9 Most Perfect Anime of the Last 25 Years

Image via Wit Studio Published Jul 31, 2026, 12:07 AM EDT Jiminna Shillingford is an avid reader and a passionate storyteller. She is obsessed with all things TV, from anime and romantic fantasy to action-packed series. With that deep affection, Jiminna longs to share her excitement with all her readers through the Collider platform as a TV author. Through her writing she has created stories and blog posts of amazing book recommendations, showcasing her love of writing. Jiminna's goal is to inspire others to discover and embrace their love of stories in all of its forms. Sign in to your Collider account Anime has consistently delivered some of the most emotional, imaginative, and incredibly immersive works of fictional art over the last 25 years. TV has been much better for it as series after series have been remembered for their striking animation, great fight scenes, epic worlds, and beautifully developed characters, all of which stay with audiences long after the credits roll. A few of the gems that have succeeded over the years are Mob Psycho 100, which stands out for its use of wild animation and psychic battles to tell a deeply personal tale about self-discovery and acceptance, and My Hero Academia, an epic action anime that turns superhero aspirations into an inspiring story about never giving up or backing down. Both, along with the rest on this list, are influential stories that remain consistent, powerful, and genuinely memorable throughout their run, standing as some of the most perfect anime works of the last 25 years. 9 'Hunter x Hunter' (2011–2014) Image via Madhouse This 2011 remake has lived on in the hearts of anime fans for years since its release. Hunter x Hunter follows Gon Freecss (Megumi Han) as he sets out to become a Hunter and gain his Hunter’s license, in order to better understand the father who abandoned him. Hunter x Hunter is one of those rare, perfect gems of long-form battle shōnen that becomes far more intelligent as it goes on. It’s a strong anime for first-timers into the genre, a true safe bet for a great time, and what the medium has to offer. Few anime of the last 25 years have balanced strategy, adventure, and character growth as well as Hunter x Hunter has. The series is genuinely masterful, as it delivers a rich adventure story without ever being shallow, an emotional wild-ride without ever being overly sentimental, and extremely clever without losing any of its excitement and fun. 8 'Steins;Gate' (2011–2015) Image via White Fox Steins;Gate is genuinely one of the most rewarding anime of the last 25 years, yet somehow its perfection is constantly overlooked. The series centers around Rintaro Okabe (Mamoru Miyano), a flamboyant mad scientist, whose accidental tampering with time begins to fracture the lives around him. Steins;Gate carefully builds from a rather quirky science-fiction comedy into a devastating time-travel drama that quite literally stuns. It’s a structurally satisfying good time that rewards rewatches, patience, and close attention. Steins;Gate is fantastically good, standing strong as a smart sci-fi anime with a beautiful emotional payoff. It's an underrated bout of perfection that hosts memorable characters, emotional stakes, and a clever structure. Not many are able to deny Stein;Gate's brilliance as it easily transitions from nerd comedy into a wrenching time-loop tragedy, marking it as one of the greatest sci-fi dramas ever made. 7 'Mob Psycho 100' (2016–2022) Image via Bones This coming-of-age tale is one that is undeniably magnificent and woefully underrated. Mob Psycho 100 focuses on a young middle schooler, Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama (Setsuo Ito), as he struggles socially while wielding incredibly absurd amounts of psychic power that threaten to go out of control at the height of his emotions. Anyone who has seen even just a bit of Mob Psycho 100 can point out why it's so incredibly perfect. With each episode, the series gets better, and with each season, the character growth becomes even more astonishing. Mob Psycho 100 is not only emotionally satisfying, but it stands as one of the most entertaining sci-fi action shows ever made. It's a top-of-the-shelf kind of anime that has ranked high among some of the most exciting in the genre of the last decade, despite its criminally underrated status. 6 'Made in Abyss' (2017–2022) Image via Kinema Citrus This incredible work of fiction stands as one of the most haunting watches on this list of the most perfect anime of the last 25 years. Made in Abyss centers on little Riko's (Miyu Tomita), who descends into the Abyss in search of her mother, accompanied by a mysterious robot boy named Reg (Mariya Ise). Made in Abyss is the embodiment of deceptive beauty, with its host of colors and seemingly whimsical adventure story. In actuality, the breathtaking fantasy builds a world that features emotional devastation for audiences and characters alike. It's an often overlooked anime that wields a perfection that is truly rare in the modern genre. Made in Absyss' story is no doubt far darker and more unsettling than its lighthearted appearance initially suggests, but its emotional power, atmosphere, and astonishingly immersive quality make it the ideal addition to this list. Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you'd actually make it out of alive. 💊The Matrix 🔥Mad Max 🌧️Blade Runner 🏜️Dune 🚀Star Wars TEST YOUR SURVIVAL → 01 You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one. APull on every thread until I understand the system — then figure out how to break it. BStop asking questions and start stockpiling — food, fuel, weapons. Questions don't keep you alive. CKeep my head down, observe carefully, and trust no one until I know who's pulling the strings. DStudy the patterns. Every system has a rhythm — learn it, and you learn how to survive it. EFind the people fighting back and join them. You can't fix a broken galaxy alone. NEXT QUESTION → 02 In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires. AKnowledge. If you understand the system, you don't need resources — you can generate them. BFuel. Everything else — movement, power, escape — runs on it. CTrust. In a world of fakes and informants, a truly reliable ally is rarer than any commodity. DWater. And after water, information — the two things empires are truly built on. EShips and credits. The galaxy is big — you survive it by being able to move through it freely. NEXT QUESTION → 03 What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of. AThat reality itself is a lie — that everything I experience has been constructed to keep me compliant. BA raid. No warning, no mercy — just the roar of engines and then nothing left. CBeing identified. Once someone with power decides you're a problem, you're already out of time. DBeing outmanoeuvred — losing a political game I didn't even know I was playing. EThe Empire tightening its grip until there's nowhere left to run. NEXT QUESTION → 04 How do you deal with authority you don't trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything. ASubvert it from the inside — learn its rules well enough to weaponise them against it. BIgnore it and stay out of its reach. The further from any power structure, the better. CAppear to comply while doing exactly what I need to do. Visibility is the enemy. DManoeuvre within it carefully. You can't beat a system you refuse to understand. EResist openly when I have to. Some things are worth the risk of being seen. NEXT QUESTION → 05 Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn't just tactical — it's physical, psychological, and very much about where you are. AUnderground bunkers and server rooms — cramped, artificial, but with access to everything that matters. BOpen wasteland — brutal sun, no shelter, constant movement. At least the threat is honest. CA dense, rain-soaked city where you can disappear into the crowd and nobody asks questions. DMerciless desert — extreme heat, no water, and something enormous living beneath the sand. EThe fringe — backwater planets and busy spaceports where the Empire's attention rarely reaches. NEXT QUESTION → 06 Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are. AA tight crew of believers who've seen behind the curtain and have nothing left to lose. BOne or two people I'd trust with my life. Any more than that and someone talks. CNobody, ideally. Alliances are liabilities. I work alone unless I have no choice. DA community bound by shared hardship and mutual survival — people who need each other to last. EA ragtag team with wildly different skills and total commitment when it counts. NEXT QUESTION → 07 Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they're actually made of. AI won't harm the innocent — even the ones who'd report me without hesitation. BI do what I have to to protect the people I've chosen. Everything else is negotiable. CThe line shifts depending on who's asking and what's at stake. DI draw a long-term line — nothing that compromises my people's future, even if it'd help now. ESome lines, once crossed, can't be uncrossed. I know which ones they are. NEXT QUESTION → 08 What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another. AWaking others up — dismantling the illusion so no one else has to live inside it. BFinding somewhere — or someone — worth protecting. A reason to keep moving. CAnswers. Understanding what I am, what any of this means, before time runs out. DLegacy — shaping the future in a way that outlasts me by generations. EFreedom — for myself, for others, for every world still living under someone else's boot. REVEAL MY WORLD → Your Fate Has Been Calculated You'd Survive In…Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for. The MatrixYou took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You're a systems thinker who can't help but notice the seams in things. You're drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it. You'd find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines' worst nightmare. You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it. The Matrix built an airtight prison. You'd be the one probing the walls for the door. Mad MaxThe wasteland doesn't reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That's you. You don't need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon. You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you're good at all three. You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider. In the wasteland, that distinction is everything. Blade RunnerYou'd survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely. You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer. In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional. You're not a hero. But you're not lost, either. In Blade Runner's world, that distinction is everything. DuneArrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards. Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they're survival tools. You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory. Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You'd learn its logic and earn its respect. In time, you wouldn't just survive Arrakis — you'd begin to reshape it. Star WarsThe galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn't have it any other way. You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion. You'd gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire's grip can be broken. You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn't something you're capable of. In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 5 'Monster' (2004–2005) Image via Madhouse Monster has to be one of the greatest anime ever created, as it delivers an equal sophistication as the best live-action psychological thrillers. The thriller follows Dr. Kenzo Tenma (Hidenobu Kiuchi), who saves a child's life and slowly comes to the realization that that same child is Johan Liebert (Nozomu Sasaki), who may become one of the most terrifying human beings to ever exist. Monster is a suspenseful thrill ride that stands out because of its discipline. It's a true gem not only for its mature storytelling but also for its continuous high quality of gripping content. Monster is masterfully constructed from beginning to end, with its suspense that grows through choices, conversations, memories, and the psychological damage left behind by past influences. Few anime of the last 25 years have shown the spectacular maturity, tension, and continuous high quality that Monster has, making it one of the most perfect shows ever made. 4 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' (2019–2024) Image via Ufotable This iconic action anime is a masterpiece that owns the stage in story and intensity. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba follows Tanjiro Kamado (Natsuki Hanae), a boy who becomes a Demon Slayer after his family is massacred, with only his sister Nezuko (Akari Kitō), remaining, but completely transformed. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a true action staple. It's a visually overwhelming bout of intense action that has exceeded countless expectations. Demon Slayer is easily dubbed perfect by fans for all it brings: an epic story, brutal action, memorable characters, emotional weight, and some of the most stunning animation ever seen in the medium. The anime is a series that boasts immense popularity—which is very well-deserved—a defining anime that stands at the top with several other greats of the last 25 years. 3 'Attack on Titan' (2013–2023) Image via Wit Studio Attack on Titan is a true cultural phenomenon. The brilliant action anime focuses on friends Eren Yeager (Yûki Kaji), Mikasa Ackerman (Yui Ishikawa), and Armin Arlert (Marina Inoue), who begin as survivors trapped behind walls and grow into avenging soldiers as time goes on. Attack on Titan is genuinely in a league of its own. It's one of the few long-form anime that has maintained an extraordinary level of quality season after season. What begins as a brutal survival story develops into a spiraling tale of oppression, war, freedom, and the devastating consequences of the morally grey line between good and evil. Attack on Titan is literal perfection and stands today as one of the most defining TV events of the century, masterfully cementing its place on this list. 2 'My Hero Academia' (2016–2026) This visual feast of an anime is one that not only delivers quality animation but also a fantastic story. My Hero Academia centers around the initially powerless Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita), who is born into a world where superhuman abilities are common, only to be given the chance of power inheritance by the hero he admires most. My Hero Academia is one of the top-defining shōnen of the last decade, as it turns simple heroic dreams into a story about responsibility, effort, and courage. Even with a large cast of characters, the series remains gripping, giving each character time to shine in the spotlight. A huge part of My Hero's perfection is how earnestly it believes in heroism while still throwing out the question of what being a hero truly means. The series takes its audience on a journey rife with laughter, love, tears, and loss, offering viewers a modern shōnen with an emotional payoff that definitely places it high among the best and the brightest. Image via Bones Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the ultimate anime fantasy watch that provides audiences with a well-balanced story. The impeccable anime follows brothers Edward Elric (Romi Park) and Alphonse Elric (Rie Kugimiya), who commit the central sin of human transmutation, lose their bodies in the attempt, and then join the military in order to embark on a mystical journey to reclaim what was taken from them with hopes of finding the philosopher's stone. Whether it be story, animation, action, or fantasy, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood delivers on all fronts. The series is often treated as the gold standard for a complete anime adaptation, and it is as plain as day to see why. Very few anime have matched the level of gripping storytelling that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has. It hosts both blockbuster action and intricate plotting, with memorable antagonists, a coherent power system, and absolutely no lull in the middle of it all. It's a truly epic tale, rife with content that never feels bloated or unnecessary. In fact, the action fantasy is the kind of perfect series that has had a hand in defining what true anime excellence means over the last 25 years. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Release Date 2009 - 2010-00-00 Cast Maxey Whitehead Alphonse Elric Vic Mignogna Edward Elric Creator Hiromu Arakawa Main Genre Fantasy Seasons 1 Studio Bones Number of Episodes 64 Streaming Service(s) Crunchyroll, Hulu Based On Manga MyAnimeList Score 9.10