5 Best Battle Shonen Anime of 2025, Ranked

The end of the year is quickly approaching, which means anime fans are busy discussing this year’s overall success in terms of bringing new content to the community. Most fans can agree that 2025 was an awesome year for anime, with plenty of renewed season debuts, theatrical film releases, and brand-new series. While next year is already looking promising, there’s still plenty of time to reflect on just what made 2025 so solid when there have definitely been a handful of years in the past half-decade that fell flat.

The discourse that exists around the best anime series to release each year will never be fully decided upon, with all sorts of varying opinions on what performed better or what was executed to most fans’ satisfaction; however, that doesn’t mean we can’t try to collectively point out some of 2025’s biggest hits. In particular, this year was a great opportunity for hardcore battle shonen fans to feast on some of the best animation and plot we’ve had on screen in a while. So, this list will look closely at 2025’s hottest battle shonen anime and just why they made such waves among audiences who are already eager for more.

5) Gachiakuta

One of the best new releases of 2025 easily goes to Gachiakuta, a dark fantasy anime series that dropped at the beginning of this year. The end of its first season will be drawing to a close sometime in December 2025, with fans already anticipating the announcement of a second season. Gachiakuta has some of the most unique character design art seen in recent shonen anime, along with a distinctive setting that helps set the overall feel and tone of the show. It’s also been highly praised for balancing fast-paced action, power-scaling systems, and emotional backstories in a way that flows and doesn’t drag.

The plot of Gachiakuta takes place in a floating utopian city that overlooks a massive pit where the city’s trash and unwanted belongings are discarded. Rudo is exiled to this underground trash heap after he’s falsely accused of murder, leading to his journey throughout the dangerous environment to collect enough power to take his revenge. This anime is certainly dark and gritty enough for fans of series like Jujutsu Kaisen or Chainsaw Man, but its fantasy setting lends to a different feel that makes it stand out from other contemporary offers.

4) Chainsaw Man

It would have been hard to make this list and not include Chainsaw Man among the titles, having more than earned its place among the modern classics of battle shonen anime. Additionally, 2025 was a big year for Chainsaw Man, with new content finally being released in the form of Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, a theatrical release that made big numbers through streaming platforms and in movie theaters. This anime has repeatedly shown why it’s listed among Shonen Jump’s Dark Trio, presenting dark, mature themes and plenty of gore in its copious action sequences.

Chainsaw Man is centered around the impoverished teenager, Denji, who works with his demon-dog, Pochita, to pay back a debt his father owes dangerous criminals. When Denji’s life is threatened, Pochita saves him by merging their bodies, granting Denji the ability to transform into the powerful Chainsaw Devil. This newfound power gets Denji recruited into the Public Safety Devil Hunters group, where he’s expected to help protect humanity while proving he’s not a threat due to the violent nature of his abilities. If you’re a big fan of fast-paced action, high-stakes fight scenes, and relatable characters, make sure to give Chainsaw Man a spot on your watch list.

3) Demon Slayer

Another battle shonen anime series that has managed to capture fans’ undivided attention this past year is Demon Slayer. The show is entering its final stretch, with the recent release of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle performing exceedingly well in theaters to the point of outperforming several Western box office hits. This series is known for the masterful animation style it features, which is present in every fight sequence taking place throughout Tanjiro’s extensive journey to cure his sister. It remains one of the best modern dark fantasy series that will more than likely set the blueprint for future anime releases.

The story of Demon Slayer follows Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado, two close siblings whose family is murdered by Muzan Kibutsuki, the Demon King; in addition, Nezuko is transformed into a demon herself, leaving Tanjiro to try and figure out how to revert his sister back to human. In desperation, Tanjiro undergoes the process of becoming a Demon Slayer, a human warrior who slays the demons that threaten humanity, all while seeking revenge. This anime has a little bit of everything, from intriguing villains to gorgeous character design to epic sword-fighting techniques.

2) Solo Leveling

Solo Leveling shot to the top of action fantasy anime with its initial release back in 2024, though it had its second season, Solo Leveling: Arise From the Shadow, debut in the first quarter of 2025. The entire premise of the series revolves around the act of fighting to level up the main character’s power and skill, which means there are plenty of boss fights, small skirmishes, and massive dungeon crawls. It’s easily one of the top action anime to release in the past decade, though the smooth animation in every fight sequence certainly helps appeal to fans visually.

The plot of Solo Leveling is set in a world where mysterious dungeons appear that are filled with monsters, ranked by power level; Hunters, human fighters who undergo skill-deciding tests, are charged to enter these dungeons and clear them out for the safety of humanity. Sung Jin Woo is hailed as humanity’s weakest Hunter until a chance encounter with a strange dungeon leaves him with the secret power to privately level his own skills through a series of tracked fights and challenges. Solo Leveling closely follows Jin Woo’s journey towards becoming an unparalleled warrior, emphasizing themes of personal growth, destiny, and determination.

1) My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia more than earned its spot at the top of this battle shonen list, putting in years’ worth of work entertaining anime audiences while reviving the superhero subgenre for modern anime fans. This popular anime was initially released back in 2016 and is currently airing its final season, which is set to end in December 2025, marking the end of an era. My Hero Academia has been praised for its entertaining cast of characters, unique portrayal of superpowers, and deep themes regarding heroism in a realistic society.

The general world of My Hero Academia is set in the future, where society has developed biological Quirks, essentially superpowers that an individual is born with. Izuku Midoriya is one of the rare few born Quirkless, though his dream to become a hero inches closer to reality when All Might, the Symbol of Peace, transfers his powerful Quirk to Midoriya during an emotional encounter. Midoriya must now enroll in U.A. Academy to train his new abilities and learn the steps to become the world’s greatest hero, all while battling outside forces of evil that threaten to collapse society as he knows it. Any fans of comic books, superhero media, or high-quality action scenes should give My Hero Academia a chance.

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Have you seen any of these iconic anime series? Tell us which battle shonen anime is your favorite in the comments below.

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