The best post-apocalyptic anime are also some of the medium’s most intriguing ones, as they take place in captivating worlds completely different from reality. As a consequence of cataclysmic events that nearly destroy and redefine the world, societies end up either regressing, or developing in new and unique ways, adapting to their new conditions and needs.
These types of shows tend to have a few common strengths that make them as popular as they are. One would be their world-building, in the form of interesting broken-down cities and relics of the past, and another would be the characters and their journeys. When faced with desperate situations wherein survival is hardly guaranteed, the worst of humanity may be put on display, as instincts take over reasoning.
15 School-Live!
Production Studio: Lerche
A fresh take on the classic zombie anime formula, the world of School-Live! experiences a sudden infection outbreak, speculated to be caused by a biological weapon, which turns humans across the globe into man-eating zombies. It follows the School Living Club, a group of high school girls struggling to make sense of their new situation and survive against all odds. Meanwhile, one of the girls, Yuki Takeya, has seemingly lost her sanity as a result of these shocking events, refusing to see reality for what it is and leaving her unable to acknowledge the traumatic deaths she’s witnessed.
School-Live! sets itself apart from other post-apocalyptic anime with its shocking first episode twist. From there, the series builds off that twist in fun and interesting ways. Any fan of zombie anime will want to give School-Live! a shot.
14 Heavenly Delusion
Production Studio: Production I.G.
Production I.G’s Heavenly Delusion is set in a world that collapsed in the year of 2024, when an unexpected disaster struck, leading to man-eating monsters lurking in the ruins of civilization, threatening the peace of the survivors. It’s in this world that Maru and Kiruko end up searching for a place known as Heaven, each trying to unravel the mysteries of their own tragic lives as well as the fate of the world. Simultaneously, children are sheltered and nurtured in an isolated facility kept away from the dangers of the outside world, but their curious nature won’t let them stand idle.
One of the most underrated anime of 2023, Heavenly Delusion stands out for its deep themes and likable characters. More than many other post-apocalyptic anime that just use the apocalypse as set dressing, Heavenly Delusion uses its setting to explore deeper topics.
13 Girls’ Last Tour
Production Studio: White Fox
Girls’ Last Tour is set in a war-torn world where civilization is virtually dead save for two girls, Chito and Yuuri, who wander the desolate wasteland on their beloved Kettenkrad motorbike and do their best to survive. It’s never made clear exactly how the world reached its current status, but it is evident that a lot of the damage was caused by unforgiving wars, possibly involving highly advanced technology. However, such details are irrelevant to the protagonists, who are more concerned with finding their next meal, exploring their environment, and speculating about what the world used to be like.
What sets the anime apart from other members of its genre is that Girls’ Last Tour combines the post-apocalypse with slice-of-life. This combination between two very different genres works out much better than it should, making Girls’ Last Tour rank among the best post-apocalyptic anime.
12 WorldEnd
Production Studios: Satelight/C2C
WorldEnd: What do you do at the end of the world? Are you busy? Will you save us? is set in a world where humankind was all but wiped out, with Willem Kmetsch the sole survivor. As humans went extinct, he was frozen in ice for 500 years and wakes up to a world unlike the one he remembers. The surviving races must coexist on floating islands in the sky, away from the Beasts threatening to eliminate all life on Earth. Willem is tasked with caring for the Leprechauns, a group of humanoid young girls able to wield ancient weapons.
Even with its strange premise, WorldEnd stands out among post-apocalyptic anime for its unique world-building. While most post-apocalypses are based around science fiction, WorldEnd instead uses fantasy as its base. Given how well its executed, it’s no wonder that WorldEnd’s world-building makes it rank highly among the best post-apocalyptic anime.
11 Guilty Crown
Production Studio: Production I.G.
In Guilty Crown, a day known as the “Lost Christmas” marks the time that Japan was nearly brought to ruins by the lethal Apocalypse Virus, which plunged the entire country into chaos and anarchy. This virus’s source was a meteorite, which resulted in a widespread pandemic.
The stability of the country was only maintained thanks to the efforts of the United Nations, which successfully contained the outbreak while also removing all political autonomy, a situation that has remained unchanged for over a decade. Unsatisfied with Japan’s circumstances, a resistance group known as Funeral Parlor sets out to reclaim their freedom.
10 Train To The End Of The World
Production Studio: EMT Squared
EMT Squared’s Train to the End of the World is set two years after the disastrous launch of the 7G cellular network completely warped reality and turned every part of Japan into an utterly bizarre landscape. Despite the danger it entails, Shizuru and her friends decide to take a train to Ikebukuro, now a seemingly impossible distance away from them, to try and locate their lost friend, Yoka, who disappeared during the 7G Incident.
Thanks to how well it balances its bizarre premise and strong character writing, Train to the End of the World perfectly sells its absurdist take on a post-apocalyptic setting from start to finish, with every new element always being more ridiculous than the last. It might be a fairly new series, but it’s still plenty worth watching for what it does for such a tried and true genre of fiction.
9 Dr. Stone
Production Studio: TMS Entertainment
The world of Dr. Stone is defined by a unique cataclysm known as the Petrification. This global-scale event petrified civilization for thousands of years, virtually resetting all of humankind’s progress. Everything manmade has disappeared, and nature has taken over the world once again, turning once thriving cities into unrecognizable jungles. However, even under such conditions, there are people, such as Senku Ishigami, who would not back away from the challenge of reviving civilization. Even as most remain petrified, Senku sets out to use his knowledge of science to save the world and restore it to its former glory.
Dr. Stone is one of the biggest post-apocalyptic anime ever for good reason. The series’ emphasis on rebuilding society using science is fun, and the mysteries behind how the world ended up like it did are enough to keep fans watching episode to episode.
8 Sabikui Bisco
Production Studio: OZ
In the world of Sabikui Bisco, Japan was ravaged by a mysterious apocalyptic event, which completely changed its landscape, while still threatening the survival of the remaining civilization. The rust has not only turned most of the country into sandy wastelands full of dust, but it is also affecting people, afflicting them with what is known as the rusting disease.
The only one who can save this world is Bisco Akaboshi, a Mushroom Keeper searching for the legendary Rust Eater mushroom, but he is also often unfairly blamed for the state of the world, which only further complicates his mission.
7 Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song- Is Pop Idols Meets The Terminator
Production Studio: Wit Studio
While not post-apocalyptic in the traditional sense of the world, the events of Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song– only unfold after the beginning of an apocalyptic event during which highly evolved AIs seek to eradicate humankind, burning down everything in their path.
In a desperate attempt to save the world by changing the past, a scientist pins all of his hopes on the titular Vivy, the first autonomous humanoid AI, sending another AI to ask her to rewrite history. Without being given time to process the information, Vivy finds herself on a perilous journey that transcends her original purpose.
6 Seraph Of The End: Vampire Reign
Production Studio: Wit Studio
In Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, humanity was nearly eliminated by a virus that killed most humans above the age of thirteen. As if one apocalyptic event wasn’t enough, the Four Horsemen then show up, seeking to take out the few remaining survivors.
Fearing for their food supply, vampires emerged from the shadows, subjugating humans for use as livestock. Under these dire circumstances, the Moon Demon Company arises, fighting back with sentient weapons and seeking to reclaim their freedom. These factors come together to make Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign a truly satisfying series everyone should watch.
5 Fire Force
Production Studio: David Production
David Production’s Fire Force takes place 250 years after the Great Cataclysm, an apocalyptic event that burned nearly the entire world to ash and saw the birth of Infernals, powerful demons born from spontaneous combustion. To combat the Infernals, the pyrokinetics of the Tokyo Empire fight as part of the Fire Force, and their latest recruit is Shinra Kusakabe, a young boy who shoots fire from his feet and is slowly revealed to be connected to all the hidden workings of the world.
Fire Force‘s writing always does a good job of portraying how a society would be forced to change even after the apocalypse is well behind them, with much of the worldbuilding devoted to showing just how different the world is from real life. Add in an engaging mystery plot and incredible action and visuals, and it’s a phenomenal series to watch from start to finish.
4 Land Of The Lustrous
Production Studio: Orange
Orange’s Land of the Lustrous is set in the distant future following humanity’s extinction, the sole inhabitants now being the titular Lustrous, a group of nonbinary beings made from gemstones. The Lustrous constantly do battle with the Lunarians, an alien race that wishes to make decorations out of their bodies, and while series protagonist Phos is deemed too weak for battle, they find value in their new assignment of creating a natural history encyclopedia alongside fellow outcast and poisonous Lustrous Cinnabar.
Land of the Lustrous‘ writing always strikes a perfect balance between the horrors of the apocalypse and the beauty of the natural world, all of which is rendered in some of the most gorgeous animation and 3D visuals of any anime from the past decade. Land of the Lustrous showed how good CG anime can be, and luckily, its writing perfectly matched up with that.
3 Fist Of The North Star
Production Studio: Toei Animation
Toei Animation’s Fist of the North Star takes place in a world ravaged by nuclear war where the power-hungry constantly pray upon the innocent. The only hope of salvation lies in Kenshiro, the master of the Hokuto Shinken, the world’s greatest martial art, and his efforts to bring peace to the land slowly bring him and others into conflict with the various people from his sorted and mysterious past.
Thanks to its stellar action and an over-the-top dystopian aesthetic, Fist of the North Star is a perfect mix of classic kung fu stories with the craziness of Mad Max, all of which is further enhanced by a surprisingly thoughtful, character-driven narrative. No other anime gets to the heart of a post-apocalyptic story like Fist of the North Star, and with the Fist of the North Star reboot in development, even more people are bound to see that.
2 Gurren Lagann
Production Studio: Studio Trigger
Though the origins of Gurren Lagann‘s post-apocalyptic world are unclear, it is easy to see why it falls under this category. In the distant future, most of humanity lives in underground villages, largely unaware of what the surface entails, yet frightened by its possibilities. After a series of events, Kamina and Simon end up seeing the blue sky for the first time and join Yoko on an adventure to fight against the Beastmen terrorizing humans. The surface’s wastelands are even more dangerous than they could have imagined, however, making their mission impossible without insane levels of determination and willpower.
Though Gurren Lagann appears ridiculous on the surface, the anime is actually much deeper than it initially appears. Gurren Lagann’s brash attitude and fascinating themes make it stand out from other mech and post-apocalyptic anime.
1 Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind
Production Studio: Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind takes place a millennium after the world was turned into an ecological wasteland by a group of deadly living weapons called the Giant Warriors. As people struggle to survive in a toxic world overrun with giant insects, one kingdom seeks to revive a Giant Warrior to take back the world by force, and Nausicaä, princess of the Valley of the Wind, must stop them before they destroy everything.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind‘s blunt expression of its themes of environmentalism and war results in one of the strongest narratives of any Studio Ghibli film, and when combined with rich worldbuilding and its visuals that are both gorgeous and terrifying, it always does a great job of inviting people into its story. The film has only improved with age, so it’s an easy contender for the best post-apocalyptic anime ever.