15 Best Anime Movies Of All Time (Ranked)

Animation is a beautiful and expressive medium that can tell stories that live-action can’t. It’s just that simple. The Japanese side of animation is incredibly captivating and home to some of the best-animated movies ever made. Here are the 15 best anime movies of all time, ranked.

15 Best Anime Movies Of All Time (Ranked)

15 – Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

Ghost in the Shell is widely regarded as one of the most influential and beautifully animated films. However, its sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, improves upon the first film in every way. The film focuses on Cybernetic Operative Batou, a supporting character from the first Ghost in the Shell, as he investigates a series of murders all committed by the same type of sex robots. Ghost in the Shell 2 poses powerful questions about sentience and existence, all while having impressive action sequences and compelling characters.

Filled with highly profound moments mixed with well-plotted action with high stakes, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence justifies itself as a sequel by expounding on characters with little screentime in the earlier film and pitting them against an enemy that not only challenges them physically but shakes the very foundations of their existence and beliefs down to their core.

14 – Paprika

Prepare to see Satoshi Kon’s name several times on this list. While the director tragically passed away at a young age due to cancer, he still had a phenomenal run of feature films before his illness. Each one is unique and groundbreaking, especially Paprika. The film tells the story of Dr. Atsuko Chiba, a scientist by day and a dream detective by night. In her role as a detective, she’s known as Paprika. When a prototype device used to enter people’s dreams is stolen by a dream terrorist, Paprika has to catch the culprit before irreparable damage is done.

Four years before Chris Nolan’s Inception took the world by storm, Paprika used the medium of animation to tell a captivating and surreal story about dream-hopping with compelling themes of duality that manages to be exciting and a tiny bit horrifying. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Paprika is a revolutionary film that needs to be seen.

13 – Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro

Hayao Miyazaki’s feature directorial debut in 1979 was an extension of the television work he had already done on the Lupin III television series, and it’s all the better because of it. In The Castle of Cagliostro, master thief Lupin’s big cash grab from his latest heist turns out to be nothing but counterfeit bills. But instead of taking the loss, he decides to settle the score by going to where the bills originated: the isolated country of Cagliostro.

The Castle of Cagliostro is the perfect entry point for those new to the massive mythos of Lupin III and its various series and films. The movie also benefits from being directed by Miyazaki. It has complicated and cleverly designed set pieces, mystical intrigue, and one of the best soundtracks for a Lupin film made by You & The Explosion band. It’s essential viewing that gives animation fans a new perspective on the legendary director.

12 – Inu-Oh

Director Masaaki Yuasa, who made popular anime movies such as Ride Your Wave and The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, most recently released the musical epic Inu-Oh in 2021. Produced by the animation studio Science Saru, Inu-Oh is set in 14th-century Japan and chronicles the friendship between Inu-Oh, a dancer born with deformities due to a curse, and Tomona, a blind musician. This latest film by Yuasa is his boldest project yet, with such a remarkable visual style and so many impressive touches (such as the change in animation when the story’s perspective shifts to blind characters) that leaves you wanting more.

The musical numbers in the film make it stand out the most. This anime rock opera doesn’t hold back in any of its songs or the accompanying visuals, making each one distinct and more breathtaking than the last. The tragic friendship at the heart of the film is also developed to its fullest, and the final result is a heart-wrenching film that spans centuries and should be seen as soon as possible.

11 – Howl’s Moving Castle

Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 film had a troubled production that eventually required the legendary animation master to take the reins, and the film is all the better for it. Howl’s Moving Castle has the delicate balancing act of being a touching tribute to the source material while also challenging new themes of its own in the moments it diverges from the book. The movie is centered on Sophie, the hat maker, and her relationship with the wizard Howl after she’s been cursed to look like an old woman by the Witch of the Waste.

Equal parts love story and scathing commentary on war, Howl’s Moving Castle shows that even when Miyazaki’s film is an adaptation of a world that isn’t of his own creation (similar to his debut with Lupin III), he is still able to leave his indelible mark on a story.

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10 – Suzume

Makoto Shinkai started animating the entirety of his early films on his own, which explains his remarkable attention to detail in his more ambitious later works. Case in point: Shinkai’s newest film, Suzume. Partly inspired by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Suzume centers on the titular character as she navigates Japan and a series of magical doors spread across the country. All in an effort to stop natural disasters from occurring due to the world’s connection to a magical one.

Like the rest of Shinkai’s filmography, Suzume’s mystical and grandiose story is grounded in a profoundly personal tragedy for the main character. Just as much as she’s looking to close the magical door for the sake of Japan, she’s also looking for some closure for her past trauma. Shinkai tactfully weaves real-life tragedies and disasters with escapist entertainment to make a touching, heartfelt film.

9 – The First Slam Dunk

If you want something done right, do it yourself. At least, that must have been the mindset of director Takehiko Inoue, who created iconic manga such as Vagabond, Real, and, of course, Slam Dunk. Inoue makes the jump from mangaka to director almost seamlessly, as this feature directorial debut, titled The First Slam Dunk, is an incredibly enthralling sports drama from start to finish. The blend of traditional 2D and CG animation is also nearly seamless and helps ground the basketball match in visceral animation.

Taking place over the course of one game, The First Slam Dunk intercuts an intense matchup of the underdog Shohoku Basketball against the number one reigning championship team of Sinnoh with the stories and personal struggles of the starting five for Shohoku. Inoue brilliantly condenses 31 volumes worth of character development into its essential aspects for a compelling and short-burst adrenaline-fueled film. If this had been done by anyone other than the creator of the source material, it wouldn’t have worked.

8 – Spirited Away

Even if you’re not a fan of anime, you’ve more than likely heard of Spirited Away, the first Japanese Animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Often considered to be Miyazaki’s magnum opus, Spirited Away feels like an encapsulation of everything that makes Studio Ghibli such a unique studio and what makes Miyazaki’s direction and animation so singular.

Chihiro’s story of indentured servitude at a bathhouse for spirits lends itself to beautiful characters, set design, and a lovely story of perseverance. Spirited Away was also the highest-grossing film in Japanese history until 2020, which speaks to its enduring relevance today. While this is a more well-known film, it should still be owned and revisited due to its incredible cultural impact.

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7 – Your Name

Makoto Shinkai’s 2016 film helped cement the director’s position as one of the premier creatives in the anime industry. The unconventional love story between Mitsuha and Taki tugged at the heartstrings of anime fans everywhere. It was also the first collaboration between Shinkai and RADWIMPS, who would make the soundtrack for this movie and the subsequent two films Shinkai would release.

Your Name’s visual splendor is only overshadowed by the emotional weight behind its story, a rarity in anime movies. The twist halfway through the film is hard to see coming for first-time viewers and still hits as hard on future rewatches. The rich animation and thematic weight of what feels like a genuine relationship make Your Name one of the best anime movies ever made.

6 – The Wind Rises

Before The Boy and the Heron was released in 2023, it was often believed that The Wind Rises was Hayao Miyazaki’s final film. Even though that ended up not being the case, it’s still an engaging look into the complicated mind of a man who loves his work but hates what it’s become in popular culture and the animation industry as a whole. Jiro Horikoshi essentially serves as a stand-in for Miyazaki. Still, there’s an extra layer to the meta-commentary, as Horikoshi is an actual historical figure who created an A6M World War II fighter plane that would end up being used by Kamikaze pilots.

Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli heavily fictionalize Horikoshi’s story, turning it into a love story between his creations and his wife, Satomi. The film is a beautiful reflection of Miyazaki’s career up to that point, with some of the most elaborate imagery and complicated animation Ghibli has ever created.

5 – Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

The Cowboy Bebop anime is a cornerstone work that helped introduce many Western audiences to Japanese animation. Its definitive ending also left a deep impression on fans such as myself. The movie, which is set before the series’ ending, recaptures all the magic and heart of the 26-episode anime, and feels more like an extra-long episode than a film.

On Mars, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie centers on the crew of the Bebop attempting to stop a biological terrorist attack. It’s a simple story that elevates the characters people fell in love with on the small screen. When you add the killer soundtrack and improved animation budget thanks to the feature-length treatment, you get an incredible anime movie that’s also one of the best.

4 – Perfect Blue

Often considered Satoshi Kon’s masterpiece, Perfect Blue is a visceral and horrific look into toxic fan culture. Based on the book of the same name, Perfect Bue may be the most complex film on this list due to its exploration of themes of reality, identity, and the toxic, darker side of fame, especially in idol and otaku culture. Mima Kirigoe is a fascinating main character who attempts to separate herself from her idol persona and pursue a career in acting in film and television.

Perfect Blue has almost nonstop plot twists, with a layered and twisted story that does an incredible job of making viewers feel just as unsure of what’s real as Mima. The soundtrack and sharp editing also add to the disorientation, anxiety, and fear. Perfect Blue was a revolutionary animated film that is not only one of the best anime movies ever made but also one of the best films in general.

3 – Akira

Akira is always in the conversation about the greatest films ever made. The movie is groundbreaking in so many different ways—the incredible attention to detail in almost every single frame of its animation, the aesthetics of a futuristic and war-torn Tokyo that would eventually inspire countless stories in the cyberpunk genre, and the otherworldly soundtrack—Akira has it all.

The movie’s kinetic action sequences would help set a new standard for all animated projects going forward and also help introduce Western audiences to Japanese animation. Akira’s visuals and world-building would also spark countless imitations, both in live-action and animation. The countless Akira bike slides in various movies and television shows speak for themselves.

2 -Porco Rosso

Porco Rosso is a Miyazaki movie that is more concerned with having a good time than it is with it’s director’s usual poignant and heavy thematic story points. It’s no secret that Miyazaki is in love with aviation. Porco Rosso is a film that’s a love letter to flying, featuring a charming story that combines aviation history with the fantasy that Miyazaki and Ghibli are so well-known for.

The movie follows Porco, a World War I fighter pilot who was turned into a pig due to a curse and now flies the air as a bounty hunter around the Adriatic Sea. The beautiful flying animation created by Miyazaki and his team pairs well with the carefree nature of the story and characters, creating a sense of whimsy and heart that makes this stand out more than all of the iconic directors’ works except for one, of course.

1 – The Boy and the Heron

I cannot, for the life of me, understand how Hayao Miyazaki could call anime a mistake, especially after watching The Boy and the Heron. The emotional depth on display in this film, mixed with its oddly paced and stirring narrative, is almost too much to handle. Miyazaki created this film under the pretense of it being his last and used it as a goodbye letter to his grandson as the iconic director contemplates his mortality due to his advancing age.

Because of this, The Boy and the Heron is a profound film that deals with grief and loss, acceptance, and the realization that nothing lasts forever. I won’t lie and say that I understood all the imagery and story of the film. However, the confusing narrative does enough to help viewers appreciate its sobering message about life and death. Add the fact that this is currently the first and only Ghibli film to be released in 4K, and you have no excuse not to own and watch (or rewatch) every single stunning frame of what is no doubt Miyazaki’s masterpiece and the best anime movie of all time.

And those are the best anime movies of all time, ranked.