Anime can move people in a lot of ways. Sometimes the action is nice for fans to let off a little steam. It’s exciting to see big action fights take place in odd dimensions with powers far beyond the limits of our reality. Attack on Titan is a great example.
Some fans enjoy watching comedy anime to relax, or sad epics that can make them feel something. No matter what anime a fan prefers, chances are there is going to be a defining moment in that series. It could be a death, plot twist, or even a speech. The following examples will have spoilers to properly discuss these moments.
UPDATED on November 12th, 2022, by Suzail Ahmad: With the anime industry growing spontaneously, it is tough to watch every single anime. So, the onus to attract the attention of the viewers falls on the characters. There are many ways in which a character becomes popular and helps the series attract viewers. However, the increase in competition means that the creators have to come up with unique ideas. One of the better ways to achieve fame is by using powerful speeches, but it is not easy to pull off an incredible monologue. In the rare cases that a character happens to use their oratory skills to give an articulate speech, it is truly a spectacle to behold. With that in mind, here are some of the best anime speeches.
12 Erwin's Speech (Attack on Titan)
Erwin Smith was the commander of the Survey Corps, and he died during the Shiganshina arc. However, he managed to immortalize himself by giving one of the best speeches ever in anime history, and it came at a time when the members of the Survey Corps had their backs to the wall.
Erwin formulated a plan to get rid of the Beast Titan by creating an opening for Levi. The plan was simple; charge without hiding toward the Beast Titan. The members of the Survey Corps knew that they were heading to their deaths, but Erwin reassured them that it would not be in vain.
11 Law Breaks The Gear (One Piece)
Trafalgar Law is one of the main characters in One Piece. He is a member of the Worst Generation, and he has accumulated a bounty of 3 billion berries. Trafalgar Law possesses a very powerful devil fruit, which allows him to turn the tide of battle in an instant.
When Law was being pummeled by Vergo on Punk Hazard, Smoker stepped in and fought to get Law's heart back. Once Law got his heart back, he defeated Vergo with a single attack, and it was followed by an incredible speech about how the world had not really changed despite Whitebeard's death. Law stated that his actions broke the gears, and now the world cannot go back.
10 The Major's Speech About War (Hellsing)
The Major is one of the most hated anime characters. He used to work for the SS, and that's when Hitler assigned him to carry out the special task of creating artificial vampires. Like his leader, the Major was thoroughly evil, and he only cared about death and destruction.
He confessed his love for war in a rather eloquent speech. The Major openly stated that he only cared about seeing soldiers dying and being blown up in smithereens. The speech was delivered with gravitas, and it managed to rile up the soldiers for an all-out war.
9 Charles Talks About Equality and Inequality (Code Geass)
The empire of Britannia was far from perfect, but it managed to stay in power due to its strong leaders. Charles zi Britannia was the 98th ruler of the Holy Britannian Empire. With his Geass, Charles could alter the memories of other people.
During Prince Clovis' funeral, Charles came forward and gave a speech about how the difference between people led to war. However, Charles also stated that inequality is not evil, and he used it to justify Britannia's conquest of its territories.
8 Eren’s Disbelief Of Reiner And Bertholdt’s Betrayal (Attack On Titan)
Attack on Titan has a lot of great, rousing speeches from various commanders within Eren’s unit. Eren himself has a lot of good lines and rants too. One of his best though was the disbelief in his voice and eyes when he found out about Reiner and Bertholdt.
Even though he already knew Annie was a betrayer and was not happy with it, this snapped something further down in his gut. How could they betray humanity and their friends? That’s what Eren was getting at as he screams at the top of his lungs.
7 Makoto’s Undying Hope (Danganronpa)
Danganronpa, as an anime and video game, is about a class of highly advanced teenagers who get thrown into a game of death. A robotic bear, Monokuma, is forcing these teens to kill each other in the hopes that they will be set free.
Makoto, the main character, wants to believe in the goodness in people even when his investigations lead him to the truth. The final courtroom battle reveals Monokuma’s true intentions of bringing despair to everyone. That’s when Makoto counters with an epic speech about hope and that even in the darkness of times, humanity will always press on.
6 Light Getting Caught (Death Note)
Death Note is an interesting series because it puts the villain up as the main character. Fans may be able to empathize with what Light is doing at first. Some criminals may indeed deserve to die depending on their heinous actions.
However, when he starts killing innocent people, cops, and family members just to keep his identity safe, it’s revealed how far Light will go. He gets shaken up a few times during the series but not like the final confrontation when the jig is up. The way he breaks down is quite unsettling both in what he says regarding himself as a god and how he acts. It’s still haunting to this day.
5 Vegeta’s Death After Frieza (Dragon Ball Z)
Dragon Ball Z is not known for having good speeches. What people do know about it, from the sidelines, is that there is wild action off the hooks. The early years had a lot of comedy as well but then there are moments where things do get emotional.
Vegeta enters the series as a villain and a selfish one at that but then he changes on Namek. For him to plead to Goku to kill Frieza was an eye-opening moment. Vegeta knows Goku will try to spare Frieza in their fight but he tries to make Goku see how evil Frieza is. Frieza killed their race and enslaved them as well. There’s no redemption for this monster.
4 Kamina Believes In Simon (Gurren Lagann)
Gurren Lagann is a bombastic series full of action like Dragon Ball Z. However, unlike its counterpart, the writing in Gurren Lagann is just as important as the epic mech fights. There are a lot of great lines in this anime but the character who deserves the most credit is Kamina.
His simple speech to Simon at the beginning of the anime kickstarted the whole plot. Kamina needed Simon to believe in himself so he told Simon to “Believe in the me that believes in you.” This quote gets tossed around a lot by others characters and is a central theme of the anime.
3 All Might Vs All For One (My Hero Academia)
My Hero Academia’s MVP of heartfelt speeches is Deku. He’s the main character so it stands to reason that the hero should get the best lines too. There are certainly a bunch to pick from but this time the spotlight needs to be shone on his mentor All Might.
In the first half of season three, All Might finally confronts All For One after years. He’s able to fight him off even though he can barely keep his body intact. During the battle, All Might wants All For One and everyone watching to know that he will fight on until his dying breath and that the future generation of heroes looks bright. The only way this speech would have been better is if All Might died, as sad as that would have been.