The Best Anime of All Time: Our Top 10, Ranked

Picking the best anime of all time is a great way to start an argument. Every fan has a favorite, every decade has its classics, and one long series can be a masterpiece to one person and a 100-episode chore to another. So we set a few ground rules and built a list we can defend.

These ten shows are the ones critics, longtime fans and the AniList community keep putting at the top, decade after decade. We weighed critical consensus from the major all-time rankings against each show's AniList score, then asked a practical question: how does a newcomer get in? Where a series runs several seasons, we tell you which entry to start with. All ten are streaming on MyAnimeVerse, and every one has an English dub.

What makes the greatest anime of all time?

A great anime does more than look good. The shows here share a few things: a story that pays off its setup, characters who change in ways you remember, and a run that stays strong from the first episode to the last. Influence counts too. Many of these shaped the shows that came after them.

We left out movies, which have their own list in our best anime movies guide. Scores below are AniList averages on a 0 to 100 scale. For a pure numbers view, see our top rated anime.

1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

If one show deserves the crown, it is this one. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows Edward and Alphonse Elric, two brothers who break alchemy's most sacred rule while trying to bring their mother back and pay a terrible price. Their search for a way to fix it uncovers a conspiracy that reaches the top of their country.

Studio Bones' 2009 adaptation runs 64 episodes and adapts the whole manga, which is why it beats the earlier 2003 series for most fans. It has everything: great fights, real politics, a huge cast that all matter and an ending that lands. It scores 90 on AniList and sits at or near number one on nearly every all-time ranking we studied.

It's the safest recommendation in anime. Action fans, drama fans and complete beginners all tend to love it. The English dub is one of the best ever recorded.

2. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

It's rare for a show this new to earn a spot this high, but Frieren did it in a single season. The story starts after the heroes have already defeated the Demon King. Frieren, an elf mage who will live for centuries, realizes she barely knew the human companions she traveled with, and sets out on a new journey to understand them.

Madhouse's 2023 series runs 28 episodes and holds a 91 on AniList, the highest score of anything on this list. It is a fantasy about time, grief and small kindnesses, but it is also funny and its fights are stunning. Lists published in 2026 increasingly place it beside Brotherhood at the very top.

It's for anyone who wants an adventure that slows down long enough to feel human, and it's a perfect place to start. There's an English dub, and Season 2 continues the story.

3. Steins;Gate

Steins;Gate opens as a goofy comedy about a self-proclaimed mad scientist and his friends tinkering in a cramped Akihabara apartment. Then they invent something that shouldn't exist, and the show becomes one of the best time-travel thrillers ever written.

White Fox adapted the visual novel in 2011 over 24 episodes, and its structure is the secret of its reputation. The slow first act sets up dozens of small details, and the second half pays every one of them off. Okabe Rintarou also has one of the great character arcs in anime. It scores 89 on AniList and appears in the top five of most all-time lists.

It's ideal for sci-fi anime fans and anyone who loves a story that clicks into place. Stick with the first few episodes; it's worth it. English dub available.

4. Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Gon Freecss wants to become a Hunter, an elite adventurer licensed to take on the world's most dangerous jobs, so he can track down the father who left him. What starts as a bright shonen adventure keeps changing shape: an exam, a heist, a deadly game, and then one of the darkest and most ambitious arcs in the genre.

Madhouse's 2011 version runs 148 episodes and is a full remake, separate from the 1999 series, so this is the one to watch. Its power system is one of the smartest ever created, and Gon's friendship with Killua is the heart of the show. It scores 89 on AniList and ranks near the top of nearly every list of the greatest anime of all time.

It's a long watch, but each arc feels like a new show. Great for fans of adventure anime. English dub available.

5. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2

Attack on Titan is the defining anime of the 2010s. Humanity lives behind enormous walls to hide from giant man-eating Titans, until the day the walls stop being enough. Eren Yeager, Mikasa and Armin join the military to fight back, and the story grows from a survival horror into a war epic about freedom and the cost of revenge.

A note on the card: the entry we have is Season 3 Part 2, a 10-episode stretch WIT STUDIO released in 2019 that many fans call the series at its best, with an 89 on AniList. It's not where you start, though. Newcomers should begin with Season 1 and work forward so the payoffs here hit as hard as they should.

It's for viewers who want high stakes and a story that keeps changing what you think it's about. English dub available. Watch Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 once you're caught up.

6. Monster

Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant Japanese surgeon in Germany, chooses to save a young boy's life instead of the town mayor's. Years later, he learns what that boy became. Monster follows Tenma across Europe as he tries to stop someone he believes he is responsible for.

Madhouse's 2004 adaptation of Naoki Urasawa's manga runs 74 episodes and plays like a prestige crime drama. There are no superpowers and no tournaments, just one of the most unsettling villains ever written and a hero who refuses to give up his principles. It scores 88 on AniList and it is often recommended to people who think they don't like anime.

It's for fans of thriller anime, crime fiction and slow-burn mysteries that take their time and earn every twist. English dub available.

7. Gintama Season 3

Gintama is the funniest show on this list and also one of the most moving. In an alternate Edo conquered by aliens, the lazy samurai Gintoki, the earnest Shinpachi and the alien girl Kagura take odd jobs to pay the rent. Most episodes are parody and pure chaos; the serious arcs are devastating.

The card here is Gintama Season 3, the 51-episode 2015 run from Bandai Namco Pictures, which scores 90 on AniList and includes some of the series' best comedy and drama. Newcomers should start with the original series from the beginning so the jokes and the cast's history make sense; Season 3 is where your patience pays off.

It's for comedy fans with patience, and it rewards it. Our comedy anime page has lighter starting points if you want them. English dub available.

8. Vinland Saga Season 2

Vinland Saga is a Viking story that starts as a revenge tale and turns into something much rarer: a story about what it takes to become a gentle person in a violent world. Thorfinn, a young warrior raised in war, is the center of one of the most complete character arcs in anime.

The entry on our site is Season 2, MAPPA's 24-episode 2023 season, which scores 88 on AniList. It's quieter than Season 1, trading battles for farm life, guilt and hard-earned friendship, and many fans think it's the better half. Start with Season 1, though, because Season 2 only works if you know where Thorfinn came from.

It's for fans of historical drama and serious, adult storytelling. English dub available. Stream Vinland Saga Season 2 after you finish the first season.

9. ONE PIECE

No anime has been loved by more people for longer. Monkey D. Luffy sets out to find the legendary treasure left by the Pirate King and gathers one of the best crews in fiction along the way. Toei Animation has been adapting it since 1999, and it is still going.

The length is the obvious hurdle. Once you're in, though, few stories can match its world-building, its huge emotional arcs or the way each crew member's backstory makes you care. It holds an 87 on AniList and appears on nearly every list of the top 10 anime of all time.

It's for viewers who want a long, joyful adventure to live with for months. Start from episode 1 and don't worry about catching up all at once. English dub available.

10. Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting!

Ippo Makunouchi is a shy, bullied teenager until a boxer saves him from a beating and he finds out he can throw a punch. Hajime no Ippo follows him into the gym and up the ranks, one fight at a time.

Madhouse's 2000 series runs 75 episodes and is the gold standard for sports anime. The fights are tense and technical, the training is believable, and the gym's comedy keeps the show light between bouts. It scores 87 on AniList and is a frequent pick for the best sports series ever made.

It's for anyone who loves an underdog story, even if you've never watched a boxing match. English dub available. More picks like it are in our best sports anime list.

Honorable mentions: more of the greatest anime ever

Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic- is the third season of the smartest romantic comedy in anime, and it scores 89. Start from Season 1.

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War gave a classic shonen series the ending it deserved, with some of the best animation of the 2020s. It's the final arc, so long-time Bleach fans will get the most out of it.

Clannad: After Story is Kyoto Animation's famous tearjerker and one of the most praised romances ever. Watch the original Clannad first.

March comes in like a lion Season 2 is a gentle, deeply human drama about a teenage shogi pro. Begin with Season 1.

Some famous classics, including Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Death Note, often make these lists too, but they aren't streaming on MyAnimeVerse yet.

The best anime of all time compared

Here's the full list side by side. Note that seasons and episode counts refer to the entry we feature.

FAQ about the best anime ever

What is the number 1 anime of all time?

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the most common answer, and it's ours too. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has become its closest challenger in recent years.

What is the highest-rated anime of all time?

On AniList, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End scores 91, the highest of any show on this list. Brotherhood and Gintama Season 3 follow at 90.

What is the best anime of all time for beginners?

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Frieren and Monster are all complete stories that don't require any anime experience. Our best anime for beginners guide has more options.

Are long anime like One Piece worth starting?

Yes, if you go in expecting a months-long commitment. One Piece and Hunter x Hunter both get better as they go, and you can enjoy them at your own pace.

Do these anime have English dubs?

All ten of our top picks have English dubs on MyAnimeVerse. For more, see our best dubbed anime list.

Conclusion: the best anime of all time, and what to watch next

The best anime of all time cover nearly every kind of story: alchemy and conspiracy, time travel, Vikings, pirates, boxing and a centuries-old elf learning to care. If you only watch one, make it Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. If you want something more recent, start Frieren.

Curious what this year is adding to the canon? Our list of the best anime of 2026 covers the standouts so far, and you can see what's new on the airing schedule. You can also browse by mood with drama anime, fantasy anime or action anime.