Anime, like any other form of visual media, consists of an infinite number of genres and sub-genres. Among these, science fiction stands out as one of the most popular, boasting several highly acclaimed series andsci-fi horror games.
RELATED:Best Mecha Anime, Officially Ranked
Whether it’s exploring a dystopian society or showcasing advanced technology, these anime offer a unique glimpse into what could be in store for humanity. From classics to modern hits, these shows are sure to leave you entertained and pondering about the future.
12Appleseed
Appleseed is an anime movie that was released over three decades ago and takes place in the far future of 2125. After the end of World War 3, a new city emerged. This city of Olympus is a utopia where all forms of life can live together in harmony, be it humans or cyborgs.
As with any utopia, though, there are unsatisfied citizens who believe the city is nothing else than a big cage. What follows are terrorist attacks, lots of action, and drama.
11Space Battleship Yamato
The anime is set in the year 2199, and the world is being invaded by an alien race, the Gamilas. As their own planet was dying, they set off to Earth in order to make it theirs by dropping a huge bomb.
The story follows the crew of the Yamato space battleship as they travel to another planet in order to find a device that would heal the war-ravaged Earth. It’s an anime withgreat spaceshipsand intergalactic battles, full of drama and action.
10Mobile Suite Zeta Gundam
The Gundam series has released a good deal of great anime, but the one released in 1985, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, is still one of the best. The story is set in the so far future that they are using a different calendar, the Universal Century.
RELATED:Mobile Suit Gundam: Most Powerful Mobile Suits, Ranked
This is the second installment of the popular series, which deals with dark themes and intriguing characters and was even reproduced as a movie trilogy. You follow the story of Anti-Earth rebels fighting elite task forces of the Earth Federation and of a teenager caught in the middle of this battle.
9Ghost In The Shell
Cyborgs androbots have always been popular in gamingand anime, so it comes as no surprise Ghost in The Shell made it to the list. The story is set in the far future, where technology has advanced to the point where humans can enhance themselves with cybernetic enhancements.
You follow Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team as they fight against cyberterrorists. With its stunning cyberpunk aesthetic, intense action scenes, and intricate philosophical musings, it is a must-see.
Even after three decades, Akira is still one of the best sci-fi anime out there. With a great plot, electrifying color palette, and otherworldly soundtrack, it has become the inspiration for many popular hits such as theNetflixshowStranger Things, or the movie Looper.
When it was released, the story took place in the future of a dystopian 2019, after the events of World War 3. At a futuristic Neo Tokyo, you follow the life of a motorcycle gang leader caught up in a fight against the government.
7Girls Last Tour
Girls Last Tour makes for agreat slice-of-life animeset in a dark world. An exact year is not given, but the story is set in the far future after an unknown apocalypse destroyed most of the civilizations. You follow the lives of two girls, Yuuri and Chito, as they journey through the ruins of the world.
It is a slow-paced anime where the girls travel to different cities, seeking food and supplies and sometimes meeting other survivors.
6Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is another great anime that was set in the future when it was released. The year is 2015, and Earth has greatly suffered after the events of the Second Impact. Creatures called Angels have been rummaging Earth, and the only ones who can defeat them are Evangelion pilots.
RELATED:Most Underrated Anime Series You Shouldn’t Miss Watching
You follow a young boy who is forced by his father to become a pilot, and throughout the series, you explore his and his team members' experiences and emotions. Neon Genesis Evangelion is one ofthe best 90s anime, and it definitely deserves a reboot, not only short movies.
5Dr. Stone
Dr. Stonemakes for agreat non-battle shonen animethat focuses more on the science and logic behind winning battles rather than violence. The story starts in the near future, the year 2038, but it soon makes a time skip of 3,700 years.
The protagonists are thrown into a future where all of humanity has turned into stone but is still magically kept alive. Nature has taken over the world, which is now covered in dense plants and animals. Follow the story of the protagonists, one of thesmartest anime characters, while they attempt to rebuild civilization.
The events of Trigun take place in the 32nd century and on a fictional desert planet named No Man’s Land. After Earth has become uninhabitable, humans have started migrating to other planets. You follow the life of a famous gunman trying to survive all the bounty hunters after his life.
The more the story progresses, the more about the past of the gunman, Vast the Stampede, is revealed. The whole story centers around the theme of the nature of morality itself.
3Gurren Lagann
The story of Gurren Lagann takes place in a fictional future and a thousand years after the events of the First Anti-Spiral War. Earth is being ruled by the Spiral King, who has forced his subjects to live in subterranean villages.
The plot follows mainly the lives of two teenagers, Simon and Kamina, who want to escape one of those villages. Using a mecha known as Lagann, they reach the surface, and the story really begins.
