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5 Best Science Fiction Anime of 2025, Ranked
Plenty of anime series are released every year or come out with new seasons, catering to an ever-growing demand from fans for fresh content. The rising popularity of anime as an entertainment medium has ensured audiences never lack in quality series to binge or start watching. There’s also a surge in various anime genres receiving attention from viewers for unique concepts, settings, and world-building; while plenty of genres are commonly found in anime, like with any medium, some are definitely more popular than others, like fantasy or science fiction.
Science fiction anime series have been a thing for decades, with some of the original hits dating back to the eighties, a decade that’s often considered the golden age for sci-fi anime shows. Some of the most beloved anime categories, like mecha or cyberpunk, fall under the broader sci-fi genre. Series such as Trigun Stampede, Dr. Stone, and World Trigger are recent sci-fi successes, achieving high praise from viewers for their fantastic plots and concepts. Even in the past year, we’ve seen more awesome sci-fi series debut to immense public anticipation and praise. This list will explore some of 2025’s best science fiction anime that you should absolutely watch before the year comes to a close.
5) Moonrise
Moonrise is a newer addition to Netflix’s roster of anime series that the streaming service offers for subscribed members. Released in 2025, the show currently has a total of 18 episodes in its first season; there’s been no official announcement for a second season yet, though fans are hopeful it’ll be renewed to continue the storyline. Moonrise is a great look at a classic war story told through the scope of a science fiction epic, set among the stars, where different factions face off against each other. It’s got some seriously gorgeous animation that brings to life the vast, elaborate settings and fight sequences.
The plot of Moonrise focuses on a massive conflict between Earth’s inhabitants and settlers who live on the Moon. Jack Shadow, the show’s central protagonist, becomes embroiled in a battle against the lunar rebels when his own family is killed in bombings that seemingly point to interference from the Moon’s extremist faction. What follows is a tale driven by revenge and prejudice, highlighting how the government can influence the minds of citizens through propaganda and control.
4) Kaiju No. 8
Kaiju No. 8 has already been labeled as one of the newest dark shonen series to take on the mantle of series that have come to an end in recent years. The series was released in 2024, but had its second season debut in 2025, which is the same year the anime began to really gain traction within the community. Fans are already begging for a third season because of the show’s success regarding world-building, character complexity, and stunning visuals. While Kaiju No. 8 definitely leans into high-speed, high-stakes action scenes, it doesn’t lack in substance or intriguing themes.
In Kaiju No. 8, the series follows the story of a distant world that lives under the constant threat of monstrous Kaiju attacks, which damage cities and take lives. Japan has managed to devise an anti-Kaiju Defense Force to combat the giant monsters and keep the remnants of humanity safe. Kafka Hibino isn’t able to join the Defense Force until he gains the ability to transform into a massive Kaiju, granting him supernatural abilities that give Kafka the chance to fight back against humanity’s greatest threat. If you’re a fan of Tokyo Ghoul or Attack on Titan, jump on this anime as fast as you can.
3) Apocalypse Hotel
Apocalypse Hotel is one of the most poignant science fiction shows of the past decade, focusing less on action and more on philosophical themes. The series was released in April 2025 and has a total of just 12 episodes, making it a quick, easy choice for fans looking to binge-watch a worthwhile show. Boasting a stunning art style and fluid animation, Apocalypse Hotel isn’t just visually appealing but emotionally thematic. It considers the concepts of humanity, connection, loneliness, and change in a setting where the only life is the robotic beings who maintain the hotel.
The story of Apocalypse Hotel takes place in a distant future where a tragedy renders Earth dangerous for humanity to continue living on, prompting the colonization of space. A century after Earth is deserted, the Gingarou Hotel is run by robot staff members who eagerly await the return of humans to the planet. This anime focuses on the everyday challenges and connections of the hotel staff as they receive their first intergalactic guests, with the ever-looming possibility that humans will never truly come back home.
2) Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX constitutes a legacy series, seeing as it’s part of the much larger Gundam franchise, which has existed since the late seventies. The concept of the franchise revolves around mecha robots utilized in battle by human combatants, sparking over 50 different adaptations of the story placed in different timelines. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX follows the Universal Century calendar timeline and is also one of the shortest series in the franchise’s long history. Released in 2025, it currently has just 12 episodes in total that compile to a little over an hour’s watch time.
The plot of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is set a year after the Principality of Zeon won the war. Amate Yuzuriha is an average high-schooler who becomes entangled in the cross-politics of the Principality of Zeon and the Space Police when the Red Gundam emerges from its disappearance. Amata manages to steal a prototype Gundam robot, named the GQuuuuuuX, changing the course of her own life forever. Fans of the franchise should absolutely tune into this newer addition to the world of Gundam, with a compelling main character and new details to its pre-existing world structure.
1) Dr. Stone
There’s a reason Dr. Stone has become one of the most discussed science fiction anime of the past five years, quickly rising to the forefront of the community’s collective mind when talking about modern classics. Airing in 2019, the series just had its conclusive season, titled Dr. Stone: Science Future, released in 2025, with the show’s final part scheduled to air sometime next year. The series is a satisfying mixture of classic anime tropes mixed with unparalleled world-building, finished off with some of the best character arcs seen in sci-fi within recent years.
The plot of Dr. Stone is set after a mysterious flash of light heralds an event that turns all of humanity to stone. After 3,700 years have passed, Senku manages to awaken from his statuesque state along with his best friend, Taiju. His goal is to cure humanity from its petrification while discovering the original cause of humanity’s ailment. The two must work to rebuild civilization and mimic modern technology, creating a story that leans heavily into science and hope in equal measures.
Have you watched any of these science fiction series? Tell us what sci-fi anime are your favorite in the comments below.
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