Heroes vs. Villains is a tale as old as time, but anime likes to play with the trope. Sometimes it’s vague who the villain really is, sometimes the villain is the protagonist and the hero is the antagonist, and sometimes the hero doesn’t come out on top in the end.
When a villain beats a hero it usually isn’t for good, and the moment usually has a heavy impact on the plot and teaches the hero a lesson. Heroes can be taken down in a variety of ways, and the fights can be even or lopsided, but it’s always chilling when the bad guy comes out ahead.
Special Grade Finger Bearer vs. Itadori
While it may not be the most memorable fight in Jujutsu Kaisen, the special grade finger bearer vs. Yuji proved that the show’s protagonist still had a long way to go. Yuji’s sacrifice saved Megumi, who would later get redemption against a finger bearer.
Part of what made the fight with the first special grade Itadori & co. encountered so brutal is that the curse didn’t just beat Itadori: it maimed him, creating a wound so bad that Sukuna had to heal it. If it weren’t for Sukuna taking over, Yuji would surely have died. Of course, later in the same arc, he did just that (temporarily).
Heathcliff vs. Kirito
With Asuna’s freedom from the guild at stake, guild leader Heathcliff and Kirito went head to head in a classic 1v1 MMO battle. Kirito would later get his revenge, but Heathcliff took him the first time.
What made this battle so interesting was how even it was until Heathcliff used his dev powers to put on auto-block, a secret that foreshadowed Heathcliff’s eventual reveal as the antagonist of the season and the creator of Sword Art Online. The fight was both a taste of things to come and a huge moment for Kirito and Asuna.
Kiryu vs. Yusei
Kiryu Kyosuke, a Dark Signer, was a dear friend of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds protagonist Yusei Fudo’s until a battle of fate found them pitted against one another. The two fought twice, with Kiryu getting the edge the first time.
This is one of the most lopsided losses a Yu-Gi-Oh! protagonist has ever taken. If it weren’t for Yusei’s duel runner malfunctioning before “Earthbound Immortal CCapac Apu” landed its final attack, the protagonist of the series would have lost his soul pretty early in the arc.
Grimmjow vs. Ichigo
Accompanied by chilling Bleach music, Grimmjow beat down Ichigo in one of the most lopsided battles in the entire series. Ichigo landed a scar on the Espada with an empowered Getsuga Tensho, but he wouldn’t find his revenge for an entire arc.
Ichigo hadn’t lost a fight to anyone other than Aizen in a long time, so this was an intimidating introduction to the true power of the Espada. Ichigo used everything at his disposal, while Grimmjow didn’t even need to consider bringing out his resurrection against the Soul Reaper.
Rafael vs. Atem
While technically Yugi was the protagonist of this Yu-Gi-Oh! series, Atem was the hero for most of Yu-Gi-Oh!, and the Waking The Dragons arc certainly followed him as the central figure.
Much of the character development Atem received throughout the arc wouldn’t have happened without his loss to Rafael, making it one of the most important duels in the series. It was also the event that cascaded into many of the other top duels of the season: Atem vs. Yugi and Rafael vs. Atem round 2.
Cell vs. Goku
Despite copious amounts of training, it was no secret that Goku was completely outmatched by Cell. Due to the difference in power, Goku had no choice but to send out Gohan as a last-ditch effort.
Cell and Goku was an odd fight that never really had a stunning conclusion, it just ended. It was clear to Goku, Cell, and the audience that Goku was outmatched, so he called on the next fighter with a chance to beat Cell. It was an anticlimactic ending that led to arguably the best fight in the series: Gohan vs Cell.
Annie vs. Eren
The protagonist of Attack on Titan wasn’t always the cold and collected Eren from season 4. He took plenty of beatings, and one of those came in a titan vs. titan fight against Annie’s female titan in season 1.
This fight falls closer to the even-sided end of the spectrum, but Annie did have an edge for most of the battle. Eren’s pure rage that fueled who he would eventually become in season 4 was on display during the fight. Despite his loss, it was a memorable moment for the character and fans.
Rui vs. Tanjiro & Nezuko
Rui vs Tanjiro & Nezuko was the type of fight that breaks the internet, and at the end of the fabled episode 19, “Hinokami,” it looked like Tanjiro and his sister had finally defeated Lower Moon 5 once and for all.
The feeling of elation from “Hinokami” made it all the more harrowing when the spider brother re-attached his head at the start of the next episode. If it weren’t for Water Hashira Tomioka Giyu saving the day, Rui would have taken out the Kamado siblings and ended the series in one final attack.
Hisoka vs. Gon
One of Hunter X Hunter‘s best episodes comes in the Heavens Arena arc when Gon finally gets his chance at redemption after Hisoka defeated him the first time.
Gon’s ultimate goal is to land one good hit on Hisoka, enough to finally give the clown his badge back, was a debt looming over Gon for the entire season. It was one of the few “feel-good losses” a protagonist has ever suffered, as Gon and Hisoka both got to show off for the audience.
Sasuke vs. Naruto
While the two storied rivals have fought seemingly dozens of times, Naruto’s loss to Sasuke at the Valley of the End was arguably the crowning moment of the original Naruto.
Naruto’s infusion of Ninetails chakra against the second stage of Sasuke’s curse mark was one of the evenest protagonist vs. antagonist fights in history. Not only was the fight incredibly intense, Sasuke’s shocking victory resulted in him leaving the Leaf Village for good, putting the main plot throughout the rest of the series (& much of Shippuden) into play.
