The cartoons about aliens on this ranked list were chosen by otaku who like those kinds of shows. The selection process was pretty easy: the anime had to have aliens in a big way, either in the main idea of the show or in just one story arc.
It doesn’t matter if the show is set in space or not; a lot of these are cartoons about aliens coming to Earth.
So here we have prepared a list of some of the best space/alien series.
10. Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (2012–13)
This new version of the 1974 cartoon Space Battleship is based on a trip that the Yamato, the show’s main character, takes in the year 2199.
Earth is being destroyed and fought over by an alien race. This trip to the planet Iscandar could reveal secrets that could change Earth’s fate.
The crew’s ability to work together and be alone in space makes me think of characters from the Alien movies, like Riley and her friends, who are always motivated to fight the Xenomorphs no matter what.
9. Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)
At first glance, Neon Genesis Evangelion may seem like a simple robot anime show, but it is actually a lot more than that.
Hideoki Anno’s most important work is about young robot pilots and their fight against alien creatures, but it also has unexpectedly deep religious and philosophical undertones.
Even though Neon Genesis Evangelion doesn’t take place in space like the Alien movies, the characters go to similar mental lengths to deal with their problems, like Ripley does as she escapes multiple Xenomorph attacks.
8. Urusei Yatsura
The Oni are a race of aliens that look like humans. They are known all over the world for holding planets as slaves. People on Earth have a chance to stay free, but only if their chosen fighter touches Princess Lum’s horns.
The only reason Ataru is chosen as humanity’s champion is luck. For six days in a row, he fails at the job that was given to him.
On the last day, Ataru finally gets Lum to do what he wants and touches her horns. He screams with elation that he is going to marry Shinobu, his girlfriend, but Lum takes this as an offer to marry her.
This is the start of the love/hate relationship between a normal person and the princess of a fighting alien race. Touhou fans should watch this funny romantic comedy, but it can get a little old after a while.
7. The Outlaw Star
Some very famous classics show that the idea of a space western/bounty hunter isn’t the most original.
But it’s still a pretty fair model for adventures.
There’s an extra feature in Outlaw Star that lets you connect with alien races, which adds to the variety of characters.
This is especially interesting because most of their ideas are based on high fantasy, not sci-fi.
To find out how interesting the show’s tough main character really is, you might want to ask the ship’s propulsion system.
6. The Space Dandy
The most important thing that Space Dandy showed for sure was that the randomness of space might be the best way to make things funny.
Add in a bad guy who is also kind of cute, crazy western adventure tropes, and references to current culture, and you have an alien anime that will keep you entertained from beginning to end.
Or every joke make you cringe.
Space Dandy will make an impact on you that you will never forget, no matter how you feel about its style.
5. Kidou Senkan Nadeshiko (1996)
Do you think it sounds weird to mix humor and space war?
If not, this old favorite might be more your style.
Mostly, the setting, locations, and technologies here are made to be important building blocks for stories.
The fun starts with the character descriptions, though.
There’s always something funny about Nadeshico’s crew, from their questionable qualifications to the silly things that happen on board.
4. Knights of Sidonia (2015)
Think about the main setting of this sci-fi show before you dismiss it as just another “humans vs. aliens that can’t be understood” show.
We’ve already lost. In a far-off future, our heroes are thrown into a time period that the viewer already knows was ruled by the main bad guys.
It’s worth watching this show because the details you fill in about its schedule help you write a believable drama about life on a long-term generation ship.
I haven’t even talked about the more horrible facts yet.
3. Parasyte: The Maxim Alien
Shinichi, the main character of this famous anime based on a manga from the late 1980s, has an alien parasite named Migi take over his right hand.
This puts him in the middle of a brutal battle between parasites who take over human bodies and use them as weapons. These attackers look like normal people, but every time they meet someone, they show that they are actually predators, which tests Shinichi and Migi’s relationship.
One of the parasites is “Gotou,” the scariest enemy because he can control multiple parasites inside himself and pose a threat to humanity that has never been seen before.
2. Gintama
The Earth is taken over by an alien race called the Amanto after a long time of war.
Because of this, samurai like Gintoki Sakata are left without jobs, and strange people and groups, like the kind, star-fishing Prince Hata and the super-strong Yato clan, become part of Gintoki’s odd-job life.
Gintama is a shonen classic that has become part of anime culture thanks to its rude humor and biting comments on society and the human condition.
1. The Dragon Ball Z
Earth is a battleground for many alien troops in the Dragon Ball Universe. The Saiyans are one such race. They are strong fighters who look exactly like humans (except for their tails and hairstyles).
Goku, who was sent to Earth as the Saiyan Kakarot, becomes its best protector, going up against enemies like Nappa and Vegeta, as well as Frieza, whose desire to rule the universe and live forever puts him in direct conflict with the Z-Fighters.
If you watch for long enough, you’ll see. DBZ isn’t really known for being about “aliens,” but it does have more alien characters and settings than most other shonen anime.
