Post-apocalyptic anime shows how humanity tries to survive after a global catastrophe occurs. Like a war, a global pandemic, or a natural disaster. There are already some popular animes featuring post-apocalyptic themes like AOT. So, we will include these popular animes in our list. Now sit back and relax to explore the list of some of the best post-apocalyptic animes.

1. Attack on Titan

Either it's great action, animation or characters you want, Attack on Titan is a right choice for you, it has all of that and at this point, I believe I don't even need to explain what this anime is. Because most of you already know this masterpiece.

The story started out very simple and normal, but with each new season, they have driven their fans crazy with the twists and turns. Unfortunately, AOT is coming to an end soon, but it is also a reason to wait and see what will happen next.

2. Owari No Seraph

Imagine living in a world where vampires really exist and rule over humans. Sounds fascinating enough to you? Seraph of the End is an action-packed animated series where a mysterious virus nearly kills all humans over the age of 13.

With this, vampires begin to emerge from the shadows when humanity was at its weakest point. The trusted blood vampires begin to take control and rule over the humans. Being a perfect choice for you

3. Dr. Stone

Now, post-apocalyptic anime doesn't always involve supernatural creatures or mutant creatures. Sometimes, the reason for humanity's extinction is also because of some unknown mystery. In Dr. Stone, all humans on the planet are turned to stone by a mysterious green light.

Millions of years later, a single genie breaks the petrification and returns to life. After breaking the petrification, he decides to rebuild humanity from scratch.

4. Gurren Lagana

If you are an anime fan like me, Gurren Lagana is a must-watch for you. The story takes place in a world where humans live underground. Because the beastmen have taken over the world and rule the surface.

But soon humanity will begin its counterattack against the beastmen after they find some powerful weapons of war. Also, if you are a fan of Attack on Titan, you will love this one too, for sure.

5. Made in Abyss

Continuing with the list of the best post-apocalyptic anime, we have Made in Abyss. The characters, plot, and world-building in this anime set it apart from the crowd. The story revolves around a group of friends exploring the abyss.

Abyss is a giant hole in the earth and has many mysterious creatures and artifacts inside it. The story follows the great adventure of a young girl named Riko and her robot companion Reg.

6. Akira

Akira is a classic film released in 1988 and a masterpiece in its genre. The plot and action are so good that it is still considered a must-watch anime among fans. Akira follows the story of two members of a motorcycle gang, Kaneda and Tetsuo.

Both of them get dragged into some corrupt government projects. Where Tetsuo gains some powerful physical powers and becomes a threat to the society. Kaneda, on the other side, fights with the corrupt governments to find out the truth and tries to stop and save Tetsuo.

7. Neon Genesis Evangelion

It’s no surprise for a post-apocalyptic anime that an unknown creature threatens world peace. If you’re into fighting and mecha action, Neon Genesis Evangelion will be a great fit for you. Released in 1995, it follows the story of a 14-year-old boy named Shinji Ikari.

Shinji is recruited by his father to pilot a mecha called Evangelion. The purpose of this Evangelion mecha is to fight the Angles and protect world peace.

8. Kenshiro from Hokuto no Ken

Another classic anime series with plenty of action and drama is Fist of the North Star. It was released in 1984 and the story is set in a post-apocalyptic world. If you are a fan of hand-to-hand combat and martial arts, this anime will definitely appeal to you.

The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. Where our main protagonist Kenshirou wanders the world to save his fiancé from his rival. But it seems that things are starting to get more complicated and problematic, as he has to face some strong enemies along the way.

9. Guilty Crown

Guilty Crown offers stunning animation and a great storyline that will keep you engaged throughout the series. With that, there are also plenty of plot twists and character developments to look forward to.

If you like action and sci-fi anime, then this is the anime for you. The story follows Shu Ouma, who has a powerful ability to extract weapons or items from people. Later in the series, Sho ends up becoming a member of the Funeral Parlor who fights against the GHQ.

10. Ergo Proxy

Ergo Proxy is another great post-apocalyptic anime that mixes science fiction with philosophy. It is an anime that proves the thought that makes it popular among its fans and the anime community. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is almost extinct due to some virus. The remaining humans live in the doomed cities along with the androids. But a series of murders and crimes have started to threaten the place once again and Re-l is dragged into investigating the crimes.

11. Highschool of the Dead

The list of post-apocalyptic anime would be incomplete without including zombies in it. So, if you want to watch some survival anime where people fight zombies, then this is the one for you. Well, not only zombies and action, but also a lot of fanservice.

This means you won't get bored, at the very least. The story follows a group of high school students who fight zombies to survive. In a world where humans have become zombies because of some deadly virus.

12. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

Have you watched Attack on Titan? Well, if you have, then it’s obvious that you loved this anime. So, if you liked AOT, then watching Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress would be a good option for you. The story is set in a world where a zombie-like creature has started appearing.

Thus, the remaining humans start living in a well-protected area to protect themselves from the bloodthirsty creatures. What’s more, AOT is a popular post-apocalyptic anime because this anime is similar to AOT. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress will be a good option for fans to watch.

13. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

With just the sound of magnitude 8.0, most of you would have realized that this anime is about a natural disaster. In simple words, a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 hits Tokyo, bringing countless casualties and deaths.

If it’s a tragedy you want to watch, then go ahead and watch Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. The story and characters are excellent in this anime. Plus, there are some great things that you learn from this amazing anime series.

14. Casshern Sins

The story revolves around the adventure of Casshern, who was supposed to be Luna's killer. After Luna's death, a curse began to spread, causing the robots to rust. But Casshern has trouble remembering his past and has no recollection of the crime he is accused of.

Casshern Sins has a unique storyline and offers a lot of action and characters. Considering all these Casshern Sins, it is one of the best post-apocalyptic anime that you can watch.

15. The Promise Never Land

If we talk about The Promise Never Land, you might think that it is a little more than just a post-apocalyptic anime. The story starts off quite wholesome and enjoyable. But it soon gets really dark and serious. Each episode of this anime is really great and contains a lot of plot twists.

The story follows a group of orphaned children who live in an orphanage along with a caretaker who loves them. But they soon discover the dark truth behind the orphanage and its caretaker.

16. Desert Punk

This anime may not be a good choice for some fans, but it’s great for others. Are you confused about why we say that? Well, it’s because this anime is a seinen, which means it has a lot of fan service. So, some of you may not like this anime because of that, but fan service isn’t everything in this anime.

The main protagonist of this anime is a ruthless man who is also known as the Sand Demon. But he is very weak against women.

17. From the New World

From the New World follows the life-threatening adventure of a group of friends as they try to uncover the dark truth about the world they live in. This anime will force you to question yourself about the very world you live in.

It is a psychological and post-apocalyptic anime that involves some dark and violent scenes. The animation is good and the plot is unique which makes the whole series really interesting.

18. Coppelion

The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where Tokyo was completely destroyed in a nuclear disaster. Now, after 20 years, a group of girls with some special powers roam the destroyed lands of Tokyo.

The girls’ goal is to find any remaining humans who are still alive and need help. Watching Coppelion will be a good choice for fans who enjoy sci-fi and post-apocalyptic anime.

19. Humanity has Declined

Now, looking at all the dark and complicated shops can make you sick and bored. So, to lighten things up and ease your mind, you can watch this anime. As the name suggests, Humanity has Declined, the story is set in a world where humanity is almost extinct.

Only a handful of humans are still alive, but now fairies are all over the world. In order to maintain a good relationship between fairies and humans, our main protagonist acts as a link. So that both races could live in harmony.

20. Black Bullet

Post-apocalyptic anime has a common element and theme of human survival. As for fans, they love these types of elements a lot. Considering that the next anime we have is Black Bullet. The story is set in a world where a sudden outbreak of a virus called Gastrea turns humans into monsters.

The remaining humans live under the protection of some special walls made of special materials. Among these humans, there are some special beginnings with special powers who fight against these monsters.

Conclusion

There are plenty of shows that you can watch if you’re into post-apocalyptic anime. To make things easier for you, we’ve listed some of the best anime with post-apocalyptic themes. If you’re a fan of action and adventure, Black Bullet and Gurren Lagana would be great options to watch.

But if serious and complicated things bore you, you can watch Humanity has Declined. Humanity has Declined is also a post-apocalyptic anime but with a light and refreshing story.