13 Best Post Apocalyptic Anime

Are you looking for the best post apocalyptic anime? Then you have come to the right place!

Post-apocalyptic is a sub-genre of Science-Fiction that takes place after a major apocalypse, where the world is on the brink of destruction or humanity is facing extinction. In the aftermath of this devastating scenario, people strive to rebuild and create a new world. The apocalyptic event could be caused by war, disease, natural disasters, or even virus outbreak.

In this article, we will be discussing some of the best post apocalyptic anime that you can watch right now. From classic series like Akira to modern favourites like Attack on Titan, there is plenty of great apocalypse anime to choose from. So, let’s get started!

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13. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

• Written by: Hayao Miyazaki
• Genre: Adventure, fantasy, science fiction
• Studio: Toei Company
• Source: Manga
• Demographic: Seinen

“Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” stands out as one of the best post-apocalyptic anime due to its compelling plot. The story takes place in a world devastated by the Seven Days of Fire, leaving behind the dangerous Toxic Jungle filled with giant mutant insects.

The protagonist, Nausicaä, is the courageous princess of the Valley of the Wind. She embarks on a mission to understand the Toxic Jungle and seeks a way for humans and the environment to coexist peacefully.

When a Tolmekian aircraft crashes with a deadly Giant Warrior embryo on board, Nausicaä becomes determined to prevent its use for destruction. Throughout the film, she faces challenges from the Tolmekians and forms a unique bond with the enigmatic Ohms, giant insects that play a crucial role in the story.

Nausicaä’s bravery, compassion, and quest for harmony between humanity and nature make this post-apocalyptic anime a must-watch. With a fulfilling prophecy and the support of the Ohms, Nausicaä becomes a symbol of hope in this breathtaking and thought-provoking adventure.

12. Heavenly Delusion

• Written by Masakazu Ishiguro
• Genre Adventure, Mystery, Science fiction
• Studio: Production I.G
• Source: Manga
• Demographic: Seinen

“Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyo)” is a fascinating sci-fi mystery anime that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. Fifteen years ago, a catastrophic event left the world in ruins, and now dangerous creatures called man-eating monsters roam freely, constantly endangering what’s left of humanity. In the midst of this chaos, there’s a safe place – a secluded facility – where children find shelter and care, protected from the harsh outside world. But some of these children can’t help but wonder about what lies beyond their safe wall.

Outside the walls of the nursery, two young survivors named Maru and Kiruko form a bond and embark on a journey to find a mythical place called “Heaven,”. Together, they hope to uncover answers to the cruelties they’ve experienced, both in their personal lives and in the shattered world they inhabit.

The show keeps you engaged by gradually revealing clues, allowing viewers to piece the puzzle together themselves. The animation and music enhance the overall experience, creating an immersive atmosphere. The characters are well-developed, and their friendship feels genuine and heartwarming. If you enjoy thought-provoking stories and unique anime, “Tengoku Daimakyo” is a must-watch hidden gem.

11. Highschool of the Dead

• Author: Daisuke Sato
• Episodes: 12+OVA
• Genres: Action/ Horror/ Thriller

This series takes place in the present time in Japan. However, everything has changed because of a pandemic. In the pandemic, people are turning into zombies. This story focuses on a group of students surviving this deadly situation. The author wrote this story very beautifully and it had the potential to come to the top. But, unfortunately, the author died in 2017. From then the anime also stayed incomplete. That’s why it’s at the bottom of the list. If you want a short anime that has an open ending you might give it a try you won’t be bored.

SYNOPSIS: Takashi Komuro is a normal high school student. He lived a normal life till everything changed. One day, an unknown infection breaks out that turns people into zombies. Takashi was the first to kill a zombie in order to protect Rie. Then some students along with the school nurse built a team to survive this apocalypse. As the story progress, they face many problems. Their fellow student got in their way, societal views were collapsed and also their own moral codes got broken. With all these difficulties, they fight their way out and continue their journey determined to find out what exactly has happened to the world.

10. Neon Genesis Evangelion

• Author: Hideaki Anno
• Episodes: 26+OVA
• Genres: Action/ Mecha/ Apocalyptic/ Psychological/ Drama

An old post-apocalyptic series. This series is a fan favorite. A true dystopian plot with the apocalypse. The plot starts 15 years after a worldwide cataclysm. It takes place in the futuristic city of Tokyo-3. This series very beautifully shows the life of Evangelion pilots and members of Nerv. Their struggles against the angels. As the story progresses we find out more about the motives of humanity and the ultimate cause of events. 

SYNOPSIS: The story follows Shinji as its protagonist. In 2015, Shinji was summoned in the futuristic city of Tokyo 3 by his father. Gendo Ikari is the director of Nerv. There he was forced to pilot Evangelion Unit 1 without any prior training and send to fight an angel. As expected he was overwhelmed and the Evangelion went berserk eventually killing the angel brutally. Then Shinji’s life began in Tokyo-3. Soon he was sent to his second battle and defeats an angel. However, he ran away after that. After that, Misato confronts Shinji and he agrees to join the pilots. Throughout the story, he meets new people and changes his thoughts. New relationships buildups with awesome character development. Thus their journey of Shinji began. 

9. Gurren Lagann

• Author: Kazuki Nakashima
• Episodes: 27+Films
• Genres: Action/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Mecha

Gurren Lagann is the anime about humans living underground. As a post-apocalyptic anime, this also covers the mechanical sci-fi genre. At that time it also has won multiple awards. This story takes place in the future Earth after everything is destroyed. Humanity is trying its best to survive in this harsh underground world. People dream to go to the surface world.  Earth is ruled by the Spiral King, Lordgenome. He forces mankind to live in isolated subterranean villages. In this situation our protagonist Simon appears. Thus this story begins.

SYNOPSIS: In a world where humanity is isolated Guren Lagann takes place. The villages have no contact with the surface. Villagers of different villages are under constant threat of earthquakes. Some villagers are called diggers. They are enlisted to build their homes deeper underground. Simon was a young digger from Giha village. He was ostracized by his peers. So being lonely he was looking for a friend and he finds solace in his best friend. Kamina, a delinquent, becomes the big brother figure for Simon. Kamina encourages Simon to join his gang, Team Gurren. He wanted Simon to help him achieve his dream. Kamina has a single dream of visiting the surface world someday. They came close to their dream as one day Simon stumbled across an unknown device. This will change everything for the underground world.

8. Seraph of the End

• Author: Takaya Kagami
• Episodes: 24+OVA
• Genres: Action/ Dark-fantasy/ Vampire

One of the best-known anime of this sub-genre. The most disappointing thing about this anime is that it never got season 2. Fans are still eagerly waiting for next season. This series beautifully depicts the sides of dark fantasy. This series is also set in a that has almost ended. Human-made viruses almost destroyed the global populace leaving only children under the age of 13. In this hopeless situation, our story begins. 

SYNOPSIS: In 2012, the world came to end with its humanity to man-made viruses. Only children under 13 years old were alive. As everything became hopeless vampires appeared. They send humans under the surface for safety in exchange for their blood. In this circumstance, a 12-year kid Yuichiro tried to run away with his friend Mikaela. Though the result was not good. As Mikaela sacrificed himself in order to save Yuichiro. Yuichiro somehow got saved by Moon Demon Company. After 4 years of this incident, Yuichiro dedicates his life to getting back revenge on the vampires. An act of revenge for destroying his family. 

7. Trigun

• Author: Yasuhiro Nightow
• Episodes: 26+Film
• Genres: Action/ Sci-fi/ Post-apocalyptic

One of the best action series on this list. Trigun is hugely popular among the fanbase because of its manga. Though it later got animated in 1998. This series is also popularly known for its character building. The series is set in an unknown planet known as No Man’s Land/ Gunsmoke(anime). The story follows the journey of Vash, the Stampede. Nightow was fascinated with western cowboys. Vash is the depiction of that. As the story moves forward more about Vash is revealed along with other characters. Every little aspect of this story is very beautiful. Still, the manga/anime was criticized because the plot was too confusing and hard to understand. 

SYNOPSIS: The story is set in the 32nd century depicting Vash, the Stampede. Vash is a bounty hunter with a 60 billion dollar bounty on his own head. His nickname is the “Humanoid Typhoon” which he got after destroying a city accidentally. Vash is followed by Meryl and Milly. They follow him around in order to minimize the damage. After he destroyed the city of July he got that huge bounty on his head. However, he forgot everything about that incident because of retrograde amnesia. Vash is one of the best gunfighters on that planet. Still, he sometimes joined with Nicolas, a priest, who is also a great gunman. Throughout the journey, Vash tries to save people without using his powers. Thus as we progress more about Vash’s past and humanity’s history is revealed. 

6. The Promised Neverland

• Author: Kaiu Shirai
• Episodes: 23
• Genres: Dark-Fantasy/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller/ Mystery

This might be one of the best-written post-apocalyptic manga ever. Still, the series was put so low because of its anime adaptation. Season 2 of this anime received pretty bad reviews. As it was quite rushed and different from the original manga content. This series follows a group of orphaned children. They were trying to run away from the orphanage after finding out the truth about the world. The world was in an artificial peace treaty after a long war between humans and demons. Both human and demon worlds were separated because of the treaty. However, everything changes when the orphans came to know about the dark truth of the demon world. Thus the story begins. 

SYNOPSIS: The story is set in 2045 after the long war between humans and Demons. Emma, the an 11 years old orphan, lived her life very happily. She had everything she wanted. She along with Norman and Ray excelled in every exam. The orphans had all the freedom except the allowance to venture outside the walls or gates. As they grew old they got adopted. One day Conny was also adopted but she left without taking her favorite toy. So Emma and Norman followed her. At the gate, they came face to face with the truth. The truth that horrified them. They found the dead body of Conny. They realized that they were raised as food for the demons. Now the journey of the kids towards freedom begins filled with never-ending horror. 

5. Ergo Proxy

• Author: Dai Sato
• Episodes: 23
• Genres: Action/ Psychological/ Post-apocalyptic/ thriller

An anime-only series that is set in a post-apocalyptic world. This series ran for 23 episodes. It starts with a dystopian world. A world where humans and androids lived together peacefully. One day situation changed. An unknown virus gave the Android self-awareness. Thus they commit a series of murders. Thus the story begins. The anime is heavily focused on psychological and philosophical aspects of society. The animation is also very good for its futuristic plot. Give this a try. 

SYNOPSIS: After an ecological disaster 1000years ago, domed cities were built as safe houses. One such city is Romdeau city. Here humans and AutoReivs coexisted until androids became the reason for mass murder. The government as humanity’s last hope created a “proxy”. Proxy was modified by human beings. Inspector Re-L Mayer was assigned to discover the dark behind everything. Another central figure in this plot is Vincent Law. He was connected with the Proxies. So he was hunted down and now lives in a commune outside the dome. What does fate hold for these two? What is the truth behind everything? 

4. Darling In The Franxx

• Author: Atsushi Nishigora
• Episodes: 24
• Genres: Romance/ Mecha/ Action/ Drama

This series is a very unique story as it covers science fiction as its main plot as a post-apocalyptic anime. The story is very good with beautiful emotional character developments. The setting of this anime is a dystopian future. In this world, children are artificially created to defend the remnants of humanity. The story is about 10 pilots who want to change everything. However, the anime ending was not well-received among fans and the manga ending is said to be better. Still, the anime is great. 

SYNOPSIS: At the brink of extinction humanity is being threatened by beings called Klaxosaurs. To defeat them humanity created Franxx piloted by Parasites in boy-girl pair. Such a prodigy pilot is Hiro. Though he and his partner can no longer synchronize. In this situation, Hiro encounters Zero two. Zero two is a modified human with Klaxosaur blood. The rumor is that her partners are dead after pairing with her 3 times. However, despite everything Hiro decides to become her partner or as Zero two calls him, her “darling”.

3. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

• Written by: Haro Aso
• Illustrated by: Kotaro Takata
• Published by: Shogakukan
• Studio: Bug Films
• Genre: Comedy horror, Dystopian, Zombie

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is a post apocalyptic anime that stands out from the rest due to its unique take on the zombie genre. The show’s protagonist, Akira Tendo, is a relatable and likable character who is on a mission to complete his bucket list before he succumbs to the zombie apocalypse. This premise often focus on survival and the struggle to rebuild society.

One of the most compelling aspects of Zom 100 is the way it balances humor and horror. The show is not afraid to poke fun at the absurdity of the zombie apocalypse while still delivering plenty of tense and scary moments. This balance makes the show engaging and entertaining to watch, as viewers never know what to expect next.

Another standout feature is its animation. The show’s visuals are stunning, with vibrant colors and fluid animation that bring the post-apocalyptic world to life. The attention to detail in the character designs and backgrounds is impressive, making the show a pleasure to watch.

SYNOPSIS: Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead follows the story of Akira Tendo, an ordinary office worker who does not have any social life for 3 years due to overwork. When a sudden zombie apocalypse hits Tokyo, Akira decides to do things he unable to do. He created a bucket list of 100 things he wants to do before turning into a zombie.

As the series progresses, Akira begins to cross off items from his list, which includes everything from “buy a gun” to “go to a hot spring.” Along the way, he meets a variety of characters, including his college best friend Kencho, who is trapped in Shinjuku.

2. Attack on Titan

• Author: Hajime Isayama
• Episodes: 85+ 8 OVA
• Genres: Action/ Thriller/ Dark Fantasy/ Post-apocalyptic

One of the most popular anime of the new generation. This series has made record-breaking performances in recent years. The plot takes place after an apocalypse. Humanity was almost at extinction. The remaining little bit of people gathered inside three walls. This island is called Paradis. It is the last location on earth where humans exist. Humans were almost killed by giant humans called Titans. Humans developed many different weapons and announced war against Titans. Thus the legend begins. 

SYNOPSIS: In the year 845, the first wall of Paradis was breached by two Titans- Colossal and Armored Titans. Eren Yeager, a young boy of Shiganshina town, lost his mother to those Titans. After watching his mother getting eaten alive by the Titans he decides revenge on the Titans. To fulfill his commitment he joins the military along with his friends. Mikasa and Armin are two best friends of Eren. Eren’s dream is to join the survey corps, the force enlisted to eradicate Titans. However, after 5 years of this tragedy, the second wall of Paradis was again breached by the Colossal Titan. This time while fighting Titans Eren learns that he can also turn into a Titan. Now a lot of mysteries start gathering and a lot of things will happen that will keep you on edge of your sit. 

1. DR.STONE

• Author: Riichiro Inagaki
• Episodes: 35
• Genres: Action/ Adventure/ Sci-Fi/ Post-Apocalyptic

At the top of our list is post apocalyptic survival anime masterpiece, Dr. Stone. A story combined with science fiction and adventure. The story is very interesting with a beautiful animation. One day suddenly humanity was petrified. After 3700 years the first human came out of petrification. Now that the whole world is almost extinct it’s time to rebuild Earth from the beginning. This is the story of recreating Earth. It is very unique as the plot developed pretty quickly and the characters are super fun. People will enjoy this series very much. Also, the manga ended recently. The fanbase is also very happy with its anime presentation also. 

SYNOPSIS: The story revolves around a genius student-scientist Senku Ishigami. In the year 2019AD, a lightning flash turned humanity into stone statues. After 3700years of frozen timeline first time, someone broke out of petrification. It was 15 years old prodigy Senku. He revived into the world without any humans. So with help of science, he decides to revive everyone. After 6 months of research, Senku revives his best friend Taiju. Senku learns revival is possible using Nitric Acid. Now Senku revives more people. He sets his goal to recreate human civilization. To know how Senku succeeds you have to watch the anime. 

CONCLUSION

With this, we end our list of best post-apocalyptic anime. Tell us in the comment section which one is your favorite among these. Have you watched them all?  Give us your opinion. Till then see you in my next article.