One of the all-time anime classics, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann starts with a group of people living in an underground village.
Simon, a meek guy with no goal in life, finds an ancient artifact that turns out to be a giant mech — and together with hot-blooded Kamina, they embark on a crazy journey to the outside world — which was supposedly destroyed.
As is the case with many iconic anime, Gurren Lagann is available on Crunchyroll.
One of the most critically acclaimed anime recently, Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyou), follows a duo of protagonists who travel through a dangerous world full of deadly threats in search of something called “paradise.”
While the anime has great-looking action, it doesn’t even focus on it: it’s mostly a mystery or even a psychological thriller, with pieces of the puzzle only falling together in later episodes. The anime is a Disney+/Hulu exclusive.
A group of children is raised away from society in a weird orphanage. That’s already creepy enough — and it gets even worse when you realize that these children are later fed to a race of demon-like monsters.
The outside world is practically destroyed, and it’s up to this group of children to somehow escape and maybe save it. The first season is on Crunchyroll, and don’t even bother with season 2: just read the manga instead.
Fist of the North Star
One of the classic takes on the genre, Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken) might be old and long, but it’s very much worth it. In this post-apocalyptic anime set in a barren wasteland, you can find many things that will make it worth watching.
From realistic and likable characters to cool (although somewhat dated) martial arts action — and even a surprising amount of philosophy. It’s also the source of the classic “you’re already dead” meme — you can find it on Crunchyroll.
At first, From the New World (Shinsekai yori) might look like a utopian — if somewhat weird — society recreated by people after the world ended. It’s all but that: the series follows a group of people as they grow up and learn more about themselves and the world, which turns out to be a nightmarish dystopia.
It’s really easy to spoil it, so you’d have to see it for yourself — depending on your location, on Crunchyroll or HIDIVE.
Highschool of the Dead
Highschool of the Dead might not be the most serious take on a post-apocalyptic world, but it certainly is an entertaining one.
It takes a very basic premise — a zombie apocalypse — and adds absolutely crazy action and a ton of fanservice to it. It’s exactly what it looks like, and if you’re a fan of those things, go to HIDIVE to check the anime out.
Yes, if you think about it, Dr. Stone is a post-apocalyptic anime. After all, the entire humanity was turned into stone! It’s technically reversible and whatnot, but you get the idea.
This is one of the cases where a post-apocalyptic anime is actually positive about the future of humankind. In fact, it’s the message of Dr. Stone: no matter what happens, humans will adapt and overcome everything, and science will help us — it’s absolutely awesome.
Fans liked these ideas — the anime has three seasons, with Season 4 announced, and all are on Crunchyroll.
Casshern Sins
On the other hand, we have Casshern Sins — an anime where humans have gone extinct. Only robots remain, wandering aimlessly in a barren world.
The protagonist, Casshern, wants to figure out his past and who he is in reality — all while being hunted by the entire world for unknown reasons. To see more, head to Crunchyroll.
Girls' Last Tour
A rare post-apocalyptic anime where we barely see any conflict, Girls' Last Tour (Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou) is about two girls traveling through a world which has already ended.
It’s a melancholic and bittersweet slice-of-life series, with a lot of beautiful scenery — and the manga ending is absolutely heart-wrenching. The anime didn’t get there, but it’s worth it — you can watch it on HIDIVE.
Sunday Without God
Of all the post-apocalyptic series, Sunday Without God (Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi) has perhaps the scariest premise — in what it implies, at least. Tired of the world, God has abandoned it, and as such, people stopped dying — or being born. The only way for someone to die is to be buried by a “gravekeeper.”
Everything is a decaying time capsule, and the anime follows Ai, a young gravekeeper who struggles to perform her duties in a world which most people consider not worth living in. You can find the anime on HIDIVE or Crunchyroll, depending on where you are.
There’s something beautiful in this kind of setting.
What happens after the world ends? Well, different people give different answers, and it obviously depends on how exactly the world ended.
Post-apocalyptic settings have been a thing in fiction since forever, and anime isn’t an exception — here are some recommendations!
One of the all-time anime classics, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann starts with a group of people living in an underground village.
Simon, a meek guy with no goal in life, finds an ancient artifact that turns out to be a giant mech — and together with hot-blooded Kamina, they embark on a crazy journey to the outside world — which was supposedly destroyed.
As is the case with many iconic anime, Gurren Lagann is available on Crunchyroll.
One of the most critically acclaimed anime recently, Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyou), follows a duo of protagonists who travel through a dangerous world full of deadly threats in search of something called “paradise.”
While the anime has great-looking action, it doesn’t even focus on it: it’s mostly a mystery or even a psychological thriller, with pieces of the puzzle only falling together in later episodes. The anime is a Disney+/Hulu exclusive.
A group of children is raised away from society in a weird orphanage. That’s already creepy enough — and it gets even worse when you realize that these children are later fed to a race of demon-like monsters.
The outside world is practically destroyed, and it’s up to this group of children to somehow escape and maybe save it. The first season is on Crunchyroll, and don’t even bother with season 2: just read the manga instead.
Fist of the North Star
One of the classic takes on the genre, Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken) might be old and long, but it’s very much worth it. In this post-apocalyptic anime set in a barren wasteland, you can find many things that will make it worth watching.
From realistic and likable characters to cool (although somewhat dated) martial arts action — and even a surprising amount of philosophy. It’s also the source of the classic “you’re already dead” meme — you can find it on Crunchyroll.
At first, From the New World (Shinsekai yori) might look like a utopian — if somewhat weird — society recreated by people after the world ended. It’s all but that: the series follows a group of people as they grow up and learn more about themselves and the world, which turns out to be a nightmarish dystopia.
It’s really easy to spoil it, so you’d have to see it for yourself — depending on your location, on Crunchyroll or HIDIVE.
Highschool of the Dead
Highschool of the Dead might not be the most serious take on a post-apocalyptic world, but it certainly is an entertaining one.
It takes a very basic premise — a zombie apocalypse — and adds absolutely crazy action and a ton of fanservice to it. It’s exactly what it looks like, and if you’re a fan of those things, go to HIDIVE to check the anime out.
Yes, if you think about it, Dr. Stone is a post-apocalyptic anime. After all, the entire humanity was turned into stone! It’s technically reversible and whatnot, but you get the idea.
This is one of the cases where a post-apocalyptic anime is actually positive about the future of humankind. In fact, it’s the message of Dr. Stone: no matter what happens, humans will adapt and overcome everything, and science will help us — it’s absolutely awesome.
Fans liked these ideas — the anime has three seasons, with Season 4 announced, and all are on Crunchyroll.
Casshern Sins
On the other hand, we have Casshern Sins — an anime where humans have gone extinct. Only robots remain, wandering aimlessly in a barren world.
The protagonist, Casshern, wants to figure out his past and who he is in reality — all while being hunted by the entire world for unknown reasons. To see more, head to Crunchyroll.
Girls' Last Tour
A rare post-apocalyptic anime where we barely see any conflict, Girls' Last Tour (Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou) is about two girls traveling through a world which has already ended.
It’s a melancholic and bittersweet slice-of-life series, with a lot of beautiful scenery — and the manga ending is absolutely heart-wrenching. The anime didn’t get there, but it’s worth it — you can watch it on HIDIVE.
Sunday Without God
Of all the post-apocalyptic series, Sunday Without God (Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi) has perhaps the scariest premise — in what it implies, at least. Tired of the world, God has abandoned it, and as such, people stopped dying — or being born. The only way for someone to die is to be buried by a “gravekeeper.”
Everything is a decaying time capsule, and the anime follows Ai, a young gravekeeper who struggles to perform her duties in a world which most people consider not worth living in. You can find the anime on HIDIVE or Crunchyroll, depending on where you are.
