In the world of anime, the 90s was a revolutionary era that brought us some of the most groundbreaking and nostalgic series that we grew up watching.
While the graphics may seem dated compared to today’s standards, the content and storytelling of these series continue to capture the hearts of anime fans everywhere.
More importantly, the 90s anime series are not just some old piece of content; they are the super nostalgic early animations that we grew up watching.
If you are a new anime fan, you might not have explored the 90s anime series, and we have compiled a list of the 25 best 90s anime movies and series to transport you back to your childhood.
From the supernatural adventure of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure to the action-packed Berserk, there is something for every anime fan.
25 Best 90s Anime Series To Watch (Or Revisit) in 2023!
25. Slam Dunk
- Episodes: 40
- Seasons: 02
- Genre: Sports
- Watch: Crunchyroll
Having been rejected 50 times in a row in middle school, Hanamichi Sakuragi enrolls at Shohoku High in the hopes of breaking his record and finding love.
However, thanks to his explosive temper and gorilla height, Hanamichi made no friends in the academy.
But one day, unaware of his mischievous past, a girl called Haruko Akagi randomly approaches him and asks whether he likes basketball! (In reality: he hates basketball).
At that moment, Hanamichi’s heart skipped a beat and he blurted out an enthusiastic yes. And the other day at the gym, Haruko challenges Hanamichi to a slam dunk, and that’s how the lonesome life of our MC turned into the life of the national player.
24. Cowboy Bebop
- Episodes: 26
- Seasons: 01
- Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
- Watch: Netflix
The story of Cowboy Bebop takes place in the year 2071 when humanity has spread throughout the cosmos, colonized the other planets, and formed different societies.
Since the ratio of crime has been increasing day by day, there is a rise in the number of bounty hunters who track down the intergalactic outlaws responsible for criminal activities.
After starting as lone bounty hunters, Spike Spiegel and Jet Black eventually form a team of five. But, there comes a time when the Bebop crew’s life changes dramatically, forcing Spike to choose between his new family and a lifelong vengeance.
23. Sailor Moon
- Episodes: 200
- Seasons: 04
- Genre: Fantasy, Romance
- Watch: Netflix
Usagi Tsukino is an ordinary and clumsy student who tends to cry and make a fool of herself in class thanks to her poor academic record. When she rescues a cat wearing a crescent moon on its head, her mundane life is suddenly turned on its head.
Luna (cat) explains that their accidental encounter was no coincidence and that Usagi is predestined to become Sailor Moon, a galactic guardian with the powers to protect Earth.
To prevent the devastation of her planet, she must track down the missing princess of the Moon Kingdom, the other Sailor Guardians, and the Legendary Silver Crystal.
22. Run Melos
- Episodes: 12
- Seasons: 01
- Genre: Fiction
- Watch: Zoro.to
To acquire a ritual sword for his sister’s wedding, Melos from Messina has traveled to Syracuse, the splendid city of temples. In Syracuse, Melos becomes close to a renowned sculptor he encounters and forges a bond of friendship.
Later, while taking a stroll on the castle’s grounds, Melos is apprehended by the King’s guards, and the King of Syracuse, who is preoccupied with the thought that assassins are out to murder him, promptly condemns Melos to death.
Now on the verge of death and filled with desperation to attend his sister’s wedding, Melos asks for a delay of three days. However, he must bring in a substitute who will take the death penalty if he does not return to the castle.
21. Soul Hunter
- Episodes: 26
- Seasons: 01
- Genre: Supernatural
- Watch: Crunchyroll
When his family is slaughtered by a stunning demon, young Taikoubou was put in charge of the Houshin Project. Its goal is to track down and imprison any and all immortals hiding among the mortals.
Now that demons have taken over the Yin dynasty, Taikoubou must seal them with a Paopei, an artifact that allows him to channel his ki into either devastating blasts or a flashy sword.
If he still doesn’t want to go, he’s got the mighty Sibu Xiang to force him out the door.
The two characters make their journey to the Yin and the dumb Taikoubou makes his way to face the demonic villain, Dakki, to throw him behind bars.
20. Spriggan
- Run Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
- Genre: Sci-Fi
- Watch: Netflix
A long time ago, an alien species occupied Earth long before the human race and eventually wiped themselves out. The aliens did, however, leave behind a warning for future civilizations: get rid of any traces of the alien’s technology for your own good!
Since then, the ARCAM Company and their paramilitary squad, the Spriggans, are on a mission to lock up the artifacts and stop any rogue from using their powers.
The main protagonist, Yuu Ominae, a Spriggan, has been sent to the Ararat Mountains after ARCAM discovered what is widely thought to be the legendary Ark of Noah.
Also Read– Best 90’s Cartoon that will make you Nostalgic
19. Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files
- Episodes: 112
- Seasons: 05
- Genre: Action
- Watch: Netflix
Yuusuke Urameshi, a 14-year-old boy with a bleak life, gets a miracle chance to change his life after sacrificing himself in an accident to save a child.
For Urameshi, to make such a supreme sacrifice is so out of character that the authorities in the afterlife are unable to accept it and let him go.
Thus, Koenma, the rightful heir to the kingdom of the spirit realm, offers Yuusuke a chance to reclaim his life in exchange for a series of challenges.
As a Spirit Detective, he has to fight evil spirits on Earth with the help of the Death God known as Botan.
18. H2
- Episodes: 41
- Seasons: 01
- Genre: Sports
- Watch: GoGoAnime
Hiro, a baseball fanatic, ended up choosing a school without a baseball team after suffering an elbow injury while playing the practice match. Upon joining the soccer squad, Hiro meets Haruka, who is also a nut head daughter of his father’s boss.
But still, Haruka supervises the unofficial baseball team at Hiro’s school and makes moves to motivate Hiro whenever possible.
One day, in an attempt to embarrass the baseball club, the soccer team challenges them to a game. The baseball club is almost humiliated until Hiro, outraged by the soccer team’s arrogance, switches teams and shows his real skills!
17. Silent Mobius
- Episodes: 26
- Seasons: 01 Season + 01 Movie
- Genre: Action
- Watch: GoGo Anime
In 1999, with the help of the Magician’s Guild, Gigelf Liqueur devised a system to create a portal connecting the world with Nemesis. Their goal was to provide Earth with clean air and water in exchange for Earth’s pollution.
Unfortunately, Gigelf’s former student, Ganossa Maximilian, ruined everything by opening the gate early and diverting it for his own purposes.
Since then, Gigelf and the Magician’s Guild are fighting off an invasion of Lucifer Hawk, the people of the other dimension killing innocent people. And after years, Gigelf’s daughter has made a team of supernatural beings to end all of it in one swap!
16. Cooking Master Boy
- Episodes: 64
- Seasons: 02
- Genre: Gourmet
- Watch: GoGo Anime
The plot unfolds in Qing Dynasty China of the 19th century when the Emperor was on the decline and the country was on the verge of its end. But still, it was known as the “The Era of the Cooking Wars”.
When Mao’s mother, Pai, the “Fairy of Cuisine,” passes away, he trains to become a “Super Chef” so that he can succeed his mother as the restaurant’s Master Chef.
He plans to follow in his mother’s footsteps as Master Chef, but not until he has finished exploring the diverse cuisines of China. Along the way, he makes some fantastic new companions and faces up against some formidable cooking rivals.
15. Ghost In The Shell
- Episodes: 24
- Seasons: 02 Seasons + 02 Movies
- Genre: Sci-Fi
- Watch: Netflix
In the year 2029, thanks to significant advancements in cybernetics, the people of Niihama City can replace their limbs with artificial ones. Public Security Section 9 of the city is charged with thwarting the spread of crime brought on by technology.
Major Motoko Kusanagi, a strong-willed member of Section 9, leads the investigation into the “Puppet Master,” a mysterious hacker who wipes the memories of his or her victims.
The Puppet Master, like many people in this future, has a body that is almost totally robotic, giving them great powers and a new way to live their life.
14. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
- Episodes: 49
- Seasons: 01
- Genre: Sci-Fi
- Watch: Crunchyroll
With an iron fist, the United Earth Sphere Alliance (UESA) has dominated Earth and its colonies in space for decades. In the year A.C. 195, furious colonial rebels launched “Operation Meteor,” sending five strong mobile suits to Earth in search of revenge.
One day, Relena Peacecraft, the daughter of a politician who advocates for world peace, discovers a lone gunman upon reaching the seashore with a crash landing.
Neither of them knows it yet, but this meeting will change their lives—and the lives of everyone on Earth and in the space colonies—in deep ways.
13. The Vision Of Escaflowne
- Episodes: 26
- Seasons: 01
- Genre: Adventure
- Watch: Crunchyroll
Hitomi Kanzaki is a 15-year-old high school student with a fondness for tarot cards and a penchant for fortune-telling. One night, her life turned upside down when a mysterious guy named Van Fanel and a ferocious dragon descended from the sky.
Thanks to Hitomi’s foresight, Van kills the dragon, but just as the two of them are about to leave, a light appears and engulfs both of them. Hitomi has suddenly whisked away to the fantastical world of Gaea, where Earth appears to float in space.
Hitomi finds out that Van is a prince in the Kingdom of Fanelia, which is under attack from the terrible Zaibach Empire. She decides to help Van in his hard days and spends her life in the Gaea, becoming a woman of high status and courage.
Here’s some more anime delight on Crunchyroll: Best Anime To Watch on Crunchyroll in 2023
12. Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Episodes: 26
- Seasons: 01 + 2 Movies
- Genre: Sci-Fi
- Watch: Netflix
The world is threatened once again by terrible supernatural beings known as “Angels” fifteen years after the devastating Second Impact.
Even with the greatest cutting-edge weapons and military strategies, humanity remains helpless in the face of the Angels. Now the hope of humanity is in the hands of NERV, a shadowy group run by the ruthless Gendou Ikari.
When facing off against the Angels, NERV deploys gigantic humanoid robots called “Evangelion” equipped with cutting-edge technological weaponry and protective barriers called Absolute Terror Fields.
11. Nadia: Secret Of Blue Water
- Episodes: 39
- Seasons: 01
- Genre: Sci-Fi
- Watch: Crunchyroll
The series follows Nadia, a 14-year-old girl of mysterious background who is being pursued by diamond thieves in an alternate version of 1889.
As the jewel thieves and the main characters are rescued by Captain Nemo and the Nautilus, they form an alliance. Together, they fight the Neo-Atlantean forces that aim to rule the planet.
While they do so, Nadia and Jean discover the secrets of the world and the immense power of Blue Water, while also saving the planet from violent dominance. They learn the truth about Nadia’s mysterious background and discover her hidden familial links.
10. Whisper Of The Heart
- Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.
- Genre: Romance
- Watch: Netflix
Shizuku Tsukishima is a lively fourteen-year-old with a passion for literature and poetry. One night while checking her library books, she notices that a boy called Seiji Amasawa has been borrowing many of her books.
Shizuku’s interest is piqued, and she sets out to visit the boy who shares her passion for books. After encountering a mysterious feline on the subway, Shizuku follows it to a lovely antique shop, where she finds out about a cat sculpture called “The Baron.”
She unexpectedly discovers Seiji after taking an interest in the store, and the two quickly become fast friends. The series is one of the best romance anime of the 90s filled with light and soft elements of slice-of-life.
09. Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Episodes: 224
- Seasons: 05
- Genre: Action
- Watch: Netflix
Yu-Gi-Oh! introduces Yugi Mutou, a meek young kid who loves playing games but is frequently the target of bullying.
One day he solves the Millennium Puzzle, an ancient riddle whose solution releases a mystery spirit with the persona of a gambler into his body.
When Yugi or one of his companions is assaulted by evil ones, the other Yugi appears and challenges them to deadly Shadow Games. Those who lose at these “Games of Darkness” uncover their true self and are punished in mysterious ways.
08. Black Jack
- Episodes: 61
- Seasons: 06
- Genre: Drama
- Watch: Crunchyroll
Black Jack is an “unregistered” medical professional with a murky history. With the help of his beautiful helper Pinoko (who secretly has a crush on the doctor), Jack treats risky, and otherwise poorly understood medical problems.
Yet he is a genius, and he can save the lives of almost all of his patients (if they have enough money), and he is well-known all over the world, particularly within the medical and scientific communities.
Jack considers himself a man of science who doesn’t accept anything at face value. However, he is frequently taken aback by how love and nature triumph over the facts and figures on which he builds his worldview.
07. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
- Episodes: 190
- Seasons: 05
- Genre: Supernatural
- Watch: Netflix
Kujo Jotaro, a regular Japanese high school student, stops acting normally and eventually locks himself in his room after becoming convinced that he is possessed by a spirit.
But soon after, Kujo meets Muhammad Abdul through his grandfather, Joseph Joestar. When the two exchange their fists, Kujo ultimately learns more about the spirit.
He discovers that his “spirit” is called Star Platinum and that it is nothing more than his “Stand,” a fighting force given a physical shape.
But when Kujo’s mother learns about her own ‘Stand,’ she falls ill, and the story takes a different turn.
06. Berserk
- Episodes: 25
- Seasons: 01 Season + 3 Movies
- Genre: Action
- Watch: Netflix
Now that he’s been marked for death and will be pursued by demons until the day he dies, Guts sets out on a chase to avoid a horrible end.
He picks up a giant blade known as Dragonslayer, wears Berserker Armor, and searches for a person who betrayed him and turned his life into a living hell.
Some of the people he meets on his journey prove to be valuable allies, including a young thief Isidro and a little elf Puck. And when the misfits come together to follow Guts on his quest, they may see an unprecedented death!
05. One Piece
- Episodes: 1000+ (Airing)
- Seasons: 20
- Genre: Adventure
- Watch: Crunchyroll
Gol D. Roger, the “Pirate King,” was the world’s most fearsome and strongest pirate ever seen in history. He was not only a formidable outlaw but was a dreadful threat to the military and World Government.
Even after his death, his final words changed the course of the pirate age, and people now sail the ocean in search of the greatest treasure, One Piece. Some make it back home with little or no gold, while most of them spend their whole life in the oceans.
And the favorite MC of the anime industry, Luffy’s purpose for being a pirate is a sheer wonder: a thrilling adventure that brings him unique individuals and the promised wealth. Yeah, that too! Luffy is on his way to becoming the next greatest Pirate King!
04. Hunter X Hunter
- Episodes: 62
- Seasons: 01 Season + 02 Movies
- Genre: Adventure
- Watch: Crunchyroll
Hunters can follow their passions and aspirations with resources and skills that might otherwise be out of reach. But being a hunter is a rare honor that requires passing a difficult test with a tiny chance of success.
Gon Freecss, a young kid of 12, embarks on a journey to take the Hunter Test in the hopes of discovering his missing father!
On his way, he meets Kurapika, who is out for vengeance, Leorio Paladiknight, who wants to become a doctor, and Killua Zoldyck, a naughty boy of the same age as Gon The four hunters face danger and hardship on their quest to fulfill their dreams.
03. Detective Conan
- Episodes: 900+
- Seasons: 30
- Genre: Mystery
- Watch: Crunchyroll
Among high school students, Shinichi Kudou stands out for his remarkable talent as a detective. As Shinichi chooses to follow two individuals he thinks are acting suspiciously, he finds himself accidentally witnessing a terrible illegal operation.
He is discovered in the act, and as a result, the men inject him with a new experimental drug developed by their criminal organization and abandon him to die.
Surprisingly, Shinichi survives, but he’s stuck inside the body of a seven-year-old kid. However, he didn’t give up and became the smartest detective in the world.
02. Dragon Ball Z
- Episodes: 291
- Seasons: 09
- Genre: Action
- Watch: Crunchyroll
After winning the World Martial Arts tournament, Goku is now enjoying a happy life with his family on earth. But things change when Goku’s long-lost brother, named Raditz, shows up and claims to be his sworn enemy.
To everyone’s surprise, he reveals that Goku is a fighter from the now-extinct Saiyan race, whose homeworld was destroyed a long ago. And that he was transported to Earth as an infant to destroy the Earth.
Instead, he lost his memory and grew up as a polite and kind young man who now fights to save the helpless. And this is the start because we all know how the entire plot changes as the story unfolds.
01. Pokémon
- Episodes: 276
- Seasons: 25
- Genre: Fantasy
- Watch: Netflix
Pokemon are beautiful and unique creatures with different powers and appearances, and people who are known as Pokémon trainers, collect and raise them for battle. Such as little Ash who envisions himself as a “Pokémon Master.”
Now that his tenth birthday has arrived, he has the opportunity to make that dream a reality. Sadly for him, the three starter Pokémon have already been claimed, leaving just the defiant Electric-type Pikachu.
However, this random meeting would become the start of a fantastic friendship and journey. Ash and Pikachu, together with Kasumi and Takeshi, set out to discover powerful Pokemon and become the best Pokemon trainers in the world.
Conclusion
And that’s my list of the best anime of the 90s. If you have more in your mind, go ahead and comment below. And if you’d like to explore some new anime series, check out our anime section!
