Boxing has the best ratio of any sport in anime: very few shows, and almost all of them are good. Two of them, Ashita no Joe and Hajime no Ippo, are on most people's list of the greatest sports anime ever made. Continuing our sport-by-sport series after volleyball and basketball, here's the boxing board, ordered by SenpaiRanks consensus score.
Quick answer
According to SenpaiRanks, the best boxing anime is Hajime no Ippo (8.75), Madhouse's 75-episode adaptation of George Morikawa's manga. Its sequels New Challenger (8.34) and Rising (8.22) rank second and third, followed by Ashita no Joe 2 (8.17), the 1980 classic directed by Osamu Dezaki. The best modern entry is Nomad: Megalo Box 2 (7.73), with the original Megalo Box (7.63) close behind on Crunchyroll. For something different, Levius (7.03) mixes boxing with steampunk mecha on Netflix.
The ranked list
1. Hajime no Ippo — 8.75
Madhouse · 2000 · 75 episodes. A bullied teenager discovers boxing and climbs toward the featherweight title. Ippo's fights against Mashiba and Sendo are the reference point for sports anime even 25 years later. Availability varies by region; the show page tracks current options.
2. Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger — 8.34
Madhouse · 2009 · 26 episodes. Ippo defends his title while Takamura takes on a world champion. Takamura's fight is a series highlight.
3. Hajime no Ippo: Rising — 8.22
Madhouse · 2013 · 25 episodes. The anime's last stretch so far. It includes Coach Kamogawa's postwar backstory, which ranks among the series' best episodes. The manga continues well past this point.
4. Ashita no Joe 2 — 8.17
TMS Entertainment · 1980 · 47 episodes. Osamu Dezaki's direction (freeze-frame "postcard memories," split screens, harsh light) defined a look that anime still borrows. The ending is one of the most famous final shots in the medium. Check the show page for availability.
5. Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road — 8.04
Madhouse · 2003 · TV special. Ippo's championship bout, set between the first series and New Challenger. Don't skip it.
6. Nomad: Megalo Box 2 — 7.73
TMS Entertainment · 2021 · 13 episodes. Seven years later, Joe is fighting in underground rings with painkillers. A quieter, sadder sequel that beats the original. Crunchyroll.
7. Ashita no Joe — 7.70
Mushi Production · 1970 · 79 episodes. The original 1970 series: Joe Yabuki, a street kid, gets taught to box in a Tokyo slum. It's rougher than the sequel but essential context.
8. Megalo Box — 7.63
TMS Entertainment (3xCube) · 2018 · 13 episodes. A 50th-anniversary tribute to Ashita no Joe, reimagined with mechanical arm gear and a deliberately grainy, retro look. A perfect 13-episode watch. Crunchyroll.
9. Levius — 7.03
Polygon Pictures · 2019 · 12 episodes. Mechanical martial arts in a steampunk world, in 3DCG. It's a Netflix original, and the fight choreography is better than the CG reputation suggests. It also fits our best mecha anime board.
10. Ring ni Kakero 1: Shadow — 6.59
Toei Animation · 2010 · 6 episodes. Masami Kurumada's pre-*Saint Seiya* boxing manga, where punches have special-move names. Pure '80s Jump energy. Check the show page.
Where to start
Watch Megalo Box first if you want a quick 13 episodes. If you're ready for the long haul, watch Hajime no Ippo → Champion Road → New Challenger → Rising. Watch Ashita no Joe 2 when you want to see where the genre's visual language came from. Our full sports anime ranking and Madhouse board put Ippo in wider context.
Think Ashita no Joe 2 should be number one? Rate it on the show page and the board moves.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the best boxing anime?
A: Hajime no Ippo ranks first on SenpaiRanks at 8.75, ahead of its sequels New Challenger (8.34) and Rising (8.22).
Q: What order should I watch Hajime no Ippo in?
A: Hajime no Ippo (75 episodes), the Champion Road special, New Challenger, then Rising.
Q: Is Megalo Box related to Ashita no Joe?
A: Yes. Megalo Box was made for Ashita no Joe's 50th anniversary and reimagines its story in a near-future setting.
Q: Where can I watch Megalo Box?
A: Megalo Box and Nomad: Megalo Box 2 stream on Crunchyroll.
Q: Will Hajime no Ippo get a new season?
A: No new season has been announced since Rising (2013), even though the manga has continued well past where the anime stops.