10 best groundbreaking anime from the 2000s

The 2000s were a pivotal and status quo-shattering decade for the anime industry. With accessibility and mainstream popularity increasing globally thanks to the internet, several innovative and mould-breaking series were produced, earning critical acclaim and commercial success.

During this period, many influential series were released that had a major impact on the medium. These trailblazing series offered clever plots, complex themes, resonant characters, and spectacular visuals, setting benchmarks for anime across genres.

Let’s take a look at 10 groundbreaking anime from the 2000s that left a lasting mark on the medium.

Disclaimer: This article is ranked in no particular order and may contain the author's views.

10 must-watch anime from the 2000s that shaped the industry

1) Death Note (2006)

A high school junior, Light Yagami, discovers a supernatural notebook that can kill anyone just by writing their name inside. The young man then takes it upon himself to create his warped vision of global utopia by eliminating all criminals.

However, his mass-murdering vigilante alter-ego catches the attention of a brilliant detective known only as "L," sparking an intense battle of wits with philosophical undertones. Death Note’s cat-and-mouse game explores the morality of justice, the cost of power, and the fine line between righteousness and tyranny.

As genius adversaries Light and L try to expose one another's secrets, viewers are constantly left questioning the stratified lines separating good intentions and hubris. Combined with stylish visuals and a gritty tone, Death Note heralded supernatural anime's coming of age through moral complexity.

2) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Image via Bones)

Hiromu Arakawa's mega-hit manga Fullmetal Alchemist was faithfully adapted for the second time in 2009 to critical acclaim. The story centers around gifted teenage alchemists Edward and Alphonse Elric, who attempt a dangerous ritual to resurrect their dead mother, only to suffer horrifying consequences.

After Edward loses an arm and leg while Alphonse's soul is sealed within a suit of armor, the broken brothers set out on an epic journey across the nation of Amestris to find the mythical Philosopher's Stone to restore themselves back to normal.

This anime from the 2000s stands out with its tight narrative, blending action, deep characters, humor, and drama seamlessly. Lending emotional weight is the complex "alchemy" system with defined rules regarding equivalent exchange, shaping the storyline meaningfully.

3) Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2006)

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Image via Sunrise)

Set in an alternate universe ruled by the oppressive Holy Britannian Empire with exiled prince Lelouch vi Britannia at its center, Lelouch gains a mysterious power called Geass. It allows him to compel others to obey his commands unconditionally.

With his newfound ability and formidable intelligence, Lelouch adopts the alter-ego Zero. He also builds a resistance movement to destroy Britannia in revenge for his mother's assassination and his sister's suffering. Lelouch’s final gambit to destroy Britannia unfolds through tactical battles, shocking twists, and grand conspiracies.

His morally ambiguous anti-hero qualities and ideological tugs-of-war with best friend Suzaku regarding justice and means to an end make for emotive viewing. Combined with eye-popping mecha animation and strong musical score, Code Geass remains an enduring modern classic.

4) Neon Genesis Evangelion: Rebuild Series (2007)

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Rebuild Series (Image via Khara)

The impact left by the 1990s series Neon Genesis Evangelion gets revisited through the aesthetically upgraded Rebuild tetralogy films. It follows emotionally damaged youth Shinji Ikari forced by his estranged father to pilot Evangelion - a gigantic biomechanical mecha - to battle invading otherworldly beings.

While the Rebuild films keep the original’s psychoanalysis, avant-garde visuals, and mecha deconstruction, enhanced animation elevates the experience. The first film polished early episodes while subsequent Rebuild films incorporated new plotlines, ultimately diverging into a fresh narrative.

Brisk pacing, polished visuals, additional backstories elevating side characters, updated music score, and combining old strengths like religious symbolism, striking visual motifs, and introspective commentary on the human psyche make this reboot engaging for new and old fans alike.

5) Gurren Lagann (2007)

Gurren Lagann's sheer creative audacity in terms of storytelling and animation make it a modern anime classic. Set in a post-apocalyptic future where humans are forced underground by beastmen invaders, young digger Simon and his rebel friend Kamina use powerful mecha called Gunmen to fight for humanity's freedom.

While paying homage to classic mecha series, Gurren Lagann constantly subverts genre tropes with boundless confidence and style. As Simon grows through tragedy into a charismatic leader, viewers are taken on an exponentially escalating adventure spanning galaxies with odds-defying resolutions.

Combined with avant-garde designs, sizzling action setpieces, infectiously upbeat music, crowd-rousing speeches on believing in one's self, and emotional highs, Gurren Lagann shows the true potential of anime from the 2000s.

6) Monster (2004)

While thriller manga saw successful adaptations in the 1990s, Monster set a new high watermark. Unfolding like a dark, mature suspense novel, it chronicles Dr. Kenzo Tenma, whose decision to save a young boy named Johan Liebert instead of a prominent politician unleashes tragic consequences over the years.

As an enigmatic serial killer, Johan's terrifying intellect and complete lack of empathy keep viewers enthralled over this 74-episode series' cat-and-mouse narrative spanning the breadth of Europe.

Flawless slow-burn storytelling, a minimalist classical soundtrack, and realistic artwork enhance Monster's eerie atmosphere. Chilling horror imagery, thought-provoking themes of morality, and a terrifying antagonist make it mandatory viewing even today.

7) Hellsing Ultimate (2006–2012)

Hellsing Ultimate (Image via Madhouse, later Graphinica)

Hellsing Ultimate swaps gothic melodrama for a brutal, blood-soaked spectacle with dark humor and vampire folklore. Centered around powerful vampire Alucard, subservient to the Hellsing vampire-hunting organization, it ramps up violence and action to unprecedented gonzo levels as monstrous undead Nazis invade Britain.

Combined with detailed gore, savage action choreography, and intimidatingly powerful vampiric foes for Alucard to unleash his awe-inspiring eldritch powers on, Hellsing Ultimate's 10 OVA episodes, released over six years, are a thrilling red-tinted rollercoaster.

Bombastic gun battles, mass-destruction wielding vampires, dark humor, memorable art style, and a metal-inspired soundtrack make Hellsing Ultimate's glorious carnage enormously entertaining.

8) The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006)

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Image via Kyoto Animation)

One of the most popular modern anime franchises, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya made its mark for being experimental while launching prominent elements of anime from the 2000s.

The slice-of-life sci-fi comedy centers around the eccentric Haruhi, who unknowingly possesses godlike powers that can reshape reality, while surrounding herself with aliens, time travelers, and psychics in her high school club—though she remains unaware of their true identities.

With KyoAni's first use of radical animation mixed with the Haruhi franchise's iconic character dynamics, catchy music tracks, offbeat humor, and creative non-linear storytelling spanning multiple genres, Haruhi paved the way for late 2000s high school anime while being delightfully quirky.

9) Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002)

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Image via Production I.G)

Before Hollywood's attempts, Ghost in the Shell had already mainstreamed cerebral sci-fi anime through films and shows. Stand Alone Complex took its premise of an elite covert unit fighting technology-driven crimes, led by the iconic cyborg Major Kusanagi, into darker, highly political narratives across two seasons.

Set in a believable cyberpunk future, Stand Alone Complex raises potent questions about identity, memories, A.I. ethics, national security states, corruption in governments, and megacorporations through nuanced episodic storylines.

Combined with fluid animation, memorable characters, Yoko Kanno's transcendent music score, and stylish philosophizing, Stand Alone Complex retains its resonance for good reason.

10) Paranoia Agent (2004)

Celebrated auteur Satoshi Kon's unique surreal thriller set modern psychological anime from the 2000s down a darker route way before Death Note.

Centering around a juvenile assailant named Lil' Slugger mysteriously attacking people suffering from immense psychological stress, each episode unveils the disturbed minds of the victims and perpetrators as bizarre events overtake Tokyo.

Using reality-bending visuals, psychological commentary, engrossing mysteries, and a compelling moodscape, it keeps you disturbed yet unable to look away. As Lil' Slugger's true nature and relation to humanity's inner darkness come to light surreally, Kon leaves behind a profoundly insightful psychoanalytic masterpiece.

Conclusion

The 2000s elevated anime's storytelling ambition considerably across genres—setting new high watermarks for psychological thrillers, sci-fi franchises, emotional storytelling, genre subversion, bringing new audiences, and making mainstream inroads internationally.

These 10 groundbreaking anime from the 2000s left an influence still felt in the anime world today, whether deconstructing notions of heroism and villainy among many other major contributions. Their arrival undoubtedly shaped anime's destiny forever, proving the infinite creative potential of the medium.