Best Of
Best Anime Shows of All Time: Must-Watch Series
By Jordan A. · · 3 min read
Anime has been delivering some of the most innovative, emotionally complex storytelling in entertainment for decades. The best anime shows of all time span from the 80s to today, covering everything from philosophical meditation to high-octane action. These are the series that prove anime isn't just a genre, it's a medium with unlimited potential.
The thing about anime is that budgets don't equal quality. Some of the most visually stunning, narratively complex series came out with minimal budgets because the creative vision was so strong. The best anime shows prove that constraint breeds innovation.
The Undisputed Classics
Neon Genesis Evangelion - A psychological mecha anime that deconstructs the entire genre. Confusing, devastating, and philosophically ambitious. The original ending is controversial, but that's kind of the point.
Attack on Titan - Starts as humans fighting giant monsters, becomes a meditation on freedom, determinism, and morality. The twists keep escalating and the show actually earns them.
Demon Slayer - A show about a boy whose sister becomes a demon. The animation is spectacle-level, the character development is genuine, and the emotional beats land perfectly.
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood - An adaptation that was so good it overshadowed the original. Alchemy as a magic system is perfectly explained, the plot is intricate, and the emotional payoff is earned.
Steins Gate - A time travel thriller about a group of scientists accidentally discovering how to send messages to the past. Complex plot mechanics that actually make sense.
Cowboy Bebop - A space western with a jazz soundtrack about bounty hunters. Episodic at first, then everything builds to something bigger. Genuinely cool in ways that still matter.
Samurai Champloo - Three characters traveling through Edo-period Japan with hip-hop soundtrack. Episodic adventure that's visually inventive and genuinely charming.
Mob Psycho 100 - A middle school boy with psychic powers tries to be normal. Hilarious, touching, and visually creative in ways that shouldn't work but absolutely do.
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - An over-the-top battle manga adapted with commitment and style. Every arc reinvents itself while staying true to the core. Genuinely hilarious.
My Hero Academia - A superpower academia show that works because the character arcs are real. A kid without powers in a world of powered people. The emotional development is perfect.
One Punch Man - A parody of shonen anime that deconstructs hero narratives. A hero so strong he's bored. The satire is sharp and the action is incredible.
Vinland Saga - Historical manga about Vikings with incredible action and character development. Brutal, beautiful, and emotionally devastating.
Death Note - A high schooler finds a notebook that kills people whose names he writes. Psychological thriller with a cat-and-mouse game between genius equals.
Code Geass - A high schooler gets the power to command anyone to obey him and tries to take over the world. Ambitious, emotional, and constantly escalating.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica - Cute magical girls fighting witches. Wait until episode 3. Then everything changes. Emotionally devastated in the best way.
Kill la Kill - An over-the-top action show about revolution and class warfare told through school uniforms that give powers. Loud, hilarious, visually insane.
Ergo Proxy - A dark sci-fi post-apocalyptic show about a girl, a robot, and their journey. Philosophical, visually stunning, and beautifully bleak.
Serial Experiments Lain - A cryptic psychological thriller about reality and the internet. Confusing by design. Haunting and weird.
Perfect Blue - Satoshi Kon's film about an idol turned actress dealing with obsession and madness. Psychological horror that's visually disorienting in the best way.
Your Name - A body-swap romance that became the highest-grossing anime film. Gorgeous animation and a love story that actually works.
Anime has given us stories that no other medium could tell. Dive into what the medium can do by exploring our complete anime recommendations.
The best anime shows prove that medium matters less than execution. These series will make you feel things you didn't know television could make you feel.
Topics covered: anime, best-of, all-time, streaming, japanese-animation
About the author
Jordan A., Founder, BingeNext
Jordan A. is the founder of BingeNext and writes every guide on this site. He built the recommendation engine after one too many nights lost to the streaming menu, and he still tests every pick the hard way: by watching it.