5 anime tournament arcs that are considered masterpieces

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.

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.