Top 10 Battles in Baki Anime

The Baki series, an anime immersed with madness and the most graphic intense battle scenes, is perhaps one of the best battle anime there is. The martial arts, strategy, and technique each character deploys in their fight is what makes this anime so appealing.

After the release of the second season of Hanma Baki in 2023, we were left with a ton of testosterone-filled battles to get excited over. In this anime, where each character constantly tests their strength on each other, let’s follow their battles and rank the top 10 fights in the anime.

10. Baki vs Shunsei

This fight was proposed to see, who is stronger, Baki or Shunsei, being the descendants of legendary fighters. However, this didn’t turn out to be much of a battle as Baki ended the fight with three powerful blows when Shunsei aggressively charged towards Baki.

This is an important fight as it clearly shows their differences in their strengths and puts Baki in a class of his own.

9. Retsu vs Jaku

This was quite an interesting matchup between the two fighters, Retsu and Jaku, who seemed seemingly equal in terms of skill and power. What made this fight interesting was Jaku using tricks against Retsu in order to get advantage over him, which kept Retsu at edge throughout the fight.

The fight ended when the all-so-calm Retsu was enraged by Jaku by his cheap tricks. A powerful strike from Retsu to Jaku’s nose knocked him out cold, leaving Retsu as the winner.

8. The Ogre vs Kaku Kaioh

Just as Shunsei and Baki had faced each other in the Raitai tournament, this time, their fathers battle each other. Yujiro Hanma, regarded as the strongest creature on earth, was pitted against the Sea Emperor, who still possessed immense strength even at 120 years of age.

Though the fight initially started with a little sparring, it started ramping up soon, and Kaku Kaioh started wounding Hanma. Soon, it was revealed that Hanma was just holding back, enjoying the fight. Just as Hanma was about the deliver a deadly blow, Kaku Kaioh succumbed, and it was discovered that he died on the spot of old age.

7. The Ogre vs Sea King Ryu

In what was arguably the most one-sided battle of the series, the Raitai Tournament kicked off with The Ogre, Yujiro Hanma, facing off against Sea King Ryu, a martial artist regarded by Retsu as his equal. From the outset of the match, Yujiro wasted no time in showcasing the vast disparity in skill, power, strength, and speed between them.

Yujiro mercilessly dismantled his opponent, utterly humiliating him and leaving his students to witness the one-sided defeat. Despite Sea King Ryu’s valiant attempts to salvage some pride and confront the world’s strongest creature once more, his efforts were in vain as Yujiro swiftly brought the bout to a decisive end with a devastating final blow.

6. Guevara vs Oliva

The clash between Oliva and Guevara sets the stage for Baki, the son of the Ogre, who is poised to challenge Oliva, the unchained. Despite serving as a prelude, their encounter commands significant attention. Guevara shoulders the weight of his people’s pride as he strives to prove himself by besting Oliva despite his status as a high-security inmate seeking privileges. The entire prison population, including the warden, gathers as the two behemoths agree to a gripping duel where holding onto a rag signifies their resolve.

The battle intensifies into a fierce exchange, with Guevara employing every tactic in his arsenal against Oliva. In a climactic moment, Oliva casts aside his restraint and delivers a punishing blow, leaving Guevara sprawled on the ground. The violent spectacle concludes with Oliva emerging triumphant, watched by the entire prison.

5. Baki vs Oliva

This is perhaps one of the most exciting fights in the whole series. Oliva, an untamed force of nature packed into a human form of colossal muscle, confronts Baki, son of the mightiest being on the planet. Their showdown occurs within Baki’s cell, with Oliva initially being overwhelming for the young challenger. Despite Baki’s relentless attacks, it seemed as though Oliva was resistant to all damage.

It is only when Baki employs a newfound speed-based technique does he manages to briefly incapacitate Oliva. However, as the match goes on, their fight turns into a test of endurance, ultimately becoming a brawl that plays to Oliva’s strengths. Driven by his undying desire to confront his father on equal terms, Baki relentlessly presses Oliva to achieve his victory.

4. Hanayama vs Spec

This is a battle that truly raises our respect for Hanayama. As Spec tries to attack Baki on the streets, Hanayama intervenes and decides to fight Spec himself. Spec, being the cheap trickster that he is, pulls all sorts of cheap attacks on Hanayama. However, Hanayama, with his high endurance in battles, takes on all of Spec’s attacks and fights back

At this point, Spec resorts to even more underhanded measures and pulls out a gun to attack Hanayama. Much to everyone’s shock, Hanayama takes the gunshot in full force, uses his brute force to defeat, and hands Spec over to the police.

3. Sea King Retsu vs Pickle

Sea King Retsu was the first to face Pickle in a head-to-head fight. Initially, Retsu seemed to outclass the man-beast with his martial arts skills. However, he soon discovered that defeating Pickle required more than just technique. Despite his early advantage, Retsu’s attacks proved ineffective against Pickle, who inflicted severe injuries by biting and tearing Retsu’s flesh.

Confronted by his harsh reality, Retsu experienced a mental breakdown. In desperation, he abandoned his usual Kenpo techniques and began throwing wild punches out of instinct. Although he managed to land a powerful elbow strike that would incapacitate most opponents, Pickle shrugged it off and swiftly knocked Retsu unconscious.

2. Baki vs Pickle

This clash between two of the strongest warriors was truly a spectacle. Once Baki was awarded a chance to go toe-to-toe with the man-beast, he unleashed his full fury. He evaded Pickle’s movements with astonishing speed, almost appearing to teleport around the arena.

Also, Baki invoked fear in the prehistoric fighter by assuming the stance of a dinosaur hybrid—a towering figure with the jaws of a T. rex, the talons of a pterodactyl, and the horns of a triceratops. Despite his initial advantage, Baki decided to conclude the match with a plain fistfight. So, Pickle’s unmatched stamina led him to emerge victorious.

1. Katsumi Orochi vs Pickle

Pickle, a primitive human frozen for millions of years, was challenged by many of Baki Hanma’s top fighters only to be utterly destroyed. Katsumi Orochi, a young karate master and close friend of Kaiou Retsu, wanted to avenge Retsu for his loss. For this, Katsumi created the Mach Fist technique, mastering how his muscles relax and tighten. This enabled him to unleash rapid strikes like snapping a whip during fights.

Although this technique temporarily stopped pickle, it took a heavy physical toll on Katsumi, causing him to lose the battle and an arm in the process. He might’ve lost that battle, but he did prove that even current humans could compete against, and possibly win against the pre-historic human.

About Baki

Grappler Baki known as Baki the Grappler in North America, is a manga series written and illustrated by Keisuke Itagaki. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Champion, and collected into 42 tankōbon volumes by Akita Shoten.

The story follows teenager Baki Hanma as he trains and tests his fighting skills against a variety of different opponents in deadly, no rules hand-to-hand combat.

He spends every waking moment training and fighting so that he may someday surpass the fighting abilities of the strongest being on Earth – his father Yuujiro Hanma, a cruel man who lives only to fight and hurt people.