Anime enthusiasts, gather ’round! Whether a seasoned otaku or new to the vibrant, immersive world of Japanese animation, there’s something special about debating which series stands above the rest. From action-packed shonen epics to thought-provoking psychological thrillers, anime has become a worldwide storytelling force.
Some shows push the envelope. Some touch hearts. And the greatest? They accomplish a lot, leaving a lasting impact long after the final credits.
Here are 10 of the greatest anime shows of all time—ranked not only by popularity, but by influence, narrative, and pure rewatch value. Prepare to go back and visit old favorites—or find your new addiction.
1. Solo Leveling (2024)
As one of the most recent additions to the anime canon, Solo Leveling does not hesitate to leave a mark. Based on the hit Korean webtoon, it marries dungeon-crawling action, cool animation, and an engaging power-scaling journey. Sung Jin-Woo’s transformation from wimp to über-powerful monster hunter is every gamer’s fantasy—and every action fan’s must-see.
2. Hell’s Paradise (2023)
Set on a mysterious island crawling with supernatural threats, Hell’s Paradise delivers brutal battles, philosophical musings, and gorgeous animation. It’s part Battle Royale, part samurai fantasy, with a touch of existential dread. If you like your anime stylish, violent, and thought-provoking, this one belongs on your list.
3. Mashle: Magic and Muscles (2023)
What if Harry Potter had no magical powers, but could just brute-force every issue? Mashle solves that riddle with sidesplitting consequences. A complete parody of magical school conventions, it blends ridiculous humor, deadpan presentation, and outrageous battles into one giant flex of an anime. It does not take itself seriously, y—and that is precisely why it succeeds.
4. Fire Force (2019–2020)
A team of fire-spewing firefighters battling hellish creatures? Count us in. Fire Force combines pyrotechnic animation with high-concept world-building and impressively deep lore. Developed by the man behind Soul Eater, it places a steampunk spin on the classic shonen mold, with a lot of heart (and flames) behind its blazing action.
5. Spy x Family (2022–)
A telepathic kid, an undercover agent, and a lethal assassin enter a mock marriage, and the outcome is one of the most endearing anime of recent times. Spy x Family gets the balance between action, comedy, and emotional family scenes just right. It’s clean pandemonium at its finest, presented within Cold War feels and inescapable character dynamics.
6. Berserk (1997 / 2016 / Manga legacy)
Few anime shows go so deeply into the dark as Berserk. Guts’ bleak odyssey through a hellish medieval landscape is both violent, philosophical, and emotionally candid. Though adaptations are not always great, the original story is among the most influential and tragic in anime history. Gritty, unyielding, and unforgettable.
7. Akame ga Kill! (2014)
If you believe the main characters are going to be spared, think again. Akame ga Kill! It combines breakneck action, political revolution, and high-stakes emotional investment with a willingness to kill off characters without hesitation. It’s not always the subtlest series around, but it’s certainly compelling, and its combination of tragedy and heroism brings back audiences.
8. Summer Time Rendering (2022)
A sleeper hit worth more hype, Summer Time Rendering is a suspense masterclass. It pairs time loops, secret-ridden small towns, and unsettling supernatural features into a story that’s always shifting. With each rewind, the stakes increase—and so does tension. Imagine Erased meets The Twilight Zone.
9. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)
In a mere 10 episodes, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners presents a finished, emotionally devastating narrative within the dystopian universe of Night City. Studio Trigger’s breakneck animation style is aptly suited to the neon-covered anarchy, and the soundtrack and character design bring it to something special. It’s fashionable, heartbreaking, and one of the greatest anime interpretations of a video game universe.
10. Chainsaw Man (2022)
Chainsaws, demons, and raw anarchy—Chainsaw Man delivers on the promise and then some. With a dirty-looking visual style and tonally erratic unpredictability that darts wildly between horror, absurdist comedy, and heartbreaking sentiment, this show is anything but standard. Denji is one of anime’s most unusual heroes, and his gore-soaked odyssey is as sloppy as it is unforgettable.