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20 Best Anime Action Movies

John Smith29 min read
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20 Best Anime Action Movies

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20 Best Anime Action Movies


One of the biggest trademarks of anime is its proclivity for intense action, leading to some of the greatest actions movies of all time. While many great shows have nothing to do with the genre, many of the biggest anime in history have been ones that have had a heavy focus on action, whether it be grounded in reality or the fantastical.

Feature-length anime films are often when animators are given complete time and freedom on a project, and that often leads to anime movies focused on action, which takes their stories and animation to incredible levels, especially if they were part of an ongoing franchise, and being some of the best things to watch in the entire medium. This has always been the case for old and new movies alike, with a few taking it far enough to be some of the best action-centric anime films for fans to watch.

20 Promare (2019)

Produced By Studio Trigger; Directed By Hiroyuki Imaishi

Studio Trigger’s Promare takes place 30 years after a massive outbreak of spontaneous combustion caused the birth of pyrokinetics called Burnish, all of whom are persecuted because of their abilities in modern day. Galo Thymos is a firefighter who protects the citizens of Promepolis from the Burnish, but an encounter with the Burnish terrorist Lio Fotia leads to Galo learning that there’s far more to his world than he ever could have imagined.

Promare
director Hiroyuki Imaishi also directed
Cybperunk: Edgerunners.

Promare is notably light on story and characterization, even by Studio Trigger’s standards, but Promare more than makes up for any lack of depth in its writing with incredible visuals, animation, and fight scenes that all feature a level of bombastic flare that’s still among some of Studio Trigger’s best. The film was essentially a celebration of everything that Studio Trigger had done with their best anime up until then, both in terms of stories and visual aesthetics, and that resulted in a fantastic film and one of their best projects to date.

19 Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020)

Produced By Ufotable; Directed By Haruo Sotozaki

2020’s Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is the immediate follow-up to the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime. Tanjiro and his friends join the Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku in tracking down a demon responsible for a string of disappearances, and as dangerous as the demon, Enmu, is, the threat that immediately follows him is greater than anything Tanjiro could have prepared for.

Not only does Mugen Train have even better animation than the already spectacular animation of the anime, but with its great direction and amazing character writing surrounding Rengoku, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train does a perfect job of capitalizing on the anime’s success and outright surpassing it on a technical level. There was no better way to follow up the anime, and it’s easy to see why Mugen Train is the highest-grossing anime film of all time.

18 Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! (2000)

Produced By Toei Animation; Directed By Mamoru Hosoda

Toei Animation’s Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! is the first sequel to the original Digimon Adventure anime. Not long after the end of the anime, a mysterious Digimon named Diaboromon appears inside the internet and starts causing havoc around the world, and now Taichi and his friends must reunite with their Digimon to stop him before he does irreparable damage to the internet and the world, at large.

While Digimon: The Movie is a messy hodgepodge of a film, Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! is plenty worth watching. The film was legendary director Mamoru Hosoda’s first big project, and in his hands, Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! featured incredible action, art, and directorial style, with Omnimon’s debut being a particularly great moment, and it serves as one of the best installments in the entire Digimon franchise. Mamoru Hosoda has made some of the best films in the industry, including Belle and the Academy Award-nominated Mirai, and this film is perfect proof of how he’s garnered so much success.

17 Batman Ninja (2018)

Produced By Kamikaze Douga & YamatoWorks; Directed By Junpei Mizusaki

In 2018’s Batman Ninja, a fight with Gorilla Grodd leads to Batman and his various allies and enemies being sent back in time to feudal Japan, with Batman’s villains quickly taking over the country for themselves. Batman’s usual array of gadgets is quick to fail him, so if he wants to defeat his villains and get everyone home, he has to play into the setting and fully embrace the way of the ninja.

While Batman Ninja is often criticized for the goofiness of its writing, the sincerity with which Batman Ninja executes its goofiness makes its writing some of the strongest of any Batman film, something complemented by the incredible 3D animation from start to finish. Batman Ninja‘s sequel, Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League, is currently in development, and after its release, it will hopefully give this film the recognition it deserves.

16 Persona 3 The Movie: No. 4, Winter Of Rebirth (2016)

Produced By A-1 Pictures; Directed By Tomohisa Taguchi

2016’s Persona 3 The Movie: No. 4, Winter of Rebirth is the grand finale of the Persona 3 film tetralogy. With humanity on the brink of destruction thanks to Nyx and the Fall, Makoto and the rest of SEES have to grapple with the meaning of life once more, and the answers they come up with will be the deciding factor in whether anyone has a future to look forward to.

With its brilliant score and how well it succeeds at concluding Makoto’s arc of learning the value of life, Persona 3 The Movie: No. 4, Winter of Rebirth succeeds in terms of both visuals and writing and ends up being one of the strongest Persona adaptations, by far. Video game adaptations have always had a bad reputation, but the Persona 3 movies perfectly show how great they can be, especially its finale.

15 Lupin III: The First Is An Incredible Take On The Classic Franchise

Produced By TMS Entertainment; Directed By Takashi Yamazaki

TMS Entertainment’s Lupin III: The First is another entry into the Lupin the Third franchise and another story of Lupin and his friends taking on a big heist, the prize this time being a legendary treasure that Lupin’s famed grandfather failed to steal. In classic Lupin fashion, of course, things wildly escalate out of control, and in this case, in particular, said escalation involves a conflict with the Nazis trying to revive the Third Reich and possibly bring an end to the world.

There’s very little not to love about Lupin III: The First. In addition to a story that perfectly balances the goofiness and occasional heart of Lupin the Third, Lupin III: The First has 3D art and animation that’s easily comparable to Disney and Pixar that always does a great job of translating the cartoonish nature of the story into 3D with consistently fluid animation and incredible camerawork and direction. That always lends itself to incredible action that’s among the best in the franchise, and even people who aren’t familiar with Lupin are sure to get a lot out of it.

14 Princess Mononoke (1997)

Produced By Studio Ghibli; Directed By Hayao Miyazaki

In Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, Ashitaka, the last Emishi prince, is cursed after killing a demon and sets off on a pilgrimage to find a cure for his condition. Ashitaka eventually comes across the industrial community of Iron Town and ends up involved in the conflict between them and the forest spirits led by San, the titular Princess Mononoke, and his involvement ends up being the key to ending the conflict between the two sides.

While Studio Ghibli is known for its whimsical fantasy and slice-of-life stories, Princess Mononoke succeeds at being a great action film. In addition to the always stellar art and animation of Studio Ghibli, Princess Mononoke managed to perfectly balance Hayao Miyazaki’s typical commentary on war and the environment with tense and gruesome fantasy action, resulting in one of the most unique films to ever be released by Studio Ghibli. 27 years after its release, Princess Mononoke is still regarded as one of the best Studio Ghibli films, and it’s easy to see why.

13 Ghost In The Shell (1995)

Produced By Production I.G; Directed By Mamoru Oshii

Production I.G’s Ghost in the Shell takes place in a future where most of humanity has begun turning themselves into cyborgs and centers around Major Motoko Kusanagi, an officer in the security group of Public Security Section 9. Motoko’s team is tasked with tracking down a mysterious and deadly hacker known as the Puppet Master, and as the case begins to get bigger and bigger, Motoko ends up repeatedly questioning the value of her humanity and whether or not her cybernetics have robbed her of it all.

While primarily a cyberpunk crime drama, Ghost in the Shell still features exciting fight scenes with animation and choreography that still holds up almost 30 years later, and with a gripping story about what it means to be human, the movie has plenty to offer for people who wouldn’t normally watch anime. Ghost in the Shell is still often regarded as one of the best anime movies of all time, and the execution of its action plays a big part in that.

12 The Garden Of Sinners: Paradox Spiral (2008)

Produced By Ufotable; Directed By Takayuki Hirao

Studio Ufotable’s perfect Halloween anime, The Garden of Sinners: Paradox Spiral is the fifth installment in the Garden of Sinners film series. Shiki Ryougi meets Tomoe Enjo, a troubled youth who claims to have killed his parents, and as Shiki and her friends investigate the truth behind it, they find themselves wrapped up in the final plot of the true villains behind the various events of the films up to that point.

The Garden of Sinners: Paradox Spiral served as the perfect climax to The Garden of Sinners‘ overarching narrative. It achieved this by not only having some of the best animation and music in the Garden of Sinners franchise, but with a story that brought the mysteries and emotional beats of the franchise to their peak. The Garden of Sinners was the first Type-Moon story, and with Paradox Spiral, it’s easy to see how the company became such a success.

11 Fate/stay night Heaven’s Feel III. spring song (2020)

Produced By Ufotable; Directed By Tomonori Sudo

Studio Ufotable’s Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel III. spring song is the final installment of the Heaven’s Feel film trilogy. Sakura’s anger and self-loathing have caused her to be fully consumed by the darkness of the Holy Grail, and with allies getting smaller and smaller in number, Shirou must be prepared to sacrifice everything to save both Sakura and the world, even if that includes his life.

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Heaven’s Feel has always been the biggest story of the original visual novel, and Studio Ufotable’s third installment of their adaptation perfectly showed why with an amazing soundtrack, the culmination of some of the best character writing in the franchise, and, most importantly, the most gorgeous animation to ever come out of any project from the studio. The story can be seen as the definitive conclusion to the original Fate/stay night storyline, and in terms of story and visual aesthetic, there was no better way for that to be shown off.

10 Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)

Produced By MAPPA; Directed By Sunghoo Park

Studio MAPPA’s Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a prequel story to Jujutsu Kaisen based on the manga of the same name. The film stars Yuta Okkotsu, a troubled boy haunted by the spirit of his dead friend, and to try and gain control of her and live a better life, Yuta enrolls into Jujutsu High to learn how to become a sorcerer, unknowingly becoming involved in a major conflict because of it.

Jujutsu Kaisen has been one of the best action anime to come out in recent years, and Jujutsu Kaisen 0, was an appropriately exciting release. As great as Jujutsu Kaisen season 1 was, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 took the anime’s art and animation to a whole new level with its level of fluidity and bombastic execution, and having such a stellar story to go along with it enhanced that even further. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 more than earned its success, and said success has played a big part in making Jujutsu Kaisen the massive franchise it’s been for the past few years.

9 Lupin III: The Castle Of Cagliostro (1979)

Produced By TMS Entertainment; Directed By Hayao Miyazaki

1979’s Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro sees Lupin and his gang travel to the Grand Duchy of Cagliostro to track down a mysterious treasure hidden within the eponymous castle. As the heist unfolds, however, it soon becomes clear that Lupin has more personal reasons driving him, most of which center around the princess of the castle, Clarisse.

While The Castle of Cagliostro differs from other Lupin III projects with its more heroic take on the character, all the same charm can still be found in the writing, and with the incredibly fluid animation and fight choreography, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro is an incredible film to watch, even with 45 years having gone by since its premiere. The film was the directorial debut of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, and it’s probably the biggest proof that he was always destined to be one of the biggest names in animation.

8 Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time (2021)

Produced By Studio Khara; Directed By Hideaki Anno

Studio Khara’s Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time is the long-awaited conclusion to the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy. Gendo’s machinations for the world are finally coming to fruition and invite an all-out war with the forces of WILLE, and with the fate of everything on the line, Shinji must learn to stop feeling sorry for himself one last time and finally confront his father about everything he’s put him through.

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time was delayed for years before its release in 2021, and it was well worth the wait. Not only is the action and animation easily the best of anything in the franchise, but the character writing of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time makes for an emotionally resonant story from start to finish and serves as a great conclusion to not just the Rebuild films, but the entire Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. It’s a virtually flawless film that delivers on all fronts, and any fan of the franchise would be remiss to pass it up.

7 Akira (1988)

Produced By TMS Entertainment; Directed By Katsuhiro Otomo

In TMS Entertainment’s Akira, young biker gang leader Kaneda sees his best friend Tetsuo kidnapped by the corrupt government of Neo-Tokyo and experimented on to be given powerful psychic abilities. Kaneda has to find a way to reach Tetsuo before he destroys Neo-Tokyo, and the world, in his rampage, all while the both of them try to figure out how the mysterious Akira is connected to everything.

Akira is one of the most iconic anime films of all time, and it’s easy to see why that is. Akira incredible art and animation always make for gorgeous and grotesque cyberpunk action from start to finish, and even after over 30 years, it still holds up incredibly well by modern standards. Add in the great writing and direction courtesy of Katsuhiro Otomo, and it’s easy to see why Akira has remained such an iconic part of anime’s legacy.

6 Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie Rebellion (2013)

Produced By Studio Shaft; Written By Gen Urobuchi

Studio Shaft’s Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie Rebellion is the sequel film to the original Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime. Sometime after the anime, Homura finds herself and her friends trapped in an illusionary world by a witch, even though witches should no longer exist in Madoka’s world, and her efforts to uncover the truth will forever change herself and the series, as a whole.

The incredible quality of Puella Magi Madoka Magica necessitated a movie of similarly high caliber, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie Rebellion delivered on all fronts. The art, animation, and overall direction are even better than what was presented in the anime, but more than that, Madoka Magica Rebellion‘s dark and subversive storytelling perfectly built off of the anime and changed the entire franchise as a result. The next Madoka Magica film is set to release later in 2024, and with any luck, it will more than live up to Rebellion‘s incredible legacy.

5 One Piece Film: Red (2022)

Produced By Toei Animation; Directed By Goro Taniguchi

Toei Animation’s One Piece Film: Red is the latest film in the One Piece franchise created in celebration of its 25th anniversary. The Straw Hat Pirates’ travels have taken them to a concert held by Uta, a world-famous diva who also happens to be Shanks’ daughter and Luffy’s childhood friend. It soon becomes clear that Uta isn’t as innocent as she appears, however, and Luffy soon has to go to incredible lengths to break through to his oldest friend before the entire world suffers for it.

With how long the series has gone on, One Piece, naturally, has plenty of action films in its catalog, and One Piece Film: Red is easily the best. Very appropriately for an anniversary celebration, One Piece Film: Red has gorgeous and creative action from start to finish and features some of the best character writing in the entire One Piece franchise. The film perfectly encapsulates what makes One Piece so amazing in terms of both writing and action, and it’s easy to see how it ended up becoming such a major hit.

4 Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018)

Produced By Toei Animation; Directed By Tatsuya Nagamine

Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball Super: Broly was the first animated sequel to Dragon Ball Super and saw the fan-favorite character Broly be made officially canon. This version of Broly is a much softer person who’s manipulated by Frieza into fighting Goku and Vegeta, and their fight brings out a hidden power within Broly unlike anything they’ve ever dealt with before that will take drastic measures to try and deal with.

Very fittingly for a Dragon Ball film, Dragon Ball Super is essentially an hour of fighting with some of the best art, animation, and overall direction in the Dragon Ball franchise that has yet to be topped by anything since its release. Dragon Ball Super: Broly is notably light on story, but with how much effort it puts into highlighting the other key elements of the franchise, that’s hardly a point against it.

3 Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022)

Produced By Toei Animation; Directed By Tetsuro Kodama

2022’s Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is the most recent Dragon Ball film, taking place about two years after 2018’s Dragon Ball Super: Broly. The Red Ribbon Army has returned with a pair of powerful androids called Gamma 1 and Gamma 2, and with Goku and Vegeta in the middle of training with Whis, it’s up to Piccolo and Gohan to unlock their hidden potential and save the world in their place.

Not only does Super Hero always use CGI for stunning visuals and fight choreography, but with how well it pulls off a more character-driven narrative than previous stories, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is the strongest Dragon Ball film to date in terms of both action and writing. It’s unknown if there will ever be another Dragon Ball film, but if there is, it’s hard to imagine anything topping Super Hero‘s incredible work.

2 Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)

Produced By Studio Sunrise & Studio Bones; Directed By Shinichiro Watanabe

Cowboy Bebop the movie poster

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is an anime film directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. Set between episodes 22 and 23 of the Cowboy Bebop series, the crew of the spaceship Bebop hunts a terrorist planning to use a biological weapon on Mars. Featuring the voices of Beau Billingslea, Wendee Lee, and Melissa Fahn, the film blends science fiction with noir and western elements.

Director
Shinichirô Watanabe
Release Date
September 1, 2001

Cast
Steve Blum , Wendee Lee , Beau Billingslea , Melissa Fahn , Jennifer Hale , Daran Norris , Dave Wittenberg , Nicholas Guest

Runtime
115 Minutes

Studio Sunrise and Studio Bones’ Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is an interquel to the original anime taking place near the end of the original series. A seemingly normal bounty-hunting job by the crew of the Bebop gets them involved with the terrorist Vincent Volaju, and when he plans to destroy all life on Mars with a deadly virus, they end up being the only ones who can stop him.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is essentially an extra-long episode of Cowboy Bebop in all the best of ways. The fluidity of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie‘s action and animation is just as good as the anime’s, if not better, and with writing that effortlessly balances comedy and drama, there’s always something engaging well beyond simple spectacle. Cowboy Bebop is often regarded as one of the best anime of all time, if not the best, and Cowboy Bebop: The Movie more than lives up to that legacy.

1 Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights In The Sky Are Stars (2009)

Produced By Studio Trigger; Directed By Hiroyuki Imaishi

Studio Trigger’s Gurren Lagann the Movie: The Lights in the Sky Are Stars is the second Gurren Lagann compilation film following Gurren Lagann the Movie: Childhood’s End. The film covered the second half of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann‘s original anime, but unlike the first film, it made a variety of changes to the story that range from pure spectacle to improving on some of the shortcomings of its second half.

Compilation films have a reputation of being unnecessary, but Gurren Lagann the Movie: The Lights in the Sky Are Stars is anything but. Not only did The Lights in the Sky Are Stars perfectly translate Gurren Lagann‘s over-the-top writing and action to film, but it also expanded on the original story to make a finale even wilder than the original. It was the perfect conclusion to such an iconic anime, and it’s allowed the film to easily stand out as one of the best action anime movies of all time.



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