Hunter x Hunter: 5 Best Anime Arcs That Rival the Chimera Ant Arc, Ranked

Ask any Hunter x Hunter fan what the best arc in anime is, and the Chimera Ant arc comes up almost immediately – Netero’s last stand, Meruem’s slow, quiet death next to Komugi, Gon’s rage-fueled transformation. It’s the gold standard for stories that mix brutal action with genuine philosophical weight. But it’s not the only arc that’s pulled that off.

Plenty of other shonen staples have built their own war-scale climaxes, complete with devastating losses and payoffs years in the making. Here are five other anime arcs that come closest to matching it, ranked from good to great.

5 Pain Assault Arc – Naruto: Shippuden

Pain Assault Arc from Naruto: Shippuden | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Nagato, as Pain, flattens an entire village with one swing, and it still isn’t the loudest thing about this arc – that’s the Naruto anime grieving Jiraiya while shinobi crawl through rubble looking for survivors. Hinata’s confession right before Pain nearly kills her, the toad sage training, Nagato’s final Rinne Tensei sacrifice – it’s Naruto: Shippuden‘s most human arc, built on loss instead of raw scale. Compared to Chimera Ant’s sprawling war, it’s a tighter, smaller-stakes story. It lands here because its power comes from intimacy, not the scope that puts the other four ahead.

4 Infinity Castle Arc – Demon Slayer

Infinity Castle Arc from Demon Slayer | Credits: Ufotable

Shinobu, Gyomei, Mitsuri, Obanai, Muichiro – this Demon Slayer arc runs the Corps’ best people through a meat grinder of fights and tragic outcomes with barely a breath to recover, and that relentless dread is what made Chimera Ant so brutal to sit through. Muzan hunting the Hashira through a shifting fortress while Tanjiro fights to stay human mirrors Netero and Meruem’s war of attrition beat for beat. Where it falls short is scope, since the Hashira’s stories don’t tie back into decades of buildup the way the top three do. It’s a brutal, worthy rival, just not quite as complete.

3 Marineford Arc – One Piece

Marineford Arc from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation

Whitebeard splitting Marineford in half with a punch of pure grief, and Ace dying in Luffy’s arms, are scenes One Piece fans still can’t discuss without getting emotional. It’s a full-scale war with admirals, warlords, and an Emperor’s death that reshapes the world, echoing the Chimera Ant war’s sense that nothing will be the same after. It edges past Infinity Castle because the fallout stretches across the entire story, not just one location. Whitebeard’s last stand rivals Netero’s in sheer weight, though the payoff doesn’t tie back to earlier arcs quite as tightly as what’s ahead.

2 Thousand-Year Blood War Arc – Bleach

Thousand-Year Blood War Arc from Bleach | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Yamamoto unleashing his Bankai for the first time in a millennium, only to be cut down by the real Yhwach shortly after, sets the tone fast – nobody in Soul Society is safe. Captains lose Bankai, limbs, and lives to the Sternritter one after another, and Yhwach’s patient villainy makes Meruem look almost restrained by comparison. It edges past Marineford because nearly every major character gets tested here, not just the leads. Where TYBW trails the top spot is depth, since some Sternritters get cool powers but a quick death instead of a real arc of their own.

1 The Promised Day Arc – Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Promised Day Arc from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood | Credits: Bones Inc.

Every thread from sixty-plus episodes ties together the moment Father tries to become a god, and somehow every character gets a moment that matters in the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood finale arc. Mustang burning Envy, Ed trading his alchemy for Al’s body, Hohenheim’s quiet goodbye – it’s the tightest, most satisfying payoff in anime. It tops the list because nothing feels wasted, unlike the others’ sprawling casts where a few threads inevitably get shortchanged. It comes closest to matching Chimera Ant’s mix of philosophy and heartbreak beat for beat, earning the top spot.

What are your thoughts on our list of anime arcs that are considerable rivals to the Chimera Arc from Hunter x Hunter? We’d love to know your favourite arcs and opinions in the comments below.