A good action scene in an anime typically relies on two major elements: choreography and animation. Both require more money, time, and manpower compared to the usual dialog scene or dramatic explosion. Viewers can also immediately tell when action scenes lacked those three. Sadly, a lot of isekai anime and their action sequences came up short of those three main requirements.
The telltale signs are too much dialog during fights, action stills, and slowed overreactions. Consequently, isekai anime with good action scenes are much easier to appreciate because of this. The following titles made sure to go the extra mile for jaw-dropping action scenes for their viewers.
8 Sword Art Online
- Release Year: 2012
- Available on Crunchyroll, Funimation, HIDIVE (Alicization), Hulu (Season 1), Netflix, VRV
This one's a given already, Sword Art Online's animation even outside of its action sequences is just brilliant. The character lines and details are crisp and the animators made sure that viewers can still easily distinguish who's who during the fast and acrobatic JRPG fight sequences.
The "camera" even pans to follow quick character movements, meaning those too are animated and they don't just cut to when the character has already closed the gap. All that was missing was dramatic and exhilarating music that lifts up the spirits, letting viewers feel like they're part of the fight. Such animation was more than an achievement for a 2012 anime, and frankly, it puts later isekai fight scenes to shame.
7 Reincarnated As A Sword
- Release Year: 2022
- Available on HIDIVE
It doesn't really have the god-level fight scenes in Sword Art Online, but Reincarnated As A Sword has its own rules and power hierarchy that it values with relative strictness. That's why the action scenes here have more added weight and stakes to them, especially since the other main character is just a small girl who has to wield a sword that's bigger than her.
The anime respects this kind of physics between the sword protagonist and her wielder. The fight sequences are fluid enough to not bore those who got spoiled too much by SAO's fight animation. And while the anime uses frequent stills in their fights, the choreography's astute assessment of character size differences makes the anime's underdog triumphs feel well-earned.
6 The Eminence In Shadow
- Release Year: 2022
- Available on HIDIVE
The Eminence in Shadow is another recent title and it follows the exploits and fights of Cid, whose goal is to become that one shady but morally upright anime character who always helps a clueless protagonist in dire situations. There's no shortage of fights and action sequences here though most of them are just scenarios for Cid to out-puzzle his way to a predictable victory.
The action sequences can be a little too verbose and there's no shortage of camera cuts and stills during fights; but the destruction, the main character's smugness, and the emotions of the fight participants make it worth watching even though Cid can often turn out too invincible.
5 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
- Release Year: 2018
- Available on Crunchyroll, Funimation, VRV
An isekai main character turning into a slime monster in another world is bound to attract constant scenarios for action sequences. Sure enough, there are plenty of fantasy RPG fights to behold in That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime and a lot of them have imaginative (and cool) choreography.
There's often an overreliance on large explosions, zoom-ins, and energy special effects; also, some sequences can get too over-the-top, but they don't skimp out on animation frames and drawings whenever two powerful opposing bodies clash in a melee, which is what's usually more expensive to animate.
4 The Saga Of Tanya The Evil
- Release Year: 2017
- Available on Crunchyroll, VRV
A god-hating office worker suddenly gets reincarnated as a girl named Tanya in a fantasy World War 1 setting, of course, chaos ensues! Tanya immediately joins the war and quickly collects medals and racks up kills in this ridiculous and unlikely war epic.
The anime rightfully capitalizes well on its setting and time period but with more absurdity since on top of the WW1 weaponry, magic is also added to the fray. Action sequences are often painted as epic and violently explosive Quidditch matches or dogfights with the accompanying brutality and carnage expected in a fantasy WW1 setting. In other words, it's glorious.
3 Grimgar: Ashes And Illusions
- Release Year: 2016
- Available on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, VRV
Grimgar is often hailed as one of the most realistic isekai anime in existence (which is quite ironic for an isekai title). The realism comes from how the characters are as human as they can be, physically; that means if a sword looks too heavy, then a clueless milquetoast from another world will struggle to wield it; that's why fight scenes in Grimgar can look clumsy and uncoordinated.
That doesn't mean they're poorly animated. The action sequences here have messy stakes since the characters are only about as skillful and as physically capable as the goblins they're killing. This added weight and strict action rules make the anime's fight sequences a refreshing break from all the flying, flipping, and flashy fights from other isekai anime.
2 Re:Zero
- Release Year: 2016
- Available on Crunchyroll, VRV
Re:Zero sadly doesn't have frequent or generous fight scenes, but the few ones it has in both seasons are so memorable and well-animated that the viewers can't help but expect more from the anime. Fights tend to explode into a tense power play whenever Elsa appears, especially in front of the main character.
The melee fights aren't exactly plentiful since magic is the main tool for fighting in Re:Zero but even sorcery light shows display careful attention to detail, particularly in the characters' appearances during casting, powering up, or during their dialog breaks amid fights.
1 Jobless Reincarnation
- Release Year: 2021
- Available on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, VRV
Just as Sword Art Online became the action scene standard to abide by for isekai anime in the 2010s, Jobless Reincarnation is the flagbearer for the 2020s (currently). This is an isekai anime with a power hierarchy and magical system so cohesive, the fights are a delight to watch regardless of whether it's between brash warriors or cunning mages.
The best fights, of course, involve spellswords or battlemages like the main character where a clever and resourceful mix of magic and martial arts unfolds like a painting in motion— with each animation frame carefully crafted. Needless to say, Jobless Reincarnation's fight scenes are on the same level as shonen heavyweights like Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer.