5 Anime Tournament Arcs That Are Considered Masterpieces

Published Jul 19, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT Joshua Edward Ryan Fox is a freelance writer for Screen Rant with a passion for pop culture. Joshua grew up in Connecticut where he developed an appreciation for writing and entertainment and has earned a Master's degree in professional writing and technical writing. His writing has been quoted by both the anime streaming site Crunchyroll and the anime YouTuber Gigguk. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Few anime staples are held in higher regard than the tournament arc, and for good reason. In addition to how they’re often great vehicles for action, a tournament arc is usually a very easy way to flesh out the story by both introducing new characters and developing old ones through combat, so even after so many years, it’s always exciting when an action anime pulls out a good tournament arc, especially if it can do more than just simply have the cast fight each other over and over again. Tournament arcs have been a staple of anime for decades, and while some of them can feel rather one-note, there are plenty of times when they’re nothing but a masterclass in writing and action from day one. That’s especially true of a few classic tournament arcs in anime; to this day, those arcs are still among the best arcs in their respective anime, if not anime as a whole, and with the great example they set, it’s no wonder that tournament arcs remain so popular. The Hunter Exam (Hunter X Hunter) While anime usually wait a while to pull out a tournament arc, that wasn’t the case for Madhouse’s Hunter x Hunter; the series is kicked off by Gon’s desire to become a Hunter, and to do that, Gon had to compete against hundreds of other hopefuls in the deadly Hunter Exam. That was never a problem, of course, as not only did it make it easy for Hunter x Hunter to introduce and flesh out its main cast, but it also did a good job of laying the groundwork for the ideas the story would develop for years to come. What also helps with that is how unique the structure of the Hunter Exam is; every test the characters go through forces them into a setting with a new set of rules, with only the last test explicitly requiring them to fight each other, and despite their best efforts, Gon and his friends arguably only pass because other characters bail them out, and not because they were the best. Things like that never happen in tournament arcs, and it worked to make the Hunter Exam far more complex than it seems. Usually, a manga that begins with the characters taking a test to enter the main organization of the setting fails because of how long it takes to get going and how little time is spent fleshing out the cast, but with its great pacing and character writing, combined with its unique storytelling, Hunter x Hunter never failed at that with the Hunter Exam. It’s truly a masterful tournament arc, and it perfectly set the stage for everything that would follow in the story for years to come. World Riding Grand Prix (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s) The World Riding Grand Prix, or WRGP for short, made up most of the second season of Studio Gallop’s Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, and its length was more than warranted. The tournament and the events surrounding it not only constantly introduced great new monsters and concepts, including Yusei’s iconic Shooting Star Dragon, but the new cast of rivals for Team 5D’s to fight were always fun to watch, and every battle perfectly led into the final fight against Z-ONE. While the WRGP was more of a segway into the final act than anything, it still did a great job of fleshing out Yusei and the rest of the cast, and more importantly, it was never lacking in spectacle from day one. The Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise has done countless tournament arcs over the years, and even after 15 years, the WRGP remains one of its best-written and overall fun tournament arcs to watch. The 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament (Dragon Ball) Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball fully transitioned into full-fledged action with the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, and there was no better arc to make that happen. The preliminary fights did a great job of conveying Dragon Ball’s great sense of action and how much Goku and his friends had grown up, and when it came time for the main event of Goku vs. Piccolo, the result was a fight with some of the best choreography in the entire franchise. Add in the catharsis of Goku finally winning a tournament, and it was an amazing arc from start to finish. Not only did the original World Martial Arts Tournament save Dragon Ball when Dragon Ball was in danger of cancellation, but its popularity was what made tournament arcs become a staple of anime and manga to begin with. With that in mind, there was no better way for Dragon Ball to transition into Dragon Ball Z than with another World Martial Arts Tournament, and the 23rd being the best of the bunch made that even better. Battle City (Yu-Gi-Oh!) Battle City is the signature tournament arc of Studio Gallop’s Yu-Gi-Oh! and the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise as a whole, and it more than deserves that high level of praise. Every duel with characters old and new does wonders to facilitate the arcs of Yugi and Yami trying to learn about Yami’s past, Joey wanting to become a true duelist, and Kaiba finally completing his growth into a kinder person, and with it all being centered around such an entertaining villain like Marik, there was always something to love. Despite how often Yu-Gi-Oh! is reduced to a goofy anime that exists to advertise a card game, the series has a surprising amount of depth to it, and the amazing character work of the Battle City arc perfectly embodies that idea, with its great sense of spectacle from the Egyptian Gods and other new cards adding even more to the whole thing. Even after over 20 years, Battle City is one of the greatest story arcs in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, if not the greatest, and it’s unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon. The Dark Tournament (Yu Yu Hakusho) When it comes to classic tournament arcs, few are more iconic than the Dark Tournament of Studio Pierrot’s Yu Yu Hakusho, and it’s easy to see why. Every match introduces plenty of great characters with unique powers for Yusuke and his friends to fight, whether it’s because they’re fun rivals or despicable villains people want to see get beaten up, and there’s a wonderful sense of escalation into the final fight with Team Toguro and the devastating power the heroes have to contend with. What made the Dark Tournament even better was the great writing showcased throughout the arc. While the arc was mostly about the fighting, the heroes, and even Toguro, still had good arcs to flesh out their characters, and not only was Genkai’s death an incredibly emotional moment, but it made Yusuke’s final fight with Toguro feel all the more cathartic as Yusuke finally defeated such a seemingly invincible foe. The arc’s biggest selling point might be its action, but sure enough, it had just enough depth to keep it from getting stale. Weekly Shonen Jump · Ultimate Edition How Well Do You KnowShonen Jump Anime? 🔥ClassicsLegendary ⚡Power SystemsUnleash ☠VillainsMenace 💪HeroesResolve 📖LegacyHistory POWER UP! → 01 Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama, is one of the most influential manga ever published in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series follows Goku on his journey from a child to the universe’s greatest fighter. What is Goku’s original Saiyan name? AVegeta BKakarot CBardock DRaditz ✓ Correct! Goku’s birth name is Kakarot, given to him on Planet Vegeta before he was sent to Earth as a baby. His Saiyan rival Vegeta famously refuses to call him “Goku” and always refers to him by his true Saiyan name, Kakarot. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kakarot. Vegeta is the Saiyan prince, Bardock is Goku’s father, and Raditz is Goku’s older brother. Kakarot is the Saiyan name given to Goku at birth before he was sent to Earth. NEXT → 02 Naruto Uzumaki dreams of becoming the Hokage — the leader of his village. Throughout the series, Naruto carries a powerful entity sealed inside him since birth. What is sealed within Naruto? AThe Ten-Tails BThe Curse Mark CKurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox DThe Rinnegan ✓ Correct! Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, was sealed inside Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, on the day of his birth. What began as a source of fear and isolation for Naruto eventually became his greatest ally and friend. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Ten-Tails is a different, more powerful beast. The Curse Mark is Orochimaru’s seal, and the Rinnegan is a legendary eye technique. Kurama was sealed in Naruto at birth by the Fourth Hokage. NEXT → 03 In the manga Bleach by Tite Kubo, the main character Ichigo Kurosaki gains the powers of a Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers wield unique weapons that have names and special abilities. What are these signature weapons called? ASacred Gears BZanpakuto CNen Weapons DBankai Blades ✓ Correct! Zanpakuto are the signature weapons of Soul Reapers in Bleach. Each Zanpakuto has its own spirit and name, and a Soul Reaper must learn that name to unlock its Shikai (initial release) and eventually its Bankai (final release) forms. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Zanpakuto. Sacred Gears are from High School DxD, Nen is the power system from Hunter x Hunter, and Bankai is actually a Zanpakuto’s final release form — not the weapon’s name itself. Zanpakuto literally means “soul-cutting sword.” NEXT → 04 In Dragon Ball Z, Frieza is one of the most iconic villains in anime history. He is a tyrannical galactic emperor responsible for destroying the Saiyan homeworld. What is the name of the planet Frieza destroyed? APlanet Namek BPlanet Vegeta CPlanet Sadala DEarth ✓ Correct! Planet Vegeta, named after King Vegeta, was the homeworld of the Saiyan race. Frieza destroyed it with a single energy blast because he feared the growing power of the Saiyans and the legend of the Super Saiyan. Only a handful of Saiyans survived, including Goku and Vegeta. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Planet Vegeta. Planet Namek is the home of the Namekians and the Dragon Balls, Planet Sadala is the Saiyan homeworld in Universe 6, and Earth is where Goku was raised. Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Saiyan race’s potential. NEXT → 05 My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) by Kohei Horikoshi is set in a world where most people have superpowers. What is the term used for these superpowers in My Hero Academia? AStands BJutsu CQuirks DCursed Techniques ✓ Correct! In My Hero Academia, about 80% of the world’s population possesses a Quirk — a unique superpower that manifests in childhood. The protagonist Izuku Midoriya was born Quirkless but inherited the powerful Quirk “One For All” from the greatest hero, All Might. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Quirks. Stands are from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Jutsu are techniques from Naruto, and Cursed Techniques belong to Jujutsu Kaisen. In My Hero Academia, superpowers are called Quirks, and they vary wildly from person to person. NEXT → 06 Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami features a power system based on negative human emotions that manifest as dangerous supernatural beings. What are these beings called? AHollows BDemons CCursed Spirits DTitans ✓ Correct! Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen are born from the accumulation of negative emotions like fear, hatred, and sadness leaked by humans. Jujutsu sorcerers like protagonist Yuji Itadori use cursed energy to exorcise these dangerous beings and protect humanity. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Cursed Spirits. Hollows are from Bleach, Demons are from Demon Slayer, and Titans are from Attack on Titan. In Jujutsu Kaisen, negative human emotions give rise to Cursed Spirits that jujutsu sorcerers must exorcise. NEXT → 07 In Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) by Koyoharu Gotouge, protagonist Tanjiro Kamado uses specialized sword techniques called Breathing Styles. What is the first Breathing Style that Tanjiro learns? ASun Breathing BWater Breathing CFire Breathing DThunder Breathing ✓ Correct! Tanjiro learns Water Breathing from the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki. Water Breathing is known for its fluid, adaptable movements. While Tanjiro later discovers his connection to the legendary Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kagura), Water Breathing was his first and foundational combat style. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Water Breathing. Sun Breathing is the original style that Tanjiro discovers later through his family’s Hinokami Kagura dance. Fire Breathing and Thunder Breathing are used by other Demon Slayers. Tanjiro trained under Sakonji Urokodaki to master Water Breathing first. NEXT → 08 Weekly Shonen Jump has been the home of many of the biggest manga series in history. Which of these series has sold the most copies worldwide as of 2024? ANaruto BDragon Ball COne Piece DDemon Slayer ✓ Correct! One Piece by Eiichiro Oda holds the record as the best-selling manga series of all time, with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. Running since 1997, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew on their quest to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is One Piece. While Naruto (~250 million), Dragon Ball (~260 million), and Demon Slayer (~150 million) are all massive sellers, One Piece stands alone with over 500 million copies sold — making it the best-selling manga in history by a wide margin. REVEAL MY SCORE → Battle Complete Your Power Level / 8 Are you a Shonen Jump master — or still stuck in filler episodes? ↻ POWER UP AGAIN With its great action, increasingly fun cast of new characters, and its surprisingly good sense of heart and drama, the Dark Tournament embodies everything great about Yu Yu Hakusho, and it easily stands as the best arc in the entire anime. To this day, the Dark Tournament is often called the best tournament arc in the history of anime, and over 30 years later, it’s all but impossible to argue with that idea. Release Date 1992 - 1995-00-00 Cast Nozomu Sasaki Yusuke Urameshi Shigeru Chiba Kazuma Kuwabara Creator(s) Yoshihiro Togashi Main Genre Animation Seasons 4 Number of Episodes 112 Creator Yoshihiro Togashi Streaming Service(s) Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix Studio Pierrot Based On Manga MyAnimeList Score 8.46