I have been watching anime for over ten years now. People always ask me — where do I even begin? There are thousands of series out there and it can feel overwhelming. So I sat down and made this list. Not based on hype, not based on what Reddit says this week, but based on what actually stayed with me after all these years.
These are the ten anime that I believe every person on Earth should watch at least once. Some of them changed how I think about storytelling. Some of them made me cry in ways I did not expect. All of them are genuinely great.
1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
I will be honest — I put off watching this for almost two years because I thought it was just another action show. I was wrong in the worst way possible. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the most complete anime I have ever seen. It has action, humor, heartbreak, philosophy, and a plot that never once wastes your time.
Brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric tried to bring their mother back from the dead using alchemy. It went terribly wrong. Ed lost his arm and leg. Al lost his entire body — his soul now lives inside a suit of armor. The series follows their journey to find the Philosopher's Stone and restore what they lost.
What makes it special is that every single character matters. There are no throwaway people in this show. Even minor characters have motivations and backstories. The villains are terrifying and intelligent. The world feels real and lived-in.
Score: 9.1/10 | Episodes: 64 | Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
2. Steins;Gate (2011)
I watched Steins;Gate during a long weekend when I had nothing else to do. By Sunday night I was sitting in the dark staring at the ceiling thinking about everything the show had done to me emotionally.
It starts slow — very slow. The first eight or nine episodes feel like a quirky comedy about a self-proclaimed mad scientist who accidentally invents time travel. Then everything shifts. What follows is one of the most emotionally devastating and intellectually satisfying stories I have experienced in any medium.
The time travel mechanics are airtight. The characters feel like real people. And the ending — I will not spoil it, but it earned every single tear.
Score: 9.08/10 | Episodes: 24 | Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
3. Hunter x Hunter (2011)
The 2011 remake of Hunter x Hunter is my personal pick for the most underappreciated great anime. Most people know about it, but I think not enough people understand just how special it is.
On the surface it looks like a typical shonen — a young boy named Gon wants to find his absent father who is a legendary Hunter. But within a few arcs, the show starts breaking every rule the genre has. Villains are more complex than heroes. Power comes with real cost. The protagonist is not always the strongest person in the room.
The Chimera Ant arc is the greatest story arc I have ever seen in anime. I am not exaggerating.
Score: 9.05/10 | Episodes: 148 | Genre: Action, Adventure
4. Attack on Titan (2013-2023)
When I first watched Attack on Titan in 2013, I thought it was a great action show about humans fighting giant monsters. By the time the final season ended, I realized it was one of the most politically and morally complex stories told in any medium.
The transformation of the main character Eren Yeager over the course of the series is one of the most ambitious character arcs ever written. Whether you love or hate where his story ends up, you cannot deny that creator Hajime Isayama had a plan from the very beginning.
Score: 9.0/10 | Episodes: 87 | Genre: Action, Dark Fantasy
5. Vinland Saga (2019)
I started Vinland Saga because someone told me it had good fight scenes. They were right. What they did not warn me about was that by Season 2, the show would be making me question what it means to live a life worth living.
Set in the Viking age, it follows young Thorfinn who dedicates his life to revenge — only to slowly realize that his obsession has hollowed him out. Season 2 is one of the most quiet, beautiful, patient pieces of storytelling I have encountered.
Score: 8.72/10 | Episodes: 24+ | Genre: Action, Historical, Drama
6. Demon Slayer (2019)
I remember exactly where I was when I watched Episode 19 of Demon Slayer Season 1. The Hinokami Kagura sequence. My jaw genuinely dropped at the animation quality. I had never seen anything like it from a TV anime.
Demon Slayer is the most visually stunning anime ever produced for television. Ufotable's animation is in a league of its own. The story of Tanjiro fighting to save his demonized sister Nezuko is emotional and straightforward in the best way.
Score: 8.52/10 | Episodes: 26+ | Genre: Action, Supernatural
7. One Piece (1999-Present)
One Piece is an act of faith. You have to trust that investing in a 1000+ episode show will pay off — and it absolutely does. The world Eiichiro Oda created is the most imaginative and detailed fictional universe I know of.
I will not pretend the early episodes are perfect. They are not. But by the time you reach the Water 7 arc, you will understand why hundreds of millions of people consider this the greatest story ever told.
Score: 8.71/10 | Episodes: 1100+ | Genre: Adventure, Comedy
8. Death Note (2006)
Death Note was the first anime that genuinely made me think hard while watching it. The premise is simple — a genius student finds a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it. What follows is the most intense cat-and-mouse story I have seen.
Light Yagami vs L is one of fiction's greatest rivalries. Both characters are brilliant. Both think they are right. Watching them try to outsmart each other is almost unbearably tense.
Score: 8.62/10 | Episodes: 37 | Genre: Psychological, Thriller
9. Cowboy Bebop (1998)
Cowboy Bebop is the coolest anime ever made. I do not think that is debatable. The jazz soundtrack, the noir atmosphere, the space setting — everything about it feels effortlessly stylish in a way that nothing else has matched.
But underneath the style is a genuinely moving story about people who are running from their pasts. The final two episodes are as good as anything in anime history.
Score: 8.75/10 | Episodes: 26 | Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Drama
10. Violet Evergarden (2018)
I cried at Episode 10 of Violet Evergarden more than I have cried at almost anything. A former child soldier learning to write letters for people, slowly learning what emotions feel like — it sounds simple. It is absolutely not simple.
Kyoto Animation's work here is breathtaking. Every frame looks like a painting. And the emotional payoff in the final episodes is extraordinary.
Score: 8.67/10 | Episodes: 13 | Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Final Thoughts
If you are new to anime, start with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. If you have seen a few shows already, jump into Steins;Gate or Hunter x Hunter. Every show on this list will give you something you did not expect. That is what makes anime worth watching.
