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These stories are influenced by many things from western superhero stories to classic vintage shows. One thing is for sure — the epic over-the-top battles and fights to save the day are absolutely on point in the world of anime. Which superhero anime are the best?
Updated on November 11th, 2021, by Kristy Ambrose: The popularity of the superhero genre continues to spread through the world of anime, giving us a chance to add a few more titles to our list. Some of these new additions are more recent entries that have flown under the radar while others are older shows that have been rediscovered by a curious and resourceful fanbase. The industry produces more than its share of action shows featuring superpowered people protecting others or the world from overwhelming threats, but these battle shounen anime seldom contain traditional superheroes. While characters with capes don’t appear every season, there are enough great superhero anime to keep viewers busy for a while.
13 One-Punch Man
Saitama, the main character of One-Punch Man, is the most powerful superhero ever. That’s actually the premise of this show, which relies on satire to tell the story of a kindly but bored superhero in a whole world already choked with heroes.
Even though it pokes fun at the genre, it still has a lot of inspirational messages and borrows some typical plotlines that tend to get recycled in stories about superheroes. All Saitama asks for is a foe that’s worthy of him, which is a lot to ask when you can take out literally anyone with only one punch. The clever satire is one of the reasons this fairly recent entry is one of the best superhero anime.
12 R.O.D the TV
Bibliophiles and superhero fans alike will appreciate this quirky show, which features three sisters and their powers of paper manipulation. If this was a D&D subclass, it would be something like a Papermage or a Writing Warlock, and it’s interesting and entertaining to see how powerful Michelle, Maggie, and Anita can be by manipulating what seems like a mundane item.
The plot of this 26-episode series follows their adventures as bodyguards for a prominent Japanese writer. The show’s name is an acronym that’s related to the titles of the manga and light novels from which the series was adapted; “Read or Die” and “Read or Dream.” It’s unconventional but a great choice for a unique type of superhero anime.
11 Sailor Moon
These beautiful soldiers are known for their fabulous footwear, and their leader, Sailor Moon, was deliberately drawn with distinct red boots as a shout-out to Superman. Sailor Moon not only defined the beautiful girl genre for a generation, but it also gave us a whole team of all-female superheroes and a serialized animated drama, a concept that was still rare in North American cartoons.
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Sailor Moon is so popular that it commands a massive merchandising and media empire that’s still making money decades after the original show first aired and remains one of the world’s favorite anime superheroes. New fans can enjoy the Sailor Moon Crystal remakes that follow the manga along with the original series, which had a unique storyline.
10 Powerpuff Girls Z
Powerpuff Girls Z is more of a remake than a reboot, as many of the major plot points in the original show are absent. Powerpuff Girls Z loses the detail of the main characters being sisters and gives them different personalities and powers than their Cartoon Network counterparts.
What stays the same is the theme of superheroes, and whereas the older show was a satire this one takes fighting crime and saving the world more seriously. It’s told using the magical girl aesthetic, with each hero having a special power and corresponding weapon, typical features of hero anime as if it had come from Japan in the first place.
9 Astro Boy
A vintage classic that many fans report was the first anime they ever saw on local television, AstroBoy not only revived the superhero genre but also defined the aesthetic that would come to be known as “anime.” It was one of the first cartoons to air on Japanese television in the 1960s, and the version most North American viewers are familiar with was the second series, which is a full-color remake of the original.
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AstroBoy touches on a number of different genres that have a healthy international fan base, like science fiction and young adult, which is one of the reasons it’s so universally popular and remains a popular superhero anime. The face of the main character is as iconic as other figures like Mickey Mouse or the golden arches of MacDonald’s.
8 Samurai Flamenco
The 22 episodes that encompass Samurai Flamenco include an interesting twist. The premise when the story begins is that superheroes and their powers don’t exist, and the audience assumes that as sweet as Masayoshi Hazama is to dream of becoming a superhero, it’s nothing more than a fantasy.
However, expectations are neatly subverted when the male model dons a costume and starts to fight crime when he’s not posing for the cameras. When the story turns fantastic, and malevolent creatures appear that aren’t supposed to exist, will a real superhero be able to fight them?
7 Heroman
As if any further confirmation were needed that the superhero genre has entered the satirical age, here is Heroman to join the ranks of anime that make fun of the genre while relying on its most notorious tropes. The producers and creators at Bones Studio, the Japanese company that created Heroman, bring it full circle by including Stan Lee as a writer, and he created the basic premise of the series.
It’s simple, classic superhero material, focusing on a normal kid who ends up with a toy that has extraordinary powers, mainly that it turns into a big giant robot. The two of them have to face a group of malicious aliens that a local science teacher has accidentally summoned to earth.
6 Tentai Senshi Sunred
Can a superhero ever retire? Is that possible, or do they just grow bored and useless, living off their girlfriend and using nicotine as a food group while their enemies harass them via cooking shows?
Tentai Senshi Sunred is a story about the latter, an anime about a character who’s done with being a superhero. It’s part of a genre referred to as light parody and it takes place in a modern setting that could be any Japanese city. The hero, Sunred, has long since sold his “superbike” and now has to deal with his sworn enemies, the Evil Florsheim Army, in mundane everyday situations.
5 My Hero Academia
Here’s a twist on the superhero genre. The story doesn’t just play with the whole idea of origin stories, it also has some creative ideas regarding the nature of superpowers. In the universe of My Hero Academia, superpowers are called “Quirks” and everyone has a different one.
My Hero Academia isn’t the story of a superhero trying to exist in a world of normal people. Izuku Midoriya, the hero of our story, is born into a world of superheroes but he himself has no powers. Izuku still dreams of becoming a superhero, and he is eventually recruited by the inspirational All Might and sent to a prestigious high school for superheroes in training.
4 Cyborg 009: Call of Justice
This isn’t a series but a film compilation that consists of three movies, which compile, update, and continue a story that’s been in circulation for more than half a century. The first Cyborg 009 comics were released in 1964 and their popularity fueled a series that lasted until 1981.
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Cyborg 009: Call of Justice recalls the history and lore of this universe while telling yet another unique story, which means fans of both drama and superheroes will like it. How do superheroes live with the aftermath of their actions, and do their missions ever really end?
3 Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor
A must for fans of mecha or big giant robot anime, the original manga, Bio Booster Armor Guyver, is the real star of this story. The manga encompasses 60 volumes, and Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor only goes up to ten volumes. The plot contains healthy amounts of both mecha and body horror, and there is also a saga that includes genetically engineered soldiers.
When the Chronos Corporation loses several of their experimental Guyver suits, teenager Shō Fukamachi finds it and merges with the armor, essentially giving him superhuman abilities. In a classic plotline, Shō must defeat the evil corporate entity and rescue the woman he loves.
2 Zetman
There’s a lot of superhero comedy out there, perhaps too much, so those that are seeking some serious drama would appreciate Zetaman. The original manga was known for its mature themes and visceral narrative style, and the anime continues with this dark tone.
The story revolves around the conflict between two rival superheroes, named Alphas and ZET, and goes into their backstories as the plot unfolds. Their higher purpose is to protect the world from the malicious Players, a group of monsters who were the result of sordid and controversial scientific experiments.
1 Tiger & Bunny
It’s mecha, superhero, and science fiction, but Tiger & Bunny is also a unique take on the buddy-cop genre. The setting is a futuristic version of New York City in which superheroes are a common phenomenon and are sponsored by corporate entities to carry their ads and do heroic things.
The plot revolves around the veteran Tiger and the novice Bunny, who would be unlikely partners except for one thing, that they share the same superhero power. Bunny, whose real name is Barnaby, is a more serious character than he originally lets on and the show takes a more serious turn when it comes to solving the mystery of his murdered parents.
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