10 Best Anime Training Arcs, Ranked

Training arcs are a fan favorite because they are the one time anime stops pretending the hero can “want it harder” and starts making them do homework. Someone will explain breathing like it is classified information. Someone will run up a mountain so many times the mountain should start paying rent. There is always a “simple” routine that would hospitalize a normal person by day two, and the mentor reacts to collapse like it is a personality flaw.

But the humor works because it sits on top of real character development. Training arcs show who actually has discipline, who learns fast, who cheats, and who keeps going while complaining the whole time. And when the payoff finally hits in a later fight, fans love it because they can point to the exact grind that made it possible.

10. Demon Slayer – The Hashira Training Arc

After the intense battles in the Swordsmith Village, Tanjiro and the other Demon Slayers participate in the Hashira Training, a rigorous program conducted by the nine Hashira to strengthen the Corps as a whole. Each Hashira leads unique sessions focused on different combat areas, from endurance and speed to sword technique and concentration. The trainees must endure grueling exercises such as sparring with top warriors, maintaining breathing forms for extended periods, and pushing their bodies far beyond previous limits. The sessions reveal the Corps’ unity before their showdown against Muzan, framing the arc as a preparation of soul as much as body.

9. Hunter x Hunter – Greed Island Arc

Gon and Killua enter Greed Island not only to search for clues about Ging but also to sharpen their Nen abilities under pressure. The game’s mechanics transform their training into constant combat puzzles, forcing them to rethink every move. Their training under Biscuit Krueger is merciless yet genius, blending brutal drills with thoughtful strategy.

This arc elevates training from mere repetition to mental warfare. The balance between physical mastery and mental development makes it feel authentic. When Gon finally uses Jajanken effectively, it’s earned through steady growth, not plot convenience. Few arcs depict such consistent technical evolution this well.

8. Attack on Titan – Cadet Training Corps Arc

Before the titans fall and the politics unravel, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin endure military training that defines their worldview. It’s rigorous, deceptive, and constantly unsafe. The cadet corps hammers discipline and survival instinct into its recruits, making teamwork a necessity rather than a virtue. This early arc captures the tension between youthful idealism and military realism. Watching flawed trainees slowly shape into functional soldiers gives context to every later battle.

7. Dragon Ball – Goku’s Training with King Kai

After dying in the battle with Raditz, Goku is sent along Snake Way to reach King Kai’s planet — a small, high-gravity world at the edge of the afterlife. This journey itself is grueling, and once Goku arrives, King Kai puts him through bizarre yet effective training methods: catching Bubbles the monkey in 10× gravity, hitting Gregory the cricket with a hammer, and eventually learning the Kaio-ken and Spirit Bomb techniques. This training is iconic because it transforms Goku from a skilled Earth warrior into a galactic-level fighter. King Kai’s comedic mentorship hides deep wisdom, teaching Goku not just power but control and restraint.

6. Naruto – Jiraiya’s Rasengan and Sage Mode Training

Under Jiraiya’s guidance, Naruto begins training to master the Rasengan, a powerful technique created by the Fourth Hokage. The process is divided into stages that teach Naruto to mold, rotate, and condense chakra into a perfectly spherical form. Using creative methods like bursting water balloons and rubber balls, Naruto struggles but eventually harnesses the necessary chakra control and focus to complete the technique. Through this intense training, he not only develops great strength but also learns patience and persistence that shape his growth as a ninja.

After Jiraiya’s death, Naruto travels to Mount Myōboku to train under Fukasaku and learn Sage Mode, a technique that allows him to draw on the natural energy around him to enhance his power. The training is dangerous, as taking too much nature energy can turn the body to stone, but Naruto faces it head-on. Over time, he learns to balance his physical and spiritual energy with nature’s flow, achieving a calm unity that greatly boosts his strength, speed, and awareness.

5. My Hero Academia – Forest Training Camp Arc

In the Forest Training Camp Arc, Class 1-A of U.A. High School is sent to a remote forest facility in the mountains to intensify their Quirk training during summer break. Supervised by the Pro Heroes known as the Wild, Wild Pussycats, each student faces personalized, grueling exercises designed to push their Quirks and bodies beyond previous limits. For example, Midoriya works to improve control and output of One for All, Bakugo focuses on better blasting efficiency, and Todoroki hones his dual-element balance. The training also serves as a dynamic growth period for Class 1-B and emphasizes teamwork and endurance under harsh conditions.

However, the camp takes a dark turn when the League of Villains attacks, led by Dabi, Toga, and others. Their ambush evolves from a test of skill to a desperate fight for survival, culminating in the kidnapping of Bakugo. This event shocks the entire hero community and forces the young heroes to confront the grim reality of their world.

4. One Piece – The Two-Year Time Skip Training Arc

After their devastating defeat at Sabaody Archipelago, the Straw Hat Pirates are separated and drastically outmatched by the forces of the New World. Understanding that they must grow stronger, Monkey D. Luffy decides the crew should train separately for two years before reuniting. Each member finds a mentor or environment suited to their abilities: Luffy trains under Silvers Rayleigh, the former right hand of Gol D. Roger, to harness Haki — the mysterious power that allows users to sense, defend, and attack on an entirely new level.

Rayleigh pushes Luffy to the brink of his limits, teaching him Observation, Armament, and even hints of Conqueror’s Haki through relentless, life-threatening trials in the wilds of Rusukaina Island. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew undergoes their own unique journeys of growth. When the Straw Hats finally reunite two years later, they are transformed — stronger, wiser, and ready to face the Grand Line’s harshest trials together.

3. Fullmetal Alchemist– Izumi Curtis’s Survival Training

Before becoming State Alchemists, Edward and Alphonse Elric undergo brutal training under Izumi Curtis, a master alchemist and martial artist. Izumi drops the brothers on a remote, monster-filled island with a single rule and no supplies: “One is All, All is One.” They must survive for a month using only their wits, alchemy, and what the wild provides. This training arc is a turning point in the Elric brothers’ lives. It transforms their naive understanding of alchemy into a profound respect for life and balance.

2. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Joseph and Caesar’s Ripple Training

After discovering his latent Ripple (Hamon) abilities and the rise of the ancient Pillar Men, Joseph Joestar teams up with Caesar Zeppeli, a skilled Ripple user, to train under Lisa Lisa, a mysterious and powerful Ripple master. Their training takes place on Air Supplena Island, where Lisa Lisa pushes them through brutal, unconventional tests meant to strengthen both body and mind. One of the most memorable is climbing the Oil Pillar — a sheer column coated in slick oil that forces them to use precise Ripple control through every muscle just to ascend. Watching both men transform from competitors into comrades under Lisa Lisa’s perfectionism gives this training emotional edge and technical depth that define Battle Tendency.

1. Dragon Ball Z – Goku and Gohan in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber

During the Cell Saga, Gohan enters the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with Goku — where one day outside equals a full year inside. The environment is harsh: near-infinite space, thin air, and extreme gravity. Here, Goku trains Gohan not just physically but psychologically, helping his son cultivate the strength and focus to become a Super Saiyan and control it naturally. This arc is one of the most emotional in Dragon Ball Z. It shifts the torch from Goku to Gohan, showing a father’s trust in his son’s hidden potential.

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