Top Anime of All Time: The Definitive List

The definitive list of the greatest anime series ever made, ranked by impact, storytelling, and animation.

Defining the "greatest" anime of all time is a task fraught with subjectivity. Is it the animation quality that matters most? The depth of the storytelling? The cultural impact? Or perhaps it's the ability to transcend the medium and appeal to audiences who wouldn't normally touch a cartoon.

In this definitive list, we have considered all these factors to bring you the Top Anime of All Time. These are the series that have defined generations, influenced countless creators, and stood the test of time.

1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

• Studio: Bones
• Episodes: 64
• Genre: Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Steampunk

Widely considered the "perfect" anime, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a masterclass in storytelling. It follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who use alchemy in a desperate attempt to restore their bodies after a failed transmutation.

Why It's #1

It has no weaknesses. The pacing is tight, the world-building is immersive, and the magic system (alchemy) is logical and grounded. But its greatest strength is its characters. Every character, from the main duo to the minor villains, has a complete arc. The themes of sacrifice, war, and the value of human life are explored with maturity and nuance. The ending is arguably the most satisfying in anime history.

2. Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin)

• Studio: Wit Studio / MAPPA
• Episodes: 89
• Genre: Dark Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic

What started as a simple story about humanity fighting man-eating giants evolved into a complex political drama about war, racism, and the cycle of hatred. Hajime Isayama's magnum opus is a modern masterpiece that constantly subverts expectations.

A Modern Classic

Attack on Titan redefined what anime could be for a global audience. Its first episode is legendary for its shock value, hooking millions of viewers instantly. But it's the mystery box storytelling—slowly revealing the truth about the Titans and the world outside the walls—that kept them watching for a decade. The shift from survival horror to political thriller was a gamble that paid off, creating a story with unparalleled scale and stakes.

3. Neon Genesis Evangelion

• Studio: Gainax
• Episodes: 26 + End of Evangelion
• Genre: Mecha, Psychological, Drama

Hideaki Anno's deconstruction of the mecha genre is a landmark in animation history. On the surface, it's about teenagers piloting giant robots to fight aliens. Underneath, it's a raw, uncomfortable exploration of depression, loneliness, and the hedgehog's dilemma.

The Psychological Impact

Evangelion changed the industry. It proved that anime could be intellectual, abstract, and deeply personal. Shinji Ikari is not a typical hero; he is a flawed, scared child forced into a war he doesn't understand. The series' avant-garde finale and religious symbolism have sparked endless debate and analysis. It is art in its purest, most chaotic form.

4. Cowboy Bebop

• Studio: Sunrise
• Episodes: 26
• Genre: Sci-Fi, Noir, Western

"The work, which becomes a new genre itself, will be called... COWBOY BEBOP." This tagline wasn't lying. Shinichiro Watanabe's space western is the epitome of cool. Following a ragtag crew of bounty hunters on the spaceship Bebop, it blends jazz, blues, and kung fu into a stylish package.

Style and Substance

Cowboy Bebop is episodic, with each session exploring the pasts of its broken characters. Spike Spiegel is the ultimate tragic hero, running from a past that inevitably catches up to him. The soundtrack by Yoko Kanno is legendary, often cited as the best in anime history. It's a show about loneliness and the inability to escape one's past, wrapped in a cinematic aesthetic that feels timeless.

5. Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)

• Studio: Studio Ghibli
• Format: Feature Film
• Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning film is the crown jewel of Studio Ghibli. It tells the story of Chihiro, a young girl trapped in a spirit world who must work in a bathhouse to save her parents.

The Magic of Ghibli

Spirited Away captures the wonder and terror of childhood like no other film. The world is teeming with life, from the soot sprites to the stink spirit. It's a coming-of-age story that deals with identity, greed, and environmentalism without ever feeling preachy. The animation is breathtaking, with every frame worthy of a museum. It remains the only non-English language hand-drawn film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

6. Steins;Gate

• Studio: White Fox
• Episodes: 24
• Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller

A self-proclaimed "mad scientist" accidentally invents a time machine (a microwave that sends text messages to the past). What follows is a mind-bending thriller about cause and effect, butterfly effects, and the lengths one will go to save their friends.

The Time Travel Standard

Time travel is a difficult trope to get right, but Steins;Gate nails it. The rules are established early and followed consistently. The first half is a slow-burn slice-of-life comedy that lulls you into a false sense of security before the second half hits you with emotional truck after emotional truck. Rintaro Okabe's transformation from a chuunibyou larper to a broken man carrying the weight of multiple timelines is incredible to watch.

7. Hunter x Hunter (2011)

• Studio: Madhouse
• Episodes: 148
• Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Shonen

Gon Freecss leaves home to become a Hunter and find his father. It sounds like a generic shonen setup, but Yoshihiro Togashi's story is anything but. It deconstructs the genre at every turn, featuring complex villains, moral ambiguity, and a power system (Nen) that rewards strategy over brute strength.

The Peak of Shonen

The Chimera Ant Arc is widely regarded as the greatest story arc in shonen history. It challenges the viewer's morality, humanizing the monsters and showing the monstrosity of humans. The relationship between Gon and Killua is the heart of the series, evolving from a fun friendship to a tragic codependency.

8. Monster

• Studio: Madhouse
• Episodes: 74
• Genre: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Seinen

Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon, saves the life of a young boy over the mayor, following his conscience. Years later, he discovers that the boy he saved has grown up to be a charismatic serial killer. Tenma sets out to correct his "mistake."

A Hitchcockian Thriller

Monster is a slow-burn thriller that feels more like a prestige HBO drama than an anime. It spans across Germany and the Czech Republic, dealing with themes of nihilism, the value of life, and the nature of evil. The villain, Johan Liebert, is terrifying not because of superpowers, but because of his ability to manipulate the human mind.

9. Berserk (1997)

• Studio: OLM
• Episodes: 25
• Genre: Dark Fantasy, Tragedy

While the manga is the definitive version, the 1997 anime adaptation of the Golden Age Arc is a masterpiece in its own right. It tells the story of Guts, a lone mercenary, and Griffith, the charismatic leader of the Band of the Hawk.

The Golden Age

This is a story about ambition, friendship, and betrayal. The relationship between Guts and Griffith is one of the most complex in fiction. The anime captures the gritty, medieval atmosphere perfectly, aided by Susumu Hirasawa's haunting soundtrack. The ending is infamous for being one of the most shocking and traumatic cliffhangers ever put to screen.

10. One Piece

• Studio: Toei Animation
• Episodes: 1000+
• Genre: Adventure, Fantasy

We cannot talk about the greatest anime without mentioning the king. One Piece is an odyssey. It's a world-spanning adventure with hundreds of characters, islands, and mysteries.

The World Building

No other series comes close to the scale of One Piece. Eiichiro Oda has created a living, breathing world with its own history, politics, and geography. The foreshadowing is legendary, with plot points set up hundreds of episodes in advance paying off years later. It is a story about freedom, dreams, and inherited will that has captivated the world for over two decades.