The Best Anime on Netflix Right Now, from Originals to Easy First Watches
Netflix has quietly become one of the best places to watch anime, but its catalogue shifts constantly and changes from country to country, so a flat “top 10” goes stale fast. This guide sorts the best anime on Netflix by what you are looking for, and leans on Netflix originals and long-running staples that tend to stick around. One honest heads-up before we start: availability varies by region and over time, so check your own Netflix before you commit to a binge.
Netflix originals worth starting with
These are made or exclusively distributed by Netflix, which means they rarely leave. They are the safest bets on this whole list.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is the crown jewel. A ten-episode story set in the Cyberpunk 2077 world, animated by Studio Trigger, it is fast, loud, gorgeous and genuinely moving by the end. If you watch one thing from this guide, make it this.
Devilman Crybaby is a wild, intense retelling of a classic that is absolutely not for everyone, but its fans consider it a masterpiece. Mature content throughout, so go in aware.
Aggretsuko follows a red panda office worker who vents her work stress through death metal karaoke. It is short, funny and weirdly relatable, and one of the easiest anime to hand a total newcomer.
Baki and its sequels deliver pure over-the-top martial-arts spectacle for when you want fights and nothing but fights.
The best picks for beginners
If you are new to anime, start with something short or instantly familiar. Aggretsuko above is ideal. Beyond it, the big shonen series that Netflix carries in many regions, like Naruto and Hunter x Hunter, are popular for a reason: clear stories, likeable casts and hundreds of episodes if you fall in love. For a one-and-done, a single Netflix original film asks for almost no commitment.
If you want anime movies
Netflix’s film lineup shifts more than its series, but in many regions it carries Studio Ghibli classics, the comfort-watch standard for anime films. Look for Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle if they are available where you are. Netflix originals and licensed features round out a solid movie night without leaving the app.
If you want action and spectacle
For adrenaline, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Baki lead the way, joined by whatever big action licenses Netflix currently holds in your region. These are the titles that show off what the medium can do with a fight scene, and they play well even if you do not usually watch anime.
A note on availability
Anime on Netflix rotates because most titles are licensed for a limited time and vary by country. Netflix originals are the exception and stay put, which is why they anchor this list. If a title above is not in your region today, it may return later, or you may find it on another service. When in doubt, search the app directly.
Once you have worked through a few of these, a lot of their casts are among the most recognisable faces in anime. See how many you can identify from a single blurred image in the daily character game below, or name the series from one pixelated scene in Guess the Anime.