Scheduled to premiere on Netflix on November 6, 2021, the original animated series Arcane is a small-screen adaptation of the popular action-adventure fighting game League of Legends. The story tracks the glaring division between the utopic Piltover the dystopic Zaun and the war for supremacy among the two factions, presenting an open-world Battle Royale-like fighting arena for the League Champions to do battle in.
As such, Arcane joins a long line of action-adventure anime shows that adhere to a royal rumble-like fighting setting, young heroes coming of age and finding their place in the world, and making a monumental impact on the fate of the universe.
One Punch Man (2015-2019)
- Stream on Tubi & Hulu
Arguably the most famous hand-to-hand combat anime out there, One Punch Man traces the capricious exploits of Saitama, a reluctant hero whose ability to knock out any enemy with a single blow makes him bored. Out to find the most formidable foe he can, Saitama learns a lot about redemption in the process through his interactions with the compelling main characters and their dramatic arcs.
In Arcane, a drug called Shimmer turns humans into monsters who go on the attack, a very similar storyline that Saitama faces when the Monster Association terrorizes his hometown.
Fighting Spirit (2000-2002)
- Stream on Crunchyroll
Another landmark fighting anime every fan of Arcane should check out is Fighting Spirit and its various spinoffs. The venerable series traces Ippo Makunouchi, a bullied high school student whose random encounter with a boxer turns his life around when he decides to become a powerful self-protecting pugilist.
Fighting Spirit not only features riveting hand-to-hand combat and excellent animated artwork sure to appeal to Arcane and League of Legends acolytes, but it also emphasizes the scourge of school bullying, the power of sticking up for oneself, and having the courage and confidence to find a genuine purpose in life. Through fighting, both series are about young people carving their own successful paths.
Magical Girl Raising Project (2016-)
- Stream on Crunchyroll
For a darker, bloodier fight-filled anime akin to Arcane, tune into the underrated Magical Girl Raising Project. The series imagines a mysterious social game that randomly turns some of its participants into secret magical girls. However, when a glitch produces 16 magical girls instead of 8, an all-out fight-to-the-death ensues.
Like Arcane and its League of Legends source material, the rumble-like fight dynamic and hyper-violent combat scenes are extremely engaging and immersive, with top-notch animation keeping even the nonviolent down moments entertaining.
Fate/Zero (2011-2012)
- Stream on Netflix
Fate/Zero is a classic action-adventure animated series that revolves around an organized fighting competition. The plot concerns seven mystical mages chosen to do battle with their own heroic spirits summoned by a sorcerer, with the Holy Grail waiting as their prize. Whoever wins will have the Grail grant them any wish of their choosing.
Fun, ferocious, and full of refreshing storylines and ensorcelling animation, Fate/Zero also touches on the same religious heaven-and-hell dichotomy that Arcane does through its polarized kingdoms, presenting moral lessons for children to learn beyond the sheer entertainment value.
The Future Diary (2011-2013)
- Stream on Hulu
Also known as Mirai Nikki, The Future Diary is yet another terrific combat anime that features a reluctant hero overcoming a dark past to find ultimate enlightenment and redemption. The story tracks Yukiteru Amano, a lonely 14-year-old who becomes part of a sinister survival game that allows him to compete to become the next successor to God. To help him defeat his opponents, his diary begins foretelling the future.
Much like Arcane, the fighting format of The Future Diary is really just an avenue for the main characters to grow, evolve, accept responsibility, and be the best version of themselves they can be.
Hunter X Hunter (2011-2014)
- Stream on Netflix & Peacock
Hunter x Hunter is bar none one of the most revered animated series created in the past decade. With highly memorable characters, first-rate animated artwork, and genuinely thrilling fight sequences, the story follows Gon Freecss and his ragtag band of wannabe powerful monster hunters as they come of age, hone their combative craft, and do their best to deliver the world from evil.
Beyond the harrowing battles of the Hunter Examination that he must pass to become an official monster slayer, Gon gets into epic treasure-hunting adventures with his pals as he tries to live up to his father's image, aligning with Arcane's legacy-based storyline of its main characters.
Btooom! (2012)
- Stream on Crunchyroll
Btooom! is a short-lived action-packed animated series that boils the Battle Royale template of Arcane down to its exciting essence. Adapted from the manga of the same name, the story concerns a skilled survival gamer who suddenly awakes on a tropical island to find himself in a kill or be killed free for all. The objective? Kill everyone on sight and collect the 7 hidden gemstones.
Praised for being faithful to the manga, boasting genuinely enthralling combat action, and above-average animation, Btooom! is a more adult-driven Squid Game-like survival show with expertly crafted tension suspense.
Deadman Wonderland (2011)
- Stream on Funimation Now
Another awesome battle royale anime series to indulge in includes Deadman Wonderland, which follows the hellish prison experience of Ganta after he is falsely accused of murdering his entire class. Under the mysterious aegis of The Red Man, Ganta is sentenced to Deadman Wanderland, a brutal bout to death among various hardened criminals.
Beyond the basic premise, the seedy underbelly of Ganta's time in prison is redolent of Zaun's seedy hellscape in Arcane, giving Ganta a legitimate reason to rise up and leave his oppressive surroundings behind.
Juuni Taisen (2017)
- Stream on Funimation Now
Juuni Taisen revolves around a sinister fighting competition held every dozen years that is aptly known as the Twelve Tournament. With each fighter bearing the name of a specific Zodiac sign, the combatants fight in an all-out duel to the death in order to subsume each other's souls.
As clear-cut a battle royale-like conceit as there is, Juuni Taisen both fuses and subverts several cinematic genres to create a weird and wildly original new kind of animated series. Hailed for its superior animation, visceral fighting sequences, and collection of disparate characters, the show is a must-watch for Arcane fans.
Death Parade (2015)
- Stream on Hulu
As ominous as it sounds, Death Parade is set in a purgatorial pub called Quin Decim where the deceased must battle each other in order to get into heaven or hell. Like the heaven-and-hell division featured in Arcane, doing the right thing in Death Parade doesn't always equal salvation.
Presiding over the Death Parade game is Decim, a cryptic white-haired entity who decides who is worthy of passing on to heaven or deserving of an appointment in hell. The existential philosophy on what it means to die and where souls go postmortem is just as proactive as the competitive combat is exhilarating.