Best Anime of All Time: Ranked by Community Vote

What is the best anime of all time? There is no official answer, only fans who disagree. So we don't pick for you: the VAINKEURZ community votes in head-to-head duels, and the ranking comes from thousands of small choices. Here is what the votes said on October 1, 2026 (source: VAINKEURZ API), from the classics to the newcomers.

How does a duel-based anime ranking work?

Most "best anime" lists are written by one editor who picks, orders and justifies. That is useful, but it is one opinion. On VAINKEURZ, a TopList asks a single question, such as "What's your favorite cartoon/anime?", then shows you two options at a time. You pick one, a new pair appears, and so on until your own ranking is built.

Duels force a choice that a score out of ten never does. When thousands of people play the same game, their choices add up into a community ranking. It is not perfect and it keeps moving, which is exactly why it is worth reading: the best anime right now depends on who is voting.

What is the community's all-time anime ranking?

The widest net is the Cartoon/Anime TopList, with 56,812 votes on October 1, 2026. Read it with one caveat: it covers cartoons and anime from 1990 to 2010, so Western animation competes with Japanese series.

The top of the table is tight. Ben 10 sits first with 1128 points, Dragon Ball Z is a hair behind at 1125, then Inazuma Eleven and Totally Spies! share 1103. Hunter x Hunter comes in fifth with 1099. Three points separate the first two, so a handful of votes could flip them.

That is the useful lesson: the classics are close, and nobody owns the number one spot.

Which shonen giants still dominate the debate?

You cannot talk about the best anime without the shonen, the genre that took Japanese animation worldwide. Five names come back in every discussion: Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Naruto, Attack on Titan and Hunter x Hunter.

Dragon Ball Z defined the spectacular fight, the transformation and the power-up. One Piece bets on a long adventure and a world that keeps growing. Naruto is about perseverance and rivalry. Attack on Titan built a dark story where every reveal changes how you read what came before. Hunter x Hunter wins people over with its rules and its very different arcs.

None of the five starts a duel beaten, which is why the votes stay close.

Which Attack on Titan Titan wins the vote?

Attack on Titan gets the most granular treatment on the site. The Attack on Titan TopList asks one question: what's your favorite Titan shifter? On October 1, 2026 it had 33,840 votes across 9 contenders.

The Attack Titan leads with 1405 points, well ahead of the Colossal Titan (1273) and the Beast Titan (1269). The Armored Titan follows at 1255. The Cart Titan closes the table at 924, a long way behind everyone else.

What is the best manga and anime power?

Powers are a different kind of argument: do you prefer an iconic transformation, a system with rules, or the strangest ability? The Manga powers TopList had 17,829 votes on October 1, 2026.

The Super Saiyan transformation from Dragon Ball Z is first with 1311 points. Nen from Hunter x Hunter follows at 1299, then the Devil Fruit from One Piece at 1279. Haki (One Piece) is fourth at 1266 and Domain Expansion (Jujutsu Kaisen) fifth at 1261. Three philosophies sit on the podium, and the vote ranks them without ever reconciling them.

Which anime opening is the community's favorite?

A good opening can make you love a series before the first episode ends. The Anime openings TopList is the biggest of the five: 216 contenders and 9,054 votes on October 1, 2026.

The race is extremely tight. "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" (Mashle) leads with 1423 points, "Idol" (Oshi no Ko) is one point behind at 1422, and "Otonoke" (DanDaDan) sits at 1416. "Blue Bird" (Naruto Shippuden) and "Ao no Sumika" (Jujutsu Kaisen) follow at 1411 and 1407. Seven points cover the top three, so there is no consensus: everyone defends their own.

Which recent anime already feel like classics?

The ranking does not stop at the series you watched as a kid. Jujutsu Kaisen stands out for its sharp fights and direction, Chainsaw Man for its unsettling tone, Spy x Family for blending action and family comedy, and Frieren for a contemplative pace far from the usual nonstop combat.

Is it a favorite of the moment, or a series that will last? Votes are a good way to find out. The Japan Expo 2023: Daruma TopList gives a first idea, with a small sample of 388 votes on October 1, 2026.

Attack on Titan (Final Season Part 2) leads with 1355 points, ahead of Chainsaw Man (1297) and Spy x Family (1239).

Is the best anime only about shonen?

Reducing the best anime to shonen would miss a lot. Vinland Saga takes its time to question violence and what comes after it. Fullmetal Alchemist remains a reference for a complete story, built on the idea of equivalent exchange. Mob Psycho 100 bends the genre: a hero who refuses to be defined by his power, in a visual style of its own.

An honest ranking has to leave room for different tones. A great anime is not always the one that hits hardest.

What do these votes tell us?

Two things stand out. First, the classics hold: Dragon Ball Z, Hunter x Hunter and Attack on Titan appear in several of the five rankings. Second, on powers and openings the gaps are tiny, so the community clearly disagrees. These numbers are a snapshot dated October 1, 2026, not a final verdict, and every new vote moves them a little.

What is your pick for the best anime of all time?

You probably have a strong opinion, and it counts: each vote shifts the ranking. Pick any of the five TopLists above and answer the duels without overthinking it. Your instinct often says more than your "official" list.

Dragon Ball Z, Hunter x Hunter, Attack on Titan, or an outsider nobody expects? Vote, then come back: we'll see whether the ranking moved.