sasuke vs. Itachi was a perfect fight showing Itachi measuring Sasuke in his skill of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. While Sasuke saw Itachi as a menacing threat, the battle felt more like Itachi was gauging his brother's strength and seeing how far he could come. While Sasuke defeated Itachi in an epic conclusion, the ending and truth of this fight were completely heartbreaking.
Ichigo vs Ulquiorra - Bleach
Ichigo vs Ulquiorra will forever be Bleach's most iconic fight in the anime. This fight is one that exceeded Ichigo's battle against Byakuya, delivering a horrifying transformation from Ichigo that gave fans chills.
The fight wasn't actually that long, especially when compared to other Bleach fights. But the visuals of this fight between these two beings were beautifully dark and it greatly surpassed how it looked in the manga.
Luffy vs Katakuri - One Piece
Luffy vs Katakuri, featuring two of the strongest wielders of Conqueror's Haki at the time, is probably the best-animated fight in One Piece.
This fight is located in the mirror-world, which is a tight and closed location, but the combat has plenty of space and room to breathe. The battle isn't just one long engaging fight, there are plenty of breaks in between that offer more story than a normal conflict might. This fight also helps Luffy surpass his limits and is a huge milestone that allowed him to gain the title of "the 5th Yonko."
Naruto vs Pain - Naruto Shippuden
Naruto vs. Pain will forever be the most memorable fight in Naruto. The appearance of Naruto in the Hidden Leaf Village in his Sage Mode form alone is a scene every anime fan knows, whether they've seen the show or not.
Naruto vs. Pain is a rigorous battle demonstrating some of the most interesting combat seen in Naruto. What ended up making this fight so unique were the conversations between Naruto and Nagato. Naruto learns to understand Nagato's mindset and swears to him that he would be the one to stop the cycle of hatred. This set into motion the final stage of Naruto and what became Naruto's primary objective.