The worldwide growth ofanimehas finally made it clear to many that the art form is more than just fighting and cool moments. Some of the most popular titles come from other genres, like drama, romance, and horror.However, it’s undeniable that anime has a knack for pumping its audience up. Whether it be cathartic moments during a battle, an emotional scene just before the start of one, or a flashback that gives a character the strength they need, anime just seems suited for hype moments.
There have been countless shows with epic scenes throughout the decades that have pumped viewers up, and many have made those viewers into lifelong anime fans. However, when taking matters like context, popularity, surprise factor, and influence into account,some moments are simply better than others.
Just asAttack on Titan’s secrets were unraveling, and the world was well acquainted with the horrors associated with the Titans, the iconic anime series gave fans one of its best overall moments during its third season. In the face of certain death at the hands of the Beast Titan,Commander Erwin Smith gave an incredible and inspiring speechthat united his troops and sent them into battle with bravery.
The scene is packed with emotion and likely to cause some goosebumps, asAttack on Titan’s masterful score backs Erwin’s powerful words. The series is filled with death around every corner, yet the brave commanderreminded his troops that their lives mattered even after charging to their ends.
Mob Psycho 100laid much of the groundwork forwhat shōnen has become today, turning much of its focus away from the enemies its titular protagonist must fight, and instead looking inward to who he is as a person. However,that doesn’t mean the series lacks in the action department, often delivering some of the most visually impressive fight scenes in anime. And one stands above the rest.
After taking a beating in an alleyway from the aggressive and downright evil Koyama, Mob finally allows himself to reach 100% and unleashes his full power.What follows is an absolute beatdown, and Mob’s quiet fury only adds to the excitement of the moment. As soon as he asked if Koyama could feel his animosity, there was no chance that Mob would lose.
There are few more popular characters in animeat the moment than Satoru Gojo.Jujutsu Kaisenhas established itself as one of the leaders of the current generation of shōnen anime, and it has all the fights and hype moments to keep its throne largely uncontested. One of its very best comes during the highly acclaimed second season,when Gojo uses Purple for the first time.
The scene became something of a phenomenon after premiering, causing fans to recreate the moment on social media, while using its audio for various memes and compilations. Gojo’s nonchalant floating and calm narration about the technique, along with the piano theme underneath, makes for one of the most memorable moments not just in the series, but in recent anime history.
ForOne Pieceto remain as popular as it has over the course of 1,000-plus episodes, it would need to come with moments that fire up fans,and there certainly is no shortage of them. Luffy’s latest power-up is also his most ridiculous, and its introduction into the series is one ofOne Piece’s finest moments. During the fight with Kaido, he takes quite the hit, causing Luffy to go down seemingly for the count.
Just then, the Drums of Liberation are heard, and the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates begins laughing, before rising in confusion, ready for battle once more inhis all-new Gear 5 form. The actual abilities of Gear 5 come with a cartoonish fighting style and sound effects,yet Luffy is the strongest he’s ever been while in the white-haired state, and its debut has never failed to hype up the fan base.
Dragon Ballhas built its reputation on four decades of hype moments, and one of its best came from a more recent entry into the franchise,Dragon Ball Super. Though Goku used Ultra Instinct several timesthroughout the Tournament of Power, he could never get it quite right, lacking the total focus he needed. However, with his back firmly against the wall in the battle with Jiren,he finally reached Ultra Instinct’s full power.
Moving so fast that he was able to catch Jiren’s attack and appear behind him without his foe noticing,the silver hair and glow of Ultra Instinct was revealed, and Goku was able to finally get the upper hand in battle for the first time. The iconic trumpets accompanying the technique, as well as his total domination of Jiren, make Ultra Instinct’s first perfected appearance one ofDragon Ball’s best moments.
Narutois one of the most beloved anime franchises of all-time, andpacks in countless classic moments, like Rock Lee dropping his weights and revealing his strength.None, however, are better than Naruto’s arrival to fight Pain. Knowing that he would have a challenge ahead of him, the series' protagonist went to Mount Myoboku to train.
In the time he was away, Pain laid waste to a section of Hidden Leaf, and wasn’t exactly ready to stop his path of destruction. However, Naruto returned standing atop of Gamakichi with a perfected Sage Mode, ready to confront Pain.Many believe the moment to be one of anime’s greatest entrances to date, and the fight that followed isn’t any slouch either.
Demon Slayer, likeJujutsu Kaisen,is one of the leaders of the current generation of shōnen anime. Debuting in 2019, the series gained quite a following over the course of its first season, but one ofTanjiro’s best overall momentsinstantly shot its popularity skyward on a trajectory that shows little sign of any downturn.
Episode #19, “Hinokami”, features high-quality visuals that were the first glimpse of things to come for the franchise, and a climactic finish to the battle between Tanjiro and Rui. With a broken blade and Nezuko in grave danger,Tanjiro charges forward and debuts his Hinokami Kagura, all while an emotional song plays underneath. Episode #19 became the talk of the anime community for some time following its release, and caused countless viewers to become diehard fans.
Despite a complicated history of anime adaptations and a manga release schedule plagued by the health problems of its creator,Hunter x Hunteris one of the most popular titles to come out ofWeekly Shōnen Jumpover the past 30 years. And the one moment that fans consistently discussis Gon giving everything out of rage for more power.
After realizing Neferpitou had killed Kite,Hunter x Hunter’s protagonistmade a contract that saw him give up a significant portion of his lifespan for the power to defeat her. The score, combined with Gon’s relative silence and intimidating appearance, makes for one of anime’s greatest moments,and one that packs emotion alongside hype.
One Pieceis one of the most popular anime and manga franchises on the planet, and fans will typically point toone of its darkest scenesas the moment that truly hooked them in. As Nami breaks down and repeatedly stabs at the tattoo on her arm, Luffy stands behind her and endures her harsh words.Finally, she asks him for help, and that’s all Luffy needs to hear.
The shot of his eyes darkened by the shadow of his hat has become iconic, and he trusts Nami with his most prized possession, before he and the Straw Hats take the walk to Arlong.The moment is the perfect encapsulation of Luffy as a character, and combines all the emotion of Nami’s tragic backstory with the hype of knowing Luffy is about to get to work. No matter how many times the moment has been remade or adapted, nothing can quite capture the effect of the anime’s original portrayal.
Super Saiyan is likely the most important transformation in anime and manga history. From the moment it appeared, shōnen was never the same again,as seemingly every protagonist began unlocking flashy new forms. Often imitated and rarely replicated, Goku’s initial transformation isDragon Ball’s greatest moment, and one that brought the hero’s struggle between his human upbringing and Saiyan nature to its natural climax.
After several episodes of Frieza’s evil actions on Namek and the death of his best friend, Goku achieved the mythical Super Saiyan formand turned the battle entirely on its head. There likely won’t be another transformation like Super Saiyan,and its influence will forever be felt in shōnen anime.
