There are numerous animations produced and released all over the world every year. Here, anime, which is the Japanese term originating in Japan, especially means the animations made in Japan.
It is said that the first Japanese animation was made and released in 1917. Speaking of the earliest famous anime in Japan, Astro Boy (a.k.a. Mighty Atom) was released in 1963 as the first series to air on TV. Around hundreds of new anime are aired on TV and distributed to the movie streaming platforms and come to the screens every year, and the number of must-watch titles is going on increasing year by year.
The industry of anime has prospered substantially in Japan, partly because the country has other Japanese pop cultures such as manga, video games, and light novels. Some popular anime are adaptations of manga, video games, light novels, and other media. And anime has flourished worldwide so rapidly since anyone can access the Japanese animations with English dubs and subtitles.
Here are the 10 best anime series of all time, including both the classic anime franchises and the brand new shows. This greatest anime list will help beginners to find which anime to start watching with in the world or anime fans to decide the next one to try. Otherwise, check the best anime by freak’s standards.
This anime list focuses on TV anime series, which Japanese call “anime,” so anime movies such as Studio Ghibli films or Makoto Shinkai’s animations are excluded.
The latest anime list can be found here at Best Anime of 2024, which includes an exciting lineup for the year, ranging from completely new works to highly anticipated sequels of existing popular series. It’s packed with everything from Dandadan and Kaiju No. 8 to Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 4 and Classroom of the Elite Season 3.
It is not easy to narrow down to only 10 anime and rank them, and there are many others that are worth watching outside of this recommendations list, of course.
Check the 10 greatest anime series to watch including the latest recommendations and the top classics!
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1. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
The advent of a shockingly quality anime surprised experienced fans all over the world in 2019. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅の刃) is adapted into an anime from the manga by Koyoharu Gotoge, which was serialized on the Weekly Shonen Jump in 2016. The first season of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, with 26 episodes, was welcomed by both fans of the manga and people who had not read it.
It is set in the Taisho period (1912–1926) in Japan, where demons exist with human beings. The main character Tanjiro Kamado finds his family is killed by the attack of demons, and only his sister Nezuko is changed into a demon. He decides to become a demon slayer to restore her to a human.
This anime includes every important part of an excellent anime, from the main character’s purity and growing to friends with the spirit of brotherhood and respect for any characters. The battle scenes between demon slayers with swords and unique demon characters are intense, which is beautifully drawn. Each character’s past and background, including even demons, is respectfully depicted in this anime.
It is followed by the sequel story Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版 鬼滅の刃 無限列車編), released in October 2020. There is also the second season of the TV series Entertainment District Arc with 11 episodes and the third season of Swordsmith Village Arc with 11 episodes in 2022 and 2023. And the fourth season is titled Hashira Training Arc in 2024. This franchise has not completed yet, but it is safe to say that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba will grow to represent the best anime in Japan and around the world.
2. Naruto
Naruto (ナルト), the greatest anime with the theme of Ninja, was initially released as the Weekly Shonen Jump manga by Masashi Kishimoto in 1999 and ran until 2014. The anime Naruto series was completed in 2017 after no less than 15 years, consisting of two titles: Naruto (NARUTO -ナルト-) aired in 2002-2007 and Naruto: Shippuden (NARUTO -ナルト- 疾風伝) aired in 2007-2017.
The setting of Naruto is the fictional world of Shinobi (Ninja), and the ineffective boy Naruto is growing with the help of many friends and masters there. Naruto and other Ninja characters battle with various Ninja techniques using the chakra energy.
Lots of anime’s essentials, such as strong bonds with friends and family, betrayal, and parting, are represented in this anime. Many anime fans may pick out Naruto as the top anime, especially for foreigners, and it deserves it. Nevertheless, Naruto yields the top position to a certain new anime being released.
3. Clannad
The third position of the best anime list may satisfy many Japanese anime fans; however, some foreigners may be surprised at it since Clannad (クラナド) is less known worldwide. Clannad is one of Kyoto Animation’s masterpieces, which is recommended for any kind of anime fan. There is no action scene or supernatural event in this anime, but human drama is represented sensitively.
There are two parts in the anime: Clannad in 2007-2008 and Clannad After Story in 2008-2009. The story follows the daily lives of the main character, Tomoya, and the heroine, Nagisa, in high school. It reaches the climax in the second half of the anime, and touching episodes move you. It is totally worth spending the amount of time for 44 main episodes.
4. One Piece
What is the most famous and top-selling ongoing manga and anime is One Piece (ワンピース) without a doubt. The first volume of the manga was published in 1997, and there are now over 100 volumes sold around the world. The anime adaptation began two years later after the first manga was released, and over 1,000 episodes have been aired since then. The whole story of One Piece can be divided into about 10 parts, and beginners can enjoy it even if they start anywhere.
It proceeds with the adventures of the main character, Monkey D. Luffy, and his crews in the pirate world. He sets sail on the sea in search of the ultimate treasure called “One Piece.” There are Devil Fruits in the world of One Piece, which grant a superpower to those who eat one while the fruits unable them to swim. Powerful fight scenes between the Devil Fruits eaters, including Luffy, are stunning.
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5. Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師), which is abbreviated to Hagaren in Japanese, is a well-known Japanese sci-fi anime worldwide. This anime is divided into two different anime: Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The former Fullmetal Alchemist was broadcast before the manga series did not finish the story, which means its story is different from the manga series. On the other hand, the manga’s story is truly depicted in the latter Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, which is highly recommended to watch.
The alchemist brothers Edward and Alphonse lose a part or the whole of their body by violating a taboo: using alchemy to try to revive their dead mother. And they start traveling to find the way to retrieve their bodies. During the journey, they meet a variety of state alchemists and vicious opponents, Homunculi. You can enjoy fierce battles between them as well as moving episodes related to what life is.
6. Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン), directed by Hideaki Anno, is worldly known as one of the symbols of Japanese anime in 1990s. Following the 26 episodes aired from 1995-1996, anime movies Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 シト新生) and The End of Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 Air/まごころを、君に) were released in 1997, reconfiguring the original series.
The series’ presence remains significant even today, with Hideaki Anno remaking it into four anime movies under the title Rebuild of Evangelion. The movies include Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:序) in 2007, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:破) in 2009, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:Q) in 2012 and Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 (シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版:||) in 2021. These weren’t mere remakes; they concluded with the addition of an entirely new storyline.
Neon Genesis Evangelion delves into the lives and psychological struggles of four teenagers: Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, Asuka Langley Soryu, and Kaworu Nagisa. Set in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, these young pilots are humanity’s last defense against mysterious beings known as angels. Operating massive humanoid robots called Evangelions, provided by the covert organization NERV, they not only confront external threats but also grapple with personal traumas, relationships, and the blurred line between human and machine.
7. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
The popular manga and anime franchise JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険) has long captivated fans around the world with its unique character development and distinctive dialogue. The manga series tarted to be published in 1987 with its first part, Phantom Blood, and its latest and ninth part, The JoJoLands, just began in 2023. It has been adapted into the coolest anime series by David Production since 2012. Lately, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean (ストーンオーシャン) was produced as the fifth season and aired with 38 episodes from 2022 to 2023. Like its predecessors in the series, it has received widespread acclaim.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure chronicles the intense, supernatural escapades of the Joestar family across generations. While each part introduces a different protagonist from the lineage, they all bear the distinct JoJo moniker. Whether confronting vampires, Stand users, or other mystical foes, the Joestar legacy is marked by their undying spirit, unique abilities, and a shared destiny of battling evil.
8. Re:Zero—Starting Life in Another World
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- (Re：ゼロから始める異世界生活), which is also called just Re:Zero, is looked on as one of the best Japanese anime and light novels released in the 2010s. The season 1 started with 25 episodes in 2016; the newly-edited version was aired from the beginning of 2020. The season 2 of Re:Zero was broadcasted with 25 episodes during 2020 and 2021. The next season’s production has been already confirmed.
In Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-, Subaru Natsuki unexpectedly finds himself in a different world, devoid of any typical Isekai protagonist powers. However, he possesses a unique and burdensome ability: Return by Death, which resurrects him to a specific point each time he dies. His fate intertwines with Emilia, a silver-haired half-elf, and together they face dark and twisted challenges in this new world.
9. Pokémon
Pokémon (ポケモン) is one of the most popular Japanese anime and games around the globe now, and it was first aired in Japan as the Japanese title Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター) in 1997. New titles have been broadcasted every time a new game is released. The first series centering on the protagonist Ash concluded with Pokémon Journeys: The Series in 2023, and the new part titled Pokémon Horizons: The Series, which following the new main characters Liko and Roy, just began.
In the long-running anime series Pokémon, young Ash embarks on a journey with his trusty companion, Pikachu. Along the way, they meet a diverse group of friends and face countless challenges in the quest to become a Pokémon Master. From battling Gym Leaders to participating in regional tournaments and thwarting the schemes of the nefarious Team Rocket, Ash’s adventures span multiple regions, introducing audiences to a vast world of unique and captivating Pokémon species.
10. Death Note
The mystery and horror anime Dearth Note (デスノート), based on the manga published on the Weekly Shonen Jump from 2003 to 2006, is highly rated by both domestic and international anime fans. It is so popular worldwide partly because the anime is completed with the relatively short story (37 episodes) in addition to the well-elaborated storyline.
In Death Note, high school student Light Yagami stumbles upon a mystical notebook with the power to kill anyone whose name is written within its pages. Possessed by a desire to reshape the world, Light adopts the alias Kira and starts eradicating wrongdoers. This sparks an intense, strategic cat-and-mouse chase with the enigmatic detective known only as L.
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