6 Anime Arcs Better Than The Cell Games

Dragon Ball Z with Saiyan Saga and Frieza Saga started off very well, but fans also have huge respect for Android Saga, including its Cells Games Arc. At that point, Cell had refined himself into a true threat as Perfect Cell, an arrogant and cunning being who relished the idea of ​​taking on any Z Fighter in battle. This led to a stellar arc of overpowering, self-belief and overcoming daunting odds in a refreshingly simple tournament sequence.

That being said, some anime arcs are even stronger than Cell Games, either by surpassing that arc in its own game, or offering incredible things that Cell Games Arc lacks. It's true Dragon Ball Z's Cell Games Arc still holds up decades later and is a great early example of shonen battle tournaments, but has since been surpassed, which shows how far the shonen world has come.

My Hero Academia's UA Sports Festival Arc is an efficient and layered tournament

Most of the Class 1-A students got their chance to shine in the arena

There is some debate in the anime fandom as to whether My Hero Academia is a top-notch shonen anime or just another generic action series, but there's no denying how My Hero Academia he had really stellar moments. The UA Sports Festival Arc is definitely a feather in this anime's cap, it's a great example of a tournament arc without relying on subversions like cheating characters or interfering villains.

Even without such great twists, My Hero AcademiaThe UA Sports Festival Arc feels like an evolution and refinement of what fans have seen Dragon Ball Z's Cell Games Arc. The last tournament was simply power vs. power, like most battles in Dragon Ball Z are, while the UA Sports Festival Arc also focused on Quirk matchups and the personal woes of characters like Shoto and Bakugo. It was also a neat twist how Deku, the protagonist, lost after only two rounds, while the real winner felt like a loser after receiving the gold medal.

Bleach's Soul Society arc began with rescue and ended with betrayal

Only Captain Aizen knew how this arc would end

Among the original shonen “big three,” Tite Kubo Bleach has the most mixed legacy with sublime highs and dismal lows. Or at least that's how the fandom sees it, with parts of the Arrancar Saga or the Fullbring Arc being weak in the eyes of some fans. But everyone agrees that the highlight was the Soul Society Arc Bleacha story segment that ranks among the most amazing arcs in all of shonen. The absolute minimum is the Soul Society Arc Bleach's claim to fame among the shonen greats.

So many elements together make up BleachFrom Ichigo Kurosaki's explosive growth and terrifying Hollow mask to Renji and Byakuya's redemption, not to mention Captain Aizen's shocking betrayal, the Soul Society Arc is a winner. In the middle of it all Bleach fans really felt the Soul Society Arc subtly transform into something completely different as the stakes and balance of power constantly rearranged in exciting ways. It felt like this arc had a mind of its own that managed to defy all expectations even for seasoned seasoned viewers, making it great for any fan to watch for the first time.

Naruto's Pain's Assault Arc remains a high water mark in Naruto Uzumaki's adventures

The cycle of hatred and violence has raised some interesting questions

Just like his cousin Bleachhit anime Naruto it has some low points like its excessive padding and slow final arc, but Naruto it also has some of the clearest story arcs in the medium. The Chunin Exam Arc was like that in the original anime Naruto Shippuden boasts an amazing arc of pain. It easily surpasses this story segment Dragon Ball Z's Cell Games Arc at almost every level, starting with hero growth. Gohan's strength against Cell was excellent, but Naruto Uzumaki rising as the savior of the Leaf Village with Sage Mode was something else entirely. Naruto truly grew into his role as a hero and successor to Jiraiya.

primarily Naruto ShippudenThe Pain Arc made fans think with its amazing thematic weight. Beyond the idea of ​​Jiraiya's students fighting each other, the arc challenged everyone to think about the bloody cycles of violence and hatred that rule both the fictional and real worlds. This was the first time Naruto's moral foundation was seriously challenged in the anime, with Pain able to make Naruto stop and momentarily doubt himself with just words. It's a rare thing when a villain actually claims moral status over a hero like this.

Death Note's L Arc is the ultimate battle of wits

Light Yagami was on the rise as a dark god of justice

It's true, cleverly written Death Note isn't an action anime, so it almost seems like a case of apples to oranges with a similar action title Dragon Ball Z. Fans of one may not find much to enjoy in the other, but underneath it all, both are shonen anime with similar bones that give them shape. Light Yagami, a genius, is not a Saiyan, but he has well-defined abilities, a competitive spirit, and a goal to pursue in the face of all opposition. Opposing him is Detective L, a classic shonen antagonist with immense powers and a desire to see the hero defeated.

This makes it possible Death Note's L Arc to easily compete with anything Dragon Ball Z at all, but with an even better pace and a lot more surprises for the audience to enjoy during the ride. primarily Death Note has thought-provoking themes of shifting justice to make fans really uncomfortable with society's moral code. It's subtle and vague with Light and L having good and bad elements to them, something Dragon Ball Z it lacks as a more conventional “heroes vs villains” saga.

One Piece's Marineford Arc saw almost every major party clash in battle

Luffy lost, but he clung to hope for the future

In almost every way, One piece the anime surpassed her Dragon Ball predecessor, from its much better world-building to its more complex combat system, larger cast of characters, and mystery elements. There are many arches in all these levels One piece beat the Cell Games Arc, but if fans had to pick just one, it might be the Marineford Arc. For one thing, even feels like the Cell Games Arc as the story of one superpower facing a series of challengers. Whitebeard has the role of Perfect Cell in that sense, even though no one would call him a villain.

The Cell Games Arc gave everyone a chance to show off their many skills and abilities, including Perfect Cell himself, but One pieceMarineford Arc took it to a whole new level. A staggering variety of Devil Fruits were used in this great clash, sometimes in game-changing ways. It was in this arc that Akainu's Mag-Mag Fruit was able to kill Ace and his Flame-Flame body, much to everyone's shock, and Blackbeard somehow stole Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit. That's how even the dirtiest war arc can wow long-time anime fans because the sheer weirdness of these twists makes everyone sit up and take notice.

JoJo's Diamond is an unbreakable juggling slice of life with racks and a murder mystery

Josuke Higashikata saves the day from Sinister Threat in the Shadows

Here and there, Dragon Ball Z The idea was to mix slice-of-life elements with Saiyan action, such as teenage Gohan meeting Videl at school or Goku trying to navigate everyday life where his Saiyan power won't help him much. If fans want more, then Diamond is Unbreakable Arc in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is the answer. Diamond is Unbreakable Arc, more than most shonen anime stories, masterfully combines the strange joys of everyday life with the brutality and horror of supernatural action. Stands are the answer because even the most ordinary people like Koichi Hirose can get them.

What really ties it all together is the ominous threat of Yoshikage Kira, who has slowly and surely established himself as DIO's successor as the primary antagonist. Kira was as monumental a threat to Josuke as Cell was to the Z Fighters, except Kira boasted a more memorable personality, sneakier abilities, and most of all, a terrifying feeling. real. The stands may be fiction, but there are people like Yoshikage Kira hiding in plain sight as twisted killers who think human life is something to be trifled with.