What is this genre all about? The police (civil servants) are the good guys in the battle against crime. Though they try hard, they are usually outclassed by super-criminals or criminal organizations in anime, requiring the help of special units or some lone hero.
We present you the list of Cops anime you should watch right now.
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Top 20 Cops anime you should watch right now. [2026 List]
- 20. Death Note
- 19. Monster
- 18. Detective Conan
- 17. Psycho-Pass
- 16. Pluto
- 15. Zankyou no Terror
- 14. Hellsing Ultimate
- 13. Hellsing
- 12. Mousou Dairinin
- 11. Mattaku Saikin no Tantei to Kitara
- 10. Ghost in the Shell
- 9. Dead Mount Death Play
- 8. Gyakuten Saiban: Sono "Shinjitsu", Igi Ari!
- 7. Psycho-Pass 3
- 6. Sasaki to Pi-chan
- 5. Hurricane Polymar
- 4. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
- 3. B: The Beginning
- 2. Gunsmith Cats
- 1. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
20. Death Note
A shinigami, as a god of death, can kill any person—provided they see their victim's face and write their victim's name in a notebook called a Death Note. One day, Ryuk, bored by the shinigami lifestyle and interested in seeing how a human would use a Death Note, drops one into the human realm.
High school student and prodigy Light Yagami stumbles upon the Death Note and—since he deplores the state of the world—tests the deadly notebook by writing a criminal's name in it. When the criminal dies immediately following his experiment with the Death Note, Light is greatly surprised and quickly recognizes how devastating the power that has fallen into his hands could be.
With this divine capability, Light decides to extinguish all criminals in order to build a new world where crime does not exist and people worship him as a god. Police, however, quickly discover that a serial killer is targeting criminals and, consequently, try to apprehend the culprit. To do this, the Japanese investigators count on the assistance of the best detective in the world: a young and eccentric man known only by the name of L.
Death Note has finished airing and it has 37 Episodes. It is also Known as: デスノート, DN
19. Monster
Dr. Kenzou Tenma is a renowned brain surgeon of Japanese descent working in Europe. Highly lauded by his peers as one of the great young minds that will revolutionize the field, he is blessed with a beautiful fiancée and is on the cusp of a big promotion in the hospital he works at. But all of that is about to change with a grave dilemma that Kenzou faces one night—whether to save the life of a small boy or that of the town's mayor. Despite being pressured by his superiors to perform surgery on the mayor, his morals force him to perform the surgery on the other critical patient, saving his life and forfeiting the mayor's. A doctor is taught to believe that all life is equal; however, when a series of murders occur in the surgeon's vicinity, all of the evidence pointing to the boy he saved, Kenzou's beliefs are shaken. Along his journey to unravel the true identity of his little patient, Kenzou discovers that the fate of the world may be intertwined with the mysterious child.
Monster has finished airing and it has 74 Episodes. It is also Known as: モンスター, Monster
18. Detective Conan
Shinichi Kudou, a great mystery expert at only seventeen, is already well known for having solved several challenging cases. One day, when Shinichi sees two suspicious men and decides to follow them, he inadvertently becomes witness to a disturbing illegal activity. When the men catch Shinichi, they dose him with an experimental drug formulated by their criminal organization and abandon him to die. However, to his own astonishment, Shinichi is still alive and soon wakes up, but now, he has the body of a seven-year-old, perfectly preserving his original intelligence. He hides his real identity from everyone, including his childhood friend Ran Mouri and her father, private detective Kogorou Mouri, and takes on the alias of Conan Edogawa (inspired by the mystery writers Arthur Conan Doyle and Ranpo Edogawa). Animated by TMS and adapted from the manga by Gosho Aoyama, Detective Conan follows Shinichi who, as Conan, starts secretly solving the senior Mouri's cases from behind the scenes with his still exceptional sleuthing skills, while covertly investigating the organization responsible for his current state, hoping to reverse the drug's effects someday.
Detective Conan is currently airing and will have Episodes. It is also Known as: Meitantei Conan, 名探偵コナン, Case Closed: One Truth Prevails
17. Psycho-Pass
Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed. In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass. Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harboring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors' dirty work.
Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System's judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt.
Psycho-Pass has finished airing and it has 22 Episodes. It is also Known as: サイコパス, Psychopath
16. Pluto
A murder occurs in an orderly world where robots are unable to kill humans. The robotic Europol investigator Gesicht takes the case, but the mystery deepens when he finds no trace of a human at the scene of the crime. As he pursues the truth, Gesicht uncovers the most evil manifestation of hate that history ever seen, one that is bent on bringing destruction to the world ...
PLUTO has finished airing and it has 8 Episodes. It is also Known as: プルートウ, Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka
15. Zankyou no Terror
Painted in red, the word "VON" is all that is left behind after a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility in Japan. The government is shattered by their inability to act, and the police are left frantically searching for ways to crack down the perpetrators. The public are clueless—until, six months later, a strange video makes its way onto the internet. In it, two teenage boys who identify themselves only as "Sphinx" directly challenge the police, threatening to cause destruction and mayhem across Tokyo. Unable to stop the mass panic quickly spreading through the city and desperate for any leads in their investigation, the police struggle to act effectively against these terrorists, with Detective Kenjirou Shibazaki caught in the middle of it all.Zankyou no Terror tells the story of Nine and Twelve, the two boys behind the masked figures of Sphinx. They should not exist, yet they stand strong in a world of deception and secrets while they make the city fall around them, all in the hopes of burying their own tragic truth.
Terror in Resonance has finished airing and it has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: 残響のテロル, Terror in Tokyo, Terror of Resonance
14. Hellsing Ultimate
There exist creatures of darkness and evil that plague the night, devouring any human unfortunate enough to be caught in their grasp. On the other side is Hellsing, an organization dedicated to destroying these supernatural forces that threaten the very existence of humanity. At its head is Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, who commands a powerful military and spends her life fighting the undead.
Integra's vast army, however, pales in comparison with her ultimate weapon: the vampire Alucard, who works against his own kind as an exterminator for Hellsing. With his new vampire servant, Seras Victoria, at his side, Alucard must battle not only monsters, but all those who stand to oppose Hellsing, be they in the guise of good or evil.
In a battle for mankind's survival, Hellsing Ultimate proves that appearances are not all they may seem, and sometimes the greatest weapon can come in the form of one's worst nightmare.
Hellsing Ultimate has finished airing and it has 10 Episodes. It is also Known as: HELLSING OVA, Hellsing Ultimate
13. Hellsing
Decades ago, the legendary Dr. Abraham Van Helsing and his companions defeated Count Dracula, one of the world's deadliest vampires. After this success his name was used in the founding of the Hellsing Organization, a British task force with the duty of eliminating supernatural threats.Hellsing follows the exploits of that very organization. Led by Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, the Hellsing Organization finds its trump card not in the power of man, but in the strength of a monster it has tamed. Alucard, one of the oldest and most powerful vampires in existence, now hunts his fellow monsters at Hellsing's bequest. Alongside new recruit Seras Victoria, Alucard will find that a new threat has arisen, one greater than anything the Hellsing Organization has ever dealt with before.
Hellsing has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: Hellsing [ヘルシング], Hellsing
12. Mousou Dairinin
The infamous Shounen Bat (Lil' Slugger) is terrorizing the residents of Musashino City. Flying around on his rollerblades and beating people down with a golden baseball bat, the assailant seems impossible to catch—much less understand. His first victim, the well-known yet timid character designer Tsukiko Sagi, is suspected of orchestrating the attacks. Believed only by her anthropomorphic pink stuffed animal, Maromi, Tsukiko is just one of Shounen Bat's many victims.
As Shounen Bat continues his relentless assault on the town, detectives Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa begin to investigate the identity of the attacker. However, more and more people fall victim to the notorious golden bat, and news of the assailant begins circulating around the town. Paranoia starts to set in as chilling rumors spread amongst adults and children alike.
Will the two detectives be able to unravel the truth behind Shounen Bat, or will the paranoia get to them first?
Paranoia Agent has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: 妄想代理人, Mousou Dairinin
11. Mattaku Saikin no Tantei to Kitara
Nagumo Keiichirou was a genius high-school detective. No case was complex enough for him. But what happens to genius detectives when they get older?
Now 35, with bad hips, running a failing detective agency with no cases to solve and struggling to pay the rent, he's at a dead end.
In comes a high school girl in his office who says she wants to work with him. With her help, will the out-of-touch, old-fashioned Nagumo get back the fire of his youth?
Detectives These Days Are Crazy! has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: まったく最近の探偵ときたら, Mattaku Saikin no Tantei to Kitara
10. Ghost in the Shell
2029: A female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of “The Puppet Master,” a mysterious and threatening computer virus capable of infiltrating human hosts. Together with her fellow agents from Section 9, Kusanagi embarks on a high-tech race against time to capture the omnipresent entity.
Ghost in the Shell has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: GHOST IN THE SHELL（攻殻機動隊）, Koukaku Kidoutai
9. Dead Mount Death Play
It's a showdown for the ages as the legendary hero takes on the corpse god necromancer, but when the dust settles, something isn't quite right... In the final moments of their epic confrontation, the corpse god's final gambit shot was wholly unexpected -- reincarnation magic! Across space and time, a boy named Polka Shinoyama awakens feeling...not quite himself...... Who could've expected that the climactic battle between good and evil would turn out like this??
Dead Mount Death Play has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: デッドマウント・デスプレイ, Dead Mount Death Play
8. Gyakuten Saiban: Sono "Shinjitsu", Igi Ari!
Since he was a child, Ryuuichi Naruhodou's dream was to become a defense attorney, protecting the innocent when no one else would. However, when the rookie lawyer finally takes on his first case under the guidance of his mentor Chihiro Ayasato, he realizes that the courtroom is a battlefield. In these fast paced trials, Ryuuichi is forced to think outside the box to uncover the truth of the crimes that have taken place in order to prove the innocence of his clients.Gyakuten Saiban: Sono "Shinjitsu", Igi Ari! follows Ryuuichi as he tackles cases to absolve the falsely accused of the charges they face. It will not be easy—standing in his path is the ruthless Reiji Mitsurugi, a prosecutor who will stop at nothing to hand out guilty verdicts. With his back against the wall, the defense attorney must carefully examine both evidence and witness testimony, sifting through lies to solve the mystery behind each case. With a shout of "objection!," the battle in the courtroom begins!
Ace Attorney has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: 逆転裁判 その『真実』、異議あり！, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
7. Psycho-Pass 3
"Justice" opens up a new world. In the near future, the Sybil System, a surveillance network that quantifies human souls, maintains public order. In a changing world, detectives with Dominators, guns that measure "Crime Coefficients," pursue "latent criminals" before they commit crimes. The third series of PSYCHO-PASS follows two inspectors seeking the truth: Arata Shindou and Kei Mikhail Ignatov.
Psycho-Pass 3 has finished airing and it has 8 Episodes. It is also Known as: PSYCHO-PASS サイコパス 3, Psycho-Pass 3
6. Sasaki to Pi-chan
Tired and unfulfilled by his dead-end job, Sasaki decides to adopt Peeps, an adorable pet Java sparrow. Peeps, however, is really Piercarlo, a powerful sage from another world! After Peeps bestows Sasaki with magic and the ability to cross worlds, the two decide to export household items for profit in pursuit of a leisurely lifestyle. But when Sasaki’s new magic gets him mixed up in a whole other kind of supernatural struggle back in Japan, will it destroy his chances at realizing the relaxing life of his dreams?
Sasaki and Peeps has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 佐々木とピーちゃん, Sasaki to Pi-chan
5. Hurricane Polymar
Yoroi Takeshi is a carefree and somewhat naïve youth, who works as an assistant to the bumbling detective wannabe Kuruma Jo (who frequently proclaims himself the heir apparent to the title of Greatest Detective “Sherlock Holmes”).
From their rundown and shabby office, they run a humble if not failing private investigation service. The spunky and cute Nanba Teru (who’s father owns the building when Jo and Takeshi reside in) frequently interferes in their affairs by threatening eviction (Jo is continually months behind in back rent).
Since they rarely get any clients, they must resort to eavesdropping and spying on the Secret International Police Department headquarters, located in the building across from theirs in order to get their assignments. Unbeknownst to Jo and Teru, Takeshi has a deep secret. Not only is Takeshi the son of the International Police Department Chief but in times of peril and danger, mild-mannered Takeshi uses his trusty Poly-Met (Polymer Helmet) to transform into the Superhero “Hurricane” Polymer, a red suited masked man with incredible fighting abilities and superhuman strength. The only one who knows Takeshi’s secret is his lazy Saint Bernard, Daisaku, who always likes to provide cutting commentary to the audience (using his inner voice).
Together Jo and Takeshi (as Polymer) confront and battle a myriad of evil organizations, criminal gangs, mutants and monsters as they fight crime in the future city of Washinkyo (Washington/Tokyo).
Hurricane Polymar has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: 破裏拳ポリマー, Inner Destructive Fist Polymar, Hurricane Polimar, Hurricane Polymer
4. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
In the not so distant future, mankind has advanced to a state where complete body transplants from flesh to machine is possible. This allows for great increases in both physical and cybernetic prowess and blurring the lines between the two worlds. However, criminals can also make full use of such technology, leading to new and sometimes, very dangerous crimes. In response to such innovative new methods, the Japanese Government has established Section 9, an independently operating police unit which deals with such highly sensitive crimes.
Led by Daisuke Aramaki and Motoko Kusanagi, Section 9 deals with such crimes over the entire social spectrum, usually with success. However, when faced with a new A level hacker nicknamed "The Laughing Man," the team is thrown into a dangerous cat and mouse game, following the hacker's trail as it leaves its mark on Japan.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex, 攻殻機動隊 STAND ALONE COMPLEX, Ghost in the Shell SAC
3. B: The Beginning
In a world powered by advanced technology, crime and action unfold in the archipelagic nation of Cremona. Koku, the protagonist. Keith, the legendary investigator of the royal police force RIS. A mysterious criminal organization. A wide variety of characters race through the fortified city as it is beset by the serial killer, Killer B, and a chain of crimes.
B: The Beginning has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: Perfect Bones
2. Gunsmith Cats
Rally Vincent knows her weapons well, while her partner Minne May Hopkins loves to play with explosives. The pair run a gun-shop illegally and one day Bill Collins of the ATF, blackmails Rally and Minnie May into working for the ATF. Little do they know, that they are getting involved in a mission larger than they could imagine.
Gunsmith Cats has finished airing and it has 3 Episodes. It is also Known as: ガンスミス キャッツ, Gunsmith Cats
1. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
After witnessing the suicide bombing of a terrorist girl, Constable Kazuki Fuse becomes haunted by her image, and is forced to undergo retraining for his position in the Capital Police's Special Unit. However, unknown to him, he becomes a key player in a dispute between Capital and Local Police forces, as he finds himself increasingly involved with the sister of the very girl he saw die.
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: Jin-Rou, 人狼 JIN-ROH, Jin Roh, Jin-Ro, Jinrō
