10 best anime to watch before you die

Anime has exploded in popularity in recent years. The unique Japanese art form offers imaginative worlds, gripping stories, and memorable characters that viewers won't find anywhere else. There is such a massive catalog of anime series and movies out there that it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start.

For both longtime fans and newcomers alike, there are certain iconic series that deserve a spot on everyone's must-watch list. From psychological thrillers to romantic dramas to action blockbusters, these anime to watch before you die are a must-see for every fan.

Their stunning animation, deep characters, and creative stories showcase the medium at its best. Here are 10 of the best anime to watch before you die.

Disclaimer: The article contains the writer's opinion and is not ranked in any particular order.

10 groundbreaking anime to watch before you die

1) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Image via Bones)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood expertly mixes action, drama and humor into a memorable shonen anime. It tells the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, on a quest to find the philosopher's stone to restore their bodies after a failed attempt at human transmutation.

This 64 episode series perfectly paces exciting plot twists across complex, fascinating characters. From the obsessive Scar to the power-hungry Fuhrer Bradley, few series can match the sheer number of compelling figures that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood delivers.

Combine this strength with consistently fluid animation, especially during the high-octane fight sequences, and it is easy to see why this series frequently tops "anime to watch before you die" lists. Old fans and newcomers alike will be drawn into its mythical, perilous world.

2) Death Note

This 37 episode psychological thriller instantly draws viewers into a dark game of cat and mouse between high school student Light Yagami and the detective known as L, while the death god Ryuk watches with amusement.

After Light obtains Ryuk's death note - a supernatural book that allows Light to kill anyone simply by writing their name - Light begins his quest to reshape the world by eliminating criminals. However, his vision of justice soon expands to include anyone he deems corrupt or standing in his way.

A mysterious detective known only as "L" is determined to stop these unexplained deaths and bring the perpetrator to justice. Death Note explores complex moral questions about crime, justice, power and ethics through two equally matched adversaries trying to outwit one another.

3) Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan (Image via Wit Studio/MAPPA)

Humanity lives inside walled city-states, fearing man-eating humanoid giants called Titans that prey on humans seemingly without reason. When the massive Colossal Titan and Armored Titan breach Wall Maria and allow smaller Titans to invade, tensions run high.

It follows several young recruits to the military's Survey Corps, including the determined and idealistic Eren Yeager. They must work with the rest of the Corps to protect civilization from the Titan menace. Dark plots, rich lore, and deep characters fuel the Survey Corps' Titan battles.

With its macabre premise that keeps viewers guessing and tense cat-vs-mouse skirmishes, Attack on Titan is regarded as one of the anime to watch before you die.

4) Steins;Gate

Eccentric scientist Rintaro Okabe makes a startling discovery - he has invented a way to send messages into the past via modified microwave, creating a device capable of altering time itself. However, he soon realizes even tiny disturbances of the past can have catastrophic impacts on the present worldline.

Over its 24 episodes, this beloved series escalates into a high stakes time travel adventure. Refreshingly, it anchors all its drama in realistic human relationships. Viewers deeply connect with Okabe and his friends as they grapple with the morality of altering past mistakes against potentially causing unintended harm.

Romance and dark humor nicely complement edge-of-your-seat tension. Steins;Gate executes time travel and alternate realities better than most any media out there without losing sight of humanistic themes.

5) Cowboy Bebop

Jazz music, kinetic fight scenes, film noir motifs - Cowboy Bebop perfectly infuses elements from Western media to create a wholly original animated masterpiece. Set in a richly detailed future world, this anime to watch before you die centers on a crew of bounty hunters aboard the spaceship Bebop.

Led by indifferent, ultra-cool Spike Spiegel, this ragtag group takes on various bounty hunting missions throughout the solar system to make ends meet. While each episode delivers brilliant cinematic action spectacles, it weaves a narrative of the crew's intertwined pasts haunting them.

These dense character backgrounds lend an ever-present melancholy that hangs over the Bebop crew. These also infect many stand-alone episodes. Combined with stylish animation, vibrant world designs and a knockout jazz soundtrack, Cowboy Bebop expands the medium's creative possibilities.

6) Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Image via Gainax)

The apocalyptic mecha series focuses on withdrawn teenager Shinji Ikari as he chooses to pilot a giant bio-machine called an Eva Unit—created using mysterious entities tied to the Angels—after being summoned by his distant father to the secretive organization NERV.

The show's iconic 26-episode run covers many staples of the mecha genre, with NERV and the Eva pilots defending earth from the seemingly unstoppable Angel attacks. However, the psychological drama is the real draw here rather than the action sequences.

Evangelion places vulnerable characters with malleable psyches into dire scenarios, causing many to psychologically break down. The series explores depression, anxiety, and identity, making Evangelion essential for understanding anime's evolution.

7) Your Name

Makoto Shinkai's instant classic Your Name demonstrates anime's power to produce touching human dramas and emotional catharses unmatched by other mediums. The film follows high school teenagers Mitsuha and Taki who mysteriously begin swapping bodies on random days.

At first confused by spontaneously living the other's life in different cities, the pair eventually coordinate through phone notes, diary entries, and messages written on their bodies to maintain normalcy when the swaps occur. They soon try uncovering the mystical reason causing their inexplicable connection.

When they learn they are separated by three years in time as well as space, a race commences to meet in person before cosmic forces divide them permanently. At turns comic, tender and heart-stirring, Your Name culminates with a payoff sure to leave viewers overwhelmed.

8) Spirited Away

Hayao Miyazaki's films merit their own essential list. For brevity's sake, Academy Award winner Spirited Away perfectly encapsulates the magical storytelling prowess of Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki. 10-year old Chihiro wanders into an abandoned amusement district while moving to a new city with her family.

But at nightfall, spiritual beings begin appearing to revel in what is revealed to be a gateway to the spirit world, and Chihiro's parents turn into pigs after eating the spirits' food. She must secure a job in the resort's bathhouse for gods and spirits if she hopes to survive in this spirit world and save her now-porcine parents.

Blending Japanese mythos about shape-shifting spirits with Alice in Wonderland-esque whimsy, Spirited Away follows Chihiro's heroic journey. She matures from a sullen, lonely girl into a courageous, compassionate heroine.

9) Monster

Monster is an anime psychological thriller par excellence, unfurling a complex mystery shrouded in sociopolitical commentary. At 74 episodes, it has time and breadth to fully explore its weighty themes on morality, human nature, and redemption.

The story begins when renowned surgeon Dr. Kenzo Tenma chooses to save a young boy named Johan Liebert who arrived first, instead of the city's mayor. Years later, Tenma is shocked to discover Johan has become a cunning serial killer. Tenma dedicates himself to stopping the monster he saved.

Monster keeps viewers constantly theorizing with its intricate plot, cerebral cat-and-mouse games, and complex characters. The writing and background art pull you into post-Cold War Europe as the truth behind Johan's past emerges.

10) One Piece

One Piece stands as one of the "Big Three" manga/anime alongside Naruto and Bleach. Following the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates, One Piece has continually upped the stakes with each story arc to become a sprawling fantasy epic.

The series follows the energetic pirate Monkey D. Luffy who gains the power to stretch like rubber after eating a specific Devil Fruit called the Gomu Gomu no Mi. Luffy and his crew sail the Grand Line in search of the legendary treasure, One Piece, to achieve his dream of becoming King of the Pirates.

This builds an immersive world of pirates, marines, and corrupt kingdoms with intricate lore. It delivers massive battles augmented by various supernatural Devil Fruit powers. With enduring characters and heartfelt moments, One Piece has earned its place as one of the anime to watch before you die.

Conclusion

The series on this essential watch list showcase the stylistic range, emotionally resonant storytelling, and imaginative worlds contained within the medium. While personal taste dictates favorites, these series represent must-see anime for beginners and veterans alike.

Their masterful animation, multifaceted characters, and human drama make them transcend the label of anime to become simply great storytelling. With time ticking for us all, make sure to experience the captivating magic these landmark anime to watch before you die have to offer.