The 12 Best '90s Anime, Ranked (2025)

Today's top anime shows like Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and Delicious in Dungeon, continue to captivate viewers — just as anime from the past have. In the '90s, anime started to achieve mainstream popularity in Western countries as studios like Studio Ghibli and Gainax gained international recognition.

Narrowing down the best '90s anime is a huge task, especially when the decade is filled to the brim with underrated masterpieces and untranslated gold. But for those who grew up in the 90s and were at the mercy of their local TV networks, there were more than a handful of old anime from the '90s that have left a mark on their hearts. Their Saturday mornings included a glimpse into the mysterious world of Japanese anime, by way of a campy English dub. From Pokémon to One Piece, there were plenty of anime shows from the '90s

12 'Digimon Adventure' (1999 - 2000)

Created by: Akiyoshi Hongo

The Digimon Adventure anime centered on seven children who were transported to a digital world while at summer camp. After befriending several Digimon, the creatures who inhabit the world, and with the use of their new Digivices, the kids are able to Digivolve their partner creature into a stronger form and combat enemies.

Initially created as a 'masculine' counterpart to Tamagochi, Digimon Adventure was more often compared to pocket monsters Pokémon, due to the focus on battling to strengthen. Where they differed most was the temporary nature of Digivovling. Digimon were able to return to their 'cute' original form after defeating an enemy (often corrupted by a demonic Digimon named Devimon). The technological aspects of Digiworld ensured healthy merchandise sales, too. For those who want to rewatch Digimon Adventure, they can check out the 2020 reboot of the anime that now has been fully dubbed into English.

Watch on Hulu

11 'Pokémon' (1997 - )

Created by: Satoshi Tajiri

No fandom has taken the world by storm like Pokémon. The anime follows ten-year-old Ash Ketchum as travels the world in the hopes of becoming a Pokémon master. First developed as a pair of video games by Nintendo and Gamefreak for Gameboy, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue are heralded as revolutionary, both for being beginner-friendly and for their immense longevity.

While gaming enthusiasts were pulled in by Nintendo, and collectors were enticed by the cards, it was the anime that created diehard trainers from 90s kids the world over. The show often went to emotional depths that Western cartoon viewers weren't expecting, and in its commentary on society, Pokémon encouraged a generation to care about each other and the world they live in. Plus, the battle sequences and soundtrack were sick.

Watch on Roku

10 'Sailor Moon' (1992 - 1997)

Created by: Naoko Takeuchi

Fully responsible for the astrology-enthusiasts of today, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon follows reluctant hero Serena (Usagi Tsukino) as a magical cat named Luna helps her embrace her destiny as a guardian of Earth, with the help of her equally unqualified fellow sailor soldiers. The turbulent, emotional nature of Serena and the diverse personalities of her friends (as they try to balance middle school with fighting evil) gave imperfect little girls everywhere a hero to look up to.

Sailor Moon remains one of Japan's most successful media franchises ever, and its unflinching focus on complex women and female friendships remains cherished by fans the world over. Disappointingly absent from the English dub of the beloved shojo anime Sailor Moon was the romantic relationship between Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, a pioneering display of inclusion for the time. Thankfully the sapphic lovers are well celebrated within the fandom and provide some much-needed representation for female LGBTQ+ members.

Watch on Hulu

9 'Ranma 1⁄2' (1989 - 1992)

Created by: Rumiko Takahashi

Ranma Saotome was a young martial artist with a secret. After an accident on one of his training journeys, he is cursed to become a girl when splashed with cold water. Only warm water will return him to his male self. While Ranma spends the series attempting to rid himself of the curse, he's also able to use it to his advantage, with many hilarious mishaps along the way.

Ranma 1/2 was one of the first anime series to be licensed by Viz Media (the pioneering American anime/manga distributor) and as such was many Western audiences' introduction to anime and manga. In 2020 Toonami co-creator Jason DeMarco admitted that Ranma 1/2 is one of his favorite anime, and he had tried to get the quirky comedy in their block. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, as "frankly, there's too much nudity."

Watch on Peacock

8 'Mobile Suit Gundam Wing' (1995 - 1996)

Created by: Hajime Yatate

As the first of the Gundam series to be aired on US television (although actually the sixth installment), Mobile Suit Gundam Wing quickly blew its veteran competition out of the water on Toonami, and for a time became Cartoon Network's most popular series. Set in the distant future where man has colonized space, five scientists go rogue from their organization and seek revenge with the help of five teenage boys and the extremely advanced mobile suits known as "Gundams" they have been trained to pilot. The show features huge mecha robots, akin to the ones in movies like Pacific Rim and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Taking advantage of Toonami's glorious "Midnight Run," an unedited version of the show aired to the older audience, while the more kid-friendly cut was played during the day. The edits included the removal of profanity, blood, and atheism, and the word "kill" was replaced with "destroy." Due to its huge commercial success, Gundam Wing kicked off the now very popular and still ongoing Gundam franchise.

Watch on Hulu

7 'Cardcaptor Sakura' (1998 - 2000)

Created by: Clamp

Magical Girls dominated the Shoujo market in the 1990s as complex female characters took the stage. In CardcaptorSakura , ten-year-old Sakura Kinomoto accidentally releases a set of magical cards from a book in her basement. When the cards' guardian Kero appears, he informs the girl that only a person with magical powers can open the book, and it is now her duty to retrieve the lost cards. This involves defeating the personification of each card, and several run-ins with the Card Master's descendant Syaoran Li.

Cardcaptor Sakura's humor, artwork, and animation garnered universal appeal and solidified the diversification of the Magical Girl subgenre when it won over a large male fanbase. CCS creators and manga artist group Clamp later took the designs of Sakura and Syaoran and adapted them for a new series titled Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, an amalgamation of their previous works in one universe.

Watch on Crunchyroll

6 'Rurouni Kenshin' (1996 - 1998)

Created by: Nobuhiro Watsuki

Another Toonami staple, Rurouni Kenshin may have taken a long time to hit Western audiences, but it was definitely worth the wait. Set in 1878, a manslayer-turned-pacifist named Himura Kenshin takes up residence in a local dojo after befriending its owner. Little did they know his notoriety would encourage a multitude of vengeful warriors to their door.

The brilliant yet simple concept adds great humor and depth to this haphazard folktale. While much of the violence was toned down for the Toonami time slot (and a chunk of episodes cut out), it's the dynamic cast of characters and their growth throughout the series that lands this old favorite on most 'best of' lists. For fans who want more Rurouni Kenshin action, they can check out the critically acclaimed live-action adaptation.

Watch on Hulu

5 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' (1995 - 1996)

Created by: Hideaki Anno

It's safe to assume the deep, dark premise of this mecha anime was lost on young minds when it was released. Set fifteen years after a cataclysmic world event in futuristic Tokyo-3, a teenage boy is recruited by his father to join a mysterious organization named Nerv. Here he is to pilot a giant bio-machine mecha called "Evangelion" in combat against alien-like entities called "Angels."

With heavy themes of religion, psychology, and many layers of subversive commentary to dissect, Neon Genesis Evangelion can be as deep or surface-level as the viewer chooses to perceive, and it will reveal something new with every rewatch. While the original ending was criticized heavily for being too abstract, the subsequent release of The End of Evangelion gave more context to it. If you really hated the ending, a series of four films known as Rebuild of Evangelion was released from 2007 to 2021 and essentially rewrote the original and offered a different conclusion, too.

Watch on Netflix

4 'Hunter x Hunter' (1999 - 2001)

Created by: Yoshihiro Togashi

In a universe where people are able to manipulate their own life energy, a young boy named Gon Freecss discovers that his absent father is a world-renowned hunter who specializes in tracking down rare species, hidden treasures, and lawless individuals. Realizing that this must be his destiny, Gon hits the road to become a great hunter himself and find his father.

While the original 1999 shonen anime series saw huge commercial success, the 2011 adaptation (which more closely follows the manga source) is widely considered one of the greatest anime of the 2010s. Also, a fun fact, Hunter X Hunter manga creator Yoshihiro Togashi is married to the Magical Girl herself, Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi — what a creatively gifted power couple.

Watch on Amazon Prime

3 'Dragon Ball Z' (1989 - 1996)

Created by: Akira Toriyama

How could a 90s anime list be complete without the incomparable Dragon Ball Z? The series, the second in the Dragon Ball franchise, follows Son Goku as an adult as he defends the earth from a multitude of threats, including aliens, magical creatures, and robots. The anime shares focus as it parallels the life of his son, Gohan, and rivals Piccolo and Vegeta.

While the original Funimation dub's heavy-handed editing left plot holes and contradictions aplenty, the 2005 redub attempted to fix prior mistakes. Fans didn't seem to mind, either way. Dragon Ball continues its reign as fandom supreme by holding a Guinness World Record for the Largest Kamehameha attack move, which was achieved at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.

Watch on Amazon Prime

2 'One Piece' (1999 - )

Created by: Eiichiro Oda

Who would have thought a show about pirates would be one of the most enduring anime of all time? The unfortunately wobbly-limbed Monkey D. Luffy is on a mission to become the next Pirate King. With his Straw-hat Pirate crew, he sails the Grand Line in search of his dream in the form of the ultimate treasure: One Piece.

Those who grew up with the 4Kids dub didn't know what they were missing until Funimation obtained the rights to redub the first 143 episodes. Another victim of heavy editing (and a rough rap theme song), 4Kids removed any mention of death or cigarettes and added in a bunch of unnecessarily cringe humor. The live-action Netflix adaptation also isn't safe from changes. However, the One Piece universe is too iconic to be ignored, so those who watched the sanitized version of the show should still attempt to watch the Funimation-dubbed version of the show.

Watch on Netflix

1 'Cowboy Bebop' (1998 - 1999)

Created by: Hajime Yatate

This neo-noir space Western changed the anime game forever. Set in 2071, a group of bounty hunters aboard the spaceship Bebop scoured the universe for outlaws under the Inter Solar System Police's command. Each of them had a past to run from, and a hope for redemption. All this was framed by a stellar soundtrack.

In twenty-six episodes, Shinichirō Watanabe created what most have strived for and few have accomplished: a transcendent hit and a lasting legacy. Cowboy Bebop is one of the most stylistically rich and deeply haunting stories ever told that can still spark vibrant conversations — and will continue to do so because it is truly timeless.

Watch on Hulu

NEXT: The Best Anime Series From the Past 5 Years, Ranked

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