Best fighting games for Android phones and tablets

Best Games

Beat 'em ups to fill your rage bar - list of most popular fighting games on Android

By Jon Mundy | Sep 14
Android

Updated on September 14th, 2026

Looking for a list of the best fighting games for Android that you can play on your phone or tablet? Look no further; here is a list of the top.

Wanna brawl? Of course you don't. We're all civilised people of poise and restraint here, and we'd rather not get our trousers dirty.

But do you wanna play an Android fighting game? Of course, you do. If you're anything like us, the invitation to wreak virtual violence on another entity is difficult to resist.

Working out your frustrations by introducing a digital fist to the pixelated face is a time-honoured coping mechanism. And we could all do with some of that old-school stress release right now.

The following list of popular fighting games on Android is surprisingly diverse. We've got scrolling scrappers, single-screen beat-'em-ups, arena brawlers, and plenty of other stuff that slips into the gaps in between.

Skullgirls

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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.

Download now! Skullgirls Mobile

Beat Street

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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.

Download now! Beat Street

Brawlhalla

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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 less of 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.

Download now! Brawlhalla

Bloody Bastards

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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 customisations 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. Download now! Bloody Bastards

Grimvalor

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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?

Download now! Grimvalor

WWE Mayhem

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on And his name is...John Cena! Okay, let's put the invisible man aside and talk about WWE Mayhem. All of the well-known characters are there for you, including the Undertaker, The Rock, Andre the Giant and a bunch of others. At lower levels, fights won't feel as flashy, and then later on it will be a symphony of mayhem. Especially with tag teams and alliance fights, you'll get access to unique quests and a storyline. Of course, you can challenge your friends to a versus mode and test their might. Or rather, the might of their characters. There's a very interesting mechanic called rehearsal that will enable special moves, but you need to take care: if the opponent starts their rehearsal right after yours, you'll lose! Download now! WWE Mayhem

Ultimate Robot Fighting

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on Another one from Reliance Games company. It's a 3vs3 brawler with robots fighting instead of meat rags that we're usually used to. In the arena, they will face each other one-on-one, but at any time you can swap a robot in case the battle isn't going in your favour. Controls are rather simple: taps are light attacks, and swipes are heavy; two fingers on the screen will block attacks. However, there is a combo bar that gets filled slowly while you're fighting, and there are three levels. Each one is more powerful. What you need to take care of is when to use one. The first one is not that potent, the second one is fine, and the third is devastating. However, you might not survive if you don't spend these on time, so there's an everlasting battle between using and saving your combos.

By the way, some characters will be familiar from other franchises, or some of the moves. I've recognised Sonya from Mortal Kombat, for example, and a couple of others!

Download now! Ultimate Robot Fighting

Dragon Ball Legends

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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 the best characters? You can also take a look at the best team compositions and a few other guides.

Download now! Dragon Ball Legends

Real Boxing 2

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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!

Download now! Real Boxing 2

Marvel Contest of Champions

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on The screen-tapping fights themselves are a little simplistic, but Marvel Contest of Champions lets you pit 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.

Download now! Marvel Contest of Champions

Ronin: The Last Samurai

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on Ronin: The Last Samurai's brand of action is so slick and friction-free that you can almost forget what a brutal hack-and-slash 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.

Download now! Ronin: The Last Samurai

The King Of Fighters-A 2012

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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 interested 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!

Download now! The King Of Fighters-A 2012

Shadow Fight 3

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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.

Download now! Shadow Fight 3

Dual Souls: The Last Bearer

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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.

Download now! Dual Souls: The Last Bearer

Machinal Instinct

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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.

Download now! Machinal Instinct

Streets of Rage 4

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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 a detailed guide on the Streets of Rage 4 characters, as both will give you a good insight into how much content you can unlock!

Download now! Streets of Rage 4

Rowdy City Wrestling

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on Following up with another game 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 sometimes 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).

Download now! Rowdy City Wrestling

Knight Brawl

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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!

Download now! Knight Brawl

Mortal Kombat Mobile

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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.

Download now! Mortal Kombat Mobile

Shadow Fight Arena

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on 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!

Download now! Shadow Fight Arena Jon Mundy Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out. Next Up :
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