The Best Sci-Fi Anime

Anime series are a great form of media that show the microcosm of different genres, stories, and settings you can watch. No matter what kind of show you enjoy watching, from slow-burn romance, to heart-wrenching horror, there are anime out there for you.

Setting-wise, there are few types of media that take the science-fiction genre to the level that anime does. Far-off planets, futuristic Earths, hostile aliens, you’ll see them all in sci-fi anime, and all rendered in some pretty impressive art styles to boot. But, which of the many shows out there are the best for you to binge?

10

Space Battleship Yamato

War, In Space

“As long as we have even a chance, we must go forward.”

An anime that flies under the radar of quite a few fans, Space Battleship Yamato does a lot to solidify it as a heavy-hitter in the sci-fi anime genre. But, with a name like that, what more would you expect?

Set in 2199, the titular ship sets off across the galaxy to a far-off planet on a quest to save Earth. It’s a grand plot, one that is surprisingly nuanced with the addition of some interesting characters and some retro graphics that hold up quite well.

9

Fooly Cooly

Absolutely Absurd

“Nothing can happen until you swing the bat.”

Odd, awkward, and with plenty of adult themes, Fooly Cooly is easily different from any anime you’ve seen before. A little boy finds a woman with amnesia. The catch, as if there wasn’t one already, is she can create monsters from the boy’s head.

What follows is a journey that you can never predict, with fights ranging from grand kaiju-level destruction, to a girl hitting things with a baseball bat. If you want your sci-fi with plenty of humor, this is the way to go.

There are definitely some adult themes in this anime, which means it’s best suited for older audiences.

8

Psycho-Pass

Crimes Of The Future

“Everyone is alone, everyone is empty.”

Sometimes you want a little bit more drama and suspense in your sci-fi; there are few series as good as Psycho-Pass is. It came out to some acclaim, but since then more and more fans have been hopping on the bandwagon.

A futuristic society where the police can predict the crimes you will commit with your mental stability, and plenty of fallible characters holding the balance between life and death, what could possibly go wrong?

7

Gurren Lagann

A Drill To Pierce The Heavens

“Just who the hell do you think I am?”

What starts off as a seemingly light-hearted, humorous anime about a kid trying to make the best out of his life, gets turned on its head pretty early on. Gurren Lagann is an anime that has a little bit of everything you could want.

Big robot fights? Check. Surprisingly emotional plots about family and strength? Plenty of it. A good dose of humor to wrap it all up? You bet. It’s not hard to see Gurren Lagann rising to classic status in a little bit of time.

6

Trigun

A Double-Dollar Bounty

“My bullets never miss their mark.”

Sometimes serious, and sometimes comedic, Trigun shows off how an anime series can use a changing tone greatly to its advantage. Vash the Stampede is a character that has lived in the minds of anime fans for years now.

The classic amnesiac main character with a twist, Trigun is a wild-west sci-fi full of advanced technology, and plenty of saloons and shootouts. It’s a fun mix that never seems to get old, even if the episodic plots get too similar at points.

5

Ghost In The Shell

Hackers Beware

“There’s nothing sadder than a puppet without a ghost.”

A veritable classic in its own right, Ghost In The Shell has spawned plenty of successors, and a few spinoffs and remakes to boot. The setting of futuristic Tokyo is one that has helped revamp the cyberpunk genre as well.

It follows Major Kusanagi of the Section 9 taskforce against cyber-criminals, which can not only hack into mainframes but also the cybernetic bodies of the people around them. It’s an interesting plot, one that only gets better by unraveling the main characters’ pasts.

4

Mobile Suit Gundam

Robots, Lasers, And More

“I know all about danger.”

If you like mechas, then you’re sure to have at least heard of Mobile Suit Gundam. What is more likely is that you are a diehard fan of the multiple series and spinoffs from this big-time sci-fi anime series.

In a future wrought by war, the only way the various nations gain ground on one another is through the Mobile Suit armor units that they deploy. Over time, the series has shown more than enough to bring new and old fans in to appreciate the series.

The Universal Century is regarded by many to be the best place to get started with this decade-spanning series.

3

Astro Boy

A Hero In The Making

“I’ve got 50,000 horsepower just rearin to go!”

A sci-fi anime suited for all audiences. Astro Boy has been the background to a lot of anime about cyborgs, robots, and what people identify the human condition as. First airing in the 60s, the anime has had a few new adaptations, each as good as the last.

Made by an inventor who wanted a son of his own, it’s sort of a retelling of Pinocchio, if Pinnochio fought crime with his mechanical body instead of telling lies. It’s an easy plot to follow, with episodic drama and plenty of heartwarming moments.

2

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Get In The Robot Shinji

“I mustn’t run away.”

You either love it or you hate it. Regardless of the moral implications of Neon Genesis Evangelion, you can’t deny it’s been a foundational piece in anime, especially in the science-fiction genre.

Following a young boy named Shinji, he is brought into a world on the brink of destruction by alien-like angels (or angel-like aliens). The only way to stop them is for Shinji to take on the role of the pilot of a giant biomechanical robot. Or die trying.

1

Cowboy Bebop

See Ya…

“You’re gonna carry that weight.”

You can’t talk about anime series, regardless of genre, without talking about Cowboy Bebop. Part sci-fi, part western, and part homage to music, Cowboy Bebop is a show that comes along once in a lifetime.

With a cast of characters verging from serious to highly comedic, you wouldn’t think a ragtag gang of bounty hunters would be so charismatic. It may have a short run, but it’s more than enough to stick with you for years.