10 Greatest Anime Duals
When the fate of the world hangs in the balance, the greatest warriors step up to lock horns.
Animes are often built entirely around the major feuds and battles.
From the very beginning of the story, the narrative is centred round protagonist-antagonist dynamic and slowly builds toward the world altering clash. Given how much of the premise relies on setting up these battles, it goes without saying these fights often determine how fans remember a show.
Beloved shows can sour their fan base with an unspectacular climax battle, while lackluster plots can be transformed into masterpieces by a good battle finale.
Over the decades, we have seen emotion driven revenge battles, desperate one man stands, and even mythical entities locking horns with the fate of the universe hanging in the balance. But which of these legendary duels do we remember the best? Objectivity in this regard, is probably as hard as finding the One Piece, but that shouldn’t stop us from trying.
A quick caveat before starting, the only eligibility criteria here is that the battle must be a one v one, hence melees like the Navy vs the Whitebeard allies or the Fullmetal Alchemist Finale, don’t qualify.
10. Natsu Vs Gajeel - Fairy Tail
Fairy Tail had its share of issues. Some of the odd humor and the constant sexual overtone were often the subject of intense mockery. But when these wizards put their foot down and got serious, it gave us some serious fireworks.
The Phantom Lord arc is often considered to be the point where the anime won over the masses. It was one of the best among the earlier arcs and it delivered a truly heartfelt story that embodied every good about the show.
Driven by hatred that went as far back as the founding of the two guilds, as well as a special job request, Phantom Lord, led by their Master Jose, set out to destroy Fairy Tail. Their main ace in the hole was Black Steel Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer with a mean streak as bad as his diet.
After a series of tense encounters, it all comes down to a clash between Gajeel and Fairy Tail’s own Dragon Slayer, Natsu. The two engage in an epic encounter, with fire going up against iron. Gajeel takes the early advantage by pummelling Natsu with iron attacks. But in the end, the plight of his friends draws out enough of his latent powers to turn the tide.