Anime has rapidly become one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world, naturally leading many to wonder what the best anime for beginners are. The medium has a long and storied history, with some series quite difficult for new viewers to get into due to references to other anime, cultural differences, and quirks of the medium. Many popular anime series are also very long, such as One Piece, which has well over 1,000 episodes at this point.
This list is designed to bring shorter, more beginner-friendly anime series to the attention of new fans who are looking to dive into anime for the first time. These series range from action to romance to thrillers to comedy, meaning that there should be at least one entry on this list that's fit for anyone's tastes.
Available On: Crunchyroll, Hulu
Spy x Family is a starter anime series that strikes the perfect balance between action and comedy. The series focuses on super-spy Loid Forger and his "family" that he recruited as part of his cover, which consists of the deadly assassin Yor and the six-year-old mind-reader Anya. The kicker, though, is that none of them are aware of the others' true identities (except Anya), leading to plenty of hijinks as they scramble to keep their secrets. Despite that layer of intrigue though, it's the Forgers' everyday wholesome interactions that make the show constantly entertaining. A second season of Spy X Family is on the way, so it's a great time for anime beginners to dive into the series.
Available On: Netflix, Crunchyroll
A classic '90s series that was foundational within the Magical Girl genre, the original Cardcaptor Sakura makes for a good starter anime for those interested in series more aimed at girls. The series has four seasons' worth of episodes about Sakura Kinomoto, who accidentally releases a deck of magical cards. With the aid of her friend Tomoyo and rival Syaoran Li, Sakura reluctantly embarks on a quest to recapture all the magical cards and put a stop to the chaos they've brought about. It's a fun series with a slowly building mythology that can draw one in. New anime fans who connect with Cardcaptor Sakura also have the 2018 sequel series, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, to look forward to.
Available On: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Toradora! is a teen romantic comedy that has plenty of dramatic moments. Two teenagers, Ryuji and Taiga, find common ground when they realize they both have crushes on unattainable classmates. They decide to help one another with their crushes, but in true rom-com fashion, fall for one another instead. Watching the friendship between Taiga and Ryuji is one of the strongest aspects of the series as they both often proclaim that they can't stand one another, but are clearly the closest of friends. Romance anime often have memorable confessions, but it's the relatable way that Toradora builds up their relationship which makes it uniquely perfect as a starter anime.
Available On: Rooster Teeth
With nine seasons so far, one might not think of the series as a great starter anime, but RWBY is actually deceptively short. Despite having so many seasons, the early episodes are incredibly short, some no more than 2 minutes in length, making the series a very quick watch.
It follows the titular Team RWBY and their allies as they work to become Hunters in a world plagued by monsters, known in RWBY as Grimm. Along the way, they end up on an epic quest to defeat the mysterious Salem. With a straight-to-video movie on the way in 2023, RWBY is an action-adventure series that continues to pack a serious punch.
Available On: Hulu, Netflix, Crunchyroll
A relatively new entry for starter anime, The Promised Neverland is a series that starts off heartwarming before making a sudden shift into the dark fantasy and thriller genres. The series follows Emma and her friends Ray and Norman as they attempt to escape from the orphanage where they live without cluing in their caretaker, leading to many tense moments that will have viewers on the edge of their seats. The first season makes for a thrilling experience for fans who love mind games, while the second season was much less warmly regarded. The choice of genre makes The Promised Neverland fairly unique for the medium, and a good starter anime for those who enjoy Hollywood thrillers.
Available On: Amazon Prime, Crunchyroll, Pluto TV
The Lupin the Third franchise has a long history, but it makes for an excellent starter anime due to the fact that a viewer can start watching any season without needing information from previous seasons. The series follows master thief Lupin the Third and his associates, the marksman Jigen and the samurai Goemon as they plan heists, avoid the relentless inspector Zenigata, and occasionally save the world along the way. The Italian Adventure sees the crew in Italy, of course, and is a perfect blend of all the things that make Lupin fun: action, goofy humor, and lovable characters.
Available On: Crunchyroll
Anime is well known for its epic, over-the-top fight scenes, and there's no shortage of choice when it comes to that area. What makes Demon Slayer a uniquely perfect anime for beginners is that it takes that incredible animation to the next level. The series follows young Tanjiro Kamado, who after losing his family to a demon attack, finds that his sister is still alive, but now a demon herself. Desperate to save his last family, Tanjiro agrees to become a demon slayer in order to help search for a cure, facing off with fearsome foes with incredible courage. With a moving story, complex characters, and gorgeous art, Demon Slayer is a can't-miss starter anime series for those looking for action.
Available On: Crunchyroll
The fairytale-like Ancient Magus Bride takes place in a magical version of modern England, where Celtic and Scandanavian monsters and fairies live unseen in the wilds, far beyond human civilization. No matter how new to anime they are, viewers will likely to recognize the familiar Western cultural touchstones of this series, from a grim church to dragons to the famed Titania and Oberon. The fascinating skull-headed Elias makes for a compelling character, certainly not what one would expect from the title. Fans who enjoy the first season also have a much-anticipated second season that's due in 2023 to look forward to.
Few works of fiction have portrayed the inner workings of the human body in an entertaining fashion, but Cells at Work! does it in true anime style. In the world of the series, the human body is a vast city of apartments, furnaces, and aqueducts, and hardworking anthropomorphic cells keep it all running. It's a tad bizarre for a starter anime, but many of the best anime embrace their weirdness head-on. The animation is gorgeous, Cells At Work explains the science well (this is an educational show), and the humor is spot-on. There are even fight scenes, with white blood cells and killer-T cells doing battle with bacteria and viruses, so even those into action shouldn't get bored. The show has two short seasons and a darker spinoff, called Cells At Work: Code Black, that highlights the inner workings of an unhealthy body.
Available On: Crunchyroll, Hulu
Dr. Stone is another educational animated series with an intriguing premise. The plot centers on a mysterious energy wave that turns the entire population of Earth to stone. So things stay until 3,700 years later, when the brilliant teenager Senku Ishigami awakens to find himself in a transformed world. He's in a new Stone Age, and with the power of science and his faith in the human race, he's going to rebuild everything, one rediscovered invention at a time. Dr. Stone's cast of odd characters are also around to liven things up, each with their own quirks. Just like the science-loving main character, Dr. Stone highlights how creative anime can be, and that's exactly why it's an ideal starter anime series.
Available On: Hulu, Crunchyroll
Fans of sci-fi and romance alike may enjoy this series, which combines elements of Blade Runner and The Fault in Our Stars for quite the combo. In this world, realistic androids have become a reality, but they have limited life spans and must be manually retired, sometimes against their will. Male lead Tsukasa Mizugaki is a newly hired robot "retirer," and his companion is Isla, a robot who is on the verge of being retired herself. Tragically, that doesn't stop him from beginning to fall in love with Isla in a series that showcases anime's uncanny ability to make viewers cry.
Available On: Hulu, Crunchyroll
As one of the hottest new series in recent years, Chainsaw Man has quickly come to be beloved by veterans, but it's also a great anime to start with as well. Adapted from the popular manga of the same name, it centers on the single-minded Chainsaw Man himself, Denji, who's saved from a brutal death by a chainsaw devil that is absorbed into his body. As a result, he ends up merged with the creature and now holds the ability to transform his body parts into chainsaws. Gory, action-packed, and funny, Chainsaw Man manages to capture the darker and lighter sides of anime in a single series.
Available On: Netflix
Though new anime fans will more often be directed towards the action-packed My Hero Academia, the two series have more in common than their titles. In both shows, an unusually "ordinary" child is inspired by his/her hero, then enrolls at a special school to emulate that hero.
For Little Witch Academia, that heroine is Akko, who is dying to become a witch to help people and make them happy. Her magic powers are minimal, but she's trying, and Little Witch Academia follows her as she makes new friends at witch school. The series' light tone makes it welcoming to those new to anime, and thus an excellent choice for starter anime.
Available On: Hulu, Crunchyroll
Parasyte: the Maxim may be one of the most underrated anime of the past decade. Based on a classic manga series from the '90s, Parasyte tells the story of a young man named Shinichi who wakes up to find that his right hand has been eaten and replaced with an alien parasite. The alien, eventually called Migi, is part of an invading force that has been quietly overrunning earth, and Shinichi has to learn to live with the parasitic creature if he is to stand a chance against them. Though a tad on the darker side (viewers must be okay with body horror), its compelling characters and their evolution throughout the series make Parasyte a must-watch starter anime.
Available on: Crunchyroll
Yuri!!! on Ice is one of the few examples of LGBT+ love stories in anime. The series follows the titular Yuri, a Japanese figure skater who is considering quitting the sport, but who eventually catches the eye of Victor Nikiforov, one of the world's most renowned figure skaters. Victor becomes Yuri's coach as Yuri rediscovers his love for the sport, and a charming love story begins to develop between the two characters. Sweet and emotional, Yuri!!! On Ice is one of the best anime to watch for beginners in search of good LGBT+ romance.
Available On: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu
The original Cowboy Bebop is one of the most iconic and important anime of all time. Taking inspiration from western imagery and stories, Cowboy Bebop is essentially a futuristic Wild West story, and it brings together a group of mismatched characters on adventures across space. Cowboy Bebop only lasted for 26 episodes and a movie but has remained wildly popular in the years since its release. The series is known for its complex characters, interesting plot, and most of all its legendary music, including one of the most awesome theme songs of all time. If you're thinking of starting to watch anime, Cowboy Bebop remains a fantastic jumping-on point.
Available On: Hulu, Crunchyroll
Based on a visual novel, Steins;Gate presents an ambitious time-travel story centered on the mad scientist Okabe Rintarou and his accidental discovery of a microwave that can be used to send messages into the past. Although it's only one season long, the series manages to weave an unforgettable tale in that time. While it's not without its quirks, Steins;Gate is one of the most well-developed and consistent takes on time travel in fiction in general, and that alone makes it a great anime series for beginners.
Available On: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu
One-Punch Man started as webcomic, which became a manga that became an anime that eventually took over the world. The series follows Saitama, a man who has trained his body to such an extent that he is able to defeat any enemy with one punch. The only problem? There's no challenge to life anymore, and Saitama is chronically bored as a result. As a satire of the superhero and action genres, One-Punch Man is not only brilliantly executed but also hilarious in its own right. With only two short seasons (and One-Punch Man season 3 on the way), it's a relatively easy series for beginners to anime to get stuck into as well.
Available On: Crunchyroll
Now two seasons into a story that could well continue for a lot longer, Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World remains one of the most popular anime around, with the twin characters of Rem and Ram being particularly widespread across anime media and merchandise.
The series follows Subaru as he is transported from his ordinary life in the modern day into a colorful fantasy world (an anime genre known as "isekai," or "other world"). Instead of a clichéd superpower to help him on his journey, he soon learns that his ability to reset to a previous point in time after dying is as much a curse as a gift. Though Re:Zero plays with anime tropes, even a beginner to anime can find plenty here to enjoy.
Available On: Hulu, Crunchyroll
Attack On Titan is one of the most popular anime in the world thanks in no small part to its incredible first season, with many referring to it as "the Game of Thrones of anime" due to its intense and graphic plot. Set in an apocalyptic future in which humanity hides behind a walled city in order to keep out the giant horrifying Titans, Attack on Titan ranks as one of the darkest anime out there. Supported by some of the most compelling mysteries and intense anime action scenes of the past few years, there are few shows better than Attack on Titan at hooking old and new anime fans alike.