Best Anime Movies of All Time –Ranked Worst to Best

Movies

Jun 14

By now Anime has a rich history. It’s received critical fame and a devoted following since its inception. And while its episodic from might be popular, so are the movies. In this list, we attempt to rank the best anime films from worst to best. For our criteria, we factored in not only how great the movie was, but also how accessible it is to those outside the Anime fandom, as well as the lasting legacy it has left.

Without further ado, here’s the list of best anime movies of all time.

10. Ghost in the Shell

One of the first movies to help elevate anime to the mostly well regarded medium it is today was Ghost in the Shell.

Basically 2021 A Space Oddsey, Age of Ultron, and Spy Espionage all rolled into one, Ghost in the Shell did a lot to help establish anime as a serious art form when it came out way back in 1996. More akin to Cowboy Bebop in its portrayal of a strange, dystopian universe, Ghost in the Shell primarily deals with themes of man vs. machine, and the untenable nature of technological advancement.

9. Princess Mononoke

A frolicking adventure, Mononoke is the favorite anime film of many, and features a vast landscape, gripping action, and fantastic artwork.

8. A Garden of Words

Maybe a little bit short to technically be considered a “movie”, Garden packs a powerful, emotional punch. The themes in this feature are surprisingly adult. Indeed, it marks the pre-blockbuster success of director Shinkai’s career (he would go on to create massive hits like Your Name).

What Shinkai creates in this story, however, is even more powerful than his better known films to come. Reminiscent of great storytellers like Hemingway, Garden utilizes iceberg theory to give us only a glimpse of what is going on in the hearts and minds of the two central characters. Only, a massive difference here is the overwhelming emotion that is eventually released at the climax.

It’s a quiet movie with incredible depth, and one worth watching for any anime connoisseur.

7. Samurai X

The show is pretty good, but the movies are even better. I’m talking about Rourouni Kenshin, of course. Samurai X is split into several parts that tell the story of how Kenshin became the legendary man slayer. Although an older Anime (it came out early 2000s) the artwork is incredible, the action believable, and the writing impactful.

You do not necessarily have to be a fan of Kenshin and have already seen the show in order to appreciate the OVA collection that comprises Samurai X. However, for the final part, Reflections, is probably best appreciated for those who have watched the entire animated series.

6. Cowboy Bebop the Movie

Usually movies made out of anime shows aren’t always so great. Like Samurai X, this movie is also based off of a hit anime show. You really don’t have to have seen Cowboy Bebop to enjoy the feature, however, as it takes place during the show as opposed to sometime after it.

The movie expands on some of the themes from the show, and lends deeper insight into some of the main characters. This means the movie does what so many other anime films based on shows fails to do — that being continuing to develop our favorite characters.

Cowboy Bebop has had a lasting impact on not only anime but on film in general, so this film reserves a special place on this list of ones you should watch.

5. Your Name

Until recently the highest grossing anime film of all time, Your Name is a favorite for good reasons. Emotionally resonate, beautifully animated, along with a story that feels real, it gets everything right. However, given its teen appeal and hyper emotion that Shinkai its director is known for, it can be perhaps a bit of a high entry bar for the uninitiated anime observer.

Your Name sets a new standard not only in animation but in storytelling and really shows that despite the reign of legendary anime film creator Miyazaki being at an end, there are still plenty of stories left to be told through the medium.

4. Sword of the Stranger

From the studio that created Cowboy Bebop, it’s no wonder that Sword of the Stranger contains within it one of the greatest animated fight scenes of all time. Stellar artwork, a gripping story, and great action, Sword of the Stranger is filled with great entertainment and is a must watch for any major sword-anime fan.

3. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is such a stellar film that its Director, Hoshida, was slated as the heir to legendary Animator, Miyazaki. However, Hoshida’s films are great, they don’t quite hold up to the extensive list of Miyazaki’s works.

Still, The Girl who Leapt Through Time is a masterpiece none the less, about a girl who finds out she can leap through time, and subsequently begins to wreck her own life by trying to fix it.

Apart from great storytelling, the central them of our own inability to control time is as reasonate today as it was when the film first released back in

2. Spirited Away

Spirited Away is a difficult film to describe, but there is no doubt that it is a great movie with a lasting legacy.

Although most consider it to be the king of all anime movies, its strangeness makes it less approachable to outsiders. Therefore I would put my money on Howl in regards to universal appeal.

None the less, symbolism and allegory abound in this strange tale about a bathhouse. And, like many other films on this list, Spirited Away has had a lasting impact on not only anime films, but cinema as a whole.

1. Howl’s Moving Castle

Howl’s Moving Castle may not be the greatest movie ever made, but it is one of the highest grossing Anime films, and the most accessible to new comers to anime. The story is familiar enough, sort of like Beauty and the Beast only with wizards and more magic. Its a movie that virtually anyone can love, and the performance by the actors in the English dub is truly fantastic.

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