Science fiction is a unique blend of fantasy and scientific elements. Some of the best productions in the anime medium belong to this genre, and some of them changed Japanese animation forever.
Mechs, Aliens and Spaceships are the most common elements for Sci-Fi, set in dystopian or futuristic settings with alternate history. Sometimes, you can also have alternate timelines or advanced inventions in ancient or modern settings.
This listicle includes the best Sci-Fi anime that you have to watch right now, featuring both vintage works and modern productions.
Table of Contents
25. Outlaw Star
Outlaw Star is based on a famous seinen manga and the anime adaptation aired in 1998.
We are in the future called the “Towards Stars Era” in which many star systems have been opened to space traffic. Gene Starwind and James Hawking run a small, unassuming handyman agency to make a living.
One day they are hired to protect Captain Hilda, who is piloting a spaceship, the XGP-15A II, also nicknamed “Outlaw Star,” in search of a legendary location that holds immense treasure.
The lighthearted and unpretentious air will hold sway while watching this anime, making it an ideal product if you are looking for a light anime.
Several credit notes should be spent on the technical and sound compartment, with graphics, especially the details of the spaceships, very fluid and ahead of their time.
24. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut
In 2021, Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut was released in 12 episodes, and it’s an underrated anime that deserves more recognition for its unique blend of space exploration and supernatural vampire themes.
The story centers around a project to send humans into space, which is secretly using vampires as test subjects.
Irina Luminesque, our protagonist, is one of the vampires chosen for the mission, accompanied by Liev Lepus, a human assigned to oversee her.
This anime has some beautiful animations that perfectly complement the horror elements and the vastness of space.
The characters are well-developed, with excellent character designs, and the love story that blossoms between Irina and Liev is captivating and well-written.
23. Tekkaman Blade
The story is set in the distant future of the 2300s, and humanity is beginning to be attacked by extraterrestrial forms who have conquering intentions.
Takaya Aiba is able to transform himself into Tekkaman Blade, a being somewhere between a man and a machine. Takaya will join the Space Knights to stop the invasion, and discover the truth about his amnesia.
Tekkaman succeeds in the linearity of the plot to give a respectable story. The story before us has dark and violent overtones, almost a coming of age of the old Tatsunoko heroes.
The technical aspect is excellent, with animations during battles mind-blowing if you think that at the time cells were still being used for animation.
22. Astro Boy
If you think of the pivotal figure in manga and anime culture, who comes to mind? Of course Osamu Tezuka. This pioneering author also referred to as the “god of manga,” is also the father of Astro Boy.
We find ourselves in a futuristic world where robots and humans live symbiotically. Astro is a mechanical child endowed with both intelligence and human feelings.
Created by Dr. Tenma in the guise of his late son, Astro will later find himself becoming the defender of humanity. It will be his job to protect the Earth from mad robots, aliens or humans themselves who hate mechanical beings.
Astro Boy is one of the mandatory stops as far as science fiction or anime is concerned.
21. Crest of the Stars
Crest of the Stars is a fantastic ’90s Sci-Fi anime released in 1999 in 13 episodes from which a sequel was also made in 2000 called Banner of the Stars.
It packs vintage Sci-Fi, action, war, romance, and more than a few political intrigues into its 13 episodes, making it a series not to be overlooked.
And much like its sequel, which we would have loved to include in this list but can’t since it came out in 2000, it boasts an incredibly well-crafted Sci-Fi setting that perfectly integrates with the series’ world-building and themes
The story is set in a future where humans are at war against an empire of genetically modified beings called Abh.
In this setting Ghintec, an ordinary boy, is about to become a count of the Abh, so he must learn their customs, along with Princess Lamirth.
20. Space Dandy
After delighting us with such gems as Cowboy Bebop, Shinichiro Watanabe returns in 2014 with a new series, Space Dandy. First created as an anime, it consists of 26 episodes and is animated by Bones studio.
The plot is not very linear. We are in a future where humanity has reached the edge of the universe. Dandy, the protagonist, is an alien hunter and self-proclaimed “first dandy of space.”
The anime consists of a series of self-contained episodes, with an apparent narrative discontinuity between them. It will not be uncommon to see our protagonists perish, only to see them intact in the next episode.
One of the other strong points is its comedy, which is very hyperbolic and devoted to quotations.
19. Metropolis
Metropolis is a unique anime movie directed by Rintaro featuring a smart use of the dieselpunk setting. The story is set in a futuristic multi-layered city under the name of Metropolis, where humans and robots live together.
Machines don’t enjoy the same benefits as humans and are segregated and persecuted by the other group. The main reason is that a lot of people lost their jobs due to robot automation and are now mad at them.
Metropolis examines an important theme that is very close to our modern society: automation. However, we cannot reduce this masterpiece just to a single theme, as there are many interpretations and themes within it.
Human emotions and decisions are the real problems in Metropolis and the entire plot is based on these concepts. The movie was inspired by Osamu Tezuka’s homonym manga, in turn, inspired by Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927), where the actual evil is the technology itself.
Rintaro does a great job with this “remake” and shows remarkable skills in giving this work its own original interpretation.
18. Megalo Box
Made by the same studio behind the second series of Rocky Joe, TMS Entertainment, Megalo Box is a 13-episode 2018 anime.
The work is set in a futuristic Japan, where card-carrying people live in a city full of wealth, while the rest live in outlying slums. Megalo Boxing, a special kind of boxing where contenders wear an exoskeleton to enhance their performance, also exists in this world.
The protagonist of this story is Junk Dog (JD), a boy who fights in rigged underground tournaments. But JD is not okay with this, and one day he decides to still win a rigged match that he should have lost, setting off the narrated events.
Megalo Box is a story of redemption. JD is a person who grew up in the Japanese suburbs, where no one is helped. It is only through his determination and willpower that he will be able to break out of that rotten mechanism of society, where your condition in life is decreed at birth.
17. Parasyte
A 24-episode anime created by Madhouse studio from Hitoshi Iwaaki’s manga of the same name, bringing it to the present day by debunking it from its vintage setting.
The work stars Shinichi Izumi, an ordinary student whose right hand is infested by a mysterious alien parasite interested in taking over his body.
Migi, a nickname given to the parasite, is just one of a race of parasites intent on taking over human bodies to conquer Earth.
The forced coexistence between the two leads them to clash with other malicious parasites in an ongoing struggle for their survival and that of humankind.
A very solid show that we recommend to anyone who wants to see something different from classic anime, while not deviating too much. Worth mentioning is the soundtrack, which is truly top-notch.
16. Space Pirate Captain Harlock
It’s the year 2977, in a future where the world’s population, thanks to the remarkable technological progress that has been achieved, no longer works.
They simply spend their days in idleness and entertainment. The political class that governs it is the exact mirror of it, corrupt and blind to the real problems of the people.
The protagonist Harlock decides to go against this general apathy and conformity, deciding to set out with his space fleet to revolutionize the world.
This anime issues a profound cry toward the freedom of every individual. Harlock abandons the Earth for this very reason. Tired of corrupt governments and politicians, and above all of the general indifference, he leaves his homeland for the sake of it.
15. Space Battleship Yamato
It is 2199 and Earth has suffered a massive bombardment by radioactive asteroids. Soon, the entire planet becomes inhospitable and humans are forced to take refuge underground.
The only hope will be provided by the planet Iskandar, which offers to donate a mechanism that can help them.
A World War II warship, the Yamato, is then exhumed from a dried-up seabed. It will be converted into a spaceship and crewed with 117 men, who must make this journey within a year, or it will be too late.
Yamato at the time was a real revolution. Indeed, the writers decided to abandon the usual stereotype of the all-hero and embrace personalities closer to the audience.
This, combined with Matsumoto’s great setting and direction, laid the groundwork for what later came to be known as Space Opera.
14. FLCL
FLCL, also called Fooly Cooly, is a 6-episode miniseries produced by Gainax. It was sponsored by the studio itself with the slogan “The new digital animation,” precisely because they wanted to set new quality standards.
This is symbolized by the union of traditional animation and Computer Graphics (shortly CG).
Haruko, a pink-haired girl riding a yellow wasp, runs over poor elementary school student Naota. Saving him almost by a miracle, she will then hit him in the forehead with her electric bass guitar.
FLCL is a quirky anime. Its story is chock-full of nonsense, and it does not even try to hide it. In fact, as mentioned earlier, the focus of this work is precisely its technical quality.
The fights are ultra-dynamic, enriched by a myriad of special effects that even today, fifteen years later, still look good.
13. Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass is set in a futuristic society where it is possible to monitor and control an individual’s mental state and personality. It is then possible to assess the probability of a person committing a crime or not, the so-called Crime Coefficient.
If it exceeds a certain threshold, the Anti-Crime Section, consisting of Enforcers and Inspectors, intervenes. The story revolves around an Enforcer who exploits Psycho-Pass to deal with crime and Akane Tsunemori, a police inspector.
This anime does justice to the science-fiction genre and it’s one of the best examples up to date. Psycho-Pass examines the theme of morality and what a possible society would look like if we were to implement such a control system.
You can notice how this is clearly influenced by George Orwell’s 1984 and philosophical concepts like nihilism and what is expressed in Plato’s The Republic.
12. Ergo Proxy
If you like philosophy but do not want to give up science fiction, then Ergo Proxy is the best choice to spend your free time on. With its 26 episodes, it comes across as very cryptic and difficult to understand initially, partly due to an unorthodox but at the same time intriguing style of storytelling.
Ergo Proxy is set in a post-apocalyptic future where survivors live under a dome city, namely Romdo, to shelter from the lethal and toxic climate.
It is immediately noticeable that there is some interest in environmental issues and especially the human-machine relationship, as in this utopian society humans control so-called AutoReivs, automatons that perform the most manual roles.
11. Trigun
Dating back to 1998, Trigun stars Vash the Stampede, also known by the dreaded title “Humanoid Typhoon.”
He is a wanted man throughout Gunsmoke, the planet where the events are set. This is because of the destruction of July City, of which he is unfairly believed to be the culprit since Vash is anything but a criminal.
It is on this premise that the anime’s adventure is based, with Vash having to escape from 12 assassins charged with killing him under commission from a mysterious figure.
Trigun is an excellent mix of action with a Sci-Fi twist, in which the excellent characters fight strenuously for their ideals, Vash foremost among them.
The classic 90s elements are also very pronounced, with character design, music, and atmosphere that will make you feel deep nostalgia.
10. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
As a prequel to the game Cyberpunk 2077, this anime follows the story of David Martinez.
In Night City, a futuristic metropolis, David attends Arasaka Academy to fulfill his mother’s dream of reaching the top of the world’s leading security corporation.
But things changed when a street gang incident left him devastated.
He then implanted Sandevistan cyberware for superhuman speed and strength, to get revenge on his enemies. Witness his journey as he fights to survive the dangerous, corrupt system while never backing down from any fight.
Cyberpunk: Endgerunners is undoubtedly one of the most popular and successful anime of recent times, which has become a hit because of its excellent storyline, cool action moments, and excellent soundtrack.
Being a fantastic cyberpunk anime, it delves deeply into the theme of the individual’s annihilation by society, a theme as relevant as ever.
The setting is also simply stunning. Night City will captivate you with its colorful, futuristic locations reminiscent of Blade Runner, contrasted by the poor, dirty, and congested alleys.
9. Serial Experiments Lain
The series consists of 13 episodes and begins with the protagonist Lain Iwakura knowing the virtual world of Wired. The borders boundaries between reality and cyberspace will start to dissipate sooner than you expected, and Lain will experience new emotions.
This series wants to be disturbing, and it succeeds in it perfectly. Another point in its favor is its crypticity, which can be a disadvantage too if you’re looking for something light to watch.
Serial Experiments Lain deals with themes like self-identity, memories and perception, creating a unique blend that is still highly regarded, becoming one of the best anime about virtual reality, if not the best.
8. Steins;Gate
Steins;Gate is one of the decidedly pivotal works in the Sci-Fi genre, thanks to a good adaptation by Whitefox.
This series is the undisputed best anime about time travel in our opinion, an often complex subject since plot holes lurk just about everywhere.
Steins;Gate starts off rather slowly in the first 10 episodes and then explodes, consistent with what the original work (the visual novel) did in 4 chapters of reading.
We highly recommend this work for many reasons, but especially if you are looking for sad anime or otherwise able to make you think about some aspects of human life.
This series is also important to gradually introduce yourself to the world of SciAdv, that is, the fictional universe of which Steins;Gate is a part, and to get a taste of what awaits you in the future.
7. Ghost in the Shell
Based on the manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell is a work by Mamoru Oshii. After making a name for himself in the world of animation with the film Lamu – Beautiful Dreamer, Tenshi no Tamago and Patlabor, Oshii tried his hand at cyberpunk.
It is 2029 and the world is almost completely automated. Much of the population consists of individuals who have cybernetic grafts that can enhance their senses and faculties. Coupled with this, it is possible to find completely artificial people, cyborgs.
One of these is Motoko Kusanagi, and she is part of Section 9 of the police. It will be up to her to solve the case concerning a particular terrorist called the Puppeteer, who operates through cyborgs themselves.
This work can be described as the pinnacle of Oshii’s thinking, which is even featured in the Lamu film. The movies, as well as the series, take up the concept of the breakdown of the self. In a world where entirely artificial people exist, can one find one’s own identity? What does “living” really mean?
6. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Also known just by Gurren Lagann, it is a 27-episode series produced by Gainax in 2007. The story is set in the distant future where Earth is dominated by the Beast Men, humanoid mutants with animal-like features and powers, while humans have been forced to live in underground villages.
Simon and Kamina are tired of living without ever seeing the sky. One day, while digging underground, they find the head of a robot, which they call Lagann. Once they activate the mecha they manage to reach the surface and also take possession of the robot’s body.
The two mecha are able to unite forming the powerful Gurren Lagann. Together with other resurfaced humans they form the Gurren Brigade in order to survive.
Gurren Lagann incorporates a lot of homages to various mecha series and has robot-beastman fights on its side that are epic and over-the-top.
The protagonists are extremely over the top, almost a parody of what you can find in a classic mecha anime, but subverting every cliché of the usual characters of this type.
5. Mobile Suit Gundam
The history of Gundam presents a division by universes, but you only need to know the most important one, namely Universal Century (UC), which encompasses the best works.
With its variety of themes and its attention to technological advancement, Mobile Suit Gundam is one of those series that will give you a fairly comprehensive idea of how interspatial conflict can be imagined.
Despite humanity’s immense technological advances, wars continue and so does hatred, showing once again how technology and innovations are just tools in the hands of us humans.
Incidentally, a great many of the stereotypes or ideas of the mecha genre derive from Gundam itself, which although not the first work in this sense, is certainly one of the most important even outside of its genre of belonging.
Watch Gundam if you love politics and especially war consequences, the author Yoshiyuki Tomino criticizes war in a lot of ways during the series. As stated in one of his interviews, war should never happen again, even though it’s actually impossible to get rid of it forever.
4. Akira
After World War III, Tokyo was leveled by a nuclear device. Thirty years later, in 2019, the city is full of motorcycle gangs of thugs wreaking havoc on the streets. Kaneda is a young man at the head of one of these gangs, within which is also the less initiated friend Tetsuo.
One night, while they are fleeing from police patrols, Tetsuo crashes into what looks like a child. In pain, he notices that the poor fellow was completely unharmed by the accident, thanks to some esper powers he discovers he has. But it is these miraculous powers that will begin the plot of the timeless masterpiece that is Akira.
This work should first be seen for the great technical aspect compared to when it came out. It was 1988 and Katsuhiro Otomo made a true masterpiece on a visual level beyond all expectations in one of the best anime set in a post apocaliptyc setting you can find.
The city of Tokyo is very detailed, as are any explosions within the film, not to mention the ever-present light trails of motorcycles whizzing through the streets of the metropolis.
3. Legend of the Galactic Heroes
An OAV series about the devastating and interminable war that has raged now for 150 years between the Galactic Empire led by the Goldenbaum dynasty and the Alliance of Free Planets.
Set in a distant future when humanity has now colonized and made the entire cosmos its own, we see two protagonists pop up in the great turmoil of the war: Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li.
Each of them, as can be guessed, is part of a high office of the two respective factions, each with opposing war visions, plans, and ambitions.
This is an anime that sees war and political entanglements as its main themes but also dwells on side stories designed to illustrate the different lives of the social classes in the futuristic world in which it is set. Not to mention that is one of the best anime set in the future.
There will be no shortage of deep and thoughtful moments, with touching moments, especially when focusing on secondary characters, even those unrelated to the war.
2. Neon Genesis Evangelion
One of the most important works in Japanese entertainment history, and for good reasons. Neon Genesis Evangelion is an original anime created by Hideaki Anno that depicts a world under attack by so-called Angels, mysterious entities that threaten the quiet of humanity.
Through the use of special mechs, it is possible to fight these beings, for which the Special Agency Nerv has taken responsibility. The protagonist Shinji Ikari will be hired by this very group to pilot one of the robots, EVA 01, and attempt to put an end to these attacks.
Although the plot seems very action-centric, all the focus is on the characters and their psychology, as well as their traumas and personal experience.
A futuristic, disaster-rebounded world is the perfect setting to create the strong sense of suggestion and reflection that makes Evangelion so special.
Years later, this work still remains a cult hit without feeling the weight of old age, as evidenced even by Rebuild of Evangelion, recently concluded with “Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.”
In addition, The End of Evangelion, another iconic film in the series, still stands as a benchmark for Japanese animated films.
1. Cowboy Bebop
Impossible not to mention this masterpiece by Watanabe, one of the best works in the entire history of animation. Cowboy Bebop shows a not-too-distant-future world where interspatial travel is the norm and Mars represents one of the cornerstones of humanity.
Unfortunately, it does not change one of the big problems in the story, namely organized crime, which is fought in a rather extravagant way by placing bounties on outlaws. The bounty hunters are precisely called cowboys, hence the name of the title.
Don’t be fooled by the seemingly simple and disjointed plot, this is a very deep anime that examines some of the dilemmas of human nature, also taking advantage of a stellar cast featuring Spike Spiegel as the lead.
The characters are chased by the past and unable to rid themselves of certain burdens, so they are very conflicted and somewhat lonely, showing at times qualities far removed from those of classic hero stereotypes.
Cowboy Bebop also boasts of one of the most iconic soundtracks in the industry, with opening and ending that are respectable and still remembered decades later.
If you are a fan of anime you must necessarily see it, but if you have a soft spot for science fiction and anime set in space, then you are practically compelled to do so.
Anime lover and a big fan of the 90s. He has previous experience working with foreign websites and now he is willing to move things even further.
When he is not writing for Nihonime.com, Zeruan spends most of his time reading, coding and developing marketing strategies.
