The 2010s are widely regarded as one of anime’s strongest decades. As animation quality improved, the global anime fandom exploded. Countless universally acclaimed anime originated from this era, improving on the framework set by early 2000s classics like Bleach and Naruto, and subverting genre expectations to create series that felt genuinely fresh and new.
Of course, no work of art is truly beyond criticism, and every fan has their own favorites. Still, some anime come so close to perfection that even their detractors struggle to find meaningful flaws. Whether they redefined genres, delivered unforgettable pilots, or maintained an astonishing level of quality from beginning to end, these series represent the very best of anime in the 2010s.
Devilman Crybaby Made a Classic Even Darker
Based on the 1970s manga and anime, Devilman, the Netflix original animation Devilman Crybaby took what was already a dark and hard-hitting story and somehow made it even more bleak. The 2018 adaptation takes Devilman‘s anti-war themes and expands on them while also adding deeper explorations of sex, puberty, and LGBTQ+ identity, updating the story for the modern era.
What has made Devilman Crybaby stand out among countless other anime from the 2010s is that even with a simple animation style, its deeply layered narrative is still being picked apart by fans today. Akira’s transformation into the Devilman, the nature of his relationship with Ryo, and the genocide of the demons are all still sparking fan discussions almost a decade later.
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Mob Psycho 100 Achieved Excellent Character Development
The quality of Mob Psycho 100 didn’t decline for a moment throughout its three seasons. In fact, it only improved. While the first season established Mob and Reigen’s hijinks as exorcists, the rest of the anime dives deeper into each character’s motivations and goals. No one is overlooked, with even side characters like Shou, Tome, and Mezato receiving fully formed character arcs.
The character with the most inspiring development, however, is Mob himself. He begins Mob Psycho 100 as an emotionally stunted middle schooler with a hopeless crush, and slowly gains confidence in himself with the help of Reigen, Ritsu, and the Body Improvement Club. At the end of the anime, Mob is rejected by Tsubomi in an excellent subversion of shonen tropes, showing that sheer determination can’t solve every problem.
Attack on Titan Changed Shonen Forever
The fact that fans still argue about whether Attack on Titan is shonen or seinen just goes to show how seminal the series truly was. The pilot episode saw Eren’s mother get cruelly eaten by a titan ravaging the town of Shiganshina, immediately establishing a darker tone than most shonen series. When it went viral online, the anime became an instant classic and cemented itself in pop culture history.
Attack on Titan is to thank for the recent rise of dark shonen series that focus on graphic violence, psychological horror, and anti-war themes. The anime’s core message of the cyclical nature of war struck a cord with fans who felt a sense of hopelessness in their own lives, allowing them to come of age alongside Eren, Mikasa, and Armin over the anime’s decade-long run.
My Hero Academia Perfected the Superhero Anime Formula
Next to other modern shonen anime like Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia feels like the last bastion of the hopefulness that the genre was originally known for. Deku is the only kid born with no Quirks in a society full of superpowered people, but he doesn’t let that stop him from enrolling in U.A. High School to become the superhero he’s always dreamed of being.
Deku’s sheer determination, even in the face of weakness and adversity from his own childhood best friend, rivals only that of Naruto’s. Once he receives a Quirk from his idol and mentor, All Might, nothing can stand in the way of his unwavering optimism. Even Deku’s friendship with Bakugo could be compared to Naruto and Sasuke, which further makes My Hero Academia feel like a modern classic.
Yuri!!! On Ice Turned Figure Skating into a Memorable Love Story
Yuri!!! On Ice centered a same-sex relationship that other sports anime had only dared to hint at, immediately becoming a favorite of the genre and amassing a huge fan base. The anime captures all the beauty and struggle of competitive figure skating while following the growing connection between Yuri Katsuki and his coach, Victor Nikiforov, culminating in the two exchanging gold rings, an explicit acknowledgment of their relationship that had never been seen before in anime.
Disaster struck for fans, however, after the announcement of Yuri!!! On Ice‘s prequel film, Ice Adolescence. After being stuck in development hell for years, the film was devastatingly canceled. The series lives on as one of the best BL anime ever, and with recent developments from the official X/Twitter account, fans are still holding out hope that the anime will return.
Madoka Magica Shocked Fans With a Horrific Twist
The concept of cute girls being put through psychologically horrific situations seems like a relatively new concept with video games such as Doki Doki Literature Club and Needy Streamer Overload. However, Puella Magi Madoka Magica was shocking fans way back in 2011, taking the magical girl genre and reimagining it as something far more sinister.
When Madoka Kaname is given the chance to become a magical girl and save the world from witches, it sounds like a dream come true. However, Madoka quickly realizes how painful the life of a magical girl truly is, as many are fraught with despair and suffering at the hands of their magical contracts. Even over 10 years on, Madoka Magica is both beautifully animated and hauntingly sad.
Steins;Gate Warped Time With Its Sci-Fi Thriller Concept
Some fans have criticized Steins;Gate over the years for the slow pacing of its first few episodes, but watching Okabe and his mad scientist crew invent a microwave that can send messages back in time builds tension for the anime’s climax. When an evil organization wants to get its hands on the microwave, Okabe gets thrown into a time travel loop to prevent everything from the murders of his friends to World War III.
The comedic scenes of Okabe, Mayuri, and Daru working in the Future Gadget Laboratory lulled fans into a false sense of security at first, but it’s quickly disrupted when their lives become endangered. The second half of Steins;Gate‘s twelve episodes are urgent, nail-biting, and even heartbreaking, making the anime a classic among thrillers and sci-fi alike.