The Best Fight of Every My Hero Academia Season, Ranked

There’s great action throughout My Hero Academia, and the anime’s best fights underscore why it’s so beloved. The Shonen series has no shortage of 1:1 fights and larger-scale conflicts, all of which benefit from incredible animation and choreography. Most of them further the characters’ arcs and the main plot in effective ways, ensuring they’re satisfying beyond the visuals, too.

With My Hero Academia‘s eight seasons packing so much action into their runs, it’s difficult to pinpoint the single strongest fight from each outing. There’s usually one that stands out just a little more than the others, however, landing it among the anime’s greatest hits. And comparing the greatest fight from each season is another undertaking, though unsurprisingly, the best of the best are from the show’s climax.

8) Shigaraki vs. Re-Destro (Season 5)

My Hero Academia Season 5 contains a few pivotal moments, but none of them compare to the fight between Shigaraki and Re-Destro. In an outing that keeps its heroes and villains mostly to themselves, this conflict raises the stakes significantly ahead of their clash in Season 6. The highlight of this confrontation is seeing Shigaraki’s Quirk evolve — a chilling development that only makes him a more daunting villain.

Unfortunately, while there are well-animated bits, the visuals here aren’t anything special compared to My Hero Academia‘s other top fights. Re-Destro is also an underwhelming character in the grand scheme of things, and there’s never any question as to whether Shigaraki will defeat him. Even anime-only viewers can figure out where this fight is going, and it lowers the stakes. (It doesn’t help that there’s no point where it really seems like Shigaraki will lose.)

7) All Might vs. Nomu (Season 1)

My Hero Academia Season 1 is fairly short, so it doesn’t have a ton of contenders for top fight scene — though Eraserhead vs. Shigaraki deserves to be runner-up. But the best fight of the first chapter is very clearly All Might vs. Nomu, a showdown that blends top-notch animation with high stakes and strong emotional beats. If viewers aren’t already locked into the anime by now, this is the conflict that will sell them. All Might using high-speed punches to get past Nomu’s shock absorption power is mesmerizing, and the animators do an incredible job with it.

On top of the visuals, this fight underscores why All Might is the symbol of peace — and reiterates the values young heroes like Deku will need to live up to. Unlike Shigaraki vs. Re-Destro, there are a few moments when it seems like All Might could suffer a defeat…or at the very least, see his dwindling power revealed. He comes out on top, though, making this a thrilling one for the books. The only reason it doesn’t rank higher is because it arrives too soon to prove as emotionally resonant as later top fights from the anime.

6) Deku vs. Class A (Season 6)

My Hero Academia Season 6 is packed with action, with the Paranormal Liberation War arc bringing us everything from Hawks vs. Twice to Deku vs. Shigaraki. Perhaps it’s controversial, then, but I have to go with a fight from the season’s Dark Hero arc as the best of the bunch: Deku vs. Class 1-A. This confrontation between Deku and his classmates is just as well animated as anything that comes before it, and it’s just as emotional. What places it on top, for me, is that it highlights just how far Deku has really come. He’s no longer at the bottom of his class, incapable of holding his own against even the weakest of his peers. Now, he can take all of them on and nearly win.

The fact that we care about Deku’s growth and want to see his classmates succeed makes this easier to emotionally invest in than Shigaraki vs. Re-Destro and All Might vs. Nomu. It’s not as epic as some of the anime’s larger, more pivotal fights, and there’s a one-on-one match I’d deem more hard-hitting. Even still, this is a worthy action sequence, and it deserves its spot on the list.

5) Deku vs. Shoto (Season 2)

While Deku vs. Class 1-A nails its emotional beats, I’d argue that My Hero Academia Season 2’s fight between Shoto and Deku comes out slightly ahead on that front. Perhaps it’s just because it’s one of the earliest and most iconic examples of a more personal, emotionally charged matches of the anime. However, there’s something special about watching Deku save Todoroki, even as he faces off against him. It really captures the spirit of My Hero Academia, and it endears us to both characters. Indeed, this is one fight where you honestly won’t care who wins.

That’s what lands it above the earlier contenders on this list, and it’s what makes it the strongest fight scene of My Hero Academia Season 2. The showdown with Stain and Bakugo vs. Ocacho are also up there, but neither nails the anime’s message quite so well. The animation here is stunning, too, especially for My Hero Academia‘s earlier seasons. Its later ones take things up a notch, leaving this in the middle of the list, but there’s no denying what a standout this is.

4) Endeavor vs. Hood (Season 4)

Deku vs. Overhaul probably should be the top fight from My Hero Academia Season 4, but Endeavor vs. Hood (aka the High-End Nomu) steals the show at the very last moment. This finale fight has some of the greatest animation in the series, and it sets a high bar for everything that follows. Through its introduction of High-End Nomu, it raises the stakes just as things really heat up with My Hero‘s villains. And it marks the start of a new era, with Endeavor fully stepping into his role as No. 1 — and starting to sell viewers on his atonement, if only a little.

Watching Endeavor team with Hawks is incredibly fun, and Shoto looking on adds emotional weight to an already charged showdown. It’s a thrilling way to end Season 4, made more satisfying by how it echoes All Might’s final stand. Unfortunately, since most viewers aren’t as invested in Endeavor and Hood as they are in All Might and All for One, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of that Season 3 battle. And even with its great visuals, it’s not on par with some of the Final War arc’s biggest moments.

3) All Might vs. All for One (Season 3)

From Deku’s first fight with Muscular to his rematch with Bakugo, My Hero Academia Season 3 has some of the best action sequences of the entire series. The greatest among them hails from one of My Hero Academia‘s most iconic episodes, though: All Might’s stand against All for One in “One for All.” This is the most important showdown of Season 3, with All Might officially passing the mantle to Deku. It’s also the most widely known fight from the anime, even if a few later ones manage to top it.

The visuals here are incredible, but it’s the emotional stakes and narrative significance that take this fight to the top of this list. Seeing All Might part with the last embers of his power and raise his fist one last time (well, until the Final War arc) will give even the most resilient viewer chills. It’s powerful, it’s satisfying, and it pushes Deku and Bakugo forward in compelling ways. The only fights that manage to push past it are the ones that see Deku and Bakugo embodying a similar level of courage and honor — and they come from the last two seasons, which pull no punches in terms of the production.

2) Bakugo vs. All for One (Season 8)

My Hero Academia Season 8 is gorgeously made all the way through, and its opening action ends the series on a high note. The best of its fight scenes has to be Bakugo vs. All for One. The animation and production alone make this one of the greatest feats of the series, but this conflict delivers on the emotional satisfaction as well. After all that Bakugo goes through over the course of My Hero Academia, it’s fitting for him to end one of the show’s Big Bads. The fact that he saves All Might also brings his story full-circle, allowing him to redeem himself in his eyes and live up to his own ideals.

While this is a high point of the Final War arc, there’s one Deku fight that outshines it. It rivals this in terms of animation, but it also proves more satisfying after following Deku for seven seasons.

1) Gearshift Deku vs. Shigaraki (Season 7)

My Hero Academia Season 7 truly has so many great fights to choose from, but Gearshift Deku vs. Shigaraki is the standout. While this duo has several showdowns throughout the anime, this one is the most gripping. Deku taps into all of his Quirks like never before, and his rage ensures there’s plenty of emotion behind every kick and punch. Like our hero, the animators hold nothing back, which makes for an absolute spectacle.

While Deku’s final match with Shigaraki ends in loss for both of the characters — and forces Deku to win and save in less action-oriented ways — this fight brings together everything he’s been working towards on his journey. It’s satisfying and thrilling, and that 120% Smash will live rent-free in viewers’ heads for a long time.

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