Every anime, no matter the era, will always have one scene that will define it for what it is. Sometimes it’ll be the scene that solidifies an anime as trash, other times it’ll be the scene that finally wins people over and tells them they’re in for a good time, but in either case, it’s almost always something to look forward to.

All anime have a scene that everyone looks forward to, either because it’s really good or really bad, and naturally, the former is what most people think about. As fun as a bad scene can be, the great ones are the ones people will always go back to, and many anime, through a combination of great writing, voice acting, and visuals, have delivered scenes that are among the greatest moments in all of anime. A few of those scenes especially stand out, as each one is so great that “peak cinema” is the only proper way to do them justice.

Yuji & Nobara Vs. Eso & Kechizu

Scene From MAPPA’s Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1, Episode 24

In the season 1 finale of MAPPA’s Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuji and Nobara fought against Eso and Kechizu, a pair of human-curse hybrids who fought with poisonous blood-based techniques. At first, the bizarre nature of their powers gave them an advantage, but Nobara was quick to break that down, and what followed was a merciless beatdown that ultimately ended in Eso and Kechizu’s deaths.

Jujutsu Kaisen is famous for its incredible fight scenes, and sure enough, the amazing choreography of Yuji and Nobara’s fight against Eso and Kechizu, combined with the perfect background track in “REMEMBER” by Masato Hayakawa, make it one of the best fight scenes in the entire series. Everything about the fight is perfectly on point, and there was no better way to cap off what would go down as a truly legendary season of anime.

All Might’s United States Of Smash

Scene From Bones’ My Hero Academia Season 3, Episode 11

In season 3 of Bones’ My Hero Academia, All Might had overtaxed what little strength he had left in his rematch with All For One, and with the revelation that Shigaraki was his master’s grandson, he was almost broken emotionally, as well. However, with cries of support from across the country, All Might continued the fight and finally defeated All For One with his ultimate attack, United States of Smash.

Between the triumphant way he picked himself back up, the amazing build-up to the United States of Smash, and the incredible display of power, All Might’s United States of Smash is the ultimate moment for showing why he was considered the world’s greatest hero in My Hero Academia. All Might has had plenty of great moments since then, but it’s hard to see any of them even coming close to matching this moment in scale or catharsis in the slightest.

Luffy Knocks Kaido Down For The First Time

Scene From Toei Animation’s One Piece Episode 1015

In episode #1015 of Toei Animation’s One Piece, Luffy and his allies finally made it to the roof of Onigashima to confront Kaido and Big Mom, both of whom were still treating Luffy like he was just a kid who needed to learn his place. However, when Kaido attacked Luffy, Luffy turned the tables by hitting him with his Gum-Gum Red Roc, damaging Kaido for the first time, and proudly declaring that he would become the Pirate King.

Not only is the sequence one of the most visually gorgeous sequences in the entire franchise, but the entire scene of Luffy knocking down Kaido is incredible for how it signifies that Luffy has finally evolved into someone who can stand on equal footing with the biggest players in the world. One Piece episode #1015 is often cited as the best episode of One Piece, and overall, it’s easy to see why.

Makoto & SEES Regain Their Resolve To Face Nyx

Scene From A-1 Pictures’ Persona 3 The Movie: No. 4, Winter Of Rebirth

In A-1 Pictures’ Persona 3 The Movie: No. 4, Winter of Rebirth, Makoto finally realized that the importance of life came from your bonds with others, pulling himself out of the dilemma of what to do about Nyx. The rest of SEES came to similar realizations as they were reminded of the important people in their lives, and they all came together to face death head-on instead of running away from it.

Between the way every member of SEES is bathed in light as they regain their resolve and the beautiful accompanying track of “My Testimony” by Yumi Kawamura, Persona 3 The Movie: No. 4, Winter of Rebirth did a perfect job of making SEES regaining their resolve be as dramatic and emotionally cathartic as possible. Winter of Rebirth is easily one of the best anime movies of all time, and this scene is a major reason why that is.

The Ultimate Final Battle Between Simon & The Anti-Spiral

Scene From Studio Trigger’s Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights In The Sky Are Stars

In the second film adaptation of Studio Trigger’s Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, The Lights in the Sky Are Stars, to defeat the Anti-Spirals, Team Dai Gurren had to summon Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, a Gunmen so mᴀssive that it towered over the entire universe. Even that wasn’t enough to finish things, though, so Simon had to settle things himself with a one-on-one fistfight against the Anti-Spiral, a fight he ultimately won, freeing the universe from the Anti-Spirals’ tyranny.

Between the wonderful absurdity of Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and the incredible animation and direction of Simon’s fight with Anti-Spiral, Gurren Lagann the Movie: The Lights in the Sky Are Stars perfectly escalated the final battle into something even more visually and narratively satisfying than the original. The Gurren Lagann movies are possibly the best way to experience the anime, and the final fight with Anti-Spiral perfectly showcases why.

Goku Turns Super Saiyan For The First Time

Scene From Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball Z Episode 95

In Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball Z, just as it seemed like Goku had defeated Frieza with the Spirit Bomb, Frieza revealed himself to still be alive and more determined than ever to kill everyone, and he kicked that off by brutally killing Krillin. Seeing his best friend murdered filled Goku with rage like never before, and that was the final trigger Goku needed to unlock Super Saiyan and become strong enough to defeat Frieza once and for all.

Goku becoming a Super Saiyan was something the Namek saga spent months setting up, and sure enough, the incredible visuals and directions used for the debut of Super Saiyan, combined with Goku’s rage-filled delivery in both English and Japanese, made it perfectly live up to the hype. The debut of Super Saiyan is one of Dragon Ball’s most iconic moments, and decades later, it’s still a marvel to behold.

The Super Peace Busters Say Goodbye To Menma

Scene From A-1 Pictures’ Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day Episode 11

At the end of A-1 Pictures’ Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, with Menma disappearing faster than everyone thought, she planned to use the last of her strength to write one final letter to the Super Peace Busters before pᴀssing on. The Super Peace Busters didn’t accept that, of course, and as they all cried out for Menma, Menma forced herself to be visible to them one last time so they could all say their proper goodbyes.

Overall, the direction in the scene of Menma’s goodbye with its lighting, voice acting, and insertion of the ending theme, made for the perfect execution of what was always going to be a heartwrenching scene for the anime. There are only a few cases of anime that end their stories perfectly, and thanks to the perfect handling of Menma’s goodbye, Anohana is one of those few.

Hatoko Finally Gets Fed Up With Jurai’s Chunibyo Behavior

Scene From Studio Trigger’s When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace Episode 7

Throughout Studio Trigger’s When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace, Hatoko gradually grew frustrated with Jurai for spending more time with Tomoyo than her, even though she had been friends with Jurai since childhood. Hatoko finally reached her breaking point in episode #7 when Jurai casually brushed off Hatoko’s attempts to talk to him, leading to a lengthy, tear-filled rant from Hatoko about how sick she is of Jurai’s chunibyo behavior and begging him to be normal.

While it isn’t one of Studio Trigger’s best anime, When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace delivered one of the best moments in anime thanks to how thoroughly Hatoko tore down the chunibyo archetype and for the incredible direction used to convey Hatoko’s frustration. Saori Hayami allegedly did the entire scene in a single take, and that level of dedication shows itself with how emotionally charged the scene is in the best of ways.

Mima Overcomes Her Delusions One Last Time

Scene From Madhouse’s Perfect Blue

In the climax of Madhouse’s Perfect Blue, Mima discovered that the one behind the recent string of murders was Rumi, Mima’s manager who had a psycH๏τic breakdown after Mima quit being an idol. The film presented Rumi as Mima’s idol persona Me-Mania, and Mima was forced into a desperate run across town as Rumi tried to kill her in a psycH๏τic attempt to kill her and take her place.

Between the haunting soundtrack, the surreal depiction of the chase scene, and the triumphant and cathartic way in which Mima concludes her character arc and Rumi gets her comeuppance, Perfect Blue’s climax is nothing short of a masterpiece both visually and narratively from start to finish. Perfect Blue was the theatrical debut of legendary director Satoshi Kon, and there was no better proof that his name would go down in history as one of the all-time greats.

Kyon Finally Admits To Himself That He Likes Being Around Haruhi

Scene From Kyoto Animation’s The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya

In the climax of Kyoto Animation’s The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kyon learned that the one who changed the world was Nagato, who had finally cracked under the stress Haruhi and everyone put her through since day one. That made Kyon reflect one last time on whether he even wanted to go back to his old life, represented as a dialogue he had with himself, and he decided that he needed to go back because he had fun being with Haruhi.

Not only is the animation and overall direction incredibly gorgeous and creative, but the emotional build-up to Kyon’s epiphany about Haruhi is framed perfectly by the music and Crispin Freeman’s amazing delivery, making for as emotionally cathartic a scene as someone could ask for. It was the perfect climax to an incredible film, and there’s no better case for an anime scene that redefines peak cinema.