10 Essential Anime Series To Watch If You've Never Seen One Before

Anime has cemented its popularity and recognition globally for decades, evidenced by record-shattering box office success and enormously well-received streaming debuts. But, as with any medium, there are still going to be those that have yet to dip their toes in the anime water. Fortunately, it's better late than never to join in on the countless number of Japanese animated television series available to stream worldwide on a variety of platforms. And even for anime neophytes, there are plenty of shows that even newcomers can enjoy as a gateway to the medium.

We're here to help narrow down where those curious about anime should start first. Here are 10 essential anime series to watch if you've never sat down and seen a Japanese animated show before.

The late Akira Toriyama's influence on the manga and anime medium can't be understated, including its eventual global popularity. This largely comes from "Dragon Ball," which follows the martial artist Goku, progressing from his childhood before he grows up, marries, and starts a family of his own. Along the way, across numerous sequel series, Goku discovers his extraterrestrial heritage before taking on threats that pose danger to the entire universe. Following the original series, "Dragon Ball" has produced four sequel series and one complete remaster of the classic "Dragon Ball Z," under the title "Dragon Ball Z Kai."

Somehow even better than its legacy would suggest, "Dragon Ball" really is deserving of its immense and continuing success. Though the sheer breadth of the franchise might intimidate newcomers, both the original series and "Dragon Ball Z" are designed to be new viewer-friendly. Part of the fun is watching "Dragon Ball" transform from a fantasy story to an overtly science fiction one, while Goku and the supporting cast grow stronger. The eternal gateway anime, "Dragon Ball" has shown no signs of slowing down since premiering in the 1980s and is still welcoming new fans.

Most post-apocalyptic stories, regardless of medium, tend to be dour and self-serious, but that's not really the case with "Trigun." The sci-fi series takes place on a barren planet where the remnants of humanity live in isolated towns and cities across the wasteland resembling the Wild West. In this world of gunslingers and outlaws, the most notorious of them all is Vash the Stampede, who carries an enormous bounty on his head and a destructive reputation. However, when Vash is tracked down by two insurance investigators trying to mitigate damages he's linked to, they're surprised by his goofy personality.

"Trigun" is a blend of Western and post-apocalyptic sci-fi, with a ridiculous amount of blazing guns. Though the show definitely has its somber and intense moments, there is a rollicking sense of fun to it, too. Yasuhiro Nightow's manga was adapted a second time, into the 2023 series "Trigun Stampede," but the 1998 original series is still the most approachable. A freewheeling tale that mixes high-octane action set pieces with heady sci-fi, "Trigun" is a surprisingly contemplative shoot-em-up.

Don't let the widely criticized live-action "Cowboy Bebop" deter prospective anime viewers; the 1998 animated series is a stone-cold classic. Taking place in a future where Earth is largely uninhabited as humanity colonizes the solar system, bounty hunters track down deadly criminals in the lawless frontier. Among these mercenaries is Spike Spiegel, an unfailingly cool yet hard-luck gunslinger who cruises for contracts with the crew of the Bebop. In between taking on bounties, the crew's past emerges and catches up with each of them in their own way.

More than 20 years later, "Cowboy Bebop" is still phenomenal and still far and away the gold standard in anime. Virtually every episode has its own distinct feel to it, veering from slapstick comedy to psychological horror, each feeling organic to the wider series. But no matter what genre a given episode is going for, there is an underlying sense of jazzy cool that permeates throughout the show. One of the greatest shows of any medium, "Cowboy Bebop" has always deserved its celebrated recognition among fans.

With more than 1,000 episodes and counting, "One Piece" has been an industry staple for decades and a global success story for the franchise. Based on the manga by Eiichiro Oda, the swashbuckling saga unfolds in a world where pirates roam the high seas in defiance of the Navy. One of these seafaring crews is the Straw Hat Pirates, led by their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, whose strength and abilities are enhanced after eating a piece of Devil Fruit. Luffy is in search of the mythical One Piece, a long-lost treasure that grants the one who holds it the title of King of the Pirates.

There is a reason why "One Piece" has maintained its immense worldwide popularity and thrilled generations of fans: It's very good. Curious viewers shouldn't be intimidated by the high episode total, because once they get started, they'll be blazing through 'em in no time. Oda has built a memorable ensemble cast and a sprawling tale that, even after all this time, hasn't felt like it's spinning its wheels.

The Japanese entertainment industry has an impressive output of inherently terrifying horror projects, which carries over to the anime medium. A prime example of this is 2006's "Death Note," based on the manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The show's protagonist is Light Yagami, a high school genius who discovers a mysterious notebook known as the Death Note, killing anyone whose name is written in it. A power-mad Light immediately uses the Death Note to shape the world in his image and kill anyone who stands in his way, causing the authorities to hunt for him.

Like "Cowboy Bebop," "Death Note" is another beloved anime property that received a widely derided live-action Hollywood adaptation. That unfortunate distinction shouldn't overshadow the legacy of the 2006 anime, which still shines as the superior adaptation of the manga all these years later. Most episodes of the show end on a cliffhanger or plot twist that will keep viewers on the hook while building the suspense. Incredibly binge-friendly and maintaining a delightfully foreboding atmosphere, "Death Note" is one of the best horror anime ever made.

The 2009 series "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood" is actually the second anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's best-selling manga, following a 2003 show that aired Stateside on Adult Swim. This newer version hews more faithfully to the source material, including retaining the original story's ending. Set in a steampunk world inspired by Germany, the story features a world full of transmutational magic and alternative science. Brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, both cursed by alchemical spells gone wrong, set out to take on monstrous Homunculi threatening the kingdom.

"Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood" holds the vaunted reputation as being rated the best anime series of all time on IMDb, and this distinction is well-deserved. "Brotherhood" feels familiar to fans of the original series, but with plenty of big twists to still surprise them. At the same time, the show is perfectly accessible to anyone who's never watched an episode of the first adaptation before. In adapting Arakawa's classic manga multiple times, Studio Bones made one of the best anime shows ever, twice.

Hajime Isayama's manga "Attack on Titan" was adapted into a sweeping anime series in 2013 and maintained the fiery intensity for which the plot was known. The story takes place in a vaguely European setting with steampunk flourishes and cities surrounded by massive walls for protection from Titans. These Titans are colossal humanoids wandering the countryside with an insatiable hunger for humans, strong enough to breach or scale the walls to prey on the populace. After losing his mother to the Titans, protagonist Eren Yeager joins a specialized military force trained to topple Titans, only to learn of his dark connection with these monsters.

Right from its very first episode, "Attack on Titan" is one of those shows where no one feels completely safe from harm. Fan-favorite characters perish throughout each of the four seasons, often in exceedingly grim fashion underscoring the story's message about the devastating cost of war. An unrelenting tale of prolonged conflict's toll on humanity on a grand scale, "Attack on Titan" is heartbreakingly epic.

Giant fighting mechs is an entire anime genre unto itself, with no franchise more prominent than the sheer number of Gundam shows by Sunrise. We'll have to recommend 2015's "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin" as the best place to start. The show is a modernized and streamlined retelling of the original 1979 anime series "Mobile Suit Gundam," depicting the interplanetary war between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon. At the heart of this conflict are rival pilots Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, whose complex dynamic informs the course of the war.

Told primarily from Char's perspective as opposed to Amuro's like the original series, "The Origin" is a fantastic distillation of what made "Mobile Suit Gundam" great. Char was always one of the more morally complicated and charismatic characters in the franchise, and this retelling emphasizes those qualities. At the same time, it's great seeing a wider perspective on the classic's familiar central conflict, retold with modern animation techniques. Breathing new life into the franchise's roots, "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin" is the perfect entry point for those curious about Gundam.

Judging by the movies' international success at the box office, it's clear that "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" has reached an audience size few other anime properties can measure up to. For those intrigued by the hype, the best place to start is the anime series that the movies spin off from, based on the manga by Koyoharu Gotouge. Unfolding in a fantasy version of early 20th-century Japan, protagonist Tanjiro Kamado nearly loses his entire family to a demon attack, save for his younger sister Nezuko. As the cursed Nezuko gradually transforms into a demon, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps to train in swordsmanship, avenge his family, and restore his sister.

Compared to long-running anime series that get bogged down by filler to pad their episode counts, there is a clear sense of progression to "Demon Slayer." Tanjiro steadily works toward his goals in significant ways in each story arc, while the show never loses sight of his dynamic with Nezuko. The series also builds a memorable supporting cast around the siblings, each adding to the story's scope and colorful ensemble. If you're looking to see what the box office buzz is all about, "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" is where to begin.

Not every anime needs to have life-or-death stakes, with many stellar series just chronicling the daily slice-of-life comedy and drama in various scenarios. This includes the 2021 anime series "Komi Can't Communicate," which is an adaptation of the manga by Tomohito Oda. The story's title character is Shoko Komi, a beautiful girl with severe social anxiety who starts at a new high school. Komi's classmate Hitohito Tadano helps her overcome this by coaching her communication skills to make new friends, while secretly harboring a crush on her.

"Komi Can't Communicate" is a cozy show that leans into a more innocent coming-of-age sense of humor. The relationship between Komi and Tadano is sweetly developed while not possessing the teenage mean-spiritedness contained in many of its genre contemporaries. Similarly, the humor is gently done, particularly when it comes to the animation style changes whenever Komi struggles to articulate herself in social settings. An easygoing anime series that welcomes casual viewers into the genre, "Komi Can't Communicate" is an all-age-friendly crowd-pleaser.