The world of anime is expanding more and more, but the most watched anime in the world remain practically the same over the years, no matter how many new titles are released. There are several works being released each new season in Japan and these magical universes portrayed by East Asian animations attract the attention of the general public, forming new otaku all over the world. However, there are those titles that never leave the list of the most beloved by fans of the genre.
Are you new to the otaku universe and want to start watching the best anime of all time? Are you just curious about the most popular anime ever released? Whatever your case may be, this list has been created especially for you and we'll give you an overview of the thirteen most-watched anime in the world! Is your favorite among them?
Death Note (2006)
Death Note couldn't possibly be one of the most watched anime in the world. The title is full of philosophical questions about the use of power and the notion of humanity itself and is one of the best-known titles among both anime lovers and those curious about the subject. The message and construction of the work appeal even to people who aren't interested in animation in general, demonstrating its importance.
The story revolves around a bored teenager called Light Yagami who ends up finding a notebook on the ground that gives him the power to eliminate anyone whose name is written in its pages. When he realizes that the notebook is, in fact, functional, the young man decides to use it to take justice into his own hands, eliminating criminals in order to become the "God" of a kind of new world. However, as the plot progresses, he commits various crimes in an attempt to conceal his identity and avoid arrest.
The anime is based on the manga of the same name written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. It has a total of 37 episodes full of ups and downs and interesting characters, such as Detective L, who appears in an iconic scene challenging Kira, Light's codename, because he is just as intelligent as he is. The animation, produced by Madhouse and released in 2006, can be seen on Netflix.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
Fullmetal Alchemist is another big name among the world's most watched anime. It has two animated versions, one released in 2003 and the other in 2009, the latter being more faithful to the manga and also responsible for placing the text on this list. This version is known for the addition of "Brotherhood" to the title and was released in 2009 by the Bones studio, with a total of 64 episodes that can be watched on both Prime Video and Crunchyroll.
The plot follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who end up resorting to alchemy to try to bring their mother back to life. The spell, however, goes horribly wrong and both lose parts of their bodies (in Alphonse's case, the entire body). From then on, the pair set off on a journey to find the philosopher's stone to try to regain what they had lost and live their lives normally.
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995)
Gundam may not be a well-known name to more recent generations of otaku, but it is one of the most watched anime in the world, having been very successful at the time of its release and beyond. It was even shown on Brazilian TV, which won it many fans in the country. It was produced by the Sunrise studio in 1995, with a total of 49 episodes available on Prime Video.
The anime's setting is post-apocalyptic and portrays a humanity that seeks to restore the Earth's resources while looking for new areas to inhabit in outer space. In the midst of increasingly intense wars, things seem to be going according to plan, but how long will this last with so many conflicts going on?
Jujutsu Kaisen (2020)
Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the anime of the moment, and one of the most recent among the most watched anime in the world. It is based on the manga created by Gege Akutami and its animation, produced by MAPPA studio, first aired in 2020. In all, Jujutsu has two seasons to date, totaling 47 episodes that are available to watch on Crunchyroll.
Here we meet young Yuuji Itadori, who lives a normal life until the day he swallows the finger of a cursed being to save his schoolmates from great danger. From then on, the boy sets out on a real crusade to find the remaining fingers of this being known as Sukuna and thus prevent its return and defeat it once and for all.
Cowboy Bebop (1998)
Like Death Note, Cowboy Bebop is an animated series full of social criticism that is much loved by the public. Its futuristic setting and scenes that explore various points pertinent to the characters, such as existentialism, make this classic one of the most watched anime series in the world. It has only 24 episodes in total and can be watched on Netflix or Prime Video.
Produced by Masahiko Minami and Kazuhiko ikeguchi, Cowboy Bebop transports the viewer to the year 2071, where the plot takes place. It follows a group of bounty hunters who operate in space after travel through the solar system becomes accessible and the Earth is almost completely wiped out by an asteroid shower.
Attack on Titan (2013)
Another big name among the latest titles is Attack on Titan, based on the manga written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. The anime was first released in 2013 by the Wit studio, but its final seasons were produced by MAPPA. The anime is available in its entirety on the specialized platform Crunchyroll so that viewers can see why it is among the most watched anime in the world.
Here, humanity seems to have gone through some very serious tragedy that led to the construction of a city with several layers of walls to protect its inhabitants from the dangers brought by terrible giant monsters. Eren Yeager is the protagonist who dreams of seeing the world through the walls and ends up witnessing a massacre when one of these giants breaks through the first wall and commands a mass slaughter in which his mother ends up being eliminated before his eyes.
With this, Eren vows to exterminate these monsters known as "titans" once and for all and, to do so, joins the army with his adopted sister Mikasa and his childhood best friend Armin. Although the series finale was considered by many fans to be very disappointing, it is still very popular among otaku and remains one of the most watched anime in the world.
Sword Art Online (2012)
Sword Art Online is considered by many to be one of the modern forerunners of the isekai genre, although other titles had already tackled the subject. It was SAO that made the "protagonist transported to another universe" recipe pop in terms of popularity when it was released in 2012 by the A-1 Pictures studio. The dynamic way in which the story is conducted makes it one of the most watched anime in the world.
The anime is based on a series of light novels of the same name written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by Abec. The protagonist is young Kirito, who finds himself in a great adventure after being trapped in a virtual reality game. He can only get out of the game if he beats all 100 stages and, if by chance he is eliminated in the game, he will be eliminated in real life too. You can watch all the episodes of SAO on Crunchyroll.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019)
Kimetsu no Yaiba began to make its name among the world's most-watched anime a year or so before Jujutsu Kaisen, but the success of the two titles continues unabated among fans of the genre. To date, the title has four seasons and a total of 63 episodes that are available in the catalog of the Netflix and Crunchyroll streaming services.
Produced by the Ufotable studio, Demon Slayer tells the saga of Tanjiro Kamado. This young man had his entire family wiped out by the attack of a powerful oni and his sister transformed into a monster at the same time. After this incident, he sets out on a hunt against all demons to prevent other people from going through the same ordeal as he did.
Sailor Moon (1992)
If Sword Art Online was one of the main reasons for the recipe established for the isekai subgenre, Sailor Moon was even more important when it came to mahou shoujo. Even though it is quite old, it never leaves the list of the world's most watched anime, having been based on a manga of the same name written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi and produced by Toei Animation.
The story stars Usagi Tsukino, an awkward schoolgirl who lives her life normally until the day she bumps into a talking cat on her way to school. This cat tells her that the girl is now a magical warrior and must protect the Earth from a greater evil, as well as find other sleeping warriors who will help her in this mission. The anime can be watched on Prime Video.
One Piece (1999)
One Piece is not only one of the most-watched anime in the world, but also one of the longest-running on this list. The anime based on the manga by Eiichiro Oda began airing in 1999 and has already passed the thousand episode mark, a rare feat for most anime. It was produced by Toei Animation, just like Sailor Moon, and can be watched on Crunchyroll, Netflix and Prime Video.
Here we can follow the adventures of Luffy, a boy who dreams of finding a legendary treasure called "One Piece" and thus becoming the king of pirates. Over the course of the plot, he meets various other characters and forms his troupe, until he reaches a high level as a pirate and faces powerful enemies while discovering more about his powers.
Naruto (2002)
One of the most beloved by young adults today, Naruto was one of the most watched anime in the world and also the gateway for many people into the otaku universe. Based on the manga by Masashi Kishimoto and produced by Pierrot, Naruto is available to watch on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
The story takes place in the fictional Land of Fire, where ninja villages exist and live together in a certain harmony. Our protagonist is Naruto Uzumaki, a young man who has a spirit sealed in his body and is therefore rejected by everyone in his village. His dream is to become Hokage, the highest rank among the ninja, so that those who have mocked and doubted him will finally begin to treat him with some respect and see him as someone worthy.
Pokémon (1997)
Although it started out as a game franchise produced by Nintendo, Pokémon also did very well when it was animated, becoming one of the most watched anime in the world. It's also one of the longest-running titles on this list, with new seasons still airing today.
Produced by the OLM studio, Pokémon tells the story of young Ash Ketchum, who receives permission to begin his journey to become a Pokémon master at the age of ten. From then on he goes on various adventures with his first monster and partner Pikachu in order to capture as many pokémon as he can. You can watch the Pokémon anime on Netflix!
Dragon Ball (1986)
Dragon Ball is the oldest of the world's most watched anime titles. The franchise was created by Akira Toriyama and is one of the most beloved by the public to this day. There are several "phases" of the work, but the main one ended up being divided into two parts: Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, although this division does not exist in the manga. The animation was done by Toei Animation and you can watch it on the Globo Play catalog or on Prime Video.
In the story we follow Son Gokuis an alien who was raised on Earth and is fighting to become stronger and stronger so that he can protect the planet from the most diverse threats. He is also in search of the dragon spheres, magical artifacts which, once put together, summon the Dragon God Shenlong, capable of fulfilling any wish of whoever can summon him.
In any case, these are the most watched anime in the world so far. As mentioned at the beginning, the anime universe is constantly expanding, so some names may end up being added here eventually. Did you miss any titles on this list? Let us know! Your opinion is always welcome! Also take a look at the video we've put together below and at our article on the eleven strongest characters in Naruto!
