10 Best Anime of the Last Decade That Every Fan Should Watch

The past decade has delivered some remarkable anime, offering everything from intense action and psychological horror to emotional dramas and imaginative fantasy adventures. While battle shonen continues to attract huge audiences, some of the most memorable series have found success by exploring very different themes.

Shows such as Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Violet Evergarden demonstrate how anime can tell powerful stories without relying on lengthy runs or constant action. Meanwhile, titles including Odd Taxi and Land of the Lustrous have earned praise for their distinctive storytelling and unusual approaches to familiar genres.

With so many series released since 2016, finding the best ones can be difficult. These ten anime stand out for their memorable characters, storytelling, visual creativity and lasting impact.

1. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Turns Ambition Into a Tragedy

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners follows David Martinez, a young man who enters the dangerous world of illegal cybernetic enhancements after his life takes a devastating turn. As he becomes an edgerunner, increasingly powerful implants give him abilities that appear to set him apart from ordinary people.

However, David's growing strength comes with serious risks. In Night City, cybernetic upgrades promise power and status, but excessive augmentation can destroy the people who depend on them. David's determination to push beyond these limits gradually exposes the cost of pursuing success in a society that treats human lives as disposable.

The series combines explosive action with a deeply personal tragedy. Its compact storytelling allows the characters' decisions to carry real consequences, while its portrayal of ambition and exploitation gives the futuristic setting emotional weight.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners proves that a single season can leave a lasting impression when its story has a clear direction and a meaningful conclusion.

2. Land of the Lustrous Explores Identity Through Transformation

Land of the Lustrous presents a fantasy world inhabited by immortal humanoid beings known as Gems. They must defend themselves against the Lunarians, mysterious enemies who seek to capture them. The story follows Phosphophyllite, or Phos, a fragile Gem who struggles to find a meaningful role within this society.

What initially appears to be an unusual coming-of-age adventure gradually becomes a more unsettling examination of identity. As Phos undergoes physical changes, their abilities, appearance and understanding of themselves begin to shift.

The series uses these transformations to explore difficult questions about personal identity and the cost of change. It challenges the idea that every transformation necessarily represents progress, showing instead how growth can involve painful losses.

Its distinctive visual style and thoughtful approach to existential themes make Land of the Lustrous stand apart from conventional fantasy anime.

3. Odd Taxi Builds a Brilliantly Connected Mystery

Odd Taxi follows Odokawa, a quiet taxi driver whose seemingly ordinary nights take an unexpected turn as he encounters a collection of unusual passengers. A missing girl, criminal activity, an idol group and the ambitions of a comedy duo gradually become connected to a larger mystery.

The series initially appears to be a collection of conversations between unrelated characters. However, small details hidden within these exchanges gradually acquire greater significance as the story progresses.

Its greatest strength is the precision of its writing. Character interactions reveal personalities while quietly introducing clues that become important later. Rather than relying solely on dramatic revelations, Odd Taxi builds its mystery through carefully placed details and interconnected storylines.

The result is a tightly constructed series that rewards attentive viewers. Its distinctive characters and carefully developed plot make it an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys mystery anime.

4. Violet Evergarden Finds Humanity Through Letters

Violet Evergarden begins after the war that shaped its protagonist's life has ended. Having spent much of her childhood being treated as a weapon, Violet struggles to understand emotions and relationships in a world where military orders no longer determine her daily existence.

She becomes an Auto Memory Doll, a professional letter writer who helps people communicate feelings they cannot easily express themselves. Each assignment introduces her to different experiences of love, grief, regret and hope.

Through these encounters, Violet gradually develops an understanding of human emotions. Her journey is not about becoming a more effective fighter, but about learning how words can connect people and communicate feelings that are otherwise difficult to express.

The series combines carefully detailed animation with emotional storytelling. Its focus on individual lives gives Violet's development a quiet power, making it one of the decade's most memorable dramas.

5. The Apothecary Diaries Makes Investigation Its Greatest Strength

The Apothecary Diaries follows Maomao, a knowledgeable young apothecary who finds herself working within the imperial palace. Her expertise in medicine, poisons and human behaviour repeatedly draws her into mysterious incidents involving the emperor's household.

Rather than relying on large battles or supernatural powers, the series creates tension through observation and deduction. Maomao examines evidence, questions assumptions and uses her practical knowledge to uncover explanations behind seemingly inexplicable events.

Her personality adds to the appeal. She is sharp, curious and often unimpressed by the palace's complicated social conventions. Her interactions with Jinshi bring humour and additional intrigue without overshadowing the mysteries at the centre of the story.

The Apothecary Diaries demonstrates that intelligence and attention to detail can be just as engaging as physical action. Its blend of mystery, historical intrigue and character-driven storytelling makes it a standout modern anime.

6. Jujutsu Kaisen Raises the Stakes for Battle Shonen

Jujutsu Kaisen follows Yuji Itadori, whose life changes after he consumes a cursed object and becomes the vessel of Ryomen Sukuna. He is drawn into the hidden world of jujutsu sorcerers, who fight dangerous supernatural beings known as Curses.

Although its premise uses familiar battle shonen elements, the series distinguishes itself through its combat system. Cursed Energy, individual techniques, Binding Vows and Domain Expansions give battles a tactical dimension, requiring characters to understand their opponents rather than relying entirely on greater strength.

The story also gives its conflicts lasting consequences. The Shibuya Incident, in particular, changes the lives of several characters and forces Yuji to confront the emotional burden of events beyond his control.

Jujutsu Kaisen combines fast-paced action with striking animation and a willingness to put its characters through difficult experiences. It has become one of the defining battle shonen series of the modern era.

7. Re Turns an Isekai Ability Into Psychological Horror

Re follows Subaru Natsuki, an ordinary young man transported to a fantasy world where he discovers that death can send him back to an earlier point in time. This ability, known as Return by Death, initially appears to offer a powerful advantage.

However, every reset comes at a psychological cost. Subaru retains his memories of previous timelines, including the pain of his deaths and the consequences of failed attempts to protect others. The people around him may have no recollection of these events, leaving him to carry the burden alone.

This approach gives the series a darker perspective on the isekai genre. Instead of presenting a new world as an uncomplicated adventure, Re examines how repeated trauma, isolation and responsibility can affect a person.

Subaru's ability may allow him to change outcomes, but it does not make the process painless. The series builds much of its tension around the emotional consequences of trying to save everyone.

8. Mob Psycho 100 Shows Why Personal Growth Matters More Than Power

Mob Psycho 100 centres on Shigeo Kageyama, a quiet teenager with extraordinary psychic abilities. Despite being capable of defeating powerful opponents, Mob does not want his supernatural strength to define his identity.

His real ambitions are much more ordinary. He wants to make friends, build confidence and improve himself as a person. These goals prove difficult in ways that psychic abilities cannot automatically solve.

The people around him reinforce this distinction. Reigen, Mob's mentor, is far from the powerful psychic he claims to be, yet he still becomes an important influence in Mob's life. Their relationship helps the series explore the difference between genuine personal growth and the appearance of strength.

Mob Psycho 100 delivers imaginative battles and expressive animation, but its emotional centre lies in Mob's gradual development. It stands out because it treats growing up as a challenge that cannot be overcome through raw power alone.

9. Vinland Saga Questions the Meaning of Strength

Vinland Saga begins with Thorfinn seeking revenge against Askeladd after witnessing his father, Thors, die. His desire for vengeance drives him to become a skilled warrior, but years of fighting leave him emotionally exhausted.

The second season takes a different direction by placing Thorfinn in slavery and forcing him to confront the consequences of his past. Without revenge to guide his life, he must reconsider what he wants to become and whether violence is the only way to achieve his goals.

This shift is one of the series' most significant strengths. Rather than repeating the action-driven structure of its earlier episodes, Vinland Saga allows its protagonist to undergo a difficult internal transformation.

The anime explores the possibility that real strength involves restraint, accountability and the courage to change. Through Thorfinn's journey, it delivers a thoughtful examination of violence and the search for a more meaningful life.

10. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Finds Meaning After the Adventure

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End begins after its central heroes have already defeated the Demon King. Frieren, an elf mage, completed a decade-long adventure alongside Himmel, Heiter and Eisen. Once their journey ended, the group went their separate ways.

Because elves live far longer than humans, Frieren experiences the passage of time differently from her companions. When she later encounters the consequences of their ageing and mortality, she begins to understand how little she knew about the people who shared her earlier adventures.

She sets out on a new journey with a younger generation, revisiting places that once seemed like temporary stops and discovering the memories attached to them.

The series combines beautiful animation, thoughtful worldbuilding and restrained character development. Its emotional impact often comes from quiet conversations and seemingly insignificant moments rather than dramatic confrontations.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End offers a different perspective on fantasy by exploring what happens after a legendary quest has ended. It reminds viewers that relationships and ordinary experiences can become the most meaningful parts of any adventure.