Best Sci-fi Donghua

Key Takeaways

• Anime and donghua both excel in delivering unique sci-fi stories with fresh ideas and unconventional approaches.
• Knights on Debris, Ling Long: Incarnation, and Swallowed Star are standout donghua with diverse sci-fi elements.
• Donghua like Slay The Gods and Since The Red Moon Appeared offer unique twists on sci-fi themes like death games and natural disasters.

Sci-fi anime have had a pretty strong hold on the anime and manga community for the longest time now. Stein’s Gate, Psycho-Pass, and maybe even something like Code Geass have been some of the most popular anime, not only for the community but for mainstream media as well. It’s no exaggeration to say that the anime industry has set the gold standard for delivering good, impactful sci-fi stories.

That said, anime isn’t the only big player in the sci-fi animation game. With how popular donghua have become, the industry has been stepping up in a big way by bringing fresh takes and creative twists to well-loved tropes. Sci-fi donghua, in particular, stand out for not only their highly unique premises but also for their stunning signature 3D graphics that pull viewers into their very extensive worlds.

Sure, not every donghua nails it, but plenty of them are raising the animation bar with fresh ideas and unconventional approaches.

1 Knights On Debris

Sci-Fi Fantasy That Gives Off Star Wars Vibes

Knights on Debris is a strong one when it comes to fantasy and sci-fi elements. It revolves around wormholes, cryogenic sleep-like phenomena, and alien races that are out there to destroy humanity. It’s a sci-fi nerd’s entire dream and some might even compare it to Star Wars and Star Trek — and it’s not hard to see why.

The story of Knights on Debris follows a machinist from the future, Mo Chen, who finds himself in the middle of a completely barren and dismantled planet. Originally sent there to investigate a mysterious asteroid that struck Earth, he awakens to find the planet in ruins, his team wiped out by a deadly disease, and survival looking pretty grim. Mo Chen and his robots have to now find a way to survive on this uninhabitable planet and, additionally, keep themselves safe from its alien race known as Thorne — who, coincidentally, share powers similar to that of The Force.

2 Ling Long: Incarnation

Sci-Fi Horror With A Deep Psychological Theme

Ling Long: Incarnation is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi donghua that has a way of presenting how high its stakes are. The premise of the story is a perfect twist on the Earth-after-cosmic-destruction and does a great job of putting the thing in an entirely different 3D animation. It almost feels like an AAA sci-fi horror similar to Alien: Isolation or Dead Space (in terms of graphics). But the one thing that truly sets this particular donghua apart from other sci-fi stories is that, despite its very action-dominant premise, the show oddly focuses a lot on human relationships and the characters’ interpersonal interaction — which adds a lot of depth to what could’ve just been an action-packed spectacle.

Ling Long: Incarnation revolves around this massive cataclysmic event on Earth that wipes most life off of it. It also brings on these horrific earthquakes that shake the world to its core and, in turn, awaken dormant hostile creatures known as Extremozoan. The few remaining humans jump ship and start their lives on a space station where they’re essentially worked to the core and have no other purpose — until they’re coerced to go back to the ruined planet.

3 Swallowed Star

Sci-Fi, Martial Arts, Cultivation, And Post-Apocalypse

Swallowed Star is a considerably popular name in the donghua community. It is a show that is not only famous for its science fiction aspect but also for its martial arts and cultivation tropes that are very seamlessly blended into the extensive futuristic background.

The show follows humanity’s rise and fall and its attempts to rise again against violent creatures that have taken hold of Earth. These creatures aren’t the result of some sort of alien invasion or underground dormancy but are earthly animals that have contracted a deadly virus known as the RR virus. Humans have built massive walls to protect themselves from them and essentially locked themselves in tiny cities as a protective measure. But just as animals are evolving, so are humans. The most advanced humans, known as warriors, are tasked with fighting these creatures. One of these warriors is Luo Feng, a genetically superior fighter and the story’s main character.

4 Slay The Gods

An Array Of Different Tropes That Work Seamlessly Together

Slay the Gods, in one way or many, is a donghua that’s catered to a very large demographic considering how diverse it is with its tropes. The entire show is a complete blend of almost every action-thriller-related genre ever, and for some reason, it works. It has a unique premise, and its graphic quality is something straight out of a high-budget movie.

Slay the Gods’ world-building is unique in a way that it sets itself in a planet that is seemingly normal, but has something different lurking in the dark. In this version of reality, divine beings and gods walk among mortals, which creates a strange and uneasy rift in the fabric of everyday life. At the center of it all is a high school student with superhuman abilities who’s tasked with working on behalf of these enigmatic gods.

5 Mountain And Sea Organization

Mecha-Themed Donghua With Existential Themes

Mountain and Sea Organization is a mecha-styled donghua that focuses on futuristic-looking mechanical armored suits and, like most sci-fi, a global-level cataclysmic threat that could very well cause the end of the world. The donghua may not be as popular as some of the other shows on this list, but the mecha-themed setting and characters can be fascinating for gamers who are into this sort of genre.

Mountain and Sea Organization revolves around two warring groups with completely opposing sentiments and ideologies about the future of humans on Earth. The evil side, known as the Shanhai Jihui, is under the impression that the only way to save Earth from a massive wipeout is by simply replacing humans with more “modern” versions of them. The opposing side, with the protagonist, does not agree and has come together to stop Shanhai Jihui from its plans to eradicate humankind.

6 Since The Red Moon Appeared

A Unique Twist On Worldwide Natural Disasters

Since the Red Moon Appeared is a donghua that has a story exactly as its title suggests. While other sci-fi shows and books feature very conventional planetary natural disasters, this one focuses on something different. It revolves around this red moon that appears on top of the earth, and in turn, causes a disastrous chain of events that blanket the entire world.

The appearance of the red moon in this donguha causes people to lose their minds. It’s basically like a zombie virus that has one too many transmittable symptoms. Even standing near an infected person is fatal to a healthy human, pertaining to the fact that the infected emits actual radiation. However, like all good sci-fi stories, this one also has a small group of people who are immune to the infection and are working towards fixing what is already ruined.

7 The Infinitors

Death Games And Game-Like Levels

The Infinitors is a perfect “easing-in” donghua for fans of shows like Alice in Borderland or Squid Game. It’s a very extensive isekai series that features death games in a supernatural, sci-fi, and occasionally horror setting that elevates its stakes a bit more than other entries on this list. It’s also slightly more weighty and serious in terms of point of conflict, taking into account how the life-and-death situation is condensed into the main character’s fate only, which allows the viewers to witness his journey on a more personal level rather than a “save-the-world-superhero” kind.

The main character is an overworked and mistreated office worker who’s gone through some pretty harrowing events and cannot seem to move on from them. To find his true purpose in life, he comes across this link that promises to let him in on the universe’s secret. However, after clicking it, he’s thrown into a world where surviving through any means necessary is the goal — even if that means taking part in deathmatches with only one winner.