10 best superhero anime ever made

It’s easy to forget that superheroes go way beyond DC Comics and Marvel, and anime actually has a strong history of heroics on the big and small screen. So, we’ve listed the best superhero anime to give you more caped crusading to check out.

One Punch Man and My Hero Academia will be known quantities to many of you, being two of the best anime of the last decade, and excellent superhero franchises in their own right. But if you look into tokusatsu films and television, shonen manga, and beyond, you’ll find a treasure trove of awesome characters and universes.

A lot of them are as colorful as Superman or Spider-Man, but a few carry the brooding demeanor of Batman or the goth aesthetics of The Crow and Hellboy. A couple are just outright grim as well, but that’s part of the fun!

If you’re tired of the MCU or just want something fresh, our list of superhero anime covers all the bases, and probably a few you haven’t considered yet.

10. Darker than Black (2007)

As the title suggests, this one isn’t some multicolored blast of goodies and baddies. In the aftermath of a bizarre anomaly that altered major cities around the world, strange powers emerged in certain people.

The governments decided to keep these a secret, though, creating a black ops subdivision where superpowered agents tear each other down over different targets, and many of the episodes focus on Chinese protagonist Hei following a particular mission. There’s a nihilism running through Darker than Black that makes it deeply watchable, like viewing CCTV of something catastrophic you don’t need to care about.

9. Tiger and Bunny (2011-2022)

Aside from being the perfect name for a magical girl-themed wrestling tag team, Tiger and Bunny plays a lot like The Boys, minus all the sex and violence. A professional caped crusader, Tiger has to take out a relative novice, Bunny, in an alt-future where heroism is corporate and based heavily on TV ratings.

They eventually form a dynamic duo, guiding us through a retro-futuristic vision of New York City. The heroes make good anchors, but like a lot of shows using a similar background, it’s the setting that tends to beg your curiosity.

8. Ultraman (1979/2019)

Netflix

Two anime shows have been produced based on the long-running Ultraman live-action franchise, one in 1979 and the other in 2019. Both are worth your time, following different heroes who can transform into giants to defeat kaiju and other threats to civilization.

They get this power from a symbiotic alien race. Don’t worry about that too much, though; it’s all about the cool transformations, slick sci-fi tech, and awesome fight sequences. Production IG handled the 2019 version, giving the icon a slick vibe to coincide with his rebirth in Hideaki Anno’s Shin Ultraman.

7. One-Punch Man (2015 – Present)

Crunchyroll

Has a superhero ever been so straightforward? Saitama continually proves one good move is all you need to stop evil in its tracks, so long as you put in the right amount of daily cardio.

One-Punch Man hilariously satirizes Marvel and DC tropes through a world where being a hero stretches from glory to mundanity and back again, depending on how good you are. Saitama shows everyone up time and time again, and like any good fighter on a winning streak, we keep showing up just to see if this time will be any different.

6. Devilman Crybaby (2018)

A demon with a soul is at the center of Masaaki Yuasa’s gory reboot of Devilman, a show that can be quite unsettling if you aren’t sure what you’re getting into. The protagonists, Akira and Ryo, stand against an army of demonic creatures who plan to take control of Earth.

Akira merges with one, leading a bloody defense against the unholy invaders. Everything escalates from there, but Ryo and Akira’s love remains the center as it all gets torn apart amid war and devastation. Leaves an impression.

5. s-CRY-ed (2001)

Tokyo is divided, with two armies of superpowered people on opposing sides. Within the war lay a pair of rivals, Kazuma and Ryuho; the former a mercenary, the latter an agent for the establishment.

In a shocking twist, they become allies through learning the sectarianism they’ve been born into isn’t all that it seems. S-CRY-ed has gone under the radar for many, but it’s a colorful, vibrant story that has shades of X-Men and Attack on Titan.

4. Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996)

Hear me out: Dragon Ball Z is essentially a longitudinal study on the escalating threat Superman’s presence would generate. Goku, our Last Son of Krypton, sacrifices himself at the start. Then trains in order to come back stronger to face the invading Saiyans.

Each Dragon Ball Z saga afterward, something bigger, weirder, and nastier comes along, pushing the limits of Goku and his superpowered family and friends. You’ve got space fascists, robo-fascists, whatever the hell Buu is, and they share a common goal: kill the Superman, or rather, the Super Saiyan. Goku was so good a superhero they kept inventing better supervillains. No wonder he eventually chooses to stay dead.

3. Sailor Moon (1992 – 1997)

Hulu

They should do a crossover of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sailor Moon, if only to satisfy my rainbow-obsessed brain. Sailor Moon is the platonic ideal of a teenage super-team, featuring a group of high schools that are bound by the ability to become galactic superbeings called Sailor Guardians.

The whole vibe and aesthetic are infectiously glittery, and their transformations remain a gold standard. Today, Sailor Moon thrives in fashion collaborations with the likes of Vans, but don’t let any era of the show go unnoticed. It’s a helluva good time, especially if you watch by the light of the moon.

2. Chainsaw Man (2022 – Present)

You just know from looking at the chainsaws protruding from Denji’s body that Chainsaw Man will be gnarly. Being such a pronounced body horror anime only helped the show achieve popularity, as people gravitated to MAPPA’s stunningly bloody adaptation.

But behind those swirling blades lies some genuine humanity. A look at how poverty mutates the body, mind, and even the soul, in ways most others can’t even comprehend. Despite all that, Chainsaw Man has a cutesy side as well. Heroism in an era where the accepted archetypes are starting to seem outdated.

1. My Hero Academia (2016 – Present)

The primo superhero anime, and honestly, one that lives up to its reputation. Deku lives out all out fantasies by going from a regular boy to Superman Jr when he’s given the One For All quirk. He joins his classmates in Class 1-A, where they all become caught up in some of the biggest threats we’ve ever faced.

It’s X-Men: The Anime — charming and full of optimism and childlike playfulness, but with a genuine darkness, too. However it all shakes out for Deku and his pals, I’m going to miss their injection of hope and dedication, and you will too, if you watch.

Those are the best superhero anime. We have lists of the best anime like Solo Leveling, best isekai anime, and best anime movies for more top selections. For more superheroic goodness, check out our full HeroFest schedule here.