10 Best Anime of the 1990s, Ranked

Outlaw Star is a heavily inspired Star Wars story set in a mature future where pirates, assassins, and outlaws begin to threaten humanity’s new frontier of lawless outer space. Our hero, Gene Starwind, travels on a highly advanced prototype ship alongside his small crew in hopes of finding an immense treasure in the Galactic Leyline, a place only this ship can travel to. It’s a perfect blend of a space opera and space western, the latter of which was a trend of the decade.

Another popular space western of the decade, Trigun, set in the 32nd Century on planet No Man’s Land, follows Vash the Stampede, a famous gunman who is constantly fighting bounty hunters seeking to obtain the immense bounty on his head. As the series continues, more about Vash’s mysterious past and the history of human civilization on the planet is revealed. Its stamp on the ‘90s proved so prevalent that in 2022, a sequel series, Trigun Stampede, was announced.

Set in 2029 Japan, the Ghost in the Shell film follows cyborg agent Motoko Kusanagi hunting the enigmatic hacker, Puppet Master, while exploring profound themes of self-identity in a high-tech world. It garnered initial positive reviews for its narrative, visuals, and music. Although it was seen as a box-office disappointment, it later gained a cult following on home video and is now hailed as one of the greatest anime and sci-fi films ever. Ghost in the Shell has significantly impacted notable filmmakers, including the Wachowskis, who presented it to producer Joel Silver, expressing their desire to bring its style to life in The Matrix and its sequels.

This 1992 series follows Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who dies while saving a child’s life and is revived as an “Underworld Detective” by Koenma, the ruler of the afterlife Underworld. As the story progresses, it’s up to Yusuke and his friends to protect Earth from demon invasions. Taking extreme influence from horror films, this shonen boasts more of a demonic element that we’re used to seeing in contemporary anime, such as Bleach or JuJutsu Kaisen. The animated series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize for best anime in 1994 and 1995 and remains one of the best-selling manga series of all time. And thanks to its fantastic dub, art direction, and Shonen flair, it broke major ground when it debuted on Toonami and later Adult Swim in 2001.

Sailor Moon chronicles schoolgirl Usagi Tsukino’s transformation into the titular character on a quest to find the “Legendary Silver Crystal.” She leads a team of Sailor Soldiers, later known as Sailor Guardians, to thwart villains trying to steal the Crystal and protect the Solar System from destruction. Sailor Moon has universally acclaimed art, characters, and humor. The manga sold over 46 million copies globally, ranking it among the top-selling shōjo manga series. The franchise also generated $2.5 billion worldwide in merchandise sales and is credited for reinvigorating the magical girl genre.

Princess Mononoke is a Studio Ghibli blockbuster from 1997 written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki that held the domestic box office record until 2001’s Spirited Away, gained worldwide popularity for the animation house, and sold well in North America on home media despite modest box office earnings. Neil Gaiman translated the English script, preserving the film’s cultural themes, depicting the conflict between an Emishi prince named Ashitaka and the forest gods as humans exploit its resources. The English cast boasts big names like Keith David, Claire Danes, Jada Pinkett Smith, and more. The film is celebrated for its themes of Shinto, environmentalism, and for being a landmark in the world of hand-drawn animation. James Cameron cited Princess Mononoke as an influence on his 2009 film Avatar.

The 1-2 punch of releasing a Saturday morning cartoon-like anime alongside the Pokémon Red and Blue games for the Game Boy was a stroke of genius that enraptured children’s minds worldwide. The series follows Ash Ketchem and his buddy Pikachu on his quest to “catch’em all” (his last name is a pun for the catchphrase) and become a Pokémon Master. What it does best is introduce several small creatures (or Pocket Monsters) and the dynamics of their world. Since its introduction in 1997, Pokémon has gone on to become the most valuable media franchise on Earth.

Shinichirō Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop is hailed as one of the greatest animated series ever, achieving critical and commercial success worldwide, especially in the United States. It won numerous anime and sci-fi awards for its exceptional style, characters, story, voice acting, animation, and soundtrack. The English dub, considered one of the best, played a vital role in introducing anime to a new Western audience in the early 2000s, making Cowboy Bebop a gateway series for anime enthusiasts. The ultimate anime space western, the series is set in the year 2071 and follows the lives of Spike and his traveling bounty-hunting crew aboard the titular spaceship, the Bebop.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is an artistic masterpiece that is very much a product of its time, as it represents the introspective nature of the generation, all the while masquerading as a typical mecha anime. On the surface, the story follows three teen mech pilots tasked by the government to destroy Angels, intergalactic beings responsible for causing a catastrophic apocalypse on Earth 15 years prior. But underneath that, it is an examination of psychosis, mental health, and the human condition, as everyone comes to terms with themselves amongst constant, world-ending threats that only they can stop. With heavy themes of Christianity and extreme Extensionalism, it is a story that stays with you.

There is no other anime on this list, save for Pokémon, that transcends all borders and has only become more culturally relevant as time passes. When it broke in the U.S. on Toonami, it birthed the seeds of what would make anime mainstream today. The series continues Dragon Ball and follows Goku and his friends as they defend Earth and the rest of the universe from powerful foes. It has gone on to spawn countless video games, two anime sequels, a manga sequel, and movies, several of which have premiered in North America, paving the way for other anime theatrical releases. Its influence on the Shonen genre can still be seen in countless contemporary classics to this day, including Naruto and One Piece.