Favourite Animated Fight Scene (SPOILERS)

SnakeTrousers

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Animation has a way of producing some phenomenally boring fight scenes. I think we're all familiar with the kind of tedious superpowered shot-for-shot "fights" that were made popular by shows like DBZ, in which 90% of the action is just people floating about, debating who packs the stronger punch.

Of course, animation can produce some truly spectacular fight scenes too, and as a big fan of the medium and of good choreography, these are the ones I'm more interested in talking about. What is your favourite animated fight scene?

Mine comes from the latest season of Legend of Korra. The action has always been one of the series' strengths, IMO. It's one of the main reasons I watch in the first place and Book 3 has had the best of it so far, especially where Zaheer is concerned.


I preferred this fight to the finale; high-flying super heroics are generally less interesting to me than the more grounded battles.
 

Casual Shinji

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Well there's the obvious 'Asuka vs. Seele' fight from End of Evangelion.


(This video contains spoilers, by the way.)

The immense weight behind these giant beings shines through so beautifully in this scene. Each action they perform just feels like it's smushing the earth. It's also the only fight in the series where we get to see brutal hand-to-hand combat between these things. No flawless choreography or anything, just giant limbs attempting to crush and brutalize one another.

Coming in at number two would be the 'Chun-li vs. Vega' fight from Street Fighter 2: The Movie.


(There's some naughty bits near the start, just so you know.)

The only reason to really watch this movie is for this fight scene alone. It's got the right balance between realistic and over-the-top; You have both characters doing ridiculous things like running on walls, jumping straight up into the rafters, and even lifting an entire couch over ones head, but at the same time there's a terrific sense of heft and impact to every action. And this is from a time when anime characters still had bulk, so beyond Chun-li looking sexy she actually looks like she has the physical mass to really bring the pain.
 

Julius Terrell

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I'm currently watching The Legend of Korra book 3, and completely agree! The fight scenes are fantastic so far.

Considering that I'm a big fan of martial arts series(anime wise), there are just too many to count.

Sword of a stranger always comes to mind. The last fight in that movie was epic treat to behold. Watching that blond guy jumping around and wielding that sword as if it weighed nothing just simply astounded me.

Air Master is another show that really stands out for it's epic fights. The second fight between Maiki and Yuki literally had my mouth hitting the floor. Just damn!

Grappler baki is another manga/show that is nothing but awesome fight after fight. I remember during season 2 of the TV show during the final episode where baki and his brother are fighting in the final, they are trading blows with each other dbz style. It left a tearing just to behold such a beautiful display of the act of fighting.

Street Fighter II: V comes to mind when I think about the fight between chun li and guile outside of m. bison's coumpound. She was beating his so badly and he couldn't take all those serial kicks. I was like.. WTF!? o_O
 

Scarim Coral

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For me that would be Luffy vs the Boas sisters from One Piece

If that is too long for you, it's around here that is my favourite moment during the fight.
Now the reason why this is my favourite among the mang fights in One Piece is that this is a rare moment that for once, Luffy actually outwit his opponents! Ok sure he did started out having the disadvantage but once the sisters accidently made him exhale out the posion gas inside of him, he actually came up with something that work in his favour (lay on his back when he barrage their sepent hair and tie up their tails when they weren't paying attention to him).
 

Lethos

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I always liked the fight between Liara and her father in the second animated Green Lantern film.


There's loads from anime I like as well, but I'm having difficulty thinking of specifics.
 

Johnny Novgorod

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The final duels in Samurai Champloo are amazing, even if the villains in them are a bit underwhelming, from a narrative point of view. There's very little sense of climax, and no good reason why these guys that just stepped out of the blue should be this challenging to Mugen and Jin. Still, I love the choreography. Especially against the kusari-gama guy.
 

WhiteFangofWhoa

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Transformers Prime and Beast Wars have had some good ones:


A larger-scale one that's between about 9 different Transformers but still manages awesome moments for every single one of them... except maybe Tarantulas. I like Megatron gloating about his 'DOUBLE KILL!'. At least he doesn't teabag:

It continues in part 2.

A lot of Bleach's fight scenes are exactly as you described them, too much talking and whooshing around and explosions and not enough action, but I feel Ichigo vs. Grimmjow Round 3 was a nice exception to that rule, probably because they were so evenly matched and both physical-focused fighters.

Lots of good ones in the DCAU as well, all of it.
 

Soviet Heavy

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Well, there's always Nanashi and Luo Lang's fight in Sword of the Stranger.

However, I'm a big fan of the fight scenes from the DC Animated Movies, particularly the fight between Jason Todd and Batman that ends with Bats throwing him through a bathroom wall.
 

KINGBeerZ

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TheKasp said:
Easy. Azula vs Zuko, the final battle:


Music, animation, tone. Everything is just bloody perfect.

What this guy said, this is why "into the inferno" (I think it's the title of the episode) is my favourite Avatar episode, I particularly love it for those gorgeous strings and the way that they actually sync up with the fight. SO GOOD.
 

Asita

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Seconding Soviet. The climactic battle in Sword of the Stranger is beautiful.

 

Belaam

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TheKasp said:
Easy. Azula vs Zuko, the final battle:
This was my first thought when I saw the title as well.

I could probably come up with more, but the instant image in my mind was "Azula's final fight"
 

SnakeTrousers

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Asita said:
Seconding Soviet. The climactic battle in Sword of the Stranger is beautiful.

I was about to look this up, but thank you for linking. Seems I might have to watch this, that was some tight choreography/cinematography.
 

Julius Terrell

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Asita said:
Seconding Soviet. The climactic battle in Sword of the Stranger is beautiful.

I was the first to chime in on that fight. It's just been a while since I've seen the movie.

Naruto comes to mind. First, Naruto vs pain fight. Only to words to describe that fight. Fucking badass!

Everybody has to remember that the 6 bodies of pain were six overpowered ninja with the power of the Rinnigen. You couldn't be underpowered and stop even one of them.

Second was the first appearance of Uchiha Madara. Episode 322. I've reached that episode a few times now, because that ALONE was laying waste to the whole army of ninja. It was nothing short of spectacle. To top it off he summons a Gargantuan sized rock the could have been a meteor. This is naruto not final fantasy! LOL!!!

It's without out a doubt one of the best battles I've seen from this show that I've seen.
 

silver wolf009

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Definitely got to be Samurai Jack vs the Shinobi.


The entire fight is great, with unique visuals, excellent musical cues, and awesome action. I remember seeing this when I was a kid, and just thinking that it can't get better than this.
 

the December King

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Belaam said:
TheKasp said:
Easy. Azula vs Zuko, the final battle:
This was my first thought when I saw the title as well.

I could probably come up with more, but the instant image in my mind was "Azula's final fight"
I just watched it, and it was a cool fight and all, but it did seem like the dude got robbed of a clean victory, which he seemed to be on the road to, because the other girl showed up. Mind you, I haven't got any context for the fight itself beyond what I see here, and I understand that. And it WAS pretty cool animation/fx!

On topic, I don't really have a good one at hand. Watching Kaneda fight Tetsuo near the end of the movie Akira comes to mind- does that count?
 

Aaron Sylvester

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I'll be "that guy" and say pretty much any fight scene involving Rock Lee, especially this one:


Yeah the animation quality isn't the best (since it's Naruto) but I don't recall myself ever being so hyped about any fight scene more than this.
 

Slycne

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In a medium of over-the-top powers and crazy weapons. I've always found something pleasantly down to earth about Cowboy Bebop's fights.

 

carnex

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Damn there are so many cool fight sequences, but ones I like the most are ones that go absolutely berserk. Like original Evanelions Eva01 vs Sachiel and it's legendary "We Won". Too bad there isn't a single video surviving of it on youtube but there is this

http://rutube.ru/video/e0865a1de3436a62c8a88828c92c479c/

but for my favorite I will cheat a bit and go with Makoto vs Tank in first Ghost in the Shell Movie
 

RedDeadFred

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Haven't watched too many but I did thoroughly enjoy the final battle against Wrath that went over the course of the last several episodes of FMA Brotherhood.