Science fiction is one of the most fascinating and popular genres, not just in anime but in all of fiction. Sci-fi stories allow creators and fans to explore an infinite number of mind-blowing speculative scenarios and imagine all kinds of distant futures, from the awe-inspiring space travel escapades to the cautionary tales of grim futuristic dystopias.
There are countless sci-fi anime series that can be definitively called masterpieces. While the genre isn’t as prolific and popular as it was back in its golden days, fans still enjoy both its modern exemplars and cult classics. These series represent just a fraction of sci-fi anime’s cream of the crop, yet they are recognized as some of the best sci-fi stories in the medium’s history.
Mobile Suit Gundam Is the Most Important Mecha Anime Ever Made
Sci-fi and mecha anime were incredibly popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and these genres, as well as the entire anime medium, were changed forever by the emergence of the first “real robot” series – Mobile Suit Gundam. The first Gundam was released way back in 1979 and wasn’t an immediate success. However, over the years, it became a defining staple of the genre and one of anime’s most massive and influential franchises.
Gundam 0079 takes viewers to a futuristic spacefaring universe where two factions, the Principality of Zeon and the Earth Federation, are locked in a ruthless war. When Zeon’s forces attack a peaceful colony, a civilian teenager, Amuro Ray, discovers the Federation’s prototype mech, Gundam. First getting into the suit to protect his friends, Amuro ends up becoming one of the Federation’s crucial pilots, leading him down a path of adventure, conflict, and despair.
Despite its age, Gundam 0079 remains an incredibly riveting, narratively competent series with strong anti-war themes. Unlike the previous wave of “super robot” mecha, Gundam introduced the possibility of telling complex, grounded stories within the genre that treat interstellar conflict not as an exciting novelty but as grueling warfare that damages civilians and combatants alike.
On top of being an exceptional series, Gundam 0079 also serves as the perfect introduction to the Gundam franchise. While not essential to understand other Gundam shows, Gundam 0079 enriches viewers’ experience with future installments and, to this day, remains the most quintessential entry in the massive series.
Neon Genesis Evangelion Combines Science Fiction With Profound Psychological Depth
Another classic mecha anime that builds upon what Gundam and many other quintessential “real robot” series have established, Neon Genesis Evangelion released in 1995 and swiftly rose to the status of a massive cultural phenomenon. Evangelion begins as a rather typical mecha action flick – Earth is being invaded by enigmatic aliens known as Angels, and it’s up to a group of teen pilots, including the timid and anti-social Shinji Ikari, to stop them.
However, Evangelion makes its underlying depth and horror apparent from the get-go by subtly introducing elements of high-intensity psychological thriller into the monster-of-the-week mecha formula. Gradually, the series becomes less concerned with the plot’s enigmas and more with the internal plights and traumas of its characters, evolving into a despairing yet thought-provoking introspective drama.
These more experimental, reflective aspects of Evangelion are what made it such a revered cult classic. Its portrayal of its characters is raw and unapologetically human, and the story depicts them as not just convenient tools of war but flawed, broken individuals whose earnest struggles make the cast of Evangelion so relatable to countless viewers.
Evangelion is a bold, brilliant challenge to the conventions of anime storytelling and its heroic narratives of the time. And, to this day, it remains one of the medium’s definitive masterpieces that has reinvented itself multiple times and, unlike many older sci-fi classics, stayed just as relevant, beloved, and passionately debated as it was 30 years ago.
Gintama Is One of Anime’s Most Unique Takes on Sci-Fi
Not all sci-fi anime series take themselves seriously the way Gundam and Evangelion do. In fact, one of the highest-rated sci-fi anime of all time, with countless devoted fans worldwide, Gintama, is an absurdist comedy set in Edo-period Japan invaded by aliens. The “guests” from outer space, Amanto, bring with them futuristic technologies and a degree of sociopolitical oppression, outlawing samurai in particular.
Nonetheless, the series’ protagonist, Sakata Gintoki, continues to carry a sword and fight to protect his loved ones. Although Gintoki’s sword is made out of wood, and he hardly resembles a conventional brooding hero, instead being a childish slacker who, together with the teen employees of his Odd Jobs business, constantly gets into ridiculous trouble around town.
Gintama takes a no-holds-barred approach to humor where everything can be made into the butt of the joke – sci-fi tropes, taboo themes, tragic character backstories, and other popular shonen franchises. The inventiveness of its comedy enables the humor to remain fresh for over 360 episodes, an impressive feat for a mostly episodic gag show.
Nonetheless, Gintama isn’t all about toilet humor and absurdist vignettes. It excels at genre-bending, effortlessly switching gears between grounded drama, high-stakes action, and epic sci-fi storytelling. And, to many, the more earnest and even philosophical heart of Gintama is what makes it a masterpiece, as it effortlessly combines preposterous (but always hilarious) jokes with heartfelt reflections on trauma, societal changes, and resilience in the face of change.
Steins;Gate Tells an Admirably Competent & Gripping Story About Time Travel
Time travel has always been a popular theme in science fiction. Yet, while breaking the rules of time has undeniable appeal, executing a narratively competent time travel story without glaring plot holes has been challenging for sci-fi creators across mediums. Thankfully, anime does have a near-perfect time travel series praised for its gripping thriller plot and admirably logical mechanics – Steins;Gate.
Steins;Gate begins with the self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintaro Okabe discovering that his latest creation, a phone-operated microwave, can send text messages into the past. However, fun experiments with the unorthodox “time machine” swiftly go out of control, as Okabe, who possesses a unique ability to retain memories across timelines, finds himself in a high-stakes conspiracy plot to save the lives of his friends and stop a secret organization from bringing about a dystopian future.
Steins;Gate relies on real-life theories to explain its time travel mechanics and regards it as a system with hard rules, which makes the show engrossingly realistic. The plot is well-researched and doesn’t ask audiences to excessively suspend their disbelief – a rarity in time travel anime.
Aside from an excellent sci-fi framework, Steins;Gate also functions as a brilliant psychological thriller narrative with high emotional stakes, unpredictable plot twists, and phenomenal character development. Its slow opening episodes get the audience invested in the cast, so when the tone shifts in a more intense direction, fans are already eager to follow their journey through its countless turns to the very end.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes Is a Space Opera Epic of Unimaginable Scope
Released over the course of nearly a decade from 1988 to 1997 and spanning an impressive total of 110 episodes, Legend of the Galactic Heroes is one of the most ambitious space operas in history that, to this day, remains the standard for military sci-fi anime. The series is notoriously intimidating in its scope and length, yet every fan who actually gave this masterpiece a try would vouch that it’s well worth the commitment.
The epic plot of Legend of the Galactic Heroes centers around a drawn-out conflict between two interstellar powerhouses, the efficient autocracy of the Galactic Empire and the corrupt democracy of the Free Planets Alliance. Both factions are guided through war by two brilliant commanders who, despite their opposing views, are equal in their strategic genius.
Unlike many anime series about futuristic warfare, Legend of the Galactic Heroes focuses less on flashy space action and more on the ideological clash between two governing systems, as well as the many grounded conflicts of characters on both sides. The series’ writing is peerlessly intelligent and nuanced, not making anyone out to be the definitive “bad guy,” but instead examining different circumstances and points of view from a variety of angles.
The world of the series is intricate and almost feels historical in its elaborateness and realism, despite the show taking place in a futuristic setting. Nothing quite like it exists in the anime medium, with a mature sci-fi story that flows stellarly from beginning to end and a thematic depth that uses the space-age framework to explore timeless ideas and conflicts.