What is this genre all about? The act or art of using a sword or similar weapon skillfully.
We present you the list of Swordplay anime you should watch right now.
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Top 20 Swordplay anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]
- 20. One Piece
- 19. Jujutsu Kaisen
- 18. BLEACH
- 17. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
- 16. Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Geiko-hen
- 15. Sword Art Online
- 14. Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! 2nd Season
- 13. Jigokuraku
- 12. InuYasha
- 11. Tensei Kizoku, Kantei Skill de Nariagaru
- 10. Vinland Saga
- 9. Shinmai Ossan Bouken-sha, Saikyou Party ni Shinu Hodo Kitaerarete Muteki ni Naru.
- 8. Noragami
- 7. BLEACH: Sennen Kessen-hen - Ketsubetsu-tan
- 6. Sword Art Online II
- 5. Ragna Crimson
- 4. Fate/Zero
- 3. Kenpuu Denki Berserk
- 2. Highschool of the Dead
- 1. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
20. One Piece
Gol D. Roger was known as the "Pirate King," the strongest and most infamous being to have sailed the Grand Line. The capture and death of Roger by the World Government brought a change throughout the world. His last words before his death revealed the existence of the greatest treasure in the world, One Piece. It was this revelation that brought about the Grand Age of Pirates, men who dreamed of finding One Piece—which promises an unlimited amount of riches and fame—and quite possibly the pinnacle of glory and the title of the Pirate King.
Enter Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy who defies your standard definition of a pirate. Rather than the popular persona of a wicked, hardened, toothless pirate ransacking villages for fun, Luffy’s reason for being a pirate is one of pure wonder: the thought of an exciting adventure that leads him to intriguing people and ultimately, the promised treasure. Following in the footsteps of his childhood hero, Luffy and his crew travel across the Grand Line, experiencing crazy adventures, unveiling dark mysteries and battling strong enemies, all in order to reach the most coveted of all fortunes—One Piece.
One Piece is currently airing and will have Episodes. It is also Known as: ONE PIECE, ワンピース
19. Jujutsu Kaisen
Yuji Itadori is a boy with tremendous physical strength, though he lives a completely ordinary high school life. One day, to save a classmate who has been attacked by curses, he eats the finger of Ryomen Sukuna, taking the curse into his own soul. From then on, he shares one body with Ryomen Sukuna. Guided by the most powerful of sorcerers, Satoru Gojo, Itadori is admitted to Tokyo Jujutsu High School, an organization that fights the curses... and thus begins the heroic tale of a boy who became a curse to exorcise a curse, a life from which he could never turn back.
Jujutsu Kaisen has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: 呪術廻戦, Sorcery Fight
18. BLEACH
Ichigo Kurosaki is an ordinary high schooler—until his family is attacked by a Hollow, a corrupt spirit that seeks to devour human souls. It is then that he meets a Soul Reaper named Rukia Kuchiki, who gets injured while protecting Ichigo's family from the assailant. To save his family, Ichigo accepts Rukia's offer of taking her powers and becomes a Soul Reaper as a result.
However, as Rukia is unable to regain her powers, Ichigo is given the daunting task of hunting down the Hollows that plague their town. However, he is not alone in his fight, as he is later joined by his friends—classmates Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryuu Ishida—who each have their own unique abilities. As Ichigo and his comrades get used to their new duties and support each other on and off the battlefield, the young Soul Reaper soon learns that the Hollows are not the only real threat to the human world.
Bleach has finished airing and it has 366 Episodes. It is also Known as: BLEACH - ブリーチ -, BLEACH
17. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
The past comes to light when second-year students Satoru Gojou and Suguru Getou are tasked with escorting young Riko Amanai to Master Tengen. But when a non-sorcerer user tries to kill them, their mission to protect the Star Plasma Vessel threatens to turn them into bitter enemies and cement their destinies—one as the world’s strongest sorcerer, and the other its most twisted curse user!
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 has finished airing and it has 23 Episodes. It is also Known as: 呪術廻戦 第2期, JJK2, Jujutsu Kaisen 2nd Season, Jujutsu Kaisen: Kaigyoku Gyokusetsu / Shibuya Jihen, Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death, Jujutsu Kaisen: Shibuya Incident
16. Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Geiko-hen
The members of the Demon Slayer Corps and their highest-ranking swordsmen, the Hashira.
In preparation for the forthcoming final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, the Hashira Training commences. While each carries faith and determination within their hearts, Tanjiro and the Hashira enter a new story.
Notes:
• The first episode has a runtime of ~1 hour and received an early premiere in cinemas as part of a special screening alongside the final episode of Kimetsu no Yaiba: Katanakaji no Sato-hen.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Hashira Training Arc has finished airing and it has 8 Episodes. It is also Known as: 鬼滅の刃 柱稽古編, KnY 4, Demon Slayer Season 4
15. Sword Art Online
In the year 2022, virtual reality has progressed by leaps and bounds, and a massive online role-playing game called Sword Art Online (SAO) is launched. With the aid of "NerveGear" technology, players can control their avatars within the game using nothing but their own thoughts.
Kazuto Kirigaya, nicknamed "Kirito," is among the lucky few enthusiasts who get their hands on the first shipment of the game. He logs in to find himself, with ten-thousand others, in the scenic and elaborate world of Aincrad, one full of fantastic medieval weapons and gruesome monsters. However, in a cruel turn of events, the players soon realize they cannot log out; the game's creator has trapped them in his new world until they complete all one hundred levels of the game.
In order to escape Aincrad, Kirito will now have to interact and cooperate with his fellow players. Some are allies, while others are foes, like Asuna Yuuki, who commands the leading group attempting to escape from the ruthless game. To make matters worse, Sword Art Online is not all fun and games: if they die in Aincrad, they die in real life. Kirito must adapt to his new reality, fight for his survival, and hopefully break free from his virtual hell.
Sword Art Online has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ソードアート・オンライン, S.A.O, SAO
14. Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! 2nd Season
The second season of Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!
Everything has been going according to plan, but the hour of awakening draws near. Cid Kagenou and Shadow Garden investigate the Lawless City, a cesspool where the red moon hangs low in the sky and three powerful monarchs rule the streets. The true draw for Cid, however, is one who can draw blood–the Blood Queen, a vampire who has slumbered in her coffin for eons. Her awakening approaches, and Cid could finally face a day of reckoning.
Note: A world premiere screening of Episode 1 was shown in the The Eminence in Shadow 2nd Season panel at Anime Expo on July 1, 2023.
The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 陰の実力者になりたくて！ 2nd season, Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! 2nd Season
13. Jigokuraku
The Edo period is nearing its end. Gabimaru, a shinobi formerly known as the strongest in Iwagakure who is now a death row convict, is told that he will be acquitted and set free if he can bring back the Elixir of Life from an island that is rumored to be the Buddhist pure land Sukhavati. In hopes of reuniting with his beloved wife, Gabimaru heads to the island along with the executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. Upon arriving there, they encounter other death row convicts in search of the Elixir of Life... as well as a host of unknown creatures, eerie manmade statues, and the hermits who rule the island. Can Gabimaru find the Elixir of Life on this mysterious island and make it back home alive?
Hell's Paradise has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: 地獄楽, Heavenhell, Paradition, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku
12. InuYasha
Based on the Shogakukan award-winning manga of the same name, InuYasha follows Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old girl whose normal life ends when a demon drags her into a cursed well on the grounds of her family's Shinto shrine. Instead of hitting the bottom of the well, Kagome ends up 500 years in the past during Japan's violent Sengoku period with the demon's true target, a wish-granting jewel called the Shikon Jewel, reborn inside of her.
After a battle with a revived demon accidentally causes the sacred jewel to shatter, Kagome enlists the help of a young hybrid dog-demon/human named Inuyasha to help her collect the shards and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Joining Kagome and Inuyasha on their quest are the orphan fox-demon Shippo, the intelligent monk Miroku, and the lethal demon slayer Sango. Together, they must set aside their differences and work together to find the power granting shards spread across feudal Japan and deal with the threats that arise.
InuYasha has finished airing and it has 167 Episodes. It is also Known as: 犬夜叉, Inu Yasha
11. Tensei Kizoku, Kantei Skill de Nariagaru
After thirty-five years of perfectly ordinary life, a run-of-the-mill businessman suddenly drops dead...only to be reborn in another world! Now he must live as Ars Louvent, scion of a minor noble family and wielder of a fabulous skill: Appraisal, the power to perceive the strengths and abilities of others at a glance. He'll need it, too, because there are plenty of problems to solve in the Louvent family's territory! Ars only has one choice: recruit the most talented individuals his skill can find, and rise up to new heights in his brand new world!
As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 転生貴族、鑑定スキルで成り上がる, Tensei Kizoku, Kantei Skill de Nariagaru
10. Vinland Saga
As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west. But his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his family, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band's leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father. Sustaining Throfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery … the land Leif called Vinland.
Vinland Saga has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: ヴィンランド・サガ, Vinland Saga
9. Shinmai Ossan Bouken-sha, Saikyou Party ni Shinu Hodo Kitaerarete Muteki ni Naru.
"Why should it matter how old you are if you want to start something new?"
The strongest guy around, who also happens to be middle-aged, strives to be an adventurer! Everyone seems to think you should pursue your dreams while you're still young, but there's one man who just can't give up. In a world where most people who become adventurers do so in their teens, a guild employee in his thirties, Rick Gladiator, seeks to become an adventurer instead. After receiving unimaginably brutal training from the legendary party renowned as the strongest on the continent, Orichalcum Fist, he ends up with combat abilities worthy of S-rank status despite starting out as an F-rank rookie!
The Ossan Newbie Adventurer, Trained to Death by the Most Powerful Party, Became Invincible has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 新米オッサン冒険者、最強パーティに死ぬほど鍛えられて無敵になる。, Shinmai Ossan Bouken-sha, Saikyou Party ni Shinu Hodo Kitaerarete Muteki ni Naru.
8. Noragami
In times of need, if you look in the right place, you just may see a strange telephone number scrawled in red. If you call this number, you will hear a young man introduce himself as the Yato God.
Yato is a minor deity and a self-proclaimed "Delivery God," who dreams of having millions of worshippers. Without a single shrine dedicated to his name, however, his goals are far from being realized. He spends his days doing odd jobs for five yen apiece, until his weapon partner becomes fed up with her useless master and deserts him.
Just as things seem to be looking grim for the god, his fortune changes when a middle school girl, Hiyori Iki, supposedly saves Yato from a car accident, taking the hit for him. Remarkably, she survives, but the event has caused her soul to become loose and hence able to leave her body. Hiyori demands that Yato return her to normal, but upon learning that he needs a new partner to do so, reluctantly agrees to help him find one. And with Hiyori's help, Yato's luck may finally be turning around.
Noragami has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ノラガミ, Stray God
7. BLEACH: Sennen Kessen-hen - Ketsubetsu-tan
With the secrets of his past and power finally revealed to him, Ichigo has reforged his Zanpakuto, and can now continue his training under the Squad Zero. However, time is not on his side; Yhwach and his assembled Sternritter are on the warpath once more, ready to finish their destruction of Soul Society and complete their millennium-long vengeance. What's more, their ranks have grown, with Uryu Ishida joining his fellow Quincy in their blood war. When the fates of every soul in the universe are at stake, Ichigo must find the strength to take on his own friend.
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 - The Separation has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: BLEACH 千年血戦篇-訣別譚-, BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Separation -, BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, BLEACH 千年血戦篇 2クール
6. Sword Art Online II
A year after escaping Sword Art Online, Kazuto Kirigaya has been settling back into the real world. However, his peace is short-lived as a new incident occurs in a game called Gun Gale Online, where a player by the name of Death Gun appears to be killing people in the real world by shooting them in-game. Approached by officials to assist in investigating the murders, Kazuto assumes his persona of Kirito once again and logs into Gun Gale Online, intent on stopping the killer.
Once inside, Kirito meets Sinon, a highly skilled sniper afflicted by a traumatic past. She is soon dragged in his chase after Death Gun, and together they enter the Bullet of Bullets, a tournament where their target is sure to appear. Uncertain of Death Gun's real powers, Kirito and Sinon race to stop him before he has the chance to claim another life. Not everything goes smoothly, however, as scars from the past impede their progress. In a high-stakes game where the next victim could easily be one of them, Kirito puts his life on the line in the virtual world once more.
Sword Art Online II has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: ソードアート・オンライン II, Phantom Bullet, SAO II, Sword Art Online 2, SAO 2
5. Ragna Crimson
Dragons reign terror over the earth, sea and sky. If sworn dragon hunters like Ragna are to have any hope of dealing death to these seemingly invincible, fire-breathing beasts, they must find a way to level the odds. Ragna teams up with a mysterious man named Crimson who has likewise sworn to stand against the dragons menacing the world. But although Crimson’s motivations may be mysterious, his goal and Ragna’s perfectly align, and together they’ll fight to vanquish the dragons once and for all.
Note: The first episode aired with a runtime of ~1 hour.
Ragna Crimson has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: ラグナクリムゾン, Ragna Crimson
4. Fate/Zero
With the promise of granting any wish, the omnipotent Holy Grail triggered three wars in the past, each too cruel and fierce to leave a victor. In spite of that, the wealthy Einzbern family is confident that the Fourth Holy Grail War will be different; namely, with a vessel of the Holy Grail now in their grasp. Solely for this reason, the much hated "Magus Killer" Kiritsugu Emiya is hired by the Einzberns, with marriage to their only daughter Irisviel as binding contract.
Kiritsugu now stands at the center of a cutthroat game of survival, facing off against six other participants, each armed with an ancient familiar, and fueled by unique desires and ideals. Accompanied by his own familiar, Saber, the notorious mercenary soon finds his greatest opponent in Kirei Kotomine, a priest who seeks salvation from the emptiness within himself in pursuit of Kiritsugu.
Based on the light novel written by Gen Urobuchi, Fate/Zero depicts the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War—10 years prior to Fate/stay night. Witness a battle royale in which no one is guaranteed to survive.
Fate/Zero has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: フェイト/ゼロ, Fate/Zero
3. Kenpuu Denki Berserk
Born from the corpse of his mother, a young mercenary known only as Guts, embraces the battlefield as his only means of survival. Day in and day out, putting his life on the line just to make enough to get by, he moves from one bloodshed to the next.
After a run-in with the Band of the Hawk, a formidable troop of mercenaries, Guts is recruited by their charismatic leader Griffith, nicknamed the "White Hawk." As he quickly climbed the ranks in order to become the head of the offensive faction, Guts proves to be a mighty addition to Griffith's force, taking Midland by storm. However, while the band's quest for recognition continues, Guts slowly realizes that the world is not as black-and-white as he once assumed.
Set in the medieval era, Berserk is a dark, gritty tale that follows one man's struggle to find his own path, while supporting another's lust for power, and the unimaginable tragedy that begins to turn the wheels of fate.
Berserk has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: 剣風伝奇ベルセルク, Kenpuu Denki Berserk, Kenfu Denki Berserk, Sword-Wind Chronicle Berserk, Berserk: The Chronicles of Wind Blades, Berserk: Sword-Wind Tales, Berserk: SWORD-WIND ROMANCE
2. Highschool of the Dead
It happened suddenly: The dead began to rise and Japan was thrown into total chaos. As these monsters begin terrorizing a high school, Takashi Kimuro is forced to kill his best friend when he gets bitten and joins the ranks of the walking dead. Vowing to protect Rei Miyamoto, the girlfriend of the man he just executed, they narrowly escape their death trap of a school, only to be greeted with a society that has already fallen.
Soon, Takashi and Rei band together with other students on a journey to find their family members and uncover what caused this overwhelming pandemic. Joining them is Saeko Busujima, the beautiful president of the Kendo Club; Kouta Hirano, an otaku with a fetish for firearms; Saya Takagi, the daughter of an influential politician; and Shizuka Marikawa, their hot school nurse. But will the combined strength of these individuals be enough to conquer this undead apocalypse?
High School of the Dead has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 学園黙示録 HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD, Gakuen Mokushiroku: Highschool of the Dead, HOTD, HSOTD
1. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
In the final years of the Bakumatsu era lived a legendary assassin known as Hitokiri Battousai. Feared as a merciless killer, he was unmatched throughout the country, but mysteriously disappeared at the peak of the Japanese Revolution. It has been ten peaceful years since then, but the very mention of Battousai still strikes terror into the hearts of war veterans.Unbeknownst to them, Battousai has abandoned his bloodstained lifestyle in an effort to repent for his sins, now living as Kenshin Himura, a wandering swordsman with a cheerful attitude and a strong will. Vowing never to kill again, Kenshin dedicates himself to protecting the weak. One day, he stumbles across Kaoru Kamiya at her kendo dojo, which is being threatened by an impostor claiming to be Battousai. After receiving help from Kenshin, Kaoru allows him to stay at the dojo, and so the former assassin temporarily ceases his travels.Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan tells the story of Kenshin as he strives to save those in need of saving. However, as enemies from both past and present begin to emerge, will the reformed killer be able to uphold his new ideals?
Rurouni Kenshin has finished airing and it has 94 Episodes. It is also Known as: るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚-, Samurai X
