The concept of a tournament arc is one that all anime fans should be familiar with. The tournament arc is probably one of the most well-known tropes in anime and for good reason, it is always a fantastic addition to a series.
So many shows have taken on their own spin on the classic tournament archetype. While some keep to the more traditional tournament style, others take things in a completely unique and exciting direction to match the style of the show.
After much consideration, here are what we consider to be the 15 best anime tournament arcs.
15. Dragon Ball – The 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament
Best Anime Tournament Arcs
We’re starting off with one of anime’s earliest and most iconic tournament arcs: the World Martial Arts Tournament from Dragon Ball.
Of course, across Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT, there are quite a few World Martial Arts Tournaments to consider, but we have to go with one of the best, the 23rd.
The 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament was the last arc in the original Dragon Ball series and saw the rivalry of Goku and Piccolo Jr. bloom before ultimately coming to a thrilling climax as Goku came out the victor.
More than a tournament title was on the line here as Piccolo Jr. sought to continue his father’s evil ways, but of course, Goku managed to pull out the W, removing the threat of his foe. This is also pretty much the only time we really see the rivals duke it out as Piccolo develops a bit of a soft spot for Goku’s son in Dragon Ball Z, before the two ultimately became friends and allies.
