We live in the new generation of anime with diverse characters, bold storylines, and ground-breaking animation that breaks all barriers. While there is heavy debate on what comes under a new-gen anime, most agree that anime released from 2012 classify as new-gen anime.
Inspired by several classics, these have become some of the most famous anime series out there while covering many themes and topics.
In this article, we shall look at the best among these as we rank the most influential and beloved new gen anime that have come out till now.
15 New Gen Anime That Are Trend Setter
15. The Promised Neverland
- Number of Episodes: 23
- Number of Seasons: 2
- Genres: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Fantasy
- MAL Rating: 8.5
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu
While the series took a nosedive in its second season, the first season of The Promised Neverland is still one of the finest pieces of fiction to ever be made.
Set in an orphanage, we watch a group of kids live their leisure days while being cared for by a person they consider their mother.
Though they took tests frequently, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
This was until they discovered a horrifying secret about their orphanage and their world.
With several dangers surrounding them, they plot a plan to escape from their home, which they eventually find out was a cage to trap them.
We watch as the cast of young yet clever characters come up with ingenious schemes for their survival.
The Promised Neverland is the perfect blend of drama, suspense, and dark fantasy while being an amazing viewing experience for fans.
14. The Heike Story
- Number of Episodes: 11
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Genres: Drama
- MAL Rating: 7.77
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
The Heike Story is an amazing achievement in the field of original anime and proves to be a very valuable addition.
Made by the same team that worked on A Silent Voice, it follows the complicated life of a young girl who has the ability to look into the future.
When she unintentionally disrespected a prestigious clan named Heike, her family members ended up paying for it with their lives.
After coming into contact with the kind son of the head of the Heike clan, she ends up living with him when he wishes to atone for the sins committed by his family.
Having the power to see dead spirits himself, he wishes to use the girl’s power to save those he loves but being adamant, she acts as nothing more than an observer.
We watch multiple situations arise from comedies to tragedies, through the eyes of the female protagonist.
The Heike Story seems slow initially and is a must-watch for any anime fan.
13. Fire Force
- Number of Episodes: 48
- Number of Seasons: 2
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Supernatural
- MAL Rating: 7.7
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
In a highly competitive industry, Fire Force has managed to become one of the best shounen anime to come out.
In a world where people randomly combust and burst into flames while causing immense damage to their surroundings, a special group known as the Fire Force is the only one capable of handling this.
Made by the creator of Soul Eater, the story follows a young boy named Shinra, who is infamous for his evil appearance and joins this group.
Having the ability to travel at unnatural speeds, he uses his ability to do a lot of good while forming many friendships and facing difficulties in his new occupation.
While carrying out his daily duties, he encounters various powerful enemies who wish harm to the world, which forces Shinra to grow stronger to protect the people he loves.
Fire Force has beautiful animation and amazing sound design, making it a feast for all the senses.
With a completed manga that has a satisfying ending, people are excited for the next season of this franchise.
12. Black Clover
- Number of Episodes: 170
- Number of Seasons: 4
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
- MAL Rating: 8.1
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Influenced by many Shounen greats, Black Clover is one of the best anime of the last decade.
This magical story takes us on a journey where most people contain supernatural powers. However, the protagonist, a young boy named Asta, is born without any.
Upon receiving a grimoire that lets him nullify magic, Asta finally gets a chance to stand toe-to-toe with his peers as he sets upon becoming the Wizard King.
After joining a group known as the Black Bulls, where every member has a distinctive personality, he works towards getting stronger and protecting the weak while facing one villain after another.
The world of Black Clover keeps filling us with wonder, while the determination and perseverance of its main characters keep motivating us.
The series is filled with high-octane action and is very satisfying to watch while making us crave for every new episode.
11. One Punch Man
- Number of Episodes: 24
- Number of Seasons: 2 + 1 OVA + 12 Specials
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Supernatural
- MAL Rating: 8.5
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu
One Punch Man is one of the funniest animes out there, filled with hilarious moments and gags.
The story follows a man named Saitama, who looks ordinary at first glance but is extremely powerful.
Beating all his opponents with no more than a single punch, he lives his days with boredom while hoping for a strong opponent.
After meeting a cyborg named Genos, who becomes his disciple, the two of them become heroes in serving society while continuing Saitama’s search for a good fight.
Through this, they meet many extravagant and unique characters while facing opponents who threaten the world.
With a great mixture of action, drama, and comedy, One Punch Man is unsurprisingly one of the most popular new-gen anime.
10. Tokyo Revengers
- Number of Episodes: 29 (Currently Airing)
- Number of Seasons: 2
- Genres: Action, Drama, Sci-fi, Thriller, Romance
- MAL Rating: 8
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Disney+, Hulu
Tokyo Revengers brings a very interesting take to the time travel stories anime fans know and love.
It revolves around a boy named Takemichi, who lives a very ordinary life and has a very meek personality.
After an incident, however, he finds himself transported back to his school days.
He gets to meet his girlfriend, who dies later in the future, and after realizing the value of their bond, he decides to do whatever it takes to protect her.
With delinquents and gangs around every corner that keep fighting and the weak Takemichi getting roped into this, he finds his objective getting harder and harder.
Tokyo Revengers is a great new-gen anime that keeps improving through every arc while taking us on a wild journey through its protagonist’s life.
09. Odd Taxi
- Number of Episodes: 13
- Number of Seasons: 1 + 1 Movie
- Genres: Mystery, Comedy, Slice of Life
- MAL Rating: 8.7
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Disney+
Odd Taxi is another story that proves that the new generation is the golden generation of original anime.
This creative series tells us about the life of anthropomorphic animals while following a Walrus named Hiroshi Odokawa.
Having been deserted by his parents at elementary school, he has an antisocial personality which he has carried on to his profession as a taxi driver.
Ironically, we see him interacting with all his customers, who are a variety of animals.
On what seemed to be a regular day, he gets involved in the case of a missing girl while being chased down by various opposing forces.
Odd Taxi is a well-rounded anime that gets us invested in the stories of all its characters and its hilarious yet mysterious story.
With a heavily relatable protagonist and character designs that fit the setting, it is a series that managed to go under the radar while needing much more recognition.
08. Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song
- Number of Episodes: 13
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Genres: Action, Music, Sci-Fi, Drama
- MAL Rating: 8.4
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Vivy: Fluorite eye’s song tells us the story of a robot named Diva whose only mission in life is to make people happy through her singing.
Having her own conscience, she has a beautiful voice but is not given a proper stage to exhibit her talents.
While working hard to make people happy, she runs into an AI who has come from the future and warns her that AI and humanity go on to become enemies while leading to a dystopian society.
With Diva being the center of it all, the two of them decide to work together to prevent important incidents that eventually lead to tensions between the two communities.
Despite knowing the future, Diva can control only a few things as she runs into several hurdles and many enemies who stand in her way.
Watching the life of this supposedly emotionless robot as she experiences various situations and meets people is satisfying yet often heartbreaking.
Made by the amazing Wit Studio, the series has crisp animation and many melodic tunes that get you hooked.
07. My Hero Academia
- Number of Episodes: 132 (Currently Airing)
- Number of Seasons: 6 + 8 OVAS + 3 Movies
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural
- MAL Rating: 8.4
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Disney+
My Hero Academia is one of the most well-known new gen anime that reshaped the superhero genre for every anime fan.
We are taken to a world where most people are born with supernatural powers known as quirks which give them heightened abilities.
Among these, the strongest are considered heroes who strive to protect society and uphold justice.
A young boy named Izuku also has dreams similar to other kids and wishes to become a hero, but is unfortunately born without any quirk.
Overlooked and bullied by many due to this, he is often frustrated with his weakness.
This is until he runs into the world’s greatest Hero, All Might, who makes Izuku the inheritor of his power.
Getting the power doesn’t solve everything as we watch Izuku tirelessly work to learn and refine his new abilities.
After joining an academy for people with powers, he grows his strength even more, constantly shocking people who underestimate him and forming many friendships.
With an evil organization known as the League of Villains lurking in the shadows and planning on toppling hero society, Izuku, and his friends are forced into this battle where the world and everyone they love are at stake.
My Hero Academia is an extremely entertaining anime that invests the viewer with exhilarating action, hype moments, and a great story.
06. Demon Slayer
- Number of Episodes: 44
- Number of Seasons: 2 + 1 Movie
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
- MAL Rating: 8.5
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu
Known for its spectacular animation and enjoyable story, Demon Slayer has grown to be a fan favorite, with its popularity only increasing with every season.
It follows a young and kind-hearted boy named Tanjiro, who is a hard worker and loved by everyone around him.
One day, his life completely changes when he returns from work to find his entire family killed by demons and only one surviving sister who has turned into a demon herself.
Vowing to protect her, he joins a group of powerful people known as the Demon Slayer Corps after coincidentally meeting with one of its members.
While initially, he wished to grow stronger to ensure the safety of people, after several encounters with demons, his ideals and perception of their kind gradually changed.
With Ufotable outdoing themselves with this manga adaptation, Demon Slayer is one new-gen anime you definitely don’t wish to miss out on.
05. Violet Evergarden
- Number of Episodes: 13
- Number of Seasons: 1 + 1 OVA + 2 Movies
- Genres: Drama, Coming-of-Age, Romance
- MAL Rating: 8.7
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix
Violet Evergarden is a tear-jerking story that follows an emotionless young girl named Violet, who is left injured in the War.
While healing from her wounds, she is left perplexed when one of her superior officers tells her he loved her during the heat of battle.
She faces a lot of difficulties while trying to figure out the meaning of those words and integrating into society with her new profession as a writer for other people.
Through this, she hears the stories of many people and experiences a variety of things that slowly help her in regaining emotions.
With an amazing and memorable cast of characters and the beautiful visual, we expect from Kyoto Animation, this is a journey that will give you chills,
In addition, the life of self-discovery that follows its protagonist, Violet, is guaranteed to leave you in tears.
04. Chainsaw Man
- Number of Episodes: 13
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Supernatural
- MAL Rating: 8.6
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu
Fans of the Chainsaw Man manga had been waiting for a long time for its anime adaptation, and to their relief, it did not disappoint.
It follows a young boy named Denji who works for the Yakuza to pay back his family’s debts after his father’s death.
He does this with the help of his pet devil named Pochita.
However, his life changes drastically when the Yakuza betray him and leave him at death’s doorstep.
When everything looked bleak, Pochita became Denji’s heart, allowing him to replace his limbs with a Chainsaw and slice up his opponents.
Using this, he defeats all his stand in his way. He ends up getting recruited to become a devil hunter that protects society.
Meeting many friends through this, life seemed to have taken a positive turn for Denji until he met with extremely strong opponents and devils who wished to take his life.
With a mysterious person controlling everything from behind the scenes, Denji experiences a lot of new emotions, which start in happiness and end in heartbreak.
The dark and brutal world of Chainsaw Man completely captivates the viewer while leaving us with high expectations for its second season.
03. Re: Zero
- Number of Episodes: 50
- Number of Seasons: 2 + 2 Movies
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
- MAL Rating: 8.4
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Re: Zero has redefined the Isekai genre by providing substance over fanservice and creating an amazing fictional world.
It follows a recluse boy named Subaru who is suddenly transported to another world with supernatural powers and various species.
While initially under the impression that he was to become the hero and savior of this world, he is soon disillusioned after seeing his weakness.
However, he has an ability that lets him revive in time upon his death.
After meeting Emilia, a young woman of high birth, he begins spending time around her while trying to win her affection.
Life becomes much harder for him as time passes, as he runs into several dangers in his quest to protect the new bonds he has formed, leading to him suffering and dying a miserable death many times.
Carrying the memories of his past experiences, he uses these painful instances to correct mistakes, but the psychological damage to Subaru remains.
Re: Zero is among the cream of the crop in new-gen anime with a protagonist with amazing development, vibrant animation, and intense action sequences.
02. Ranking of Kings
- Number of Episodes: 23
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
- MAL Rating: 8.6
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Disney+
Wit Studio again proves why it is one of the finest animation studios in the industry, with Ranking of kings.
It revolves around a young and disabled little prince known as Bojji, who is set to ascend to the throne but is deemed unworthy by all those around him.
After a cruel plot to overthrow him, his brother Daida becomes king.
With the help of his friend, who has the appearance of a shadow, he decides to set off on an adventure to prove all his critics wrong and grow in strength.
While they face several perils on their journey, King Daida has evil plans of his own in order to increase his power and make it so that no one can question his leadership.
Ranking of kings might seem childish initially, but this is an extremely deep and impactful anime with an amazing coming-of-age story for its protagonist.
In addition, it is filled with exhilarating fights and heartwarming moments that make this a must-watch for enjoyers of anime.
01. Attack on Titan
- Number of Episodes: 87
- Number of Seasons: 4 + 8 OVAS
- Genres: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Horror
- MAL Rating: 8.5
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu
Attack on Titan is arguably the most popular anime in the world right now.
The story is set in a universe where large giants known as Titans have almost destroyed humanity, with the remainder of its survivors living in fear behind walls.
When one of these walls is broken, the protagonist, Eren Yeager, watches these monsters kill his entire family.
Vowing to get revenge, he aspired to join an elite group of soldiers who protect humanity with their strength.
Attack on Titan doesn’t just stop there, however, as it keeps presenting plot twists and adding to the mystery of the existence of these titans.
With an incredibly complex and clever plot that also acts as a commentary for real-life injustices and its gripping dark fantasy tale, it has unsurprisingly become the best new-gen anime.
