10 best anime on Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll has a huge amount of anime on offer, old and new, popular and off-the-radar. So, we’ve listed all the best shows you should watch right now.

We’re lucky to be at a point in anime where we’re spoilt for choice. My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen are the big ongoing anime shows right now. But then you’ve got more old school series such as Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball available than ever before.

Meanwhile, all sorts of new oddities are being added. There’s a lot to sift through if you’re looking for something to watch — believe me, I’ve lost more than a few evenings to choice paralysis where I wound up sticking on more episodes of Dragon Ball Z.

We’ve compiled a list of the best anime Crunchyroll has to offer, so you can jump into something on a whim. What better way to kill time before Demon Slayer Season 4 and My Hero Academia Season 7?

Jujutsu Kaisen

You wouldn’t think something as dark and creepy as this would be a mainstream sensation, but here we are, with Megan Thee Stallion cosplaying as Jujutsu Kaisen characters. It’s not undeserved either, with MAPPA frequently demonstrating its talents through the chilling storylines and vibrant battles.

Centred on the Jujutsu high school for training sorcerers capable of defeating curses, the story follows the secret war to protect humans from the invisible phantoms that threaten us. Creator Gege Akutami has a knack for unsettling creatures, as evidenced by the Jujutsu Kaisen characters that linger in your thoughts after their introduction.

Dragon Ball Z

The show that kicked off the anime obsession for many. Dragon Ball Z’s high-octane brand of martial arts action has remained a touchstone for just how exciting a series can be. From the early days of the Saiyan invasion right up to Buu, watching Goku and the Z Fighters kick ass time and time again is just so satisfying.

In 2024, Crunchyroll finally managed to make all the Dragon Ball Z sagas streaming across both the US and Britain. Shout out to whoever managed to gather the Dragon Balls to make that wish come true!

Cowboy Bebop

“Whatever happens, happens” – Spike Spiegel’s principled but laissez faire attitude to life is befitting the roguish charm of Shinichirō Watanabe’s space western. Spike forms a bounty hunting crew with Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Edward, and their resident pet dog, Ein.

Their high-falutin attempts at eking out a living make for decent viewing in Cowboy Bebop, but the real beauty comes in the character work. Each has a complicated past, and as they’re revealed, you find yourself wondering if maybe the cowboy life isn’t so bad after all.

Vinland Saga

On one end, a young man, driven by vengeance, gradually learns quiet fulfilment is a more enlightening path. On the other, a timid prince becomes a strong, charismatic ruler. Their paths intertwine in Makoto Yukimura’s exploration of Nordic history c. 1013.

Vinland Saga, like its main characters, oscillates between violence and peace, portraying the brutality of Vikings as well as their softer, more spiritual side. More than anything, it’s the elemental undertones that set Vinland Saga apart. The raging fire and gentle forests. The two elements in us all.

Space Dandy

A light-hearted satire of Star Wars, Star Trek, and a litany of other sci-fi franchises and tropes, Space Dandy is perfect viewing if you just want some escapism. The eponymous hero is a smooth-operating bounty hunter who takes on all sorts of contracts for good and ill.

You’ll watch him succeed, and you’ll watch him fail. But every episode has him back in the pilot’s chair once again for another round. Glorious, good-natured fun from Bones.

Odd Taxi

Imagine Michael Mann’s Collateral, starring anthropomorphic animals, and it’s less a thriller and more a gentle drama. That’s Odd Taxi in a nutshell, a show befitting the title, following a walrus cabbie in his 40s who becomes tangled in a young girl’s disappearance.

At 12 episodes, it’s a short anime that doesn’t put too much of a demand on your attention. Once you see the finale coming round the bend, though, you’ll wish there was a little more, which makes it a truly special kind of story.

Mobile Suit Gundam

The defining mecha anime. Soldiers in a seemingly unending war between space colonies and Earth blow each other to pieces using gigantic robotic suits. In this, the first chapter of the franchise, Amuro Ray is our protagonist, a young mechanic who becomes a pilot.

He guides us through numerous wars, all the while anchoring our lessons in all the politicking of Yoshiyuki Tomino’s engrossing universe. Don’t worry, though — the explosions are always constant.

Kill La Kill

In a world ruled by fashion, a troubled student, Ryuko, uses a gigantic pair of scissors to cut through the social hierarchy. This move proves unpopular among the student council of her high school, and their scraps go beyond the playground because they all have special uniforms that give them heightened abilities.

There’s a transgressive edge to Kill La Kill, akin to carving up and patching up a nice jacket to suit your tastes. Studio Trigger isn’t completely making scraps from anime, but the team are clearly doing whatever they like, and it’s a thrill to watch.

Demon Slayer

As the property that spawned the highest grossing anime movie ever, it’s safe to say Demon Slayer has made its mark on the industry. When you consider the mixture of Tanjiro’s desire to free his cursed sister with the backdrop of early 1900s Japan, it’s not hard to see why Demon Slayer has caught on.

Tanjiro’s own journey has plenty to love, with his constant drive to save what remains of his family. The demonology is what really hooks you in, introducing a cavalcade of devils you never want to encounter. As the Final Arc comes into view on the show, it’s a good time to jump in.

Berserk

Kentaro Miura’s beguiling manga that puts a fantasy spin on Mad Max has been adapted twice — the ‘90s version is what we’re recommending most. A classic of the medium, Berserk features protagonist Guts, a lone survivalist and mercenary who uses a big sword to murder other, bigger threats.

He falls in with a gang called the Hawks, and develops a tumultuous relationship with their leader, Griffith. The whole thing is dour and moody, and there’s lots of blood. But there’s still not much else like it.

Those are best anime shows on Crunchyroll. We have lists of the best sports anime, best anime like Demon Slayer, and best Winter 2024 anime for more perfect viewing choices!