10 space anime that you can't afford to miss

Space anime provides stunning visuals of alien worlds and technology beyond imagination. They allow viewers to experience epic adventures across the stars alongside compelling characters.

They also cover a huge range of genres, from philosophical science fiction exploring what it means to be human to action-packed mecha battles between giant spaceships. Space anime enables creators to build intricate fictional universes full of advanced technology and alien civilizations.

The unlimited possibilities of outer space settings let them tell creative stories not constrained by real-world limitations. For anime fans looking to launch into exciting space stories, here are 10 excellent space anime worth watching.

Disclaimer: The article reflects the opinion of the author.

Explore the universe: 10 space anime you need to watch

1) Cowboy Bebop

A universally acclaimed classic space anime, Cowboy Bebop has often been described as the perfect entry point for people new to anime. Set in a future where humanity has colonized much of the solar system, it follows a ragtag crew of bounty hunters aboard their spaceship Bebop.

Each episode sees the main characters take on dangerous jobs, trying to capture outlaws for reward money. Along with its gripping space cowboy action and stellar retro-futuristic visual aesthetic, Cowboy Bebop dazzles with its cool jazz soundtrack.

The story also touches on philosophical themes as the characters wrestle with their tragic pasts. Often hailed as one of the most popular anime ever made, Cowboy Bebop offers a spectacular package for any fan of the space opera genre.

2) Planetes

For a soberingly realistic and emotional look at humankind’s future in space, Planetes stands out among space anime. Set at a time when travel to moon bases and space stations orbiting Earth is routine, it depicts the lives of ‘halfers,' blue-collar workers whose job is collecting debris floating in space that endangers spacecraft.

Through the eyes of the crew of the debris collection ship Toy Box, viewers get an intimate glimpse of ordinary workday life in space. The vastness of space is juxtaposed with close-quarters mundanity.

Galactic vistas give way to the isolation and relationship dramas of people working ordinary jobs to earn their next paycheck. Planetes thus injects doses of realism, meaning, and poignancy into the space anime genre.

3) Space Battleship Yamato

Space Battleship Yamato (Image via Academy Productions)

This iconic Japanese space opera franchise has spawned several anime adaptations, sequels, and live-action remakes. The original 1970s anime Space Battleship Yamato created the space anime boom and influenced the series for decades after with its epic sci-fi drama.

In a dystopian future where Earth is dying from radioactivity, a brave crew heads into space to find a distant planet that holds the key to saving humanity. Facing a ruthless alien enemy, they must reach the planet before time runs out aboard their refitted battleship-turned-spacecraft, Yamato.

With its grand space battles set against the fate of entire civilizations, sympathetic crew of underdogs, and emotional story of fighting desperately against extinction, Space Battleship Yamato set the template for the countless space anime that followed.

4) Legend of The Galactic Heroes

Legend of The Galactic Heroes (Image via Kitty Films)

Set in a distant future where humanity’s vast interstellar realm is divided between two warring galactic superpowers, Legend of the Galactic Heroes has been described as a depiction of grand history reminiscent of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, but on an intergalactic level!

It depicts the immense conflict between the authoritarian Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planets Alliance through the intimate struggles of rival leaders Reinhard and Yang. Sieges, ploys, and battles unfold across solar systems, with armadas of thousands clashing among nebulae and planets.

Yet beyond its sheer space opera scale, this anime has garnered huge acclaim for its mature storytelling, moral complexity, and philosophical themes that lend epic weight to clashes between civilizations.

5) Gurren Lagann

This ultra-hot-blooded mecha anime directed by the legendary Hiroyuki Imaishi follows young Simon living underground on a dystopian Earth where humanity cowers from constant earthquakes on the surface caused by the mysterious Spiral King.

When Simon and rebel leader Kamina discover a mecha with a drill that can pierce the heavens, it sparks a revolution that soon escalates into an epic intergalactic conflict. While light on scientific realism and featuring physics-defying mecha battles, Gurren Lagann embraces escalating insanity with infectious passion and a bombastic style.

As the scale exponentially increases from underground battles to appropriating enemies’ planet-sized mecha for galactic liberation, viewers will either be swept away by its exponential hype or be left shaking their heads.

6) Knights of Sidonia

Knights of Sidonia (Image via Polygon Pictures)

Knights of Sidonia paints a harrowing vision of humanity’s future, where survivors aboard a gigantic spaceship flee through the galaxy after Earth is destroyed by shapeshifting aliens.

Centuries pursuing this nomadic interstellar existence wearing down technology and culture have left people genetically engineered to photosynthesize food and pilots linking with biomachines to battle enemies. It offers a gritty mix of classic mecha action and hard sci-fi that explores the drastic implications of bio-engineering.

For space anime fans wanting an immersive and stylish tale of space horror and survival under seemingly hopeless circumstances, Knights of Sidonia‘s tense story in a captivating yet nightmarish setting delivers a compelling watch.

7) Space Dandy

Following the misadventures of Dandy Guy, Dandy is hunting for undiscovered alien species across the galaxies for reward money. Hijinks and hilarity soon ensue aboard his worn-down spaceship, Aloha Oe.

With space zombies, sentient ramen, zombie fests, and alien registries run by penguins popping up, viewers can only hang on deliriously, trying to anticipate whatever silliness each episode throws out next on Dandy’s quest for new aliens.

For audiences not looking to take space anime too seriously and wanting loads of laugh-out-loud fun amidst cosmic weirdness, Space Dandy gleefully delivers.

8) Galaxy Express 999

Galaxy Express 999 (Image via Toei Animation)

Galaxy Express 999 is a space opera spanning 113 episodes, chronicling a young boy’s epic journey to get a mechanical body. Set in a distant future where the privileged elite transfer human brains into machine bodies for immortality while the impoverished masses struggle as second-class cyborg citizens.

Protagonist Tetsuro hits the road to reach the planet where full machine conversion is possible, purchasing tickets aboard the Galaxy Express 999 space train traversing the stars. Along the way, he meets people from all walks of life with their reasons for seeking machine bodies, seeing the grandeur of space while witnessing its ugly realities.

This series contrasts space’s optimism against its vast perils, portraying the cyborg dilemma facing humanity in the future. Spawning films and sequels, Galaxy Express 999 remains one of Japan’s most revered space anime franchises.

9) The Irresponsible Captain Tylor

The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (Image via Tatsunoko Production)

A comedic space anime from the 1990s, The Irresponsible Captain Tylor follows the ridiculous misadventures of Captain Justy Ueki Tylor across the stars.

Though starting as an unmotivated ordinary young man, Tylor unexpectedly receives command of the salvaged destroyer Soyokaze when the United Planets Space Force is desperate for officers in the war against aliens.

What follows is a hilarious parody of space opera tropes as Captain Tylor blunders his way to success with no clear talent but inexplicable luck. Though treating duties lackadaisically, he somehow turns every encounter to his advantage, from hostage situations to battles against enemy ace pilots.

10) Gundam Franchise

No discussion of space anime is complete without the massively influential Gundam franchise, which pioneered the Real Robot subgenre of mecha anime. Beginning with the 1979 series Mobile Suit Gundam, it kicked off a cultural phenomenon with countless sequels, spinoffs, and models that continue to this day.

The original Gundam tells a complex war story through the lens of the principled pilot Amuro Ray, who battles Zeon forces in their giant mobile suits called Gundams. It examines the toll and moral dilemmas of conflict across the Earth Sphere with a gritty, grounded sensibility.

Since then, various Gundam series have depicted humanity’s space expansion, leading to space colonies rebelling against exploitative Earth governments. Focused on realistic military sci-fi rather than super robots, Gundam immerses viewers in intricate fictional universes grappling with the complex politics of humanity in space.

Conclusion

The unlimited possibilities of space anime allow creators to tell stories at any scale conceivable, from personal tales of a few individuals to operatic clashes between galactic civilizations.

Many excellent space anime cater to diverse tastes, whether you're looking for spectacular space action, imaginative sci-fi concepts, or charming comedy antics.

As human dreams to reach the stars progress towards reality, space anime helps fans explore our passion for space from right here on Earth through creative fiction unbound by present limitations.