For decades now, the Japanese film industry has produced some of the most remarkable animated movies of all time, to the point where the term “anime” has come to define animation specifically from Japan. Many of these great films have come from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki and others at the famed Studio Ghibli, but this is far from the only source of great anime movies.
What follows is an effort to rank some of the greatest examples of anime from the medium’s rich history. It’s impossible to cover all the great ones within a single list, and it should also be noted that the following are movies only, with plenty of great anime also being released in the form of a TV series or miniseries. The following will highlight some of the best and most popular movies in this unique genre, and all provide good starting points for those wanting to explore the world of Japanese animation.
25 ‘Cowboy Bebop: The Movie’ (2001)
First and foremost, Cowboy Bebop is best known for being an anime series. It ran for 26 episodes between 1998 and 1999, and is frequently held up as one of the greatest – if not the greatest – anime series of all time, following a group of perpetually unlucky bounty hunters traveling the galaxy in the 2070s.
It was a series that ended incredibly well (and conclusively), meaning that for the 2001 movie, it had to serve as an “interquel” of sorts (not completely a sequel, and not completely a prequel). It plays out like an extra episode of the show (and a good one) but feature-length, instead of approximately 25 minutes. It’s not the very best that Cowboy Bebop has to offer, but as an opportunity to spend more time with the characters and the show’s world, it’s pretty great.
24 ‘Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem’ (2003)
Daft Punk may have released their final album in 2013 and sadly announced they were no longer a duo in 2021, but their legacy lives on. Their music is undeniably catchy and timeless, and during their time as an electronic music duo, they also branched out into the world of film, demonstrated by Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem.
It’s a musical/sci-fi/anime film, thrillingly blending genres to tell a story about an alien band who travel across space to rescue one of their own. The audio is essentially just the duo’s 2001 album Discovery, and it otherwise doesn’t have any dialogue or many sound effects. It’s a unique, fun, and colorful anime movie, and a must-watch for Daft Punk fans.
Anti-war films attempt to be as unflinching and harrowing as possible, and Barefoot Gen’s no exception. It follows the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima at the end of World War Two, and in particular centers on a young boy’s attempts at surviving after much of his family is killed in the attack.
The sequence depicting the bombing itself is notorious for being one of the most disturbing animated sequences of all time, and the rest of the film doesn’t exactly pull any punches either. It’s a sad but important movie, and is even more powerful when watched with the knowledge that it was based on the real-life experience of Keiji Nakazawa, who wrote the original manga of Barefoot Gen, and himself was only six when he experienced firsthand the bombing of Hiroshima.
22 ‘Belladonna of Sadness’ (1973)
Belladonna of Sadness is a dark and intense anime that could be broadly defined as belonging to the fantasy genre while also dealing with the theme of revenge. It’s about a young woman making a deal with the devil to transform herself into a form that can enact violent vengeance against a lord who wronged her horrifically.
Its intense story means it’s certainly not for everyone, and the unique style of animation also adds to the film’s eeriness and often uncomfortable quality. Yet it deserves acclaim for being groundbreaking and risk-taking, and also for being one of the earliest anime films that still holds up very well today.
21 ‘Angel’s Egg’ (1985)
Anime doesn’t get much more obscure or light-on-narrative as Angel’s Egg. It doesn’t exactly have a story, and is more about depicting a foreboding atmosphere for its relatively brief 71-minute runtime. There is a premise at least: it simply involves a young girl carrying a large egg through a desolate wasteland.
Viewers are more or less asked to come up with their own thoughts about what anything here could mean, or failing that, it’s easy just to get lost in the dark and distinct mood of the film. It feels like a cross between anime and arthouse, and is the kind of movie that would fit neatly within the famed Criterion Collection.
20 ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ (1984)
It’s hard to give a rundown of great anime movies without including numerous films directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is one of his earliest feature films, and while it might not be his very best, it’s still up there, and clearly displays many of the qualities that his later films would also demonstrate.
It’s a fantasy/adventure movie with a strong environmental message, and follows the people of one of Earth’s last strongholds trying to survive against the forces of a poisonous nearby jungle. It’s a good story that provides food for thought thematically, and like all Miyazaki movies, it also aims to overwhelm viewers with constant beautiful images.
19 ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’ (2013)
Isao Takahata was perhaps the best-known director who worked at Studio Ghibli besides Hayao Miyazaki. He co-founded the company back in the 1980s and passed away at the age of 82 in 2018, with 2013’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya ultimately being his final film.
It ranks as one of Studio Ghibli’s best movies, and tells a fairytale-like story about a young girl who’s found inside a bamboo stalk, and the dramatic destiny that awaits her once she grows into a woman. It has a unique visual style and a compelling narrative, ultimately standing out among the many anime films that belong to the fantasy genre.
18 ‘Porco Rosso’ (1992)
Hayao Miyazaki might be best known for his more serious fantasy/adventure movies, but something like Porco Rosso also shows he has a good sense of humor, too. This 1992 movie is an adventure-filled comedy about an Italian World War I fighter pilot who works as a bounty hunter after the war… and has also been cursed with having the head of a pig.
So it’s essentially about a flying pig, and the way he gets by living with his curse while also competing in all areas of life with a rival pilot. It’s fun and charming from beginning to end, and even though it might sound like a silly or gimmicky movie, it’s all executed surprisingly well.
17 ‘Ghost in the Shell’ (1995)
One of the defining anime movies of the 1990s, Ghost in the Shell has become a legendary work within the world of Japanese animation. It takes place in the now not-so-distant year of 2029, and follows a squad of cybernetically enhanced police officers who are trying to track down a notorious hacker known as The Puppetmaster.
The world created by the film is a fantastic one, and perhaps one of the most iconic and atmospheric from the last few decades of science-fiction. It asks difficult questions about humanity and its relationship with technology going forward – as many good sci-fi movies do – and is easy to recommend for fans of live-action sci-fi movies like Blade Runner or The Matrix.
16 ‘The Wind Rises’ (2013)
Hayao Miyazaki’s newest movie is set for release (in Japan at least) in 2023, with 2013’s The Wind Rises otherwise being his most recent feature film. It was once announced as the final film he’d make before retiring, but anime fans are lucky enough to have at least one more: the aforementioned 2023 release called How Do You Live?
The Wind Rises stands out among other Miyazaki movies for how grounded it feels, given there are no fantastical elements in this story about the life of aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, particularly focusing on World War Two. It still has all the great storytelling, visuals, and music one could expect from Miyazaki, though, making it another great title in his rich filmography.
15 ‘Your Name’ (2016)
Your Name is one of the most popular non-English language movies of the 2010s, animated or otherwise. It follows two young people whose lives get mysteriously mixed up, with each having to live out the other’s life, all the while trying to discover why they’ve become inexplicably linked in such a way.
It’s essentially an animated take on the body swap formula, but it elevates the sub-genre and truly benefits from being animated, given some of the ways it can visualize this link between its two main characters. It’s engaging, easy to watch, and an overall compelling blend of slice-of-life drama, romance, and a little fantasy.
14 ‘Perfect Blue’ (1997)
Perfect Blue shows how animation can be just as effective as live-action when it comes to telling intense psychological drama/thriller stories. The plot centers on a pop singer/actress who loses her grip on reality, finding herself stalked by an obsessive fan and seemingly her own personal demons simultaneously.
Watching the movie proves to be an almost overwhelming trip, as it continually spirals into darker, more disturbing territory with every minute that passes by. Yet the way it does this is as enthralling as it is disturbing, and though multiple watches may be needed to make sense of it all, the brief 81-minute runtime makes the idea of revisiting it less daunting.
13 ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ (2004)
When it comes to ranking Miyazaki’s most popular movies, Howl’s Moving Castle is usually right up there. And it’s understandable why, because even the title makes it sound fascinating and intriguing. Those who tune in to experience the novelty of a castle that moves will indeed be happy – it’s even the setting for much of the film.
Its plot revolves around a young woman teaming up with an eccentric wizard and his legged castle in an attempt to undo the curse a witch put on her. It feels distinctly Miyazaki in every conceivable way, and though it bears many of his trademarks and stylistic touches, it does ultimately offer enough that’s new to stand on its own.
12 ‘Redline’ (2009)
There were a surprisingly large number of great sci-fi movies released in 2009, with Redline being one of them for sure. It takes place in the future and revolves around a high-speed and very dangerous series of car races that play out on an interplanetary scale, with competitors from all areas of the galaxy taking part.
The racing scenes are spectacular, and knowing that everything was done with hand-drawn animation only makes the detail and intensity of Redline more impressive. Those who like their anime to be as action-packed as possible need to drop whatever they’re doing and seek this movie out, as action-heavy anime doesn’t get much better than this.
11 ‘Mind Game’ (2004)
To call Mind Game an odd or eccentric movie would be a massive understatement. It might well be among the strangest animated movies of the 21st century so far, as it’s a deeply philosophical yet also absurd comedy that tells a story revolving around young love, the Yakuza, and the struggles of being trapped inside a giant whale.
It is impossible to know where a movie like Mind Game is going to go, because it offers something surprising in just about every scene. Few movies are as much of a trip, and though the feeling of watching Mind Game might well be akin to exhaustion for many, its uniqueness and off-the-wall sense of humor make it an undeniable cult classic anime movie.
10 ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ (1988)
A short and sweet movie by Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro probably doesn’t need much of an introduction. It’s one of the most iconic and beloved animated Japanese movies of all time, telling a simple yet endearing story about two young sisters who move to the countryside with their father before meeting various magical spirits in a nearby forest.
The fantastical sights and creatures on display here could’ve only come from the mind of Miyazaki. Overall, if you had to pick one movie to convince someone of the merits of anime as a medium, My Neighbor Totoro would probably be a good candidate. It’s a hard movie to fault or dislike, and as such, rightly stands as a classic.
9 ‘Night Is Short, Walk on Girl’ (2017)
Coming from the mind of Masaaki Yuasa – who also did 2004’s Mind Game – Night Is Short, Walk on Girl is another wild and eccentric comedic anime, but a little less intense than Mind Game. As such, it’s probably a good starting point for those wanting to get into the unique films of Yuasa.
Its story is simple on paper, but the style is wild and frequently dazzling. It’s mostly about one young man who’s in love with a young woman who never seems to notice him, and the crazy adventure they end up going on during a night out drinking in Kyoto. It’s frenetically paced and an assault on the senses, but in a good way, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s also a consistently hilarious movie, too.
8 ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion’ (1997)
Non-horror movies don’t get much more terrifying than The End of Evangelion. This 1997 film serves as a dramatic and bleak conclusion to the iconic mid-1990s anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, focusing on its main cast dealing with a truly apocalyptic threat that could well represent the end of the world as they know it.
It’s a movie that’s not content to “just” be about the horrors of the world ending, as it’s also an intense psychological drama that explores the dark mindsets of its characters. It’s far from a fun movie, but it is enthralling and quite spectacular, blending nightmarish imagery and haunting music in a way that’s very hard to forget.
7 ‘Millennium Actress’ (2001)
Satoshi Kon is well-recognized for movies like the aforementioned Perfect Blue, but 2001’s Millennium Actress tends to get a little overlooked. It similarly follows an actress as its main character, but is much less dark than Perfect Blue, and more of a unique character drama that expertly uses flashbacks and fractured memories throughout.
It doesn’t overwhelm the way some other great anime movies do, but instead slowly sucks you in as a viewer, and ends up rewarding you with a moving and quite beautiful experience. There are bold visuals, sure, but the story is very down-to-earth and intimate, which makes Millennium Actress feel unique and like something truly special.
6 ‘Castle in the Sky’ (1986)
Castle in the Sky is yet another Hayao Miyazaki fantasy movie that stands as one of the best anime films in history. As a director, he just can’t seem to do any wrong, with this endearing film following a young boy and girl trying to find a flying castle (not to be mixed up with Howl’s one, which walks).
All the while, they clash with pirates and various other adversaries, making Castle in the Sky a constantly fast-paced and always entertaining movie. It’s a simple adventure story pulled off exceedingly well, and considering it’s well over 30 years old at this point, time has been incredibly kind to it.
