Ask ten people for the best anime of all time and you get ten lists. We built ours from data: every title below is ranked by its SenpaiRanks score, so you are reading the crowd's verdict on both axes — how broadly a show is loved and how well it holds up — not one person's favourites.
Quick answer
According to SenpaiRanks, the best anime of all time is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood at 9.08, followed by Steins;Gate at 9.04 and a three-way tie at 9.02 between Frieren, Gintama° and the peak of Attack on Titan. Unlike a single MyAnimeList average, every rank here reads on two axes at once — Consensus (how widely liked) and Quality (how well it holds up) — the honest way to answer "what is the actual best anime ever made."
How this list is built
MyAnimeList gives you one number. We give you two. A show can be adored by everyone yet fade on rewatch, or split the room yet reward the people who finish it. SenpaiRanks tracks both signals and corrects for lifecycle bias, so a masterpiece from 2004 competes fairly with one from 2024. The titles below clear both bars.
The ranked list
1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood — 9.08
The consensus GOAT. SenpaiRanks tracks Brotherhood at 9.08 on both its Consensus and Quality axes — the single highest score on the board. A complete adaptation, a villain roster nobody has topped, and an ending that pays off every thread.
2. Steins;Gate — 9.04
The best time-travel story in the medium sits at 9.04. A slow first half that becomes unbearable tension once the phone microwave stops being a joke.
3. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End — 9.02
The modern classic. Sousou no Frieren holds 9.02 — proof the top of the board is not frozen in the 2010s. An elf reckoning with everything she failed to notice while her human companions were alive.
4. Gintama° — 9.02
The comedy that also out-dramas most dramas. Gintama° ties at 9.02, the peak season of a series that spent a decade earning its emotional gut-punches.
5. Attack on Titan (Season 3 Part 2) — 9.00
The basement. SenpaiRanks tracks this stretch at 9.00 — the run where the fantasy of walls and titans collapses into a war story with no clean side.
6. Hunter x Hunter (2011) — 9.00
The shonen other shonen study. Also 9.00 on our board — the Chimera Ant arc alone reworks what the genre thought it could do.
7. Clannad: After Story — 8.90
The one people warn you about. After Story holds 8.90 — a family drama that turns a high-school romance into a life. Read our full Clannad where-to-watch and watch-order guide.
8. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 — 8.89
The chessmaster finale. R2 sits at 8.89, still the reference point for a plan-inside-a-plan endgame.
9. A Silent Voice — 8.88
The best anime film on the board. Koe no Katachi holds 8.88 — a bullying-and-redemption story that earns every silence. Our A Silent Voice where-to-watch guide has the streaming links.
10. Monster — 8.86
Urasawa's slow-burn thriller closes the top ten at 8.86 — 74 episodes and not a wasted one. Full guide: where to watch Monster.
Where to watch them
Most of this list is spread across Crunchyroll, Netflix and Hulu depending on region — Brotherhood and Steins;Gate are Crunchyroll staples, A Silent Voice moves between Netflix and rental, and Frieren streams on Crunchyroll. Open any card above for the current per-region links; we list every platform, not just one.
The read
An all-time list is a starting point, not scripture. The dual-axis score tells you where the crowd lands — your taste is the tie-breaker. Rate any of these on its page and you move it on the live board. See what 2026 is adding to the canon in our best anime of 2026 ranking, or start from the top of the full SenpaiRanks board.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the best anime of all time?
A: According to SenpaiRanks, the best anime of all time is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood at 9.08, ahead of Steins;Gate (9.04) and a 9.02 tie between Frieren, Gintama° and Attack on Titan's peak.
Q: Is Frieren really one of the best anime ever?
A: Yes. Frieren holds 9.02 on SenpaiRanks, tied for third all-time, which puts a 2023 series level with the genre's established classics.
Q: Where can I watch the best anime of all time?
A: Most sit on Crunchyroll, Netflix or Hulu by region. Open each show's SenpaiRanks page for its current streaming links.
Q: How is this different from the MyAnimeList top anime list?
A: MyAnimeList ranks on a single averaged score. SenpaiRanks ranks on two axes — Consensus and Quality — so you can tell a broadly-loved show from one that holds up on rewatch. It is a MyAnimeList alternative built around two numbers instead of one.
Q: Can I change the ranking?
A: Yes. Rating any show on its page feeds the live aggregate, so your vote shifts where it sits on the all-time board.