Revenge arcs in anime simply hit different, as there is nothing quite like watching a character who has either been through hell himself or seen someone else going through it and finally decided to take action. These moments hit so hard because they show the real pain behind them first.
Let’s take a look at some of the best revenge moments in anime, while also ranking them on the basis of how satisfying they were and how well they translated to the screen. Some of these moments are quick and brutal, some are slow-burn and almost scary in how calculated they are, and a couple completely break the character carrying them out. Let’s dive in.
10. Moriarty Helps the Gardener Get His Revenge in Moriarty the Patriot
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Credit: Production I.G. -
Credit: Production I.G. -
Credit: Production I.G.
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Credit: Production I.G. -
Credit: Production I.G. -
Credit: Production I.G.
Baron Leonard Dublin is the definition of a rich guy who cares more about his social standing than basic human empathy. When his gardener and his gardener’s wife begged him to send his doctor to help their sick child in the rain, Dublin simply refused and let the child die. The gardener kept working for him, and his wife was completely broken.
However, they finally saw a ray of hope when Moriarty arrived. He gave the gardener an offer to help him get revenge by poisoning the Baron. What made this revenge satisfying was the fact that when Dublin realized what was happening, it was already too late. The only reason that this revenge ranks last is that it wasn’t the protagonist’s own revenge, and we never saw the gardener and his wife ever again.
9. Kaneki Beats Jason in Tokyo Ghoul
Jason (also known as Yamori) is one of the most sadistic characters in Tokyo Ghoul, and that’s saying a lot. He tortures Kaneki for what feels like forever, eating him and letting him regenerate while enjoying every single second of it. This arc is where Kaneki basically gets broken down and rebuilt into a completely different person.
However, the villain who appeared to be so strong and mighty ended up becoming one of the most disappointing anime villains the moment Kaneki started fighting him, after accepting that he is indeed a ghoul. What made Kaneki’s revenge so memorable was that it changed him completely, and that was also when the anime peaked.
8. Naofumi Gets Justice in Rising of the Shield Hero
Naofumi gets transported into a fantasy world as one of four heroes, without his consent, only to get framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Furthermore, the allegations were that he assaulted the princess of the kingdom, which made pretty much everyone lose faith in him, and he was left all alone.
The satisfaction here comes from watching Naofumi slowly claw his way back from rock bottom while the people who wronged him get exposed. He gets his big moment as well when the princess, Malty, gets marked as a slave for her crimes and gets the title of “bitch”. The only reason this revenge doesn’t rank higher is that many fans argue that she deserved an even worse fate.
7. Eren Defeats the Colossal Titan in Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan portrayed itself as a revenge story since the very beginning, even if the themes changed for the better in the final arcs. The Colossal Titan breaks Wall Maria, which gives the Titans a way to enter Shiganshina, and then Eren’s mother gets eaten. Eren swears that he will have his revenge.
It was in Season 3 Part 2 of the anime where Eren finally got to hit that titan on the nape, and it was definitely one of the most satisfying moments, considering how Eren hadn’t even become one of the deadliest fighters in Attack on Titan yet. The reason this doesn’t rank higher is that there is one more revenge moment from this anime coming up ahead that is even better.
6. Rimuru Destroys an Entire Army in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Rimuru from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is usually a chill person, which makes him really unique, especially when considering he is one of the strongest Isekai protagonists of all time. However, when the Falmuth Kingdom’s army attacks his kingdom, killing men, children, women, all alike, including Shion, who was really close to Rimuru’s heart – Rimuru finally loses his cool.
In order to revive everyone, he must ascend. And in order to ascend, he needs many souls. In a single attack, he kills the entire army, resulting in one of the largest-scale attacks shown in the series. It ranks perfectly in the middle because while it was satisfying, it also felt more like a solution to a problem than actual revenge.
5. Roy Mustang Goes Berserk in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Roy Mustang has spent basically the entire time in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood holding back his anger for the sake of the bigger picture. But when Maes Hughes, his best friend and the person who understood him better than anyone, gets murdered, all of that restraint goes out the window.
When Mustang finally gets his hands on Envy, the homunculus responsible, he unleashes his flame alchemy in a way we’ve never seen from him before, completely losing control in his need to make Envy suffer. In fact, since Envy had insane regeneration abilities, flames were his worst enemy, as it meant getting pain without immediately dying. Everyone loved Hughes, and that is what made this revenge so memorable.
4. Shikamaru Destroys Hidan in Naruto: Shippuden
In Naruto: Shippuden, Shikamaru was the guy who always thought three steps ahead, but he’s never really been the type to fight with pure malice. That changes after Asuma, his mentor and someone he deeply respected, is killed by the immortal Akatsuki member Hidan.
Shikamaru’s revenge was all about outsmarting an enemy who literally cannot die through normal means. He figures out that even though Hidan can’t be killed, he can still be trapped, and Shikamaru buries him alive where he’ll be stuck suffering forever. It’s a genius, calculated form of revenge that fits Shikamaru’s character perfectly, proving that sometimes the smartest plan is scarier than the strongest punch.
3. Yuji Itadori Overwhelms Mahito in Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is full of antagonists, but one of the most despised is Mahito. He took advantage of Junpei and then killed him right in front of Yuji Itadori, who was already going through a lot. He then almost killed Nobara and killed Nanami again, right in front of Yuji.
Mahito enjoyed every single moment of it, and that is what made his screaming like a child for help so satisfying. Yuji refused to give up, and finally cornered Mahito, practically defeating him. While Mahito was then killed by Kenjaku instead, he eventually did return in the Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo.
However, Yuji also returned, this time with 100x more strength, and killed Mahito like it was nothing. It is the sheer pain that Yuji went through, and finally embarrassing Mahito after so many years, that makes this revenge rank so high.
2. Gon Goes All Out Against Neferpitou in Hunter X Hunter
In Hunter x Hunter, Gon is usually written as an innocent, optimistic kid, which makes it even more jarring when he transforms into something almost unrecognizable after he encounters Neferpitou, the killer of his mentor, Kite.
Gon makes a literal deal to trade away his entire future just for the strength to make Neferpitou pay in that moment. The transformation scene is terrifying, showing Gon age up physically while his personality completely shifts into someone consumed entirely by grief and rage. It’s one of the most disturbing depictions of revenge in anime because it shows how destructive that kind of blind fury can actually be, making this revenge moment rank at second.
1. Levi Finally Kills Zeke in Attack on Titan
Zeke has been a thorn in the Scout Regiment’s side for a long time, but for Levi specifically, this fight is deeply personal. Zeke was responsible for the deaths of several of Levi’s closest friends and comrades during their battles, wiping out people Levi had fought alongside for years, and even indirectly responsible for the death of Erwin Smith.
Levi first corners Zeke after Erwin’s sacrifice, and while he clearly defeats him, he couldn’t kill him. After a few more battles where Zeke narrowly escaped death, it was in the final moments of the story, when Zeke finally accepted his own fate, and Levi finally got to take his revenge and kill him.
The reason this revenge moment ranks so high is because of the seasons of build-up, and the fact that it wasn’t just Levi who changed, but also Zeke.
| RANK | ANIME MENTIONED | MAL RATING (as of July 26, 2026) | STREAMING |
| 10 | Moriarty the Patriot | 8.17 / 10 | Crunchyroll |
| 9 | Tokyo Ghoul | 7.79 / 10 | Crunchyroll, Hulu |
| 8 | Rising of the Shield Hero | 7.90 / 10 | Crunchyroll, Hulu |
| 7 | Attack on Titan | 8.58 / 10 | Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix |
| 6 | That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime | 8.13 / 10 | Crunchyroll |
| 5 | Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood | 9.11 / 10 | Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll |
| 4 | Naruto: Shippuden | 8.29 / 10 | Crunchyroll |
| 3 | Jujutsu Kaisen | 8.49 / 10 | Crunchyroll |
| 2 | Hunter X Hunter | 9.03 / 10 | Netflix, Hulu |
| 1 | Attack on Titan | 8.58 / 10 | Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix |
Which moment is your personal favorite? Let us know in the comments.
