FGC
Opinion
All these fighters are like different universes since they each look and feel unique. Choose one where the world just clicks and where you shine like the legend you truly are.
All top anime fighting games share the same key features, typical to this sub-genre. The combat is super quick. Air dashes and air combos create the basis for most character gameplans. Special and Super Moves are over the top in terms of visual extravaganza — as it should be in a good anime show.
Extremely different games can be built on this basis. No anime fighter is alike: from artistic aesthetics to battle mechanics. Some titles are based on popular anime, bringing beloved characters to life. Others start new traditions and then even become sources for anime. It also happens that fighters are based on other games.
All the best and most popular anime fighters are listed and ranked here. In our article, you’ll find games with the biggest online communities, fights to play offline, and the most anticipated upcoming releases.
Top anime fighting games to play online
Newer fighting games are usually better to dive in. When you have a 1v1 match with another human being, the genre unleashes the best qualities: it’s like the excitement of unpredictable interactions. This is also true for anime fighters.
If a fighting game is new, it has a big online player base. Newcomers are more motivated to spend time training as they know these skills will come in handy in multiplayer fights. You don’t waste your time in the lobbies, as the opponents are easy to find.
These are basically the best anime fighters to play right now!
1. Guilty Gear Strive
Arc System Works went above and beyond with this release. The Guilty Gear series has earlier games, but Strive managed to combine the core identity, accessibility for newer players, and signature depth of the anime fighters sub-genre.
Guilty Gear Strive even has an anime within the game. The story mode is not about playing: you watch the show and get to know the world better. A dedicated series,Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulerswas released thanks to the game’s success.
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2. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
This anime fighting game was born from a social mobile role-playing game (RPG), popular in Japan: Granblue Fantasy. It got a proper international release on PC and consoles as Granblue Fantasy: Relink.
The first iteration of Versus was notable for its accessibility. However, the developers went too far with this, so the game got the reputation of being simple. A hard reboot was needed to change this. GBVS: Rising came out with deeper mechanics and various improvements.
In general, it’s a more straightforward game than Strive. We’ve added Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising to our list of thebest fighting games for beginners.
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3. Dragon Ball FighterZ
The core idea of this game is to reflect the signature battles of the Dragon Ball universe in a fighting game. It was implemented perfectly!
DBFZ is very different from other top anime fighting games on our list. Not only does the original franchise affect how the game looks, but also, the developers went for a tag-team style. Players select three characters for their teams, and they can replace each other during battles. Powerful assists help create super long and damaging combos. Dragon Ball FighterZ took the formula ofMarvel vs Capcomto a totally new level.
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One important thing to understand about Dragon Ball FighterZ is that the game is not new, and the player base gets smaller. This may cause issues with online matchmaking in some regions. It’s still popular, though, even if the pro community shifted to other titles.
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4. Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes
What started as a niche project turned out to be a cult series in the fighting games community (FGC) — at least among the anime enjoyers.
Under Night invites players to a mysterious night where people obtain mighty abilities. They use these powers to fight, sure. And these battles are a pure tradition of anime fighting games.
It’s the second iteration of the Under Night series. UNI2 is not too different from the original release, but it still has nice improvements.
The best anime fighters for offline play
Time can be cruel to fighting games. New releases grab the attention of players, and previously top titles are considered dead. Not too many players are online, and it’s difficult to find fair matchups.
However, such games are still awesome to play offline: story modes, VS matches, and fights with friends.
Upcoming anime fighting games we look forward to
More games of this wonderful sub-genre are certainly coming, and some of them are already known. Don’t sleep on these releases.
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All the games in our list of top anime fighters are worth your attention. Don’t overthink the choice! If a trailer or a description resonates with you, dive into this amazing experience and have tons of fun.
For allfighting games news and updates, stick around on esports.gg.
