Mikasa Ackerman has long stood as one of the fiercest and most formidable fighters in Attack on Titan. With her unmatched skill in ODM gear, keen instincts, and deadly precision, she consistently dominates the battlefield. But her strength goes beyond physical prowess—it’s rooted in her loyalty, pain, and the deep emotional ties that drive her. Whether protecting Eren, leading troops, or cutting down Titans in the blink of an eye, Mikasa shows us that true power comes from heart and resolve. These are the ten best fights that highlight her incredible abilities, inner strength, and evolution as both a warrior and a person.
#10: Mikasa’s First Titan Kill to Save Eren
In one of her earliest and most important fights, Mikasa takes on a Titan head-on to save Eren during the Battle of Trost in Season 1. At this point, she’s already earned a reputation among the recruits as a prodigy, but this is the first time her skills are put to the ultimate test. With Eren presumed dead, Mikasa is emotionally unbalanced, barely holding on. But when she discovers he’s alive inside the rogue Titan, she becomes laser focused. Her eyes sharpen, her moves tighten, and she swoops in with devastating accuracy. The kill itself is clean—ODM wires sing through the air as she slices the nape with military perfection. But what really defines this moment is the balance between emotional chaos and physical discipline. She channels her love and fear for Eren into precise, lethal action. This scene shows us that Mikasa’s strength isn’t just mechanical skill—it’s rooted in unwavering resolve. She doesn’t just fight to survive—she fights to protect, and that gives her unmatched purpose.
#9: Mikasa vs. the Smiling Titan’s Followers
Season 2 gave us a darker, grittier Mikasa as she fought her way through the horde that surrounded the Smiling Titan—the one responsible for killing Eren’s mother. This battle wasn’t about tactics—it was about fury. Mikasa tears through the Titans with raw aggression, abandoning the usual finesse for brutal effectiveness. Her eyes burn with rage as she clears a path, desperate to reach Eren. The desperation in her strikes, the way she flips and dives without hesitation, shows a side of her rarely seen. In one moment, she even goes blade-to-face against a Titan far too close for comfort, refusing to give up ground. It’s not just physical skill on display here—it’s Mikasa’s emotional intensity. She’s not fighting because it’s strategic. She’s fighting because she must. That blend of rage and determination makes this one of her most visceral and unforgettable battles.
#8: Mikasa vs. the Military Police
Season 3 turned the tables when Mikasa had to fight humans instead of Titans, and it showed just how versatile and terrifying she could be. During the confrontation with the Military Police’s Anti-Personnel Control Squad, Mikasa navigates tight urban environments, dodging gunfire and retaliating with deadly precision. In one jaw-dropping moment, she crashes through a window, kicks a rifle out of an enemy’s hand, and incapacitates him before landing. The quick adaptation from open-air Titan battles to close-quarters gunfights is a testament to her combat intelligence. She doesn’t just rely on strength or gear—she analyzes the environment, predicts her opponent’s moves, and adjusts instantly. The stakes in this battle are personal, too. Mikasa is fighting not just for her life, but to protect her friends from a corrupt government that’s betrayed them. The cool-headed violence she unleashes is chilling in its focus. There are no wasted moves. No showboating. Just raw, efficient dominance.
#7: Mikasa vs. the War Hammer Titan’s Defenses
During the assault on Liberio in Season 4, Mikasa plays a key role in the ambush against the War Hammer Titan. When Eren confronts Lara Tybur’s Titan form, Mikasa arrives with the Survey Corps to provide backup—and she doesn’t disappoint. Armed with thunder spears, Mikasa rains down destruction on the War Hammer’s protective crystal, attempting to crack its near-impenetrable shell. What makes this moment stand out is Mikasa’s coordination and willingness to unleash full-scale violence in a populated area. She doesn’t hesitate. When the War Hammer defends itself, Mikasa attacks again, maneuvering through falling debris and gunfire. It’s one of the few times we see her act without any regard for civilian casualties—proof that she’s embraced the harsh reality of war. There’s something terrifyingly mature in this fight. Mikasa is no longer a soldier reacting to danger—she’s now a general leading it. Her transition into a hardened warrior becomes clear in every calculated strike she delivers.
#6: Mikasa Saves Armin from Bertholdt
Back in Season 3 during the return to Shiganshina, Armin is burned nearly to death trying to buy time for Eren. When Bertholdt, in his Colossal Titan form, launches a massive blast of steam and flame, Armin’s sacrifice nearly goes unnoticed. But Mikasa notices. And she snaps. Once the steam clears and Armin’s charred body is revealed, Mikasa flies into a berserk state. With tear-streaked cheeks and rage in her eyes, she launches herself at Bertholdt with thunder spears, screaming with fury. The impact of her assault, even against a Titan of Bertholdt’s size, is immense. She doesn’t succeed in killing him—yet—but she buys the Survey Corps enough time to execute their plan. What makes this moment so powerful is that Mikasa, usually calm and calculated, lets her emotion fully erupt. She fights with everything she has, not because of orders, but because of grief. This is her chosen family under fire, and she refuses to stand by. Her loyalty becomes her greatest weapon, and Bertholdt learns just how dangerous love can be.
#5: Mikasa vs. the Marleyan Soldiers in the Liberio Raid
During the raid on Liberio, Mikasa takes part in a full-scale attack that showcases her complete transformation from elite cadet to ruthless special operative. This moment is pure adrenaline—Mikasa, outfitted with Thunder Spears and high-velocity ODM gear, descends on the Marleyan soldiers with the intensity of a missile. The animation is fluid, the choreography precise, but it’s Mikasa’s mindset that steals the scene. She doesn’t blink, doesn’t falter. She targets enemy bunkers, armored vehicles, and soldiers with clinical precision, eliminating threats before they can react.
There’s a brief yet powerful exchange between her and Eren after the attack begins. When she confronts him about initiating the raid, it’s clear she still struggles with the morality of it all. But even through the emotional turbulence, her instincts as a protector kick in. The moment she realizes there’s no turning back, she commits fully to the assault. It’s one of the most complex glimpses into Mikasa’s growth—not only as a warrior, but as someone who’s beginning to question what it means to follow. The sheer chaos of the battle, combined with Mikasa’s devastating control over her weapons, makes this a standout fight that underscores both her physical and emotional strength.
#4: Mikasa and Levi vs. Rod Reiss Titan
Rod Reiss’s grotesque, crawling Titan is one of the most disturbing visuals in the entire series—a bloated, deformed creature that drags its massive body toward the interior walls. While the Survey Corps scrambles to figure out how to stop the monstrosity, it’s Mikasa and Levi who execute the final, precise maneuver. As the Titan’s neck explodes from a trap set by the corps, the duo launches themselves through fire and smoke, slicing through the air with synchronized grace. Mikasa, specifically, takes on a support role—protecting Historia and ensuring that the team’s strategy goes off without a hitch.
What makes this fight so impressive is the coordination. Mikasa’s movement is sharp, deadly, and above all—purposeful. She knows her role, executes it without flaw, and proves that she can be both a blade and a shield. The fight isn’t just about spectacle; it’s about control, precision, and teamwork. Even when surrounded by nightmarish circumstances, Mikasa remains calm and focused, proving once again that she thrives in high-pressure scenarios. The visual of her cutting through the flaming debris, flying parallel to Levi, is one of the most cinematic moments in the series. It’s not a battle of rage—it’s a battle of execution, and Mikasa performs like a master.
#3: Mikasa vs. Eren’s Founding Titan
Perhaps the most painful and emotionally complicated battle Mikasa ever faces is her final confrontation with Eren. As the Rumbling decimates the world and Eren becomes an unstoppable god-like figure, it’s Mikasa who has to make the ultimate decision. The scene where she infiltrates Eren’s monstrous Titan form, navigates the skeletal maze of his ribcage, and finally delivers the killing blow is both heartbreaking and legendary.
She doesn’t just kill Eren—she kisses him goodbye, holding his severed head in her arms like a mourning lover. This fight isn’t just about strength—it’s about sacrifice. Mikasa has to kill the one person she vowed to protect above all else. She has to carry the burden of ending his life to save the world. The way she tears through his Titan defenses is brutal, efficient, and emotionally devastating. She doesn’t hesitate because she can’t. She knows what must be done, and only she has the resolve to do it. The look in her eyes—full of love, pain, and acceptance—makes this the most emotionally charged fight of her life. It’s a moment that defines her strength not just as a warrior, but as a person willing to do the impossible for the greater good.
#2: Mikasa’s Training Excellence and Recruits’ Duel
Sometimes, raw strength is best demonstrated in simplicity. During the early training arc, Mikasa obliterates her fellow cadets in sparring matches with barely any effort. When Jean tries to challenge her, she easily overpowers him, humbling one of the most arrogant characters in the squad. The ease with which she moves, the confidence in her stances, and the cold, direct way she puts opponents on their backs—all without arrogance—speaks volumes about her talent.
Even the instructors acknowledge she’s on a level of her own. This isn’t a dramatic battle or life-or-death scenario, but it’s one of the clearest moments where we see just how naturally gifted Mikasa is. While others are still figuring out how to balance, she’s already flying. While others struggle with sword form, she’s knocking down Titans with ease. These scenes, subtle as they may be, are essential in establishing the foundation of Mikasa’s strength. She’s not just good because of Ackerman blood—she’s disciplined, driven, and emotionally attuned to every movement in combat. This raw talent becomes the benchmark every other recruit measure themselves against.
#1: Mikasa’s Attack on Marleyan Airships
During the climax of the Liberio Raid, as Marley’s airships deploy reinforcements to stop Eren, Mikasa takes to the sky in one of the most cinematic action sequences in Attack on Titan. Armed with thunder spears, she launches herself high above the city, tearing through enemy forces and disabling the airborne threats with relentless fury. The speed, agility, and destructive force on display are nothing short of jaw-dropping. This is Mikasa fully unleashed—no hesitation, no limits.
What makes this her best fight is that it combines everything she’s known for: elite technique, aerial maneuvering, deadly accuracy, and above all, fearlessness. Her movements are elegant but deadly, almost artistic in how she dismantles enemies’ midair. The camera work, the animation, and the haunting music elevate the fight to near mythic proportions. Mikasa moves like a living storm—graceful, relentless, and impossible to stop. This is the culmination of all her training, rage, and resolve. In this moment, she isn’t just humanity’s hope—she’s its most terrifying protector. And nothing says strength like the woman who dives headfirst into death and emerges victorious, again and again.
Mikasa Ackerman’s journey is marked by incredible combat feats, but her strength lies not just in her skills—it lies in her heart, her loyalty, and her unshakable spirit. These fights capture the many facets of her power, from brutal efficiency to emotional courage. Whether she’s flying through the air to take down Titans or making the hardest decision of her life, Mikasa proves that true strength is about more than just surviving—it’s about choosing who you fight for and why.
