In each of these post-apocalyptic anime series on this list, the world has pretty much gone to hell. Since there are so many, we're ranking the best post-apocalyptic anime of all time, with the help of your votes. From anime like Attack on Titan where the world is dominated by man eating monsters, to Gurren Lagann where humans have lived underground for years, these anime all feature post-apocalyptic themes and settings. The characters in these shows aren't necessarily suffering or struggling to survive, but all live in some kind of post-apocalypse world.
What is the best anime about the apocalypse? Vote for your favorite series below, and feel free to add more to the list if they fit the criteria.
1Attack on Titan
Action, MilitaryAttack on Titan (MBS, 2013) is a Japanese fantasy anime television series adapted from the manga of the same name by Hajime Isayama from Wit Studio. It is set in a world where humanity lives inside... more
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littlelisaelaine addedDr. Stone
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3justaguy addedSeraph of the End
Action, MilitarySeraph of the End (Tokyo MX, 2015) also known as Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign or Owari no Seraph, is a Japanese dark fantasy anime series based on the manga by Takaya Kagami and Yamato Yamamoto... more![]()
4Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is a 2016 anime series by Wit Studio directed by Tetsurō Araki and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi. A mysterious virus appears during the industrial revolution that transforms... more- 5Highschool of the Dead (aka Apocalyptic Academy: Highschool of the Dead) is a Japanese manga series written by Daisuke Sato and illustrated by Shoji Sato. Set in present-day Japan, the world is... more
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6Neon Genesis Evangelion
Action, Sci-FiNeon Genesis Evangelion (Gainax, 1995), commonly referred to as Evangelion or Eva, is a Japanese mecha anime series. When violent monsters descend upon Earth to destroy humanity, a reluctant young... more![]()
7Gurren Lagann
Action, AdventureGurren Lagann (Gainax, 2007), also known as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, is a Japanese mecha anime series. Two friends, Simon and Kamina, become the symbols of rebellion against the powerful Spiral... more![]()
8Trigun
Action, Sci-FiTrigun (Madhouse, 1998) is a Japanese action anime series based on the manga by Yasuhiro Nightow. Vash the Stampede, the most infamous outlaw on the planet Gunsmoke, travels the wasteland and... more![]()
9652655 addedDarling In the Franxx
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10Akira is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk action film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and featuring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, and Taro... more- 11CharlesMiller added
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a 1984 Japanese animated post-apocalyptic fantasy adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, based on his own 1982 manga of the same name. Isao... more ![]()
12Ergo Proxy is a science fiction suspense anime television series, produced by Manglobe, which premiered across Japan on February 25, 2006 on the WOWOW satellite network. It is directed by Shukō... more![]()
13Guilty Crown is a 2011 Japanese anime television series produced by Production I.G which aired on Fuji TV's noitamina program block from October 2011. The story revolves around Shu Ouma, a high... more- 14ac4548469 added
Black Bullet
Black Bullet is a Japanese light novel series written by Shiden Kanzaki and illustrated by Saki Ukai and 2014 anime series. A 2021 viral epidemic yields a batch of female "Cursed Children" with... more ![]()
15Wolf's Rain is an anime series created by writer and story editor Keiko Nobumoto and produced by Bones Studio. It was directed by Tensai Okamura and featured character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto... more![]()
16Chrome Shelled Regios is a Japanese light novel series by Shūsuke Amagi, with illustrations by Miyū. A short story light novel series was serialized in Dragon Magazine. A manga adaptation drawn by... more![]()
17Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor
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18Fist of the North Star, known in Japan as Hokuto no Ken, is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. Serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, the 245... more![]()
19Trinity Blood is a series of Japanese light novels written by Sunao Yoshida with illustrations by Thores Shibamoto and originally serialized in The Sneaker. Set 900 years after an apocalyptic war... more![]()
20Desert Punk is a post-apocalyptic manga series written and illustrated by Usune Masatoshi, serialized in Enterbrain's Comic Beam since 1997. The published chapters have been collected in 13... more
21animequeen110 addedSchool Live!
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From the New World
From the New World is a Japanese novel by Yusuke Kishi, originally published in 2008 by Kodansha. There's an anime television series adaptation which aired in Japan between October 2012 and March... more - 23BryanMontford added
Girls' Last Tour
An excellent story about friendship and survival. The ending might be considered bleak in some reggards.
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24s-CRY-ed, also known as s.CRY.ed or Scryed, is a 26 episode Japanese anime TV series, produced by Sunrise, directed by Gorō Taniguchi and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, which first aired in Japan on TV... more![]()
25justaguy addedTerra Formars
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25not on the list?add item #43
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