Anime has left an indelible mark on global popular culture. From epic stories to profound emotions, Japan has given us series that combine art, action, and philosophy.
In this guide we review the best anime of all time and of recent years , valued by both critics and fans, with titles that became true classics and others that represent the new era of contemporary anime.
Top 10 highest-rated anime of all time
Death Note
A student finds a notebook capable of killing anyone who writes its name in it.
A psychological duel between justice and absolute power.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
A philosophical and psychological series.
Teenagers pilot mechs to save humanity, while also confronting their own traumas.
Steins;Gate
Science fiction and time travel combine in a brilliant story about destiny and friendship.
Perfect for mystery lovers.
Hunter x Hunter
Adventure, growth, and excitement.
Gon searches for his father and faces epic challenges in a world filled with hunters and extraordinary creatures.
One Piece
The Neverending Story of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Luffy and his crew sail in search of the legendary treasure One Piece.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
A true visual gem.
Tanjiro fights demons to save his sister and avenge his family, with spectacular animation and pure emotion.
Code Geass
A series of strategies, policies, and dramatic turns that made him a favorite in many elections during the 2000s .
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is the most mentioned , where Lelouch obtains a power that allows him to control minds and uses it to change the world.
An anime about strategy, revolution, and moral dilemmas.
Vinland Saga
Inspired by the Vikings.
Thorfinn seeks revenge while discovering the true meaning of war and freedom.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Supernatural action with top-notch animation.
Yuji Itadori battles curses and discovers a dark power within himself.
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Humans versus titans in a desperate war.
With shocking twists and a dark narrative, it is one of the most influential anime of the last decade.
Attack on Titan: The Final Season Of all its seasons, it was one of the most renowned. It's the culmination of an epic saga.
The truth behind the titans redefines the entire story, with a spectacular and emotional conclusion.
Other legendary anime that marked generations
Naruto/Naruto Shippuden
Ninjas, friendship and overcoming challenges.
Naruto seeks to become Hokage and protect his friends from enemies who challenge his destiny.
Cowboy Bebop
A cult classic.
Space bounty hunters survive amidst jazz, action, and melancholy.
Unmatched style, music, and storytelling.
Dragon Ball / DragonBall Z / GT / Super
The action classic.
Goku and his friends defend Earth with epic battles that defined generations.
Bleach
Ichigo Kurosaki gains shinigami powers and protects the balance between the living and the dead.
Action and breathtaking spiritual worlds.
Tokyo Ghoul
Dark and visceral.
Ken Kaneki becomes half-ghoul and struggles to maintain his humanity in a world that rejects him.
Fairy Tail
Wizards, adventures and camaraderie.
Natsu and his guild face powerful enemies with the strength of friendship as their banner.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
A masterpiece that combines action, emotion, and philosophy.
The Elric brothers use alchemy to recover what was lost, facing the consequences of their actions.
Berserk
It deals with a dark and epic adult fantasy myth; influential and revered for its tone and art (although adaptations have been mixed).
Monster
It is a long-running psychological thriller, valued for its mature narrative and ethical depth.
Pokémon
One of the greatest global phenomena of all time.
Where friendship and loyalty intertwine with epic battles. Ash and Pikachu are global icons representing this series.
Top-rated modern anime
Chainsaw Man
Bloody, surreal, and addictive.
Denji, a young demon hunter, merges with his pet chainsaw to survive.
Spy x Family
Comedy and tenderness.
A spy, an assassin, and a telepathic girl pretend to be a family, hiding their secrets amid laughter and action.
Hell's Paradise (Jigokuraku)
Criminals and executioners travel to a mysterious island full of monsters in search of the elixir of immortality.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
The pioneer of modern isekai.
A man is reincarnated into a new world with the opportunity to live a better life.
One Punch Man
Saitama can defeat anyone with one punch, but he suffers from the tedium of being invincible.
Humor and criticism of the superhero genre.
My Hero Academia
Heroic action and personal growth.
Midoriya pursues his dream of becoming a hero, guided by an ideal that compels him to risk everything to protect others.
Essential anime classics
Akira
Cyberpunk and dystopia.
In a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, a military experiment unleashes chaos and marks the birth of modern anime.
Yu Yu Hakusho
Supernatural action with character.
A rebellious teenager returns from the dead as a spirit detective, facing demons, brutal tournaments, and battles that defined an era of shōnen.
Ghost in the Shell
Philosophical science fiction about identity and technology. A key work that inspired films like The Matrix.
Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac)
Sacred warriors fight for the goddess Athena. A classic anime that combined mythology and action.
Sailor Moon
Magic, friendship, and love triumph. The Sailor Scouts protect the Earth with power and style.
Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X)
Redemption and steel.
A roving ex-assassin vows never to kill again while protecting innocents with his reversed sword, facing his past and enemies who test his new life.
Detective Conan
Infinite mystery.
A young detective trapped in a child's body solves impossible crimes while trying to regain his original form without revealing his true identity.
Dragon Quest: Dai's Great Adventure
Classic heroic adventure.
A boy raised by monsters discovers his destiny as a hero and faces dark lords, ancient magic, and epic battles that define the shōnen fantasy of a generation.
Mobile Suit Gundam
War in space brought to realism.
Young pilots are forced to fight in giant robots as they discover the human, political, and emotional costs of an intergalactic conflict.
Slam Dunk
Basketball and overcoming challenges.
An impulsive gang member joins the basketball team to impress a girl, discovering along the way passion, discipline, and the power of real effort.
Cardcaptor Sakura
Magic, sweetness, and personal growth.
A young girl discovers her role as a magical card hunter and learns about friendship, love, and responsibility through enchanting adventures.
Hellsing
Gothic and brutal.
The Hellsing organization fights supernatural creatures with the help of Alucard, a ruthless vampire who unleashes his power against monsters, soldiers, and fanatics.
Trigun
Philosophy and bullets in the space desert .
Vash the Stampede, a legendary gunslinger , Of non-human nature, haunted by his own reputation, he tries to live without violence in a world that forces him to confront his past.
Ranma ½
Absurd comedy and martial arts.
A young, cursed martial artist transforms into a girl when exposed to cold water and lives entangled in duels, accidental romances, and endless misunderstandings.
Studio Ghibli Animations (General Special Mention)
Magic, sensitivity, and worlds that seem alive.
Each film blends fantasy, emotion, and humanity, becoming an instant classic for any anime lover.
- My Neighbor Totoro (Pure tenderness and wonder)
- Princess Mononoke (Nature, epic and conflict)
- Spirited Away (Growth, Fears and Wonders)
- Howl's Moving Castle (Magic, War and Romance)
- Castle in the Sky (Classic Adventure)
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind ( Ecology and heroism)
- Kiki: Apprentice Witch ( Growth and Self-Confidence)
- The Tale of Princess Kaguya ( Poetry and Legend)
- Haru in the Kingdom of Cats ( Light Fantasy)
These titles represent the best of anime of all time , from immortal classics to the most acclaimed modern gems.
Whether it's because of their story, animation, or characters, each one left its mark on Japanese and world culture.
Note: This list is not in any particular order, nor does it represent a personal opinion.
Furthermore, the anime mentioned are just a few of many that deserve to be named, but doing so would make the list extremely long, so we haven't had the opportunity in this article to cover them all...
