Warning: this post contains spoilers for every anime discussed.
One of the most important aspects of a story is its ending because it dictates the final opinion of the show. Often, the ending decides if a show is good or not, and a poor conclusion can ruin the entire series. This fact is all the more true with anime, a medium that is notorious for having lackluster, rushed, and outright disappointing conclusions. From series likeTokyo GhoultoThe Promised Neverland, endings can make or break an anime.
However, just because anime mostly has bad endings doesn’t mean there aren’t any good or even perfect finales. This list will rank the ten perfect anime endings based on theexecution, satisfaction, overall quality, and how well it wraps up the entire story. While this list only includes TV series, movie endings to an anime show count.This list also ranks the ending itself, not the whole of the final arc, and there will be spoilers for every entry.
10’Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' (2022)
Studio: Trigger
Based onMike Pondsmith’s board game,Cyberpunk: Edgerunnersis a tragic story in theexpansive anime sci-fi world. The story follows David Martinez, who turns to a life of crime with his cybernetic spine after the death of his mother. Only pain and suffering await David every step of the way, with the ending being a final battle against the government and their ultimate weapon as he barely manages to hold on.
As opposed to a satisfying good ending,Edgerunnersis the dark, fateful encounter with Adam Smasher that leads to the destruction of David and his crew. It is shocking, bloody, gory, and an unfortunately perfect way to close the series. The ending is a tough pill to swallow, but Lucy gets her dream. Everything istoo tragic to be a success, and it perfectly fits the story’s direction, making it a resolution that no fan will soon forget.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
9’Naruto Shippuden' (2007)
Studio: Pierrot
Narutois one of the most popular anime in the world, drawing massive crowds with epic ninja fights and worldbuilding. The series follows the titular character’s rise from a punk to the savior of the world. The final arc follows Naruto as he fights the mastermind behind the war, but the actual ending is when the dust settles. Everyone goes back to living a peaceful life, and Naruto and Hinata get married.
Narutohas many flaws, including the final arc that foolishly introduces a new villain at the last minute. However, the actual ending isa vindicating final look at Narutofinally achieving his dreams. It may be a little too goody-goody and traditional, but it is stilla satisfying conclusion to an epic journey. Naruto’s and Hinata’s marriage is an iconic finale that wraps up the story perfectly.
Naruto: Shippuden
8’Neon Gensis Evangelion' (1995)
Studios: Gainax and Tatsunoko Production
Neon Genesis Evangelionis an extremely important anime beloved by critics and fans alike. The series follows Shinji, a young boy who struggles to accept the challenging situations forced upon him, as he must fight dangerous Angels in his father’s scheme. The ambiguous anime series ending has Shinji and the cast contemplating life through an abstract show, while the movie ends with Shinji and Asuka alone in the apocalyptic world.
Whether fans take the anime or movie endings, both provide a profound, albeit confusing, message to unpack and analyze for years to come.The ending is up to interpretation, with fans deciding what happened after the fact for themselves, whether Shinji and Asuka live alone or if more survivors follow. Either way, it wasa fitting conclusion for a complex anime, providing one of the most iconic finales in one of themost essential 1990s anime.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
7’Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood' (2009)
Studio: Bones
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodis a remake that fully adapts the manga with the original ending instead of a filler conclusion. The series follows brothers Ed and Al as they research the Philosopher Stone to regain their lost body parts in a taboo experiment. The ending sees the two and their final fight against Dwarf in a Flask, the ultimate manipulator who aims to become god through mass sacrifice.
Battle shonen usually can’t stick the landing, relegating the final arc into a boring war with only fights. WhileFullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodfollows this trend, the show successfully sticks the landing to become one ofthe few perfect anime series. Every second of the last arc was perfect, but the final showdown was long-awaited and didn’t disappoint. Plus, the last episode gave fansa satisfying look into the characters' future.
6’Cowboy Bebop' (1998)
Studio: Sunrise
Created by the legendary anime directorShinichirō Watanabe,Cowboy Bebopis a sci-fi anime that follows Spike Spiegel and his crew hunting for bounties to clean the galaxy of criminals. Spike’s past catches up with him, putting him and his friends in harm’s way. He confronts his dark past and has an epic final duel with Vicious after having one final moment with his crew.
Cowboy Bebopis excellent for non-anime fansbecause of its Western appeal and aversion to typical anime tropes. However,the ending is ambiguous, with fans unsure if Spike is dead or alive. This bold choice upset many people, but the final episodes area poetic and artistic conclusion to everything the show set up. These beautiful moments make a profound bittersweet finale, perfectly wrapping up a phenomenal anime that remains highly influential today.
Cowboy Bebop
5’The Tatami Galaxy' (2010)
Studio: Madhouse
The Tatami Galaxyis a binge-able animethat follows an unnamed protagonist in his journey to find a rose-colored college life with the girl of his dreams. Each episode occurs in a different reality where he attempts a new path to his ideal life. The ending alternate reality has him view the others and realize they are all better than the one he is currently in, and he finally decides to reach for the dangling opportunity.
This ending is perfect because it comes full circle and provides the show’s meaning, which every episode tells without the audience realizing. It was a beautiful display of animation and development, and having the unnamed protagonist discover the opportunity was dangling in front of him in every reality. Seeing him reach out and accept there is no perfect life isincredibly satisfying and poetic, but it is better than trying to achieve something unattainable.
The Tatami Galaxy
4’Odd Taxi' (2021)
Studio: OLM
Odd Taxiis an unassuming show that wasn’t on anyone’s radar. The series follows Hiroshi Odokawa, a walrus taxi driver with the strange ability to recognize anyone he sees. Soon, he becomes the last piece in a grand murder mystery surrounding his clients. The ending connects every storyline, revealing the killer, alongside Odokawa’s skeleton in the closet and his brain condition in an epic plot twist.
No one expected much ofOdd Taxi, but the ending changed everyone’s mind, making it one of thebest anime of the 2020sso far. Anime has many great plot twists, but never as a finale.Odd Taxibreaks boundaries and reinvents the series until the very end, perfectly wrapping up the mystery in the most shocking way possible. It explains everything that happened, only leaving questions about its beautifully ambiguous ending.
3’JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean' (2021)
Studio: David Production
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventureis a strange series to rank, considering each part tells a self-contained story, and the entire manga hasn’t ended. As fans wait for aSteel Ball Runanime, the last part they adapted wasStone Ocean, which follows Jolyne, the daughter of Jotaro Kujo. Wrongfully imprisoned, Jolyne learns about a conspiracy to reset the world and tries her best to stop the fiendish ploy but ultimately fails.
This may be one of the most controversial placements on this list, with many fans not liking the narrative choices. It wasdepressing to see the heroes failand watch the world fans loved for so long be remade, but this bittersweet note was perfectly executed to get the exact reaction from fans the writer wanted. It wasa tragically beautiful ending,but it rebooted the franchise to do whatever it wanted, like going back to 1890s America.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
2’Mob Psycho 100' (2016)
Many fans know ofOne Punch Man, but the same mangaka createdMob Psycho 100, which uses a similar premise but focuses on character development instead of fights. Shigeo Kageyama is the world’s strongest psychic and only wishes for a normal life, but his powers and threats get in the way. The series finale sees him going on a rampage after losing control of his powers, with his friends the only people to help him regain composure.
Mob Psycho 100is a perfect anime from start to finish, especially the latter. All ofMob’s friends and the people he saved come to help him, putting their lives on the line as the psychic destroys the town. It was building up for him to confess, and while he didn’t get the girl, Reigen confessed the truth ina beautiful display of friendship. Everything made sense, and Mob could finally express himself. It is one of the best andmost satisfying anime endings, but it doesn’t quite get the top spot on this list.
Mob Psycho 100
1’Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' (2006)
The mecha genre is a staple of anime, and one of its most popular series isCode Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. After gaining the ability to control people, the titular character uses it to take down a tyrannical leadership and lead a revolution. After abusing his power, Lelouch finds the perfect plan to give power to the people, having the symbol of hope kill him.
No one will argue with this placement, with many believingCode Geasshasthe greatest ending in anime history, and it’s hard to argue with that. Itends on a bittersweet note, giving hope to the people of the world but saddening fans after witnessing the protagonist’s death. It was a gorgeous scene, and it wrapped up the story perfectly. It is one of the many reasons whyCode Geassis a masterpiece, living up to its themes while still bringing the narrative to a logical conclusion.
