If you’ve been watching anime for a while, you already know the big names. Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen don’t need any introduction. But there’s an entire world of action anime sitting just outside that spotlight, doing things just as impressive and getting a fraction of the attention.
This list is personal. Every single entry here is something I genuinely think deserves more eyes on it. Not ranked by score — ranked by how many people have actually seen them, from least watched to most. The ones at the bottom of this list are criminally overlooked. The ones near the top are slightly better known but still don’t get talked about nearly enough. Let’s fix that.
#20 - Shigurui: Death Frenzy
Summer 2007 / MAL Score: 7.36
This one is not for everyone and I want to be upfront about that.
Shigurui is set in feudal Japan and follows two disciples of the same sword school, both vying to become the successor of their dying master. The story itself is brutal, slow, and deeply psychological. The swordplay here is nothing like what you see in typical anime — every single strike feels like it could be the last one, because in this world, it usually is.
It’s graphic, it’s dark, and it asks a lot of patience. But if you can give it that, it pays off with some of the most intense and deliberately crafted action sequences in all of anime.
If you’re a fan of Berserk or Dororo and love anime that treats violence with real weight and consequence, Shigurui is going to hit differently than anything else on this list.
#19 - Casshern Sins
Fall 2008 / MAL Score: 7.51
A post-apocalyptic world where robots are dying and one man is responsible — except he can’t remember doing it. Casshern wanders through a crumbling world full of creatures who want to devour him, believing that consuming him will grant them immortality.
What makes this one stand out is the tone. It’s melancholic in a way most action anime never attempt. The fights are there, but the show is really about guilt, memory, and what it means to exist when everything around you is ending. Beautiful and bleak in equal measure.
If the melancholic atmosphere of Ergo Proxy or Texhnolyze ever stayed with you, Casshern Sins belongs on your watchlist.
#18 - Kiba
Spring 2006 / MAL Score: 7.30
A teenage boy stumbles into a world built around spirit magic and gets caught up in a conflict much larger than himself. Kiba is a long-running series that never got the recognition it deserved — probably because it aired quietly and never had a big marketing push behind it.
What it does well is slow burn world-building. The magic system is genuinely interesting, the characters develop over time, and the action gets significantly better as the series progresses. If you’re patient with it, it rewards that patience.
If you grew up watching Zatch Bell or early Naruto and want something that carries that same spirit of a boy discovering his power in an unfamiliar world, Kiba is worth your time.
#17 - Utawarerumono
Spring 2006 / MAL Score: 7.61
A man wakes up in a fantasy world with no memories, wearing a mask he can’t remove. He’s taken in by a village, becomes their protector, and gets slowly drawn into a war much larger than anyone around him anticipated.
Utawarerumono mixes strategy, action, and world-building in a way that feels genuinely ambitious. It’s based on a visual novel and carries that kind of layered narrative structure — things that seem small early on matter a lot later. The action sequences are satisfying and the political intrigue keeps things interesting between them.
If you enjoyed the political depth of The Heroic Legend of Arslan or the world-building of Inuyasha, Utawarerumono does both and does them well.
#16 - Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Ars Nova
Fall 2013 / MAL Score: 7.34
In a future where humanity has been pushed back from the seas by a fleet of sentient warships with human avatars, one submarine captain forms an unlikely alliance with one of those ships and tries to fight back.
The naval warfare here is genuinely creative and the dynamic between the captain and his ship’s avatar is the emotional core of the whole show. The fully CGI animation divided people when it aired but it actually works really well for the mechanical designs and battle sequences.
If Space Battleship Yamato 2199, Darling in the Franxx or sci-fi military anime in general is your thing, Arpeggio of Blue Steel will feel right at home.
#15 - Super Crooks
Fall 2021 / MAL Score: 7.21
A small-time crook with electricity-based powers gets out of prison and immediately gets pulled back in and this time for one last heist targeting a ruthless super-powered crime boss. He assembles a crew of ragtag supervillains, none of them particularly impressive on their own, and the whole plan predictably starts falling apart from the moment it begins.
Super Crooks is produced by Studio Bones which is the same studio behind Fullmetal Alchemist and My Hero Academia and it shows in the animation quality. The action sequences are slick, the art style carries a retro comic book energy that feels completely distinct from most anime airing around the same time, and the ensemble cast dynamic is genuinely fun to watch.
If you’re a fan of One Punch Man or Tiger and Bunny and enjoy superhero stories that don’t take themselves too seriously, Super Crooks scratches that exact itch with a heist twist.
#14 - GARO: The Animation
Fall 2014 / MAL Score: 7.34
GARO started as a live-action tokusatsu franchise and this anime prequel is genuinely excellent on its own. Set in a dark fantasy medieval world, it follows a golden armored knight hunting demonic creatures called Horrors, with a storyline involving political corruption, betrayal, and a father-son dynamic that carries real emotional weight.
The art style and action choreography here are both seriously impressive. It’s the kind of show that makes you wonder why nobody talks about it more.
If you’re a fan of Claymore or Berserk and love dark fantasy with genuine emotional stakes underneath the action, GARO is exactly what you’re looking for.
#13 - Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom
Spring 2010 / MAL Score: 7.35
Based on a visual novel originally aimed at women, Hakuoki surprised a lot of people with how genuinely good its historical action turned out to be. Set during Japan’s Bakumatsu period, it follows the Shinsengumi as they navigate political upheaval while dealing with a supernatural element involving demon warriors.
The sword fights are well animated, the historical detail is interesting, and the story has actual stakes. Don’t let the origin put you off.
If you loved Rurouni Kenshin or Peacemaker Kurogane and have an appreciation for Bakumatsu era Japan, Hakuoki delivers that same historical atmosphere with a supernatural edge.
#12 - Sengoku Basara
Spring 2009 / MAL Score: 7.32
Sengoku Basara takes Japan’s Warring States period and turns it completely over the top — generals who fight with motorcycle-style polearms, battle cries that could level buildings, and action so stylized it makes Devil May Cry look restrained.
It knows exactly what it is and fully commits. Pure kinetic energy from start to finish. If you want historically inspired action that doesn’t take itself seriously for even a single second, this is the one.
If you loved Gurren Lagann’s over-the-top energy or enjoy the chaos of shows like Hunter x Hunter’s Chimera Ant arc, Sengoku Basara channels that same unhinged commitment to spectacle.
#11 - Buso Renkin
Fall 2006 / MAL Score: 7.29
From the creator of Rurouni Kenshin, Buso Renkin follows a high school student who dies saving a girl, gets revived with a magical weapon in his chest, and ends up fighting homunculi alongside a group of alchemist warriors.
It’s energetic, genuinely funny in places, and has a second half that takes real risks with its story in ways that caught a lot of people off guard. A hidden gem from the mid-2000s golden era of Shonen action.
If Bleach or Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood are among your favourites, Buso Renkin is essentially that same energy in a smaller package — made by the creator of Rurouni Kenshin and worth every episode.
#10 - Beelzebub
Winter 2011 / MAL Score: 7.84
The toughest delinquent in school ends up having to raise the infant son of the Demon King — who chose him because of how frighteningly strong he is. The baby electrocutes anyone who tries to take him away from his new father figure.
Beelzebub is genuinely hilarious and the action is surprisingly good for a comedy-forward series. Sixty episodes flew by. It’s the kind of show where you watch one episode and suddenly it’s three hours later. Deserved a much bigger audience than it got.
If you’re a fan of Gintama or Assassination Classroom which shows that mix genuinely funny comedy with surprisingly good action then Beelzebub belongs right next to them on your list.
#9 - The Fable
Spring 2024 / MAL Score: 8.14
Akira Sato, a legendary hitman known as “The Fable” who can neutralize any target in seconds, is ordered by his boss to take a one-year hiatus in Osaka. Under a fake identity, he must live as an ordinary civilian and is strictly forbidden from killing or engaging in violence. The conflict arises from his struggle to suppress his lethal instincts while navigating mundane tasks like finding a job, settling into an apartment, and interacting with neighbors and local Yakuza.
The Fable is considered underrated because many viewers fixate on its unconventional animation style rather than its exceptional storytelling .While the visuals may not be as flashy as other seasonal hits, the series excels at building a tense, atmospheric crime narrative combined with unique dark humor. Despite being one of the best releases of 2024, it often gets overlooked by audiences prioritizing high-budget animation over its gripping character-driven plot and expert execution of grounded, professional-level action.
If Spy x Family’s mix of a deadly professional trying to navigate normal life ever made you laugh, or if the grounded crime tension of 91 Days is your kind of action, The Fable sits right in that space.
#8 - Go! Go! Loser Ranger!
Spring 2024 / MAL Score: 7.30
This one is recent and its low member count is purely because it’s new. The premise alone deserves more attention — it’s a Super Sentai style show told entirely from the perspective of the villain foot soldier, who is tired of losing on purpose and decides to take the whole system down from the inside.
Sharp, subversive, and funnier than it has any right to be while also delivering genuinely good action. One of the most creative premises in recent anime.
If One Punch Man’s genre-subverting humour or Overlord’s perspective-flip storytelling are why you love anime, Go! Go! Loser Ranger! does something genuinely similar and pulls it off brilliantly.
#7 - High Card
Winter 2023 / MAL Score: 7.17
A secret society of card users — each with a playing card granting a unique supernatural ability — fight to collect a scattered deck before it falls into the wrong hands. The action sequences use these abilities in genuinely creative ways and the visual style is slick and confident throughout.
High Card is stylish, fast-paced, and doesn’t waste your time. The second season built on everything the first established. Deserves significantly more conversation than it gets.
If Bungo Stray Dogs or Katekyo Hitman Reborn are in your favourites — ability-based action with strong ensemble character dynamics — High Card scratches exactly that itch.
#6 - Blood Blockade Battlefront
Spring 2015 / MAL Score: 7.59
From the creator of Trigun — a chaotic, vibrant, jazz-soaked action series set in a New York City that got merged with another dimension and is now called Hellsalem’s Lot. A young photographer with supernatural eyes joins a secret organization trying to maintain some semblance of order in this beautiful mess.
The energy of this show is completely unique. It feels like nothing else — equal parts Cowboy Bebop chaos and superpowered street-level action. The soundtrack alone is worth the watch.
If Cowboy Bebop or Trigun are the kind of anime that made you fall in love with the medium, Blood Blockade Battlefront is made by the same creator as Trigun and carries that exact same soul.
#5 - Last Exile
Spring 2003 / MAL Score: 7.73
A steampunk world of flying ships, courier pilots, and a war fought above the clouds. Two young vanship pilots get pulled into a conflict much larger than anything they were prepared for when they take on a dangerous delivery mission.
Last Exile has some of the most beautifully designed aerial action sequences from that entire era of anime. The world-building is rich, the stakes feel real, and the relationship between the two leads carries the whole thing. A masterpiece that somehow slipped through the cracks.
If you loved the world-building of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind or the aerial adventure of Castle in the Sky, Last Exile is the full series version of that feeling across 26 episodes.
#4 - Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
Summer 2010 / MAL Score: 7.60
Here’s one that flew completely under the radar during its original airing, and honestly, it had no business being this overlooked.
Rikuo Nura lives a completely normal life as a middle school student during the day. At night, he transforms into a powerful yokai lord — heir to the Nura Clan, one of the most feared demon factions in Japan. The catch is that Rikuo doesn’t want any of it. He’s spent his whole life trying to be human, and the show is fundamentally about what happens when you can no longer outrun what you actually are.
What separates Nura from other Shonen series is how seriously it takes its Japanese folklore roots. The yokai designs are genuinely creative and rooted in real mythology — this isn’t generic fantasy monster design, it’s a show that clearly did its homework. The world it builds around the yokai underworld, its politics, its factions and loyalties, feels lived-in and specific in a way that most supernatural anime don’t bother with.
The supernatural battle sequences are flashy and intense, the art style carries a traditional aesthetic that gives the whole show a distinct visual identity, and the theme of family loyalty running through everything gives the action real emotional stakes. When Rikuo finally steps into his role, it genuinely lands because the show spent time making you understand why it matters.
A hidden gem for anyone who loves supernatural action with actual mythology behind it.
If Bleach or Inuyasha are your comfort anime, supernatural action built around Japanese folklore and a protagonist caught between two worlds then Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan belongs on your watchlist.
#3 - The Heroic Legend of Arslan
Spring 2015 / MAL Score: 7.65
A young prince watches his kingdom fall and has to rebuild everything from nothing. His army, his alliances, his own identity as a leader. Created by the writer of Fullmetal Alchemist, Arslan carries that same sense of political intelligence and genuine character depth underneath its battle sequences.
The battles are large scale and well executed. But the real appeal is watching Arslan grow into someone worthy of the throne he’s trying to reclaim. One of the best political fantasy action series anime has produced.
If you’re a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood’s political depth or Kingdom’s large-scale war storytelling, Arslan was made by the same writer as FMAB and carries that same intelligence into a fantasy war epic.
#2 - Helck
Summer 2023 / MAL Score: 7.30
A demon commander is tasked with eliminating a suspicious human hero named Helck who showed up to the demon king tournament claiming he wants to destroy all of humanity. The setup sounds like a comedy — and for a while, it is one. Then it becomes something else entirely.
Helck is one of the best bait-and-switch stories in recent anime – A pure definition of “let them cook” What starts as absurdist fantasy comedy slowly, deliberately, reveals itself to be a genuinely moving story about sacrifice, cycles of war, and what heroism actually costs. The action in the second half hits significantly harder because of everything the first half built.
If you loved the tonal shift of Puella Magi Madoka Magica where something that starts as one thing becomes something completely different and more devastating, Helck does the exact same thing in a fantasy action setting.
#1 - Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
Spring 2007 / MAL Score: 8.13
Balsa is a wandering spear warrior with a debt to repay — she has vowed to save eight lives to atone for eight deaths she was responsible for. When a royal empress begs her to protect the second prince from assassins sent by his own father, she takes the job.
What follows is one of the most beautifully crafted action-adventure anime ever made, and it is criminal how few people have seen it. The fight choreography is realistic in a way very few anime attempt — Balsa fights like a real warrior, not a superhero, and every confrontation feels genuinely dangerous. The world-building is meticulous, the emotional core is strong, and the relationship between Balsa and the young prince is one of the most understated and earned in the medium.
Production I.G. made this at the peak of their abilities. It shows in every frame.
If Claymore or Rurouni Kenshin are among your favourites for their grounded approach to sword and spear combat with real character depth, Moribito is the pinnacle of that kind of storytelling — and it’s made by the same author as Kemono no Souja Erin.
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