Best Anime About Warriors

Best Anime About Warriors

As a seasoned warrior and connoisseur of dark medieval tales, I find myself deeply immersed in the harrowing journey of our protagonist Guts from Berserk. Born into a world that seemed to despise him even before his first breath, his life has been a series of battles against monsters, both literal and metaphorical. The path he treads is not one for the faint-hearted or those who seek an easy life; it’s a path forged in blood and pain.


One key strength of anime, particularly within the shonen genre, lies in its ability to vividly depict intense conflicts and battles. These stories often follow aspiring young warriors who are determined to shape their destiny and achieve their grandest ambitions.

Anime is one of the best mediums when it comes to showing the life of a born fighter (or a group of battlers) making their way through worlds where you have to be strong to survive. Whether this be with powerful weapons, superhuman abilities, or both combined. Here are 5 of the best anime where the focus characters are this archetype of the great warrior.

5 Vinland Saga

A Norse Shonen Tale

Best Anime About Warriors

The top viking anime, Vinland Saga, is famous not just for its great storyline and thrilling battle scenes between viking warriors, but one of the most commonly quoted philosophical lines in all of anime – “I have no enemies”. Young men across social media platforms have repeated and taken in that mantra, one which could be called the moral of Vinland Saga’s story, as it’s in anime that makes you question how righteous getting revenge truly is.

In this animated series, a young character named Thorfinn witnesses the brutal, unfair death of his father. Eventually, he teams up with the pirate crew led by the man responsible for his father’s demise, engaging in bloody battles alongside these ruthless Vikings. Remarkably gifted in combat, Thorfinn fights under the command of the man who took his father’s life, honing his skills to prepare for a fateful showdown. His ultimate goal is to amass enough power to confront this individual in a duel, avenge his father’s death, and find solace from the most painful day of his existence.

While it may seem simple for Thorfinn to achieve his aim, navigating his path isn’t straightforward. The anime Vinland Saga delves into both the internal and external struggles of this young hero as he grows and learns over time.

4 One Piece

The Great Pirate Warrior Era

Best Anime About Warriors

Despite One Piece’s reputation for being a lighthearted, joyful series, it also contains its fair share of warfare and violence. The world of One Piece isn’t just about laughter and excitement; it’s also about the struggle and hardship that comes with being a warrior.

Being an outstanding pirate signifies freedom and self-determination, but it entails confronting those who aim to dictate your actions, including the navy and even unscrupulous pirates themselves. In this world, our protagonists, the Straw Hat Crew, are a group of individuals who could be esteemed as exceptional warriors in any other pre-modern series.

Characters like Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, and Vinsmoke Sanji from the anime One Piece show exceptional combat abilities, often coming close to death in their intense battles against formidable foes. Zoro is renowned for his mastery of swords, while Luffy’s strength ranks among the highest in the world. Sanji’s body serves as a powerful weapon itself. In the realm of One Piece, it is those who possess superior fighting prowess, unwavering determination, and lofty ambitions that advance farthest, often using brute force.

3 Berserk (1997)

Life Of The Black Swordsman

Best Anime About Warriors

In the realm of anime, it’s arguably one of the bleakest worlds to exist as either a warrior or a civilian. However, if Guts’ life serves as an example, being a skilled warrior in Berserk is a challenging and grueling journey that few would aspire to undertake. This series portrays the life of a hapless warrior in a grim medieval era. Conceived from a mother who had already passed away, Guts entered the world covered in blood and abandoned.

In his youth, he becomes part of a group consisting of outlaws and warriors, engaging in various conflicts alongside them. Unfortunately, this association leads to him being attacked by one of these individuals, and subsequently, the demise of a man who was more of a tyrant than a father figure. Later in life, he encounters another team of mercenaries, this time under the command of a mysterious and captivating leader with an air of grandeur. However, even this alliance does not last, as the bizarre and troubling events portrayed in an anime contribute to this enigmatic figure sacrificing his entire team for the sake of gaining supreme power.

In the course of both this animated series and his entire life, Guts stands as an afflicted, indelibly marked warrior who is compelled to engage in battles against both real and figurative beasts, merely to endure each day.

2 Kingdom

Ambitious Commanders and Battle Tactics

Best Anime About Warriors

A cartoon series, “Kingdom,” delves deeply into the suspense of ancient Chinese warfare, portraying endless conflicts and struggles between various countries and groups. This popular manga is often suggested to enthusiasts of historical warfare and grim medieval environments due to its compelling depiction of these topics.

In the world of Kingdom, we follow Shin – a character whose intensity and aggression surpass even the norm for shonen protagonists. Much like other renowned shonen heroes, Shin harbors an ambitious dream: to be recognized as the mightiest battle commander in history. Initially portrayed as a young boy with extraordinary combat abilities, he spars with a friend who matches his lofty aspirations. Tragically, this companion meets an untimely end in a body-double scheme aimed at safeguarding a king. However, this unfortunate event marks the true beginning of Shin’s quest to achieve his ambitions, as he teams up with a young monarch intent on unifying various nations and bringing an end to the perpetual conflicts that plague their lands.

If you’re captivated by the complex war strategies and battlefield maneuvers that shape conflicts, then I wholeheartedly recommend this anime – it’s tailor-made for enthusiasts like us!

1 Attack on Titan

A Battle Against Monsters In More Ways Than One

Best Anime About Warriors

In many ancient societies, being a warrior was a great honor, attracting numerous young males eager to prove their valor in brutal conflicts. Contrastingly, in the universe of Attack on Titan, those who view themselves as warriors often believe they’re extremely unfortunate. Unlike traditional battles against human armies, the primary adversaries our protagonists face in Attack on Titan for several seasons are colossal titans, which they confront using swords.

In the world of Attack on Titan, colossal creatures with no discernible intelligence are the primary threat to humanity. These giants, known as titans, have an insatiable appetite for destruction and consumption. At first, it appears that humanity is imprisoned within walls to protect them from these monstrous beasts. However, as the story unfolds, the true nature of the titans becomes clearer, leading the main characters to suspect their fellow humans as the real enemy. As the series progresses, both human and titan antagonists escalate the violence in a series of bloody conflicts that culminate in a catastrophic apocalyptic event during the final arc, where the titans and controlling human forces converge.

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2024-09-08 03:34