Top 25 best fighting games for Android phones and tablets

The name and publisher might have changed, but following its relaunch Skullgirls remains one of the most thoughtful console title reworkings on mobile. The graphics are stunning, the touch controls work brilliantly, and the combat is fast and fluid. You'll select one of the handful of girls and stand against another girl in a 2D arena.

There's really no better title to kick off our list than this great-looking action fighting game where you get to beat your friends up! You should take some time to go through the Skullgirls tier list as it will assist you in picking up the right character for your playstyle.

Beat-'em-ups don't need to be complex multi-button affairs. Beat Street shows you how to get that old-school scrolling brawler feel with just a single control input - and it plays great. You'll face various opponents in a 2D isometric environment which will remind you of Double Dragon. The difference is that this one isn't as bloody and serious, I mean, you'll fight rats in suits, for example.

The mini pixel graphics take us back to the old-style arcades, but in reality, it's just as good as it gets. Beat Street is one of the best fighting games for Android with a truly hands-on approach.

One of the most popular platform fighting games around gets a strong mobile conversion. Brawlhalla wears its Smash Bros. influence on its sleeve, but it's no lesser a free brawler for it.

Pack a team of up to 8 brawl-hungry fighters and put them in an arena together. The result? A brilliant title that packs a great punch and feels at home on Android devices. We have a tier list of Brawlhalla characters, so if you're just starting out, it might be useful to take a quick look, just to make sure you know which character will suit your playstyle.

Bloody Bastards is a clever fighting game like no other on this list. The controls are extremely simple, and it has some sleek ragdoll action to knock your socks off. It's a fun-looking title that gets better and better with each battle. Furthermore, you've got some outstanding customizations that will clearly make you love it even more. I mean, who doesn't love dorky pixel-fighting games? We have also compiled a couple of useful tips for Bloody Bastards that will help you out with the basics when you first start playing it.

Grimvalor is a wonderful mix of hack-and-slash, RPG, fighting and platformer. It is free to try, but to unlock the complete experience you'll have to make a one-time purchase. We think it's a fair model, you can play-test it and decide whether it's worth your time (and money) or not.

The story could be a bit better, but it's in the range of most Android fighting games anyway. Fans of the genre aren't really looking for a compelling and gripping narrative, most of them just want to bash some skulls and call it a day. Combat is satisfying and completely skill-based, and that's what's important, right?

What's this? A fighting game in which you don't actively fight? Punch Club instead asks you to train a fighter and guide him towards finding who killed his father a long time ago. You'll be able to choose your own path and try to find out who's a killer, but on the way, you'll crack more than a few noses and jaws. It's a revenge story, in essence, a real love letter to movies and games from the '80s and '90s. Even the pixellated graphics and synth wave music will take you straight back to the old era.

There's always something special about titles like this where you can just enjoy a more laid-back experience. It basically takes you right into the core, where the action happens, and then hands you the reins to do as you please.

This arcade beat 'em up first saw the light of...consoles back in '95. The most interesting element is the one similar to what Deadpool as a character implemented first: breaking the fourth wall and reacting to the world outside of the comic. As the title states, Comix Zone is really a comic where the main protagonist moves through the slides and beats up the bad guys. The paradox is that he is a comic artist who got stuck in one of his own creations, and now he'll have to move through the villains and the deviant world he created to get out.

The concept is really engaging, and it's one of those fighting games that aren't easy to forget.

The name doesn't quite say it all - Dragon Ball Legends is a finely poised brawler where timing and strategy take precedence over button mashing and aggression. Of course, there is the mandatory button mashing (since we're talking about Dragon Ball), but it's a strategic title where you really need to watch every single move your opponent makes.

You will put together a team of your favourite Saiyans (or Androids even, who am I to judge) and show off your skills in both melee and ranged combat.

Did you know we have an actual Dragon Ball Legends tier list of best characters? You can also take a look at the best team compositions, and a few other guides.

Real Boxing 2's fights are intuitive, tactical, and incredibly handsome - and it even has the Rocky license to add an extra layer of cinematic glamour. You really can't help but wonder - is there any drawback? Everything seems so great that it's almost too good to be true.

Well, fairly speaking there is none. You have the mandatory IAPs since it's a free game, but everything comes down to player skill and movement fluency. Real Boxing 2 is worth checking out if you are heavy into Android fighting games, especially if you're a boxing fan!

The screen-tapping fights themselves are a little simplistic, but the Marvel Contest of Champions lets you pitch all your favourite Marvel heroes against each other in beautifully rendered one-on-one battles. Think of it as a Mortal Kombat, but with less blood and brutality, and with Marvel's characters.

It has all the heroes you're accustomed to from the MCU, so really - what is there not to love? To help you out, we have created the tier list for Marvel Contest of Champions, and it's been updated regularly.

Ronin: The Last Samurai's brand of action is so slick and friction-free, that you can almost forget what a brutal hack-and-slasher it is. Swipe and tap to dash, slice and parry, leaving a trail of claret in your wake. The gameplay will look a lot like an isometric Sekiro, with special attacks, parry, and a stamina bar that will get a character stunned as soon as it gets depleted. Something that Sekiro has as well.

The graphics in Ronin are also something to behold - it makes use of what looks like traditional Japanese hand-drawn characters and environments, which only work by adding more layers to this masterpiece.

No, it's not One Punch Man - it's just One Punch. This terrific title is fun, featuring simple and intuitive tap controls. All you need to do is combat the bag and try not to run into it or miss it - think of it as a training fighting game!

One Punch has some simple and colourful pixel graphics to spice things up, and it might come as a surprise, but it's actually exceptionally well-made!

Want to see what KoF has become since its '90s heyday? Check out The King of Fighters-A 2012, a mobile conversion of one of the best arcade and console fighting games. Some of you might be unaware of how the game plays, and it's rather simple...It has the same mechanics as Street Fighter, for example, and its art style will remind you of this every step of the way. There are various game modes like 1vs1, 3vs3, training modes, and a few others, so it should keep you interesting for a while.

The name might not say much, but it's actually one of the genuine experiences that KoF titles offered all throughout the years packed neatly onto mobile devices. It's one of the most popular Android fighting games of all time!

The port of the famous fourth part of one of the best series of fighting games, which, along with a couple of other titles, directly stood at the origins of the genre. Thirty-two unique combatants of different genders and with different combat styles, many interactive arenas, nice graphics, and the ability to oppose other players through online multiplayer. Some people swear that Street Fighter IV is the best fighting game on mobile devices, but we'll leave it up to you to decide.

A slick, fast and handsome one-on-one beat-'em-up with a brutal focus on the timing and a satisfying RPG component. Following the massive success that was Shadow Fight 2, SF3 is even better.

It's got console-quality 3D graphics, ditching the body outline (the shadow) that gave it so much more flavour in SF2. We're not mad about that though, it is absolutely spot-on. You can also read the Shadow Fight 3 review if you're eager to know more about it.

This massive 1 on 1 fighting game packs all the elements of a successful action battler. You've got intense battles with smooth and responsive controls, and some colourful graphics to complement them.

It also features cross-platform play, so you can challenge your friends no matter what their preferred platform is. Dual Souls is not as exciting as some of the other, better-known titles on the list, but it's still an essential choice for all looking to expand their fighter title collection.

Ahh, what a classic.

Is this mobile port of Streets of Rage 2 the best way to experience Sega's '90s brawler? Perhaps not. But it remains one of the finest brawlers of its type to this day - provided you hook up a controller. You'll encounter Mr. X again, and you'll be missing Adam Hunter, as he got kidnapped, but his baby brother Skate will become an option, as well as the enormous wrestler Max. Streets and enemies might be different, but it's the same thrill of the next area that will keep luring you forward. If you are looking for a satisfactory Android fighting game, look no further.

We don't see many 3D beat 'em ups on any platform, so it's good to see Machinal Instinct lighting up mobile. Its pacy online robotic scraps look a little bit rusty, but they still feel great.

You might not have heard of Machinal Instinct before, but if you did, kudos to you. It's an interesting mecha battler where you can really come out of your shell and smack everyone's mecha as much as you'd like. It's out of this world. Figuratively.

Streets of Rage 4 is an incredible fighting game with a fantastic retro atmosphere and amazing electro soundtracks. There are three different game modes, many powerful characters, and dynamic gameplay. Recently, you can get DLC to unlock new characters, enemies, weapons, and even a unique survival mode. We have already mentioned one of its predecessors, so you can imagine it as a reasonable upgrade, which it really is.

For more information about it, take a look at a trophy guide, and detailed guide on the Streets of Rage 4 characters as both will give you a good insight of how much content you can unlock!

Following up with another title from Colin Lane, this one is a clear winner. The developer has expanded the Rowdy Wrestling formula with a fleshed-out career mode, but it's still all about those hilariously chaotic physics-led 2D scraps. You'll meet a plethora of different characters through the game that will try to push their own agenda, which will sometime match your own goals, but most of the time it won't. You want to earn as much money as possible, increase your stats, and then you 'might' be able to challenge the guys at the top for a really heavy brawl.

If you haven't tried it out yet, make sure you do so because it's a beat 'em up like no other - literally (you'll see what I mean).

No one does deliberately clumsy chaos like Colin Lane, and in Knight Brawl he's brought that magic to the weapons-based brawling sub-genre.

It is a little bit derpy, but it's a rather welcome breath of fresh air when it comes to the genre. Why not enjoy a fighting game with... unnatural movements, actions, and really, really weird physics? Exactly - so go ahead and check it out!

Did you already read our Knight Brawl review? If you haven't, make sure you do so ASAP!

The King of Fighters ALLSTAR is another great KoF game on the list. It is an easy-to-learn title with some high-quality graphics and extremely dynamic gameplay. You have to combat in real-time battles against other players.

There are more than 200 different characters and each with its own unique moves. And if you are a newbie, make sure to check our KoF All Star tier list of all fighters to pick the most powerful character!

Since we're talking about unique experiences and games, Robotics! is one of those choices that leaves little to no room for questions.

This deeply absorbing title of virtual robot wars sees you building and programming your very own clanking warrior, then sending them into battle against those of other players. It's fun and oddly rewarding seeing your creation take off - just read our Robotics! review if you're curious.

Can you really create a list of the best fighting games on Android or any other system without the most iconic title ever - Mortal Kombat? In case you've lived in a monastery for the last 30 years, here is a synopsis. It's a deadly fighting tournament that collects fighters from different universes and makes them fight until death. Some are there for revenge, some for honour, and others because of pure bloodlust, but they all have one simple goal: to win the tournament by any means.

In this version of MK, you'll collect different fighters to create a perfect team that can defeat anyone. It's not as frenetic as the console version and won't require terribly quick reflexes to win a round, it relies heavily upon strategy and planning. We made the MK Mobile tier list for new players, as it will be easier to handle a plethora of characters this way.

Shadow Fight Arena is a game where you make a team with 3 of your best heroes and try to take out opponent after opponent. It's got a lot to do with skill and on-the-spot decision-making, so it's a little bit more than just button-mashing left and right.

It's a realistic title with great attention to detail, and it's a clear winner. The best choice to wrap up our most popular fighting games for Android list! We even have a few Shadow Fight Arena guides and tips to help you out, just look around and you'll find them!