10 Best Sci-Fi Anime to Watch in 2026

Science fiction has always been the most ambitious way to explore humanity in any media, including anime. Over the years, anime like Psycho Pass, Lain, and Pluto have portrayed a range of themes, from AI and dystopias to politics and the nature of technological progress.

Some of the best sci-fi anime have gained critical success, audience approval, and long-term influence on future anime and other media. Among standout entries, Steins;Gate ranks among MAL’s top five highest-rated anime of all time, while Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, following its 2022 premiere, generated a sales revival for Cyberpunk 2077.

With that preset, this list charts the 10 best sci-fi anime to watch in 2026 based on critical reviews, cultural impact, and enduring relevance. Some of them are newer titles, while some have been watched for decades.

The list omits some well-known sci-fi anime to modern watchers, including Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, and Ergo Proxy, given their impact on the medium and narrative-depth have already been widely discussed.

1. Akira (1988)

MAL: 8.16 | IMDb: 8.0 | Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Katsuhiro Ōtomo’s 1988 cyberpunk film, Akira, is the foundational document of sci-fi anime’s global influence. Set in dystopian 2019 Neo-Tokyo, it follows biker Kaneda as his childhood friend Tetsuo develops psychic power after a military experiment.

The original manga has won four Eisner awards, with Ōtomo getting inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame in 2016. Apart from its cultural impact, Akira reportedly generated $49 million USD at the world box office following its international release; the amount is significant, considering the time. Its blend of cyberpunk aesthetics, alienation, and large-scale spectacle set a benchmark for sci-fi storytelling.

2. Steins;Gate (2011)

MAL: 9.07 | IMDb: 8.8

No anime has balanced scientific concepts, emotional storytelling, and suspense quite like Steins;Gate. Adapted from 5pb. and Nitroplus’ visual novel, the anime follows self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintaro Okabe, who accidentally discovers a method to breach the timeline and unlock time travel. More than a decade after its debut, Steins;Gate is ranked among MyAnimeList’s highest-rated anime while regularly appearing in critics’ and fans’ selections of the greatest science fiction.

3. Pluto (2023)

MAL: 8.44 | IMDb: 8.2

Based on Naoki Urasawa’s acclaimed reinterpretation of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy arc, The Greatest Robot on Earth, Pluto is a slow-burning sci-fi thriller that explores grief, prejudice, and artificial intelligence.

The story follows Europol detective Gesicht, one of the seven most advanced robots, as he investigates a string of murders connecting other advanced robots. Rather than relying on spectacle, Pluto builds tension through mature storytelling and complex moral questions, as one of Netflix’s finest anime originals and sci-fi series of the decade.

4. Psycho-Pass (2012)

MAL: 8.32 | IMDb: 8.1

No anime has explored the reality of a computerized justice system as neatly as Gen Urobuchi's Production I.G. series Psycho-Pass. The anime explores Sibyl System, a surveillance network that quantifies citizens’ psychological states to flag criminal intent preemptively, and the fallacy of that system from episode 1.

Psycho-Pass season 1 builds a coherent philosophical argument across 22 structurally consistent episodes. Its AI-policing premise has aged with unintended accuracy as predictive surveillance technology expands globally as of 2026.

5. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)

MAL: 8.62 | IMDb: 8.3

Studio Trigger’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners transformed CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 into one of anime’s biggest successes, with a sequel now in production. Set in the futuristic dystopia of Night City, the series follows teenager David Martinez as he enters the world of cyber-enhanced mercenaries.

Beyond its stunning visuals and fast-paced action, the anime examines corporate power and inequality in a technologically enhanced society. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners earned Anime of the Year at the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Game industry sensation, Hideo Kojima publicly praised the production on X, stating Edgerunners is “a miracle of squeezing the trigger to the world!”

6. 86 [Eighty-Six] (2021)

MAL: 8.35 | IMDb: 8.3

Based on Asato Asato’s light novel series, A-1 Pictures’ 86 follows the Spearhead Squadron, an elite group of fighters known as the “Eighty-Six.” Officially, the nation claims its wars are fought using autonomous drones, concealing the fact that marginalized individuals are the ones sent into battle.

86’s exploration of discrimination and dehumanization with a powerful racial allegory earned consistent critical recognition throughout the series’ 2021 run. It also received four nominations in the 2022 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

7. Heavenly Delusion (2023)

MAL: 8.20 | IMDb: 7.9

Heavenly Delusion emerged as one of 2023’s critical surprises with five Crunchyroll Anime Award nominations. Produced by Production I.G, the anime juxtaposes two parallel narratives in a dystopian future society.

The anime explores the world through a group of children raised inside a seemingly perfect facility and two teenagers, Maru and Kiruko, navigating a devastated world filled with mysterious creatures. Both threads converge through structural revelation.

8. Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song (2021)

MAL Score: 8.37 | IMDb: 7.9

Created by Re: Zero author Tappei Nagatsuki and Wit Studio, Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song blends time travel with artificial intelligence in one of the most significant sci-fi anime of the decade. The story follows Vivy, the first autonomous AI singer, who is tasked with preventing a future war between humans and machines. Each arc functions as a discrete narrative unit feeding into the larger lore. Vivy’s structural ambition and production quality make it one of the most unique sci-fi anime.

9. Serial Experiments Lain (1998)

MAL Score: 8.09 | IMDb: 8.0

Serial Experiments Lain explored how digital networks could reshape identity and human consciousness, long before social media algorithms and AI became everyday realities. The anime follows middle-school student Lain Iwakura as she becomes entangled with the Wired, a virtual network that blurs the line between reality and cyberspace.

Lain’s journey seems like our contemporary reality. The anime’s exploration of online personas and digital surveillance makes it one of the few anime that anticipated the internet age as accurately.

10. Dr. Stone (2019)

MAL Score: 8.26 | IMDb: 8.1

Unlike other sci-fi anime that focus on a future or an alternate society, Dr. Stone celebrates the science that built modern civilization. The anime starts after humanity is mysteriously petrified for thousands of years, and teenage genius Senku Ishigami sets out to rebuild society through scientific discovery.

Its accessible explanations of chemistry, engineering, and physics distinguish it from traditional action-heavy sci-fi. With its long-running popularity and multiple successful seasons, Dr. Stone has become one of the defining science-focused anime of the last decade.

These 10 titles define the breadth of sci-fi anime, from Akira’s foundational cyberpunk vision and Psycho-Pass’ futuristic dystopia. The mentioned titles have either impacted sci-fi narratives or have become increasingly relatable to current society.

Modern anime series, including Lycoris Recoil, The Orbital Children, and FLCL, have shown distinct sci-fi narratives. On the other hand, cult classics like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell remain one of the playbooks for advanced cyberpunk and mecha worldbuilding. Anime like Texhnolyze, Cowboy Bebop, and World Trigger have shown unique approaches in genre-blending for sci-fi narratives.