They're anime's most defining scenes! Join Ashley as we look over the most epic anime moments
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most iconic scenes
00:11to come out of anime since the year 2000.
00:24Between the body-swapping and time-jumping, the romance between Mitsuha and Taki grew
00:29to be one of the most precious things we've ever seen. Made all the more impressive given
00:49the fact that the two of them have never spoken outside of the messages they leave behind.
00:54And that's what makes this scene so special. With a gorgeous twilight background, the two
00:59finally are able to speak to each other in their own bodies, and needless to say, the
01:05chemistry is off the charts. True love doesn't get purer than this.
01:19As far as sports spectacles go, Kuroko and his team's rise to glory comfortably sits
01:24along the pinnacle. With Rakuzon's team now all powered by Akashi's zone, Seiren's
01:34chances of winning appear to have gone up in smoke. That is until Kagami and Kuroko
01:40unleash their final play, a zone beyond the zone. One that sees Kagami use the eyes of
01:46his team as a means to dominate the court and pull off a miracle win. It's fun, flashy
02:04and fast-paced to the nth degree, and the kind of anime craziness we can't get enough
02:10of.
02:11We're not sure if there's been a more savage moment in modern anime than this single
02:21command by this otherwise adorable elf. Living up to her moniker as the Slayer of Demons,
02:28Freerun demonstrates to the demon, Aura, the immense difference in their manner. Given
02:41that the two of them are bound by a ritual where the larger magical potency wins, Freerun
02:47utterly dominates, allowing her to render her enemies susceptible to her wishes, where
02:52she demands Aura end it all by her own hand. Ice cold.
03:10Grand displays of affection are a dime a dozen, and yet, in a single motion, Miyuki put all
03:15others to shame. Willing to embrace the cringe if it means finally putting an end to this
03:23tug-of-war of, will they, won't they? Unleashing a torrent of heart-shaped balloons while confessing
03:29his desire to stand alongside her, the earnest affection of the love-struck genius hits its
03:35mark, leading to Kaguya fully accepting, along with the most beautiful smile you're ever
03:41likely to witness. Well played, lad.
03:52For the longest time, we were under the impression the character of Lakan was a sinister figure
03:57in Mao Mao's life, especially given some unknown connection to her courtesan mother,
04:03Feng Zhan. Oh, how wrong we were. In a brilliant twist, we learn that the two legitimately
04:09fell in love, bringing about Mao Mao in the process, only for misfortune to divide them,
04:15eventually leading to Feng Zhan to be consumed by disease, with Lakan unaware she is still alive,
04:22at least until their heartbreakingly beautiful reunion.
04:26Even though she is not long for the world, and her mind is nearly gone, Lakan can only see the
04:42beauty in her, taking her as his wife in the process.
04:59If there ever was a prick that deserved getting their face smashed in by a flaming foot,
05:04it would be Rekka. Bad enough that he had betrayed the Fire Force and was working as a double agent
05:09for the Evangelist, worse still that he was sacrificing children for his goals, but to beat
05:15the hell out of a catgirl like Tamaki, the one person who revered him above all else,
05:25he was in dire need of receiving some divine punishment of his own.
05:29Ironically enough, the one to bring his so-called holy ploys to an end,
05:43would be none other than everyone's favourite friendly neighbourhood devil.
05:46People have a few complaints about Destiny, but there is a shining beacon that everyone agrees
06:11is awesome, and wouldn't you know it, it's Kira Yamato and his brand new shiny mecha.
06:17The Strike Freedom's reveal is one of Gundam's proudest moments.
06:31Not only does it look epic in scale, but it's a beast on the battlefield, putting everyone else
06:37to shame as it blasts and cuts its way through every mobile suit it comes across. See Shin,
06:43this is what a real main character looks like.
06:50Light Yagami everyone, the man of a million memes, but none are as potent or as ingrained
06:56into anime culture quite like this moment of twisted revelry. Jokes aside, the return of
07:02Light's original murderous self is an act of depraved genius. He plotted every move and variable
07:19ahead of time, risked his own life, erased his memory of being Kira, all to eventually snatch
07:25it right back at a crucial moment, leaving nobody the wiser. Along with this now-immortal quote,
07:32this scene cements Light as one of the most insidiously brilliant villains of the bunch.
07:51By itself, this two-on-one battle against the leader of the Dark Triad is one of the purest
07:56examples of fantasy action done right, showcasing Yami and Asta's immense fortitude and willpower
08:03as they try to contend with Dante's devilish magic. But what really pushed it to the shonen peak
08:16was the moment where Yami willingly handed over his beloved katana to his fellow Black Bull,
08:21symbolizing his respect and trust in the no-magic loser.
08:36You couldn't ask for a more beautifully brutal way to gap off such an exhilarating fight.
08:5221. Escanor and Esterosa's Staredown – The Seven Deadly Sins
08:57Sometimes, the lead-up to a battle is so well-placed that it actually eclipses the
09:01brawl that follows, as was the case when the Lion-Sin of Pride took on the Commandment of Love.
09:15With his innate ability to freeze those that feel hostility towards him,
09:19Esterosa easily brings the majority of the sins to their knees – except for Escanor.
09:34As it happens, his pride in himself is so great that all he feels for his opponent
09:40is pity, negating the Commandments and setting the stage for this infamous duel.
09:5820. Hinokami Kagura – Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba
10:03Before Rengoku was setting hearts ablaze and Uzui was acting all flashy, Tanjiro had his
10:08crowning achievement during his desperate battle against one of the lower demon moons.
10:20Moments from being shredded by Rui's threads, Tanjiro remembers the parting words of his father,
10:26leading him to tap into the then-unknown scorching spectacle of the Hinokami,
10:31allowing him to burn through whatever comes his way.
10:39Combined with the swelling of the music and Nezuko unlocking her blood-demon art,
10:44it's no wonder this broke the internet.
10:5619. Gintoki Snaps – Gintama
11:00It's all fun and games until someone takes away something that Gintoki loves.
11:04Despite his hysterically hostile relationship with the old bat,
11:08Gintoki was shown to truly care for Otose as a maternal figure.
11:21So, when her former friend Jirocho seemingly ended her life,
11:24Gintoki traded in his goofy antics for unspeakable rage.
11:35Lashing out against the superior swordsman, Gintoki's rapid barrage of swings displays just
11:42how much of a beast is lurking beneath his fourth-wall-breaking persona, and it's not a pretty sight.
11:5518. Starburst Stream – Sword Art Online Alicization
12:00Alice may have been a standout character for all of Alicization's run,
12:04but there was no escaping just how awesome it was to see Kirito finally return to the battlefield.
12:16Free of his vegetative state, the original lord of OP arrives on the scene
12:21to take on the sub-delighter in one last boss battle,
12:24capping off with him brandishing his signature move.
12:35Kirito has decked plenty of toxic players in his time,
12:39but never with this much visual flair or pizzazz.
12:42But hey, he had to show off to his two ladies.
12:5117. Code Madoka – Madoka Magica
12:55Turns out that being a magical girl isn't all it's cracked up to be,
12:58especially when the fine print on your contract ensures that at some point,
13:02you're going to give into despair and turn into a monstrous witch.
13:16While Homura's time-travel antics ultimately fail to prevent Madoka from accepting Kyubey's offer,
13:22the naive cherub does succeed in finding the ultimate loophole.
13:26By preventing magical girls from turning into witches in the first place,
13:30Madoka not only resets the entire universe, but as a result transcends into a literal god,
13:36one capable of smiting anything and everything in order to preserve the newly crafted timeline.
13:4216. Netero's Guan Yin Bodhisattva – Hunter x Hunter
14:03A veteran hunter like Netero was always going to have some next-level Nen abilities
14:08hiding under his belt. We just didn't expect this.
14:12Facing off against the king of Chimera ants, Netero reveals exactly what he's made of,
14:29by conjuring a giant multi-armed construct just itching to give out hands,
14:34all of which are tailor-made for squashing down bugs.
14:42Even with his enhanced speed and defense,
14:45Mado M wasn't fully prepared to be on the receiving end of that many blows.
14:4915. Serious Punch – One Punch Man
15:13Imbued with the strength to take down anyone or anything with a single blow,
15:18Saitama has wasted countless opponents over the course of his rudderless superhero career,
15:23but none of his strikes packed as much impact than during the punch-out with the alien tyrant, Boros.
15:40Right before the Earth is disintegrated under the force of Boros' attack,
15:44Saitama unleashes the first Serious Punch, a move that not only unmakes the galactic dominator,
15:51but in all likeliness split the Ozo layer in half.
15:5414. Excalibur – Fate Zero
16:17When it comes to the Holy Grail War, anything goes,
16:20and that apparently includes throwing down against a giant tentacle monster.
16:24With an unstable caster going on the warpath, it falls to Saber to stop him in his tracks,
16:30leading to her unsheathing the sword straight out of Arthurian legend.
16:41Of course, her noble phantasm is more than just a fancy name.
16:45It's a weapon of blinding light capable of slicing down pretty much anything,
16:50something the caster found out the hard way.
17:0713. Infinite Void – Jujutsu Kaisen
17:11It's hard to tell what's more striking here, Gojo revealing his control over the literal concept
17:16of infinity or the borderline infuriating beauty of those eyes that he's got tucked away behind
17:22that blindfold. Both revelations came to a head during his battle with the
17:41known as Jogo, where the sorcerer saw fit to reveal his own domain expansion.
17:46This not only won him the battle in an instant,
17:49but revealed just how far up the Jujutsu ladder Gojo really is.
17:53How do you contend with a man who has all of space-time under his grasp?
18:0212. United States of Smash – My Hero Academia
18:07The end of All Might's career may have been painful, but it was also the most
18:11glorious goodbye one could hope for. Taking on his revitalised nemesis,
18:22All For One, the world's greatest hero burns through the last ebbers of his quirk,
18:27just for the small chance he can come back from the brink and claim victory.
18:38Even as his body is broken apart, All Might holds fast to the teachings of his predecessor,
18:45allowing him to land his final technique. It's hard to come back after taking a full country
18:50to the face.
19:0611. The Death of Lelouch – Code Geass
19:10Lelouch's desire from the moment he decided to spark a revolution and overthrow an empire
19:16had always been born of noble intent. That is, until his path as a masked anarchist paved the
19:22way for bloodshed, corruption and villainy to uproot itself inside him, turning him into the
19:28very thing he swore to oppose. And then, he pulled off the greatest trick of all time.
19:40Posing himself as a tyrant of an emperor that would be hated by all,
19:45Lelouch arranges his own assassination before the eyes of the world. It's the most bittersweet of
19:51resolutions, with Lelouch finally achieving his dream, and all it took was the ultimate sacrifice.
19:5710. Ichigo Saves Rukia – Bleach
20:12At the golden age of the Soul Society arc, where this shounen truly flourished into something
20:17incredible – and nowhere is this highlighted better than Ichigo's dramatic entrance.
20:34Just as Rukia is about to be executed on false charges, the strawberry substitute Shinigami
20:40arrives at the last possible moment to save her from harm.
20:48Not only is he able to prevent Rukia from being burned to cinders,
20:51but then goes on to show just how strong he's become via that all-important Bankai reveal.
21:039. I Have No Enemies – Finland Saga
21:07Following his father's death at the hands of a Viking, Torfinn went from a naive child
21:12to a killer obsessed with revenge, letting it consume him until all innocence and desire to
21:18start anew was gone. And then the farm arc happened, along with one of the greatest
21:23examples of character growth that we've seen ever. Determined to speak to King Canute to save
21:30the farm from being torched by his army, Torfinn agrees to take on 100 punches, which he endures
21:36to such an extent it humbles everyone gathered. But the true peak of this scene comes with Torfinn
21:50finally, after all these years, understanding and accepting the truth in his father's words.
22:008. The Straw Hats Attack The World Government – One Piece
22:04Treasure may come and go, but for a friend, these pirates would happily take on the whole world.
22:16And that's exactly what they do. With Robin set to be executed, the Straw Hats arrive in
22:21Eni's lobby to stage a daring rescue, but not before letting the World Government know
22:27exactly what they think of them. Even with the threat of so many navy-controlled nations
22:44bearing down on them, they don't hesitate to burn down their flag, metaphorically laying down
22:49the gauntlet. 7. Brothers – Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood
23:05The battle against Father wasn't only the culmination of the Elric Brothers' war against
23:10the Homunculi, it also marked the end of their long journey to reclaim what they had lost all
23:16those years ago. With Al forgoing his soul to gift his brother his arm back, Edward returns
23:21the favour in kind, by undoing his ability to use alchemy as equivalent exchange to restore
23:27his brother's body. The sight of the two limping out of the Gate of Truth arm-in-arm is about as
23:37well-earned a payoff as one could hope, and it gets us every time. 6. Madara Destroys The Shinobi
23:45Alliance – Naruto Shippuden There had been a colossal amount of build-up regarding this
23:50mythical ninja, so many stories of the infamous Uchiha and his unmatched brutality.
24:03Yeah, turns out all of them were true. Moments after being resurrected, Madara decides to show
24:09the new generation how OG Shinobi throw down, by taking on the entire Shinobi army single-handedly
24:16and wiping the floor with them. It's almost majestic in how Madara easily overpowers every
24:35foe that comes his way, and that's all before he decides to drop a pair of meteors on them.
24:545. Gold Experience Requiem – JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Golden Wind
24:59Jonathan's the gentleman, Joseph's the joker, Jotaro's the bad boy,
25:04Josuke's the hairstyle, and Giorno is the god.
25:14After getting his hands on the arrow, Giorno's stand evolves into an entity that rules over
25:19reality, to the extent that it can not only smash your face in, but deny you the very concept of
25:25truth. In essence, Giorno became a living Uno reverse god, and watching him bring down the
25:41diabolical Diavolo was a treat, placing the gangstar at the pinnacle of power among the
25:47Joestars in the process.
25:594. Shinji Saves Rei – Evangelion 2.0 You Can Not Advance
26:06No matter your thoughts on the rebuild-verse, there's no getting around how incredible this
26:10scene is, from both a visual standpoint, as well as the shocking fact it displays Shinji
26:16showing a backbone. In spite of triggering another impact, and somewhat dooming the world,
26:31Shinji wasn't about to let one of his waifus perish,
26:34doing everything possible to save her from the clutches of an angel.
26:38All the while, his Eva unit goes berserk, and becomes a floating harbinger of destruction.
26:50How can something so symbolic be so metal?
26:533. Eren Declares War – Attack on Titan It's the moment where shit hit the fan,
27:07when the dominoes were toppled, and the exact time Eren Yeager went from a screaming,
27:12angry child to one of the scariest, most layered, and intriguing chance to grace the medium.
27:23Infiltrating the nation of Mali, Eren makes his position perfectly clear,
27:32as the world's leaders make their grandiose declaration of war against Paradis.
27:53A position that involves him transforming into the Attack Titan,
27:57murdering their leader, and going on a merciless rampage. And it was phenomenal.
28:062. Kitan's Sacrifice – Gurren Lagann Kamina may have been a man among men,
28:12but the way in which Kitan leapt off the mortal coil was something else entirely. To save Team
28:17Daiguren, Kitan launches himself on a one-way trip to destroy the Death Spiral Machine.
28:30Even as his gunman is ripped apart by the dense gravity, Kitan's own overwhelming spiral power
28:36is enough to push just far enough to drill through it, saving his friends from catastrophe.
28:42While it cost him his life, Kitan's parting does a wonderful job at signing off a character
28:51who consistently proved himself to be more than the sum of his parts.
29:121. Ultra Instinct – Dragon Ball Super
29:23Capturing the nostalgia of hardcore fans, blinding casuals with exquisite animation,
29:28all the while adding to the franchise's lore in a way that hasn't resonated so broadly
29:32since the original Super Saiyan transformation,
29:35it's fair to say Goku's mastering of Ultra Instinct was a big deal.
29:53After accessing this power only known to the gods, Goku is able to match the power of Jiren,
29:58leading to a one-sided beatdown that caused fans to lose their minds.
30:05It wasn't only epic, it was an event.
30:351. Ultra Instinct – Dragon Ball Super