The 23 Best Anime Series of All Time — And Why Every Fan Needs a Poster on Their Wall

Whether you discovered anime through a late-night streaming binge, a friend's recommendation, or a childhood spent watching Saturday morning cartoons, there's a moment every anime fan remembers: the moment a series reached through the screen and changed the way you thought about storytelling. That's the moment animation stopped being something you watched and became something you felt.

At 98 Types Studio, we design minimalist anime wall art celebrating the greatest series ever made — from the emotionally devastating quiet of Violet Evergarden to the galaxy-shattering excess of Gurren Lagann. We believe the best anime deserves to live on your walls, not just on your screen.

In this guide, we're covering all 23 anime series in our anime poster collection — what makes each one extraordinary, why fans love them, and why the right poster can turn any room into a statement about the stories that matter to you. Whether you're building a gallery wall, hunting for the perfect anime gift, or just deciding what to watch next, this is your complete guide to the best anime series and the anime posters UK fans are hanging on their walls in 2026.

Dark and Mature Anime — Series That Changed What Anime Could Be

Some anime refuse to play it safe. The series in this section pushed the boundaries of what animation could explore: moral complexity, genuine horror, psychological depth and darkness most live-action television would shy away from. These are the anime that stayed with you long after the credits rolled — and they make some of the most striking anime wall art on the market.

Hell's Paradise (Jigokuraku) — MAPPA's Dark Samurai Masterpiece

When MAPPA isn't producing Jujutsu Kaisen or Attack on Titan's final season, they're creating Hell's Paradise — the dark historical fantasy that may be the studio's most visually stunning work yet. Following Gabimaru the Hollow, a shinobi sentenced to death who is offered a pardon if he can retrieve the elixir of life from a mythical island, Hell's Paradise is simultaneously a samurai action series, a supernatural body horror and a deeply moving story about what a person lives for.

The island itself — Shinsenkyo — is one of anime's most extraordinary creations: a paradise that is anything but, populated by creatures that defy classification and landscapes of horrible, beautiful strangeness. Gabimaru's relationship with his executioner, Sagiri Yamada Asaemon, develops with a restraint and intelligence that elevates the series far beyond its premise.

Why the poster: Gabimaru and Sagiri's visual designs are among the most striking in recent anime — clean lines, deep colours and an aesthetic that looks extraordinary on a wall. Shop the Hell's Paradise poster →

Devilman Crybaby — Netflix's Most Daring Anime

Released on Netflix in 2018, Masaaki Yuasa's Devilman Crybaby announced itself as something genuinely unlike anything else in anime — or in television. A reimagining of Go Nagai's 1970s manga Devilman, the series follows Akira Fudo as he merges with the demon Amon to become Devilman: a creature with demonic power but a human heart. His childhood friend Ryo Asuka has plans of his own.

The animation style is fluid and expressionist, oscillating between euphoric freedom and horrific violence in a way that feels entirely intentional. The series is explicit, violent and deeply sad — and its final episodes represent some of the most harrowing and artistically courageous television ever produced. For fans of challenging, artistic anime, Devilman Crybaby sits alongside Evangelion and Serial Experiments Lain as a series that uses animation to explore the human condition like no other medium.

Monster — The Greatest Psychological Thriller in Anime

If you ask serious anime fans to name the greatest anime of all time, Monster appears on almost every list. Madhouse's 2004 adaptation of Naoki Urasawa's manga follows Dr. Kenzo Tenma — a brilliant surgeon in West Germany who saves the life of a young boy over the town's mayor, only to discover years later that the boy, Johan Liebert, has grown into one of history's most terrifying killers.

What makes Monster extraordinary is its patience. This 74-episode series unfolds across years, across countries, across dozens of richly developed characters, without a single wasted moment. Urasawa's storytelling operates with the precision of a master novelist — every thread connects, every character matters, every revelation recontextualises what came before. If you haven't watched it, rearrange your schedule.

Another — J-Horror Comes to the Classroom

PA Works' 2012 adaptation of Yukito Ayatsuji's novel is one of anime's finest horror series — a slow-burn supernatural mystery set in a school where death follows class 3-3 of Yomiyama North Middle School with horrifying regularity. When transfer student Kouichi Sakakibara becomes fixated on the mysterious, eyepatch-wearing Mei Misaki, he begins unravelling a curse that has claimed lives for over two decades.

Another takes the aesthetic traditions of Japanese horror — the wrongness lurking beneath ordinary surfaces, the dread that accumulates incrementally — and applies them to a school setting with exceptional craft. For fans who want anime that genuinely unsettles rather than simply shocks, Another delivers.

Akame Ga Kill — Dark Fantasy That Does Not Flinch

White Fox's 2014 adaptation of Takahiro's manga earned notoriety for one reason above all: it kills characters you love, without warning and without apology. Following Tatsumi, a young fighter who joins the assassin group Night Raid against a corrupt empire, Akame Ga Kill operates in a moral universe where good intentions don't guarantee survival.

The Imperial Arms create spectacular battle mechanics, and Night Raid is one of anime's most charismatic ensembles of antiheroes — but it's Esdeath, the empire's most powerful general, who elevates the series to something special. For fans of dark fantasy action that takes its own darkness seriously, Akame Ga Kill remains deeply compelling.

Epic Action and Adventure — Anime That Made You Believe in Impossible Things

Gurren Lagann — The Anime That Pierces the Heavens

There are anime that entertain you and anime that change you. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Gainax's 2007 masterpiece, is firmly in the second category. Beginning in an underground village where humans have never seen the sky, the series follows the timid digger Simon and his impossibly self-assured brother figure Kamina as they punch their way upward — first to the surface, then to the stars, then beyond the stars entirely.

Gurren Lagann escalates with a commitment to excess that's almost spiritual. Kamina's death — one of the most shocking, well-executed character moments in anime — and the final battle against the Anti-Spiral are among the medium's greatest achievements. Who the hell do you think you are? You're someone who watches Gurren Lagann and becomes, briefly, invincible.

Assassination Classroom — The Teacher Who Loved His Students

Lerche's 2015 adaptation of Yūsei Matsui's manga is one of anime's greatest achievements in tonal balance: simultaneously a comedy, an action thriller, a school drama and one of the most moving meditations on teaching and belonging ever committed to screen. The premise — a tentacled creature who destroyed the moon threatens Earth next, and tasks a class of underperforming students with assassinating him — is absurd. The execution is extraordinary.

Koro-sensei is one of anime's most beloved characters for good reason: his commitment to students the school system has written off, paired with his vulnerability beneath his invulnerability, creates emotional complexity the series earns every time. For anyone who's ever felt like the bottom of the class, Assassination Classroom sees you.

Record of Ragnarok — Mythology's Greatest Fighting Tournament

The premise alone deserves applause: the gods of every major world pantheon have decided to destroy humanity, and Brunhilde the Valkyrie proposes a final tournament — thirteen humans against thirteen gods. Thor versus Lu Bu. Nikola Tesla versus Beelzebub. Adam versus Zeus.

Record of Ragnarok is maximalist anime in the best sense: each fight is a spectacle of mythological proportion, drawing from Norse, Greek, Hindu, Chinese and Japanese traditions simultaneously. It isn't subtle — but it's enormously entertaining, and the best fights reach a genuine emotional pitch.

Windbreaker — 2026's Most Exciting Sports Anime

CloverWorks' recent series arrived with little advance fanfare and immediately established itself as one of the most exhilarating sports anime around. Haruka Sakura transfers to Furin High School expecting a school full of delinquents to fight — and discovers instead that Furin's fierce reputation comes from its cycling team, Bofurin.

Windbreaker is that rare sports anime that makes competitive sequences feel genuinely breathless while building a cast worth caring about. The visual style is distinctive — bold, kinetic, unlike anything else currently airing. For fans who burned through Haikyuu and Blue Lock, Windbreaker delivers.

Baki — Martial Arts at Its Most Gloriously Absurd

Netflix's adaptation of Keisuke Itagaki's legendary manga brought the story of Baki Hanma — a teenager whose obsessive goal is to surpass his father Yujiro, the strongest creature alive — to a global audience. The result is one of the most purely entertaining action anime in existence, where fights between world-class martial artists escalate to levels of creative absurdity only this genre can achieve.

Baki doesn't take itself entirely seriously, and that's precisely its strength. The result is compulsively watchable.

Romance, Heart and Human Connection — Anime That Made You Feel Everything

Violet Evergarden — Kyoto Animation's Masterpiece

Very few anime can genuinely be called beautiful in every dimension — visually, narratively, emotionally — but Violet Evergarden is one of them. Kyoto Animation's 2018 series follows Violet, a former child soldier who lost her arms in the war, now working as an Auto Memory Doll who transcribes the deepest feelings of others. As she learns what the words "I love you" — spoken to her by the Major before the war ended — truly mean, the series builds to an emotional resolution of extraordinary power.

KyoAni's animation is simply the finest in television anime. If you own one anime poster, let it be something from Violet Evergarden. This series represents what animation can achieve at its absolute highest — and it's consistently one of our best-selling anime prints for exactly that reason.

Horimiya — Romance Done Right

CloverWorks' 2021 adaptation of Hero's manga is perhaps the most refreshing school romance in recent anime: a series that gets its couple together early, then actually explores what a relationship between two people who hide their true selves looks like as those walls come down. Popular, put-together Kyouko Hori and tattooed, pierced Izumi Miyamura discover each other's hidden lives and fall in love with genuine speed.

Horimiya captures the everyday texture of being in a relationship — the comfortable silences, the small arguments — better than almost any other romance anime. It feels real in a way idealised romance anime often doesn't.

Yuri on Ice!! — A Landmark in Sports Romance

MAPPA's 2016 series remains a landmark in anime history: a figure skating sports drama that became a global phenomenon in part because of the genuine, tender romance between Japanese skater Yuri Katsuki and his idol-turned-coach, Russian champion Victor Nikiforov. The skating sequences are animated with extraordinary attention to real figure skating choreography.

Beyond the romance — which broke ground for LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream anime — Yuri on Ice!! is a beautifully made series about anxiety, performance and self-belief. The opening sequence remains one of anime's most iconic moments.

Ouran High School Host Club — The Shojo Classic That Still Holds Up

Bones' 2006 adaptation of Bisco Hatori's manga is one of the most beloved shojo anime ever made — a sharp, warm, frequently hilarious series about Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student who accidentally breaks an expensive vase in the school's host club room and ends up working off the debt by joining the club herself, passing as a boy.

What elevates Ouran above its premise is its self-awareness: the series knows it's operating within shojo romance conventions and regularly breaks the fourth wall to comment on them. Nearly two decades on, it remains as funny and warm as ever.

The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity — Quiet Romance at Its Best

Known in Japanese as Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku, this series represents school romance anime at its most delicate and observant. The slow-burning romance between students from rival schools unfolds with a restraint rare in the genre — a series that understands the most powerful romantic moments are often the quietest ones.

Kuroko No Basketball — Where Sports Become Supernatural

Production I.G's adaptation of Tadatoshi Fujimaki's manga transformed basketball into something close to martial arts cinema: a sports anime where the prodigiously talented Generation of Miracles bring supernatural abilities to the court. The genius of the series is Tetsuya Kuroko himself — a player so unobtrusive he's essentially invisible, using misdirection and passes of impossible precision.

Science Fiction and Cyberpunk — Anime That Built Worlds

Psycho-Pass — The Dystopia That Predicted the Present

Production I.G's 2012 cyberpunk crime thriller has only become more relevant with time. Set in a future Japan where the Sibyl System measures citizens' psychological states and predicts criminal intent, the series follows Inspector Akane Tsunemori as she works alongside Enforcers to pursue those the system cannot predict.

Gen Urobuchi's writing sits at the intersection of Philip K. Dick, Ghost in the Shell and classic crime drama, asking questions about justice, free will and surveillance that feel increasingly pressing in an age of algorithmic decision-making. Psycho-Pass is essential anime for anyone who takes science fiction seriously — and one of our most popular anime posters for study or home-office walls.

Dr. Stone — Science as Superpower

TMS Entertainment's adaptation of Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi's manga is one of anime's most genuinely unique series: a post-apocalyptic adventure where the superpower is scientific knowledge, not magic or combat ability. When Senku Ishigami revives after humanity has been petrified for 3,700 years, he sets about rebuilding civilisation from zero using chemistry, physics and biology.

Senku's certainty — his perpetual declaration that everything is "ten billion percent" possible — gives the series an irresistible forward momentum. For younger viewers especially, Dr. Stone is one of the finest advertisements for science education ever produced.

Fantasy, Isekai and the Supernatural

Mushoku Tensei — The Isekai That Redefined the Genre

Studio Bind's adaptation of Rifujin na Magonote's light novel series is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the isekai genre — the story that demonstrated what happens when reincarnation fantasy is handled with genuine craft and emotional intelligence. Following a man reincarnated as Rudeus Greyrat with his memories intact, Mushoku Tensei spans years of Rudeus's life across a richly realised magical world, developed with a patience most anime can't afford.

No Game No Life — Isekai as Pure Fantasy

Madhouse's 2014 adaptation of Yuu Kamiya's light novel remains one of the most purely entertaining isekai ever made — and one of anime's great unresolved cliffhangers. Sora and Shiro, genius siblings known online as Blank, are transported to Disboard, where all conflict is resolved through games, and immediately set about gaming their way to the top of the world's power structure.

The vivid, oversaturated, almost hallucinogenic colour palette makes No Game No Life one of the most visually recognisable — and print-worthy — anime ever made.

Blue Exorcist — Satan's Son Becomes an Exorcist

A-1 Pictures' 2011 adaptation of Kazue Kato's manga is one of the most satisfying entries in supernatural shonen: the son of Satan decides to become an exorcist and defeat his father. Rin Okumura's struggle to be accepted by a world that fears his heritage, and his complicated relationship with his twin brother Yukio, create exactly the found-family dynamics shonen does best.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles — The Best Anime Comedy of Recent Years

A-1 Pictures' adaptation of Hajime Kōmoto's manga is, at its core, a Harry Potter parody in which the chosen one's magical ability has been replaced with pure, inhuman physical strength — and it's one of the funniest anime in recent memory. Mash Burnedead compensates for having zero magic by punching spells into submission, catching magical projectiles bare-handed, and pursuing cream puffs with total single-minded determination.

The genius of Mashle is that Mash is entirely deadpan about all of it, and the series commits to its comedy with total confidence.

Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma — The Greatest Cooking Competition in Fiction

J.C.Staff's adaptation of Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki's manga made competitive cooking feel as exciting as any martial arts tournament, with food reactions of operatic intensity. Soma Yukihira's enrollment at Totsuki Culinary Academy — where only 10% of students graduate and Shokugeki (food battles) settle every dispute — launches increasingly spectacular culinary confrontations, treated with real technical respect throughout.

How to Build the Perfect Anime Gallery Wall in Your UK Home

One of the questions we hear most at 98 Types Studio is how to display anime posters in a way that feels intentional rather than simply sticking prints on a wall. Here are the principles that work best.

Group by mood, not franchise. The most visually compelling gallery walls pair series by aesthetic rather than genre. Violet Evergarden, Horimiya and Yuri on Ice!! share a softness of colour palette that works beautifully together. Hell's Paradise, Devilman Crybaby and Another share a darkness that creates a cohesive wall statement. Monster and Psycho-Pass share a cool, almost monochrome palette suited to a study or home office.

Mix sizes thoughtfully. A gallery wall of identical prints can feel static. Combining a larger anchor piece with smaller prints around it creates visual hierarchy. Our most popular combination is one larger anchor print flanked by two medium prints, with two smaller prints in the corners.

Consider the room. A bedroom wall suits the warmth of Horimiya, Violet Evergarden or Ouran High School Host Club. A study benefits from the intellectual weight of Monster, Psycho-Pass or Dr. Stone. A living room can carry the epic scale of Gurren Lagann or Record of Ragnarok as a statement piece.

Frames make the difference. Our prints work beautifully in simple black frames for darker series, natural wood for warm romance anime, and white frames for the clean aesthetic of series like Dr. Stone or No Game No Life. A consistent frame colour across a gallery wall creates unity even when the prints themselves vary.

Why 98 Types Studio for Your Anime Posters?

Every print in our anime poster collection is designed with one principle: the best anime deserves art that does it justice. Our minimalist illustration style captures the essential visual identity of each series — the colour palette, the character silhouettes, the mood — in a design that works as a piece of art rather than a promotional image.

Prints start from just £3, with Buy 3 Get 1 Free on every order and same-day dispatch on orders placed before 3pm. Based in the UK, we offer fast tracked delivery, and our team is on hand to help with sizing, framing or working out which prints look best together on your wall.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best anime for someone who has never watched anime before? For absolute beginners, we recommend starting with either Assassination Classroom (accessible, funny and genuinely moving) or Horimiya (a warm, beautifully made romance that feels immediately relatable). For viewers comfortable with darker content, Monster is one of the finest drama series in any medium and requires no prior anime knowledge.

Which anime on this list is suitable for younger viewers? Dr. Stone, Kuroko No Basketball, Ouran High School Host Club, Assassination Classroom and Gurren Lagann are all appropriate for teenagers. Food Wars, Horimiya and Yuri on Ice!! suit older teens. The remaining series — particularly Devilman Crybaby, Monster, Akame Ga Kill, Another and Baki — contain content suitable for adults only.

Are your anime posters officially licensed? 98 Types Studio creates original minimalist art inspired by anime series. Our designs are original illustrations in our signature style rather than reproductions of official artwork.

What sizes do your anime posters come in? Our anime prints are available in a range of sizes to suit any wall or budget — see the full collection for current sizing and pricing.

Do you offer international shipping? Yes — while we're based in the UK and offer fast domestic delivery with same-day dispatch before 3pm, we ship internationally too.

Which anime poster is your best seller? Our Violet Evergarden and Psycho-Pass prints are consistently among our most popular. For gift purchases, Assassination Classroom and Horimiya are frequently chosen for their wide appeal across anime fans of varying experience.

Final Thoughts — The Anime That Deserve to Live on Your Walls

From the philosophical depths of Monster and Psycho-Pass to the pure, joyful excess of Gurren Lagann and Mashle, the 23 anime series in our collection represent something genuinely extraordinary about what Japanese animation has achieved. These aren't niche curiosities — they're works of genuine artistic ambition, emotional intelligence and creative vision that stand alongside the finest storytelling in any medium.

The best anime poster is the one that reminds you, every time you glance at the wall, of the moment a series moved you. The night you finished Monster at 3am and sat in silence. The moment Kamina died in Gurren Lagann. The final episode of Violet Evergarden and the letter that preceded it. The laugh Koro-sensei gave you when you needed it most.

At 98 Types Studio, we make posters for those moments. Browse our full anime poster collection and find the one that belongs on your wall.

Shop anime posters at 98types.co.uk → Same-day UK dispatch → Buy 3 Get 1 FREE

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