It’s hard to believe but the anime adaptation ofMy Hero Academiahas been going strong since 2016. The manga, of course, has been going even longer, having first debuted back in 2014. This anime series is jam-packed with some of the best fights in anime history.
RELATED:My Hero Academia: The Best Story Arcs So Far, Ranked
Not only that but they could even give Marvel or DC a run for their money in terms of comic hero fights. In fact, some people would go so far as to say that the best fights inMy Hero Academiaare way more enjoyable than anything featured in any western comic.
Updated Jun 20, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:My Hero Academia is one of the biggest anime around right now, with the sixth season reminding fans why this anime is such a masterpiece. Watching Deku transform from a Quirkless civilian into one of the most powerful heroes around makes for a great time, and fans can’t wait to see how the story of this anime ends given just how many plot points have already been set up. The anime is full to the brim with some of the best fights in shonen history, with the best of the bunch being mentioned below.
20Deku Vs Shinso
While this might’ve been a rather brief encounter, it still served as a great challenge for Midoriya to overcome. After all, he was trying to get through the Sports Festival without injuring his body too much, and Shinso’s Quirk served as a major barrier in this regard.
However, by injuring himself, he managed to overpower Shinso’s Brainwash Quirk. Following this, Midoriya was able to gain the upper hand in a physical confrontation and advanced to the next round.
19Yaoyorozu & Todoroki Vs Erasure
Up to this point in the anime, Yaoyorozu seems like she has it all. She’s got a wealthy family, has a cool Quirk, and is both smart and popular. However, after a few encounters between villains and the school festival, she starts to develop self-doubts.
In the teacher matchup against Erasure, Todoroki is finally able to help her see that she is indeed as smart as she appears to everyone else. This one takes place in season two, episode twenty-two.
18Uraraka Vs Bakugo
This fight takes place inthe second season of the anime, episode nine, wherein the kids all compete in a festival. Most of the fights shown are pretty quick, but the one with Uraraka versus Bakugo is given special care. Up until that point, Uraraka had helped in fights before but never really fought.
RELATED:My Hero Academia: All Might Memes That Are Beyond Hilarious
She has a dream of becoming a great hero to aid her parent’s financial situation. She gives it her all in this fight and even gives Bakugo some surprises. While she doesn’t win, seeing her try her best is still something worth remembering.
17Deku & Bakugo Vs All Might
The Final Exams arc was a decent arc that featured a team-up of two students against their teachers. In the case of Midoriya and Bakugo, their opponent was none other than All Might.
The fight might’ve been a brief one, but it allowed Bakugo and Midoriya to put aside their differences for a while as they teamed up to surpass All Might’s threat. It was a great moment that allowed both these characters to develop their relationship.
16Mirko Vs High-End Nomus
The Rabbit Hero: Mirko didn’t really get a ton of screen time to shine before Season 6. However, all of this changed when she showed just what she was made of while fighting against multiple high-level Nomus.
Despite incurring substantial injuries and being maimed, Mirko didn’t stop and powered through the laboratory in a bid to stop Dr. Garaki from awakening Shigaraki’s full power. It’s easily one of the most brutal battles inMy Hero Academiaand showed just was Mirko was made of.
15Deku Vs Class 1-A
While he did leave U.A. to protect his classmates, Deku got a rude awakening whenthe entirety of Class 1-Acame to bring him back. What ensued was an emotional battle where Deku tried to escape his friends without causing too much harm.
RELATED:My Hero Academia Quirks That Can Beat One For All
It was a frenetic confrontation, where both Deku and his classmates put it all on the line to achieve their goals. By the end, Deku was too exhausted and fainted, letting his friends bring him back where he belonged.
14All Might Vs Nomu
The first appearance of a Nomu inMy Hero Academiashowed just how powerful these genetically engineered foes could be. After all, they even gave the powerful All Might a run for their money!
However, the Symbol of Peace wasn’t going to back down anytime soon. After breaking his limits, he put the Shock Absorption Quirk of the Nomu to the test and defeated him with a Plus Ultra Smash that was immensely satisfying to witness firsthand.
13Endeavor & Hawks Vs High-End Nomu
Season four’s finale has Endeavor prove to himself, and the world, that even without All Might there is still a symbol out there worth fighting for. Up to this point, the character has been hard to watch. He’s always been powerful but knowing about his history concerning his family abuse, made him a hard character to root for.
He still has a long way to go to fully redeem himself but this fight was a good start. Plus,Hawks made a good debut in the seriesas his backup.
12Kirishima & Fat Gum Vs Rappa & Tengai
Kirishima was at first set up as one of the background heroes of class 1-A. Then, as soon as he started to get chummy with Bakugo, his status started to rise. This episode in season four not only shows how he came to be at the academy and why, but also how strong he is.
RELATED:My Hero Academia: Times Deku Proved Himself A True Hero
While he didn’t do much damage against Rappa, he did buy time for Fat Gum to build up his power. His secret Quirk was also quite surprising to see released. This one takes place in season four, episode nine.
11Deku Vs Gentle Criminal
This might be one of thelowest-stakes fights inMy Hero Academiaand even paints Deku in a bad light. Deku understandably wants to make sure the hard work everyone puts into the festival does not go unrewarded, but Gentle Criminal doesn’t want to hurt anyone.
He just wants to put on a show and Deku is acting like he needs to stomp him down like he’s All For One or something. As low stakes as it is, it is a fun fight to watch in season four, starting in episode twenty-one.
