Anime fans can become quite competitive about which shows and movies are the best. We all have our favorites based on our personal preferences and experiences. Some might favor the quiet slice-of-life stories found in My Dress-Up Darling or Blue Period, while others may want something more explosive like Attack on Titan or Dragon Ball Z. There is no right answer to which anime is the best. Or is there? MyAnimeList has long compiled user ratings to determine which anime is “objectively” the best.
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User aggregate scores are an important way to grade the accessible, resonant qualities of any given anime, and it’s no surprise that MAL users have a decent grip on a genuinely good series. While there have been spectacles around when a series is poised to dethrone a long-reigning champion, such as Oshi no Ko in 2023, in general, fans have respected the process and what shows have come out on top. Without further ado, here is the current top 10 as yielded by MyAnimeList.
Note: This list will only include shows as a whole, not individual seasons like they are ranked on MAL (otherwise, there would be a lot of Gintama on here).
10. Kaguya-sama: Love is War (8.98)
When Kaguya-sama: Love is War burst onto the scene in 2019, it shocked fans by launching to the top of MyAnimeList’s Top 10 ranking, beating out Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. In the years since, the show’s devout fandom has somewhat calmed down. However, the series is still immensely popular, as it has remained in the top 10 despite some tough competition.
Based on the manga by Aka Akasaka, Kaguya-sama: Love is War puts a more mature spin on the usual anime rom-com formula. The series follows Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomya, two high-performing students at a prestigious school who battle to elicit a confession of love from the other.
9. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War (9.0)
Despite its place in the Big Three, the original Bleach was often the butt of a lot of jokes from the anime community and was constantly labeled as the weakest of the three. But, Thousand-Year Blood War has put the franchise back on the map even for casual fans just getting into the medium in the present.
Released a decade after the original series came to an end, Thousand-Year Blood War unsurprisingly adapts the “Thousand-Year Blood War” arc from Tite Kubo’s manga, which brought the series to a close. TYBW isn’t just reuniting Bleach fans with their favorite characters, it’s doing so with the animation quality the series always deserved, earning it such high regard from anime fans.
8. Legend of the Galactic Heroes (9.01)
Contemporary anime fans may not know about Legend of the Galactic Heroes, but the series, which aired between 1988 and 1997, is still considered to be one of the best sci-fi anime around. The show is based on the eponymous series of novels by Yoshiki Tanaka, who also wrote The Heroic Legend of Arslan.
The hard sci-fi series follows Heinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li, two rivals looking to grow their power and influence in the warring factions, the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. Legend of the Galactic Heroes is one of those classic series that stays with you long after you finish it, thanks to its gorgeous animation, philosophical themes, and immaculate ’80s sci-fi vibes.
7. Hunter x Hunter (9.03)
Hunter x Hunter is one of those anime that needs little introduction. The series, based on the manga by Yoshihiro Togashi, is often cited as one of the most beloved anime of the past few decades. HxH was many people’s introduction to anime and was the gateway drug to them discovering the other amazing shows on this list.
For the five anime fans who haven’t seen Hunter x Hunter, the anime (which aired between 2011 and 2014) follows Gon Freecss’s journey to find his long-lost father. When he learns that his father was a legendary Hunter, Gon Freecss dedicates himself to joining their prestigious ranks to find his father.
6. Gintama (9.05)
“If you’ve watched Gintama, you’ve watched most other anime,” is how fans often describe the series. Debuting in 2006, Gintama‘s anime is a historical action comedy that fans remember best for its phenomenal parodies of other major shonen series and pop culture. Created by Hideaki Sorachi, Gintama is arguably one of the most lauded comedy anime of all time (or, at least according to MAL).
The series follows Gintoki Sakata, an unemployed samurai who lives in an alternate version of the Edo period taken over by aliens. Gintoki and his friends survive day-to-day by freelancing, taking odd jobs for various clients, leading to hijinks-filled adventures. Over its 367 episodes, Gintama has parodied the likes of One Piece, Dragonball Z, Akira, Berserk, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and so many more.
[RELATED – Hunter x Hunter’s True Best Friendship Taught Me a Powerful Lesson on Vulnerability]
5. One Piece Fan Letter (9.05)
One Piece might be one of the most popular anime of all time, but it’s the franchise’s special Fan Letter OVA that united fans and non-fans alike when it was released in 2024. Eiichiro Oda’s long-running series will go down in anime history as one of the most influential series. But Fan Letter is arguably One Piece at its best.
Released to celebrate the anime’s 25th anniversary, One Piece Fan Letter adapts Tomohito Ohsaki’s official novel, Straw Hat Stories, into an emotional 25-minute-long OVA. Set after the Paramount War, the OVA follows a young girl who is obsessed with the Straw Hat pirates and Nami, and tries to give her a fan letter before they set off on their next adventure.
4. Attack on Titan (9.05)
During its run between 2013 and 2023, Attack on Titan had the anime community in the palm of its hand, as we tuned in week by week, desperate to uncover the mysteries of the Titans and the world Eren Jaeger lived in. As much as fans joked about the show’s drawn-out ending, Attack on Titan still enjoys endless re-watches from fans as they look back for all the early clues littered across the first three seasons.
Based on the manga by Hajime Isayama, Attack on Titan is set in a world where humanity lives behind three behemoth walls to protect them from the giant Titans roaming the outside world. After two unusual Titans break the outside wall, Eren Jaeger swears to avenge his mother and kill all the Titans, leading him down a very dark path.
3. Steins;Gate (9.07)
Hardcore anime fans know about Steins;Gate, but many casual viewers have yet to experience this mind-bending sci-fi series. Based on the manga by Yomi Sarachi, Steins;Gate is another one of those shows that demands re-watching for fans to piece together clues in this incredibly intricate time-travel story. Thanks to that, and its phenomenal character development and plot structure, Steins;Gate has undoubtedly earned its place on the podium.
The series follows Rintaro Okabe and his friends, who discover a way to send text messages to the past, allowing them to alter the future. What follows next is a timeline-altering journey for the stars of Steins;Gate, long-hailed as one of the best science-fiction anime of all time.
2. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (9.10)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the one series that almost the entire anime community agrees is phenomenal. For years, the series held the top spot on MAL’s list (until the below entry stole the #1 position). FMA: Brotherhood is another show that should need no introduction, but we’ll give it one anyway in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last two decades.
Debuting in 2009, Studio Bones’ anime, based on the manga by Hiromu Arakawa, follows anime’s best brothers as they deal with the fallout of attempting to revive their dead mother using spells that have left them permanently scarred. The show delivered on the manga’s amazing writing and character development and gave the community the best dog in anime.
1. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (9.31)
To those who haven’t read the manga, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End came out of nowhere in 2023 to steal the top spot from FMA: Brotherhood. At a time when the fantasy genre feels stale for many (partly thanks to the oversaturation of the Isekai genre), Frieren was a much-needed breath of fresh air. Add to that its incredibly rich narrative, solid world-building, and loveable characters, and those who have watched it know why it’s #1 on the list.
Based on Kanehito Yamada’s manga, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End follows the titular elf mage in the years after her party’s quest to defeat the Demon King and save the world. Spending her days wandering and learning magic, Frieren finds herself looking after her old comrade’s apprentice, Fern, which kickstarts a new journey across the world and her internal journey of appreciating her past adventure.
H/T: MyAnimeList
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