The BEST episodes of Baki the Grappler season 1
Every episode of Baki the Grappler season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Baki the Grappler season 1!
The 24 episode anime aired in Japan between January 8, 2001 and June 25, 2001. A second 24 episode series called Grappler Baki Maximum Tournament aired from July 22, 2001 to December 24, 2001. The story revolves around Baki Hanma and his quest to proclaim himself as the strongest grappler in the world, thus taking the title from his father. Baki also fights to gain the trust of his overly psychotic mother. The anime was licensed and distributed by FUNimation Entertainment in the US. The OVA was released by Manga Entertainment in Australia and the UK and previously released by Central Park Media in the US. Gutsoon! Entertainment released the first 46 chapters of the original manga in English in the pages of Raijin Comics, their anthology magazine.
#3 - Demon
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/27/2001
Baki's dad, Yujiro, shows up after Baki's fight with Hanayama. After the story of how Yujiro met Baki's mother is told, Yujiro and Hanayama fight.
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#4 - Medical Miracle
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 6/19/2001
The fight between Doppo and Yujiro continues; after Dr. Shinogi Kureha performs a medical miracle, he demonstrates his physical abilities to the crowd; one of Kureha's former patients visits Baki.
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#5 - The Division
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/6/2001
Baki explains to his mother why he fights, visits Hanayama in the hospital, and trains. After a brief encounter with Yujiro, they decide that they will fight in one month. Baki then meets Strydum, who tells him of a mercenary group in Hokkaido, and Baki decides to go there to defeat them.
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#6 - The Right To Fight
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 5/15/2001
Kato spars with the fighters in Doppo's dojo; Kozue interferes with some bullies that are bothering Baki, which causes problems for her later; several fighters petition Tokugawa to be Baki's next opponent; Baki trains with Motobe Ito.
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#7 - Head On Collision
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 6/12/2001
Dr. Shinogi Kureha reveals to his brother, the Cord-Cutter, why he is fighting Baki; Doppo and Yujiro fight.
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#8 - Spirit
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/13/2001
After being knocked down by Baki, Hanayama flies into a rage in his office; afterward, he visits his sick mother in the hospital. Also, Baki visits Yuri in the hospital before his rematch with Hanayama.
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#9 - The Cord-Cutter
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 5/8/2001
Baki fights Shinogi Kousho, a master of Cord-Cut Karate.
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#10 - Gripper
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/20/2001
Baki and Hanayama continue to fight, and Hanayama's tattoo is explained.
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#11 - Battlefield
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/13/2001
Captured by the mercenaries as soon as he parachutes in, Baki must free himself and fight his way out. Meanwhile, an old friend warns Strydum of Gaia's fighting ability.
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#12 - Coming Home
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/24/2001
Anton Igari, an ex-wrestler, tells Tokugawa, an old man who runs an underground fighting circuit, about Baki and his recent global travels. In the narrative, Baki is seen training and fighting, and, while in Brazil, he visits a fighting master named Dixon. Learning of the circuit, Baki returns to Japan to meet with Tokugawa, and he fights Tokugawa's bodyguards to earn a chance to enter the circuit.
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#13 - The King's Ransom
Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 6/26/2001
Baki fights Dr. Shinogi Kureha.
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#14 - The Fang and the Tears
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/30/2001
Baki fights a rematch with the Yasha Ape.
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#15 - A Warrior's Heart
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/6/2001
After returning home, Baki learns that Yuri will be fighting for the heavyweight title, so he visits Yuri at his gym. Meanwhile, Kuriyagawa tells Hanayama that he can't fight Baki until Baki has fought Yuri, but Hanayama has other plans.
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#16 - The Midnight Hour
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/3/2001
All of Baki's friends show up to watch his fight with Yujiro and to help him warm up; meanwhile, Yujiro fights Gaia. Also, Hanayama opens up to Baki about his mother.
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#17 - An Unlikely Challenger
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/29/2001
Yujiro shows up after Baki's fight and knocks him out, and Doppo challenges Yujiro to a fight. After watching Doppo spar with his students, Baki spars with him. Yujiro starts a fight with a group of boxers at their gym, and he fights with Motobe Izo and Baki's next opponent is revealed.
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#18 - Champion
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 5/1/2001
Flash forward three years: Baki is now the champion of the underground arena. Tokugawa meets with Orochi Doppo, a former champion of the arena, and asks him to enter his son Katsumi in the arena. Doppo finds Kato, a former student, at his dojo beating up his fighters, and he introduces Kato to the arena. Baki trains for a fight at the boarding house where he is staying, where Kozue, the daughter of the woman who owns the house, has a crush on him.
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#19 - Bite Marks
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/27/2001
Yujiro breaks into the Prime Minister's office to prove a point; Baki fights the swordsman Kurokawa; Yujiro forces the archer Kanemoto to shoot an arrow at him; Baki visits his mother after she is rejected by Yujiro.
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#20 - An Honorable Loss
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/22/2001
Baki fights Mount Toba, a professional wrestler.
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#21 - Those Who Squirm
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/16/2001
Baki spars with Yuri. Meanwhile, Kuriyagawa meets with Kaoru Hanayama, a gangster and renowned brawler, to set up a fight with Baki.
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#22 - Stirrings of Destiny
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/9/2001
Baki Hanma fights a gang of 100 thugs; afterward, he is walked home by Detective Kido and his partner, who watched the fight. Baki then trains and thinks about what he should do to get stronger. Meanwhile, Kuriyagawa, the man who hired the thugs to fight Baki in order to test his strength, pays the gang's leader. Also, Baki watches a sparring match between Yuri Chakovsky, the international welterweight boxing champion, and Dinoy, Thailand's Muay Thai champion.
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#23 - The Beast of Yasha Crag
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/23/2001
Baki meets his friend Ando in the woods and stays with him. While there, Baki adopts some of Ando's training techniques, and he camps alone on Yasha Rock, hoping to fight with the Yasha Ape.
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#24 - Reflections
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 4/17/2001
Detective Kido reflects upon his experiences with Baki, and Kuriyagawa tells Kido about Baki's relationship with his mother and his fight with Yujiro.
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