Fans of Rurouni Kenshin will get to see the series reanimated with its reboot which will be released sometime in 2023. Its latest trailer was showcased on Dec. 17th, 2023, showcasing more of its amazing animation.
Fans can be sure that many of the epic duels they know and love from Rurouni Kenshin will be brought to life in far better action than before. Sword duels are some of the most appealing fights in anime and manga, especially with the recent improvements in animation that have helped showcase some of the best animation that fans have ever seen.
Artoria Pendragon (Saber) vs Sasaki Kojiro (Assassin) — Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works
While their duel was kept short, Saber vs Assassin remains the best sword duel seen in the Fate franchise. Sasaki utilizes an Eastern style with his katana whereas Saber maintains a Western style with her Excalibur.
An epic battle that sees these two peerless swordsmen as almost equally matched. In the end, Sasaki can overcome Saber through his mastery of swordsmanship skills, even though Saber was no doubt the stronger and faster warrior.
Yato vs Rabo — Noragami Aragoto
Yato duels against his former sword in the hands of Rabo and struggles with finding himself and who he truly is. The final duel between these two swordsmen is incredibly well choreographed with some of the best animations the series had.
Rabo gets what he desires and reawakens the god of calamity within Yato. With Yato's old swordsmanship and brutality back, Yato quickly overwhelms Rabo and eventually manages to defeat him before Rabo can kill Hiyori.
The battle between Jubei and Mujuro is excellently handled when Jubei faces off against a swordsman named Mujuro who is quite similar to Sasaki Kojiro's depiction in the novel Musashi and its manga adaptation Vagabond, one of the best seinen manga ever.
Mujuro is a blind swordsman who heavily relies on his other senses to overcome Jubei. He utilizes the reflection of the sun to blind Jubei and locates him easily through sound. However, Jubei in the end can use Mujuro's reliance on sound against him and deal him a fatal blow.
Guts vs Serpico — Berserk
While Guts, one of the best seinen anime protagonists, has had some truly tough and epic battles, not many of his fights have been more interesting than those against his friend and ally Serpico. Their second fight is even better than their first and shows Serpico's well-thought-out plans as he chooses a room with dozens of pillars to try and hinder Guts from swinging his blade.
While Serpico fights admirably against Guts, his plan doesn't go as well as he had hoped, and Guts tears through the pillars and tries to topple Serpico to his advantage. This fight never had a victor, but both swordsmen felt the pressure at multiple points.
Kirito vs The Gleam Eyes — Sword Art Online
Kirito vs The Gleam Eyes is easily the best battle in the series and is the first time fans get to witness Kirito utilize his duel sword ability. He gives a rigorous and intense beat-down to the high-leveled boss and kills him by himself.
This battle left fans at the edge of their seats and is one of the few times that Kirito nearly dies in the series. For a character that is constantly overpowered in the series being pushed to the edge like this was truly something special.
Ichigo Kurosaki vs Byakuya Kuchiki — Bleach
Ichigo has many impressive duels throughout Bleach, however, it's hard to top his duel with Byakuya in terms of two swordsmen going at it. Many of the fights get too flashy later on and this one keeps a nice balance between Bankais and swordsmanship.
Once more, Ichigo surpasses his limits and puts up an incredible fight against Byakuya, surprising the Soul Reaper Captain with his unique Bankai from one of the most powerful Zanpakutos in Bleach. In the end, the fight is Ichigo's victory thanks to his hollow form.
Himura Kenshin vs Shishio Makoto — Rurouni Kenshin
Kenshin vs Shishio is the most brutal fight in Rurouni Kenshin. Shishio attempts all sorts of gimmicks amidst their fight, heavily relying on techniques involving fire to try and burn and overwhelm Kenshin. The conclusive strike by Kenshin is beautifully handled with Shishio believing he had parried it and was about to win.
However, this was part of Kenshin's plan to draw Shishio back in as he swung for the final blow. Shortly after this strike, several lives are lost in the battle, though Kenshin himself never kills anyone and Shishio's downfall comes at his own hands.
Roronoa Zoro vs King — One Piece
Zoro's best fight in One Piece is still his battle against King where he further mastered his sword Enma and Conqueror's Haki. While this fight has only appeared in the manga, One Piece fans can expect to see it animated in 2023.
This battle sees Zoro further enhance his skill in battle and cut through a man who was thought to be impenetrable. With the justice that's been given to Zoro in his incredible fight against Kaido in the anime, there's no doubt that Zoro vs King will be even better when it's animated.
Sakata Gintoki vs Takasugi Shinsuke — Gintama
Gintoki and Takasugi's duel is one of the most well-known in anime and is easily one of the best fights in anime and manga. The duel isn't just well animated, but it's also passionate with its heartbreaking backstory that reveals just why Takasugi has hated Gintoki for so long.
Anime fans haven't reached the pinnacle of action anime until they've seen this fight with some of the best fighting choreography ever performed for animation. It's bloody, brutal, relentless, and beautiful. It's one of the few anime fights that leave fans with jaw-dropping action and tear-jerking emotion.
Miyamoto Musashi vs 70 Yoshioka Men — Vagabond
Musashi has plenty of duels at every corner of Vagabond, however, none of them come close to the epic proportion that saw him against 70 Yoshioka men all by himself. While he doesn't leave this fight unscathed, he does show just why he became hailed as the greatest samurai who ever lived.
Takehiko Inoue brilliantly showcases his artistic talent by providing fans with the best hand-drawn sword duel ever as Musashi parries, deflects, and attacks elegantly against the raging samurai. This fight is so perfectly drawn and detailed that an anime adaptation of it someday would be impossible.
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