When the term ‘anime’ was invented, at that time no one knew what it is and what does that even mean. Except for Astro Boy and Dragon Ball people were not aware of the Japanese anime industry.

But, then came the era of the 1990s that turned around things and presented the anime on a big stage. In the history of Japanese industry, the role of 90s anime is memorable and the fans know its influence in their life.

So, to celebrate the remarkable achievement of that era we’ve come up with some of the best 90s anime that changed people’s lives forever and made a new milestone in the field of entertainment.

Let’s get started then.

Yu Yu Hakusho

Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the most popular 90s anime created by Yoshihiro Togashi, the same manga author of Hunter X Hunter. The series is very close to Togashi as it is based on his interests in occult and horror films.

It follows the story of a teenage delinquent, Yusuke Urameshi who gets struck and killed by a truck in an attempt to save a child. In the afterworld, the son of the ruler of Underworld named Koenma presents several tests to him to give him another chance in his life.

After clearing all the tests, Yusuke is revived again and get appointed under the title “Underworld Detective”, with which he has to investigate various cases involving demons and spirits in the human world.

A 112-long episodes rollercoaster ride of Yu Yu Hakusho is pretty exciting and interesting to watch. As the series progresses it includes Martial arts and tournament battles that will take you to the next level.

Detective Conan

Detective Conan, also called Case Closed in the English version, is well-known for its mysterious cases and solving techniques implemented by the main character Shinichi Kudo.

Shinichi Kudo is a 17-year-old high school detective whom people call the “Modern Sherlock Holmes”. However, one night after a date with his childhood sweetheart Ran, Shinichi he’s drugged that was supposed to kill him but he woke up and found himself shrunken to a 7-year-old.

In order to track down the men who did this to him, Shinichi reinvents his identity as Conan Edogawa and lives with Ran disguising as her father and working as a detective solving a series of murders and mysteries.

Berserk

Berserk is the topmost manga of all time in the MAL list because of its finest manga panels, storyline, art and characterization. It is a top-tier series, written by the late Kentaro Miura.

The story of Berserk is a little bit complex taking readers through its protagonists’ entire life and diving deep into his mind to look out for the real world sufferings. That’s the essence of Berserk which makes it special.

Berserk follows the story of a former mercenary Guts who goes through a very traumatizing childhood. After meeting a person he can truly admire and respect, he gets betrayed by the same person for fulfilling his own desires.

This marks a deep impact on Guts life and he sets on a mission to take revenge besides, killing the relentless demonic beings that come in his path. Due to the unfortunate death of the creator, the manga will never be completed but it will live long in people’s hearts.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Who’s not aware of the vintage sci-fi and mecha anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion! It is one of the most-watched 90s anime and people still love it. Even the world’s richest man, Elon Musk is a big anime fan of this series.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is set fifteen years after the worldwide cataclysm, particularly in the futuristic fortified city of Tokyo-3. Shinji, the main protagonist, is recruited by his father to a shadowy organization ‘Nerv’ to pilot a giant bio-machine mecha named “Evangelion”.

He prepares him for the combat against beings called “Angels”. The series explores the experiences and emotions of Evangelion pilots and members of Nerv as they try to prevent Angels from causing more cataclysms.

Trigun

Trigun is a well-known manga written & illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow. The show got adapted into an anime television series in 1998 produced by Madhouse.

Set in the fictional planet known as No
Man’s Land, the story follows Vash the Stampede, a famous gunman who constantly fights bounty hunters seeking to obtain the immense bounty on his head.

As claimed by the author, Trigun has a deep influence from Western films and it was the main reason behind its origin. Nightow wanted Vash to be different from cowboys in Western movies by avoiding killing enemies and instead exploring the characters involved in each story arc.

Great Teacher Onizuka

Great Teacher Onizuka is one of the most classic and old-style 90s anime. But, in terms of entertainment, it is the best show having unlimited laughter moments and jokes.

The series is about a 22-year-old ex-biker gang leader, Eikichi Onizuka who gets a job as a teacher in a high school. At first, his students try to get rid of him but after seeing his unique way of teaching, not based on books, they start to like him.

Studio Pierrot has produced this series and they have added very funny reactions of Onizuka that will make you laugh. This show is full of surprises and comedy which will not disappoint you.

And a good thing about this series is, it just does not make you feel happy moreover, it is full of inspirations and life lessons that can be great learning for a viewer.

Cowboy Bebop

All-time best anime list is never made up without the amazing sci-fi show, Cowboy Bebop. It is the first anime that got broadcasted on Adult Swim in United States and was praised heavily for its art style, character design, story and soundtrack.

The popularity of this series never wents down even after so many years, and in November a live-action film adaptation is also scheduled to release on Netflix.

The series is set in the year 2071, and follow the lives of a traveling bounty hunting crew referred to as “Cowboys” in their spaceship called the “Bebop”. Spike Seigel together with his partners, Jet Black, and later Faye Valentine travel across the galaxy looking for the high priced fugitives to bag.

Slam Dunk

Slam Dunk is one of the best sports manga written & illustrated by Takehiko Inoue. It showcases the life of a delinquent Hanamichi Sakuragi who is very unpopular among the girls.

After being rejected 50 times, he becomes desperate for a girlfriend and as a consequence lashes out on his favorite sport, Basketball.

But, Sakuragi’s life takes a turn when he meets his dream girl, Haruko Akagi who encourages him to play Basketball again. To impress Haruko, Sakuragi joins his high-school basketball team where he encounters some exceptionally talented players.

Now, to prove himself in front of Haruko and gain the trust of his teammates, Sakuragi begins his journey to become the top basketball player.

Akira

Akira is one of the best anime movies till now being the most praised anime of all time after its initial release in 1988. Celebrities watch anime very rarely but thanks to the amazing storyline of Akira rapper & singer Kanye West got attracted to it.

The anime is set in 2019 and follows the story of a biker gang leader, Shotaro Kaneda whose childhood friend, Tetsuo Shima acquires incredible telekinetic abilities after a motorcycle accident happens to him.

Aware of his supernatural ability, Kaneda takes the help of Tetsuo to fight against the anti-government, greedy politicians, activists and irresponsible scientists backed by powerful military forces to free Tokyo from the torture of the Japanese Government.

One Piece

A series that is entertaining its fans for the past 23 years and still ongoing is none other than the most iconic shōnen manga of all time, One Piece. Written by the legendary manga writer Eiichiro Oda, One Piece has reached new heights in the past 20 years.

With more than 1000 manga chapters and 990+ anime episodes, it has set milestones that no one ever can break. One Piece is the 2nd best selling comic book in the world with a total sales of 490 million copies and it is still counting.

One Piece follows the story of Monkey D. Luffy who dreams of becoming the King of The Pirates. In order to accomplish his dream, he sets out on a journey to find new members for his crew so that they can sail throughout the Grand Line and find the mysterious treasure ‘One Piece’ left by the former pirate king Gol D. Roger.

With this, our list of best 90s anime comes to an end. We hope you liked it. Let us know in the comments section, which is your favorite anime from the 90s?

And don’t forget to share this article with your fellow otaku friends so that we’ll come up with more exciting anime articles like this one.