Anime Fight Scene Template

A fight is mostly waiting. This shot list gives you the long standoff, the burst of short cuts and the held aftermath, with a worked example.

Use this template
  • FitsOne fight of 30 to 60 seconds
  • IncludesFilled example and blank
  • CostFree to copy

Updated

Two fighters face each other in profile across a dusty ruined yard, a shaft of light between them
Low angle on a silver-haired fighter crouched to spring, stones lifting off the ground around her
Overhead view of two fighters clashing in the center of a cracked yard, a ring of dust spreading

Frames of the example fight, from the Ziztu anime scene library.

The template

The example fight is 36 seconds long and only 12 of them have blows in them. The rest is waiting and aftermath, which is what makes the hits land.

Anime fight shot list

Kaede against Goro, ruined yardYour title here

Fight card

Know who wins and what it costs before you plan a single hit.

Fighters
Kaede, a silver-haired woman in a black jacket with bandaged forearms. Goro, a tall man with a dark braid in a torn red coat.
At stake
The key Goro took from Kaede's teacher.
Place
A ruined concrete yard with a broken wall and one shaft of sun.
Result
Kaede wins by one move and cannot stand afterward.
Last image
One fighter standing and one on a knee in a crater.

Shot list

Long shots build tension, short shots deliver the hits, and the aftermath is held.

FrameTimeShotWhat happensSound
Two fighters face each other in profile across a dusty ruined yard, a shaft of light between them0:00 to 0:061. StandoffKaede and Goro face each other across the yard. Nobody moves.Wind and dust. No music.
Low angle on a silver-haired fighter crouched to spring, stones lifting off the ground around her0:06 to 0:092. Wind-upKaede crouches; small stones lift off the ground around her.A low drone rises.
0:09 to 0:103. The springShe springs out of frame to the right.One sharp whoosh.
Overhead view of two fighters clashing in the center of a cracked yard, a ring of dust spreading0:10 to 0:124. The clashOverhead, the two meet in the middle and a ring of dust blows outward.Impact, then two beats of silence.
0:12 to 0:185. ExchangeFive very short shots of blocks and blows, half a second each.Drums, one hit per cut.
Tilted close-up of a man with a dark braid, eyes wide in surprise, half his face in shadow0:18 to 0:216. ReactionGoro's eyes widen. The frame tilts a few degrees.The music drops out.
0:21 to 0:277. CounterGoro's counter drives Kaede back across the yard.Heavy strings.
High wide view of a ruined yard after a fight, a crater, one fighter standing and one down on a knee0:27 to 0:368. AftermathHigh and wide: a crater, one fighter standing, one on a knee.Wind returns and one long note.

Wait, burst, hold

The rhythm of nearly every good fight. Time each part and check the proportions.

  1. 1WaitShots 1 and 2, nine seconds of held looks, wind and rising stones.
  2. 2BurstShots 3 to 7, twenty seconds with the shortest cuts of the scene.
  3. 3HoldShot 8, nine seconds of aftermath with one long note.

Paste it into Google Docs, Word, Notion or any text editor. It is free to copy and use.

The fastest way to use it

On your own

  • Copy the template into a document and fill it in.
  • Find an image tool, a video tool and a voice tool, and move your work between them.
  • Keep the same faces, places and style yourself, shot after shot.

In Ziztu

  • The idea box opens with the example already written. Change the names and press go.
  • Studio plans the shot list, makes every shot and adds the music, in one place.
  • Character sheets keep the cast looking the same in every shot.
  • 40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12.
Use this template

How to fill it in

  1. 01

    Fill in the fight card

    Name the fighters, what is at stake, the place and who wins. Decide the last image before you plan the first hit.

  2. 02

    Plan the wait, the burst and the hold

    Give the build-up the most time, the hits the shortest shots and the aftermath one held picture.

  3. 03

    Add sound to every shot

    Silence before the clash and after the reaction does as much work as the music. Write both in the sound column.

What makes it work

Spend the time on waiting

The famous moves are a few seconds. The held looks and the rising stones are why they feel big.

Go overhead for the clash

A top-down shot shows the impact as a map, with a ring of dust and no faces to get wrong.

Show the loser's reaction

A close-up of surprise tells the viewer the balance has shifted faster than any narration.

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Frequently asked questions

How is an anime fight scene structured?

Most follow a long build-up of held looks and small movements, a short burst of fast cuts and a held aftermath. The blows themselves are usually the shortest part of the runtime.

How long should an anime fight scene be?

A short fight is 30 to 60 seconds. The example here is 36 seconds, with nine seconds of build-up, twenty of action and nine of aftermath.

How do I storyboard a fight scene?

List the shots in order with a time for each, then mark which are waiting, bursting or holding. Give every shot one action and one sound. Add an overhead shot and a reaction close-up to vary the angles.

Are the example frames from a real show?

No. They come from the Ziztu anime scene library, with invented fighters. No franchise characters, no logos.

Can I make a fight scene with AI?

Yes. Press Use this template to open the idea box with the fight written out, or try the first shot in the anime video generator. In Ziztu Studio you plan the whole fight shot by shot with fighters who keep the same faces.

Is the template free?

Yes. Copy it as text, download it as a Markdown file or print it to PDF without an account.

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From the blog

How to Make Anime With AI, From One Clip to a Short Film7 min read
Two fighters face each other in profile across a dusty ruined yard, a shaft of light between them

Turn the template into a scene you can watch.

40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12.

Try it free