The 13 Most Influential Anime of All Time

Some of these rewired the whole industry; others mostly sold toys. Four decades of argument, one list.

1. 1
   Neon Genesis Evangelion

   The 1995 mecha deconstruction that pushed anime toward psychological storytelling.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Dragon Ball

   Akira Toriyama's 1986 martial-arts adventure that set the template every shonen battle series has followed since.
   815pts
3. 3
   One Piece

   Eiichiro Oda's pirate epic, running since 1999 and the best-selling comic series by a single author.
   719pts
4. 4
   Attack on Titan

   The 2013 dark fantasy that made anime a mainstream streaming event in the West.
   513pts
5. 5
   Pokemon

   The 1997 series that turned an anime tie-in into the highest-grossing media franchise on earth.
   513pts
6. 6
   Spirited Away

   Studio Ghibli's 2001 Oscar winner, still the reference point for anime as art cinema.
   434pts
7. 7
   Astro Boy

   Osamu Tezuka's 1963 series, the first weekly Japanese animated show and the start of the industry.
   434pts
8. 8
   Akira

   Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 cyberpunk film that introduced much of the West to anime.
   434pts
9. 9
   Naruto

   The 2002 ninja series that carried shonen through the 2000s and built a global fandom.
   434pts
10. 10
    Mobile Suit Gundam

    The 1979 series that invented the real-robot genre and a merchandising empire.
    233pts
11. 11
    Cowboy Bebop

    The 1998 space western that proved anime could be adult, jazzy and self-contained.
    233pts
12. 12
    Fist of the North Star

    The 1984 post-apocalyptic brawler that set the tone for a decade of violent action anime.
    233pts
13. 13
    Sailor Moon

    The 1992 series that defined the magical-girl team format and exported it worldwide.
    103pts