What is this genre all about? Cyberpunk focuses on computers or information technology, usually coupled with some degree of breakdown in social order. The plot often centres on a conflict among hackers, artificial intelligences, and mega corporations, tending to be set within a near-future dystopian Earth.
We present you the list of Cyberpunk anime you should watch right now.
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Top 19 Cyberpunk anime you should watch right now. [2026 List]
- 19. Lazarus
- 18. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
- 17. Serial Experiments Lain
- 16. Psycho-Pass
- 15. Akira
- 14. Maou 2099
- 13. Ghost in the Shell
- 12. Texhnolyze
- 11. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
- 10. Koukaku Kidoutai (2026)
- 9. Akudama Drive
- 8. Psycho-Pass 3
- 7. Psycho-Pass 2
- 6. Your Forma
- 5. Metallic Rouge
- 4. Appleseed XIII Remix Movie 1: Yuigon
- 3. Appleseed XIII
- 2. Bubblegum Crisis
- 1. TRIBE NINE
19. Lazarus
The year is 2052—an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity prevails across the globe. The reason for this: mankind has been freed from sickness and pain. Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist Dr. Skinner has developed a miracle cure-all drug with no apparent drawbacks called Hapuna. Hapuna soon becomes ubiquitous... and essential. However, soon after Hapuna is officially introduced, Dr. Skinner vanishes.
Three years later, the world has moved on. But Dr. Skinner has returned—this time, as a harbinger of doom. Skinner announces that Hapuna has a short half-life. Everyone who has taken it will die approximately three years later. Death is coming for this sinful world—and coming soon.
As a response to this threat, a special task force of 5 agents is gathered from across the world to save humanity from Skinner’s plan. This group is called "Lazarus." Can they find Skinner and develop a vaccine before time runs out?
Lazarus has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: ラザロ, Lazarus
18. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
An original anime series set in the universe of Cyberpunk 2077.
In a dystopia riddled with corruption and cybernetic implants, a talented but reckless street kid strives to become a mercenary outlaw — an edgerunner.
Note: The first episode received a pre-screening at Anime Expo on July 2, 2022. The first 3 dubbed episodes were streamed on Twitch as part of a co-stream promotion on September 12, a day before the show’s premiere.
CYBERPUNK: EDGERUNNERS has finished airing and it has 10 Episodes. It is also Known as: サイバーパンク エッジランナーズ, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
17. Serial Experiments Lain
Lain Iwakura, an awkward and introverted fourteen-year-old, is one of the many girls from her school to receive a disturbing email from her classmate Chisa Yomoda—the very same Chisa who recently committed suicide. Lain has neither the desire nor the experience to handle even basic technology; yet, when the technophobe opens the email, it leads her straight into the Wired, a virtual world of communication networks similar to what we know as the internet. Lain's life is turned upside down as she begins to encounter cryptic mysteries one after another. Strange men called the Men in Black begin to appear wherever she goes, asking her questions and somehow knowing more about her than even she herself knows. With the boundaries between reality and cyberspace rapidly blurring, Lain is plunged into more surreal and bizarre events where identity, consciousness, and perception are concepts that take on new meanings.
Written by Chiaki J. Konaka, whose other works include Texhnolyze, Serial Experiments Lain is a psychological avant-garde mystery series that follows Lain as she makes crucial choices that will affect both the real world and the Wired. In closing one world and opening another, only Lain will realize the significance of their presence.
Serial Experiments Lain has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: シリアルエクスペリメンツレイン, Serial Experiments Lain
16. 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
15. Akira
Japan, 1988. An explosion caused by a young boy with psychic powers tears through the city of Tokyo and ignites the fuse that leads to World War III. In order to prevent any further destruction, he is captured and taken into custody, never to be heard from again. Now, in the year 2019, a restored version of the city known as Neo-Tokyo—an area rife with gang violence and terrorism against the current government—stands in its place. Here, Shoutarou Kaneda leads "the Capsules," a group of misfits known for riding large, custom motorcycles and being in constant conflict with their rivals "the Clowns."
During one of these battles, Shoutarou's best friend Tetsuo Shima is caught up in an accident with an esper who finds himself in the streets of Tokyo after escaping confinement from a government institution. Through this encounter, Tetsuo begins to develop his own mysterious abilities, as the government seeks to quarantine this latest psychic in a desperate attempt to prevent him from unleashing the destructive power that could once again bring the city to its knees.
Akira has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: AKIRA（アキラ）, Akira
14. Maou 2099
The cyberpunk metropolis Shinjuku—a massive city-state bedecked with neon signs, towering skyscrapers, and the latest cutting-edge technology. It is here, in year 2099 of the Fused Era, where the legendary Demon Lord Veltol has his second coming five centuries in the making. But this landscape is nothing like the one he conquered all those years ago, for the fusion of magic and engineering has elevated civilization to dazzling, unprecedented heights. Veltol may have been reduced to a historical footnote, but make no mistake...this brave new world will be his for the taking!
Demon Lord 2099 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 魔王2099, Maou 2099
13. 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
12. Texhnolyze
Cult-favorite Yoshitoshi ABe tempts us to witness man's downward spiral in a future overrun by violence, greed, and depravity. After Ichise loses an arm and leg, he's equipped with experimental robotic limbs against his will. When an army of men transformed into terrifying machines invades his city, Ichise rages against humanity's demise—but can his actions actually be the catalyst?
Texhnolyze has finished airing and it has 22 Episodes. It is also Known as: TEXHNOLYZE, Technolyze
11. 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
10. Koukaku Kidoutai (2026)
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on Saturday that the Ghost in the Shell franchise is getting a new television anime series in 2026. Science SARU will produce the anime, which is tentatively titled Kōkaku Kidōtai (The Ghost in the Shell). Bandai Namco Filmworks, Kodansha, Science SARU, and Production I.G are on the production committee for the series.
Note: Title and relations are subject to change.
The Ghost in the Shell (2026) has not yet aired. It will air on July 31, 2026. It is also Known as: 攻殻機動隊（仮）, Koukaku Kidoutai: The Ghost in the Shell
9. Akudama Drive
Many years ago, a Great Civil War ravaged Japan, leaving the country fragmented between two regions: Kansai and Kanto. In Kansai, a group of six Akudama carry out missions given to them by a mysterious black cat, while evading the police. But a dangerous journey is about to unfold when a civilian girl becomes twisted into the Akudama’s way of life and witnesses their criminal drives.
Akudama Drive has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: アクダマドライブ, 아쿠다마 드라이브
8. 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
7. Psycho-Pass 2
A year and a half after the events of the original sci-fi psychological thriller, Akane Tsunemori continues her work as an inspector—enforcing the Sibyl System's judgments. Joining her are new enforcers and junior inspector Mika Shimotsuki, a young woman blindly and inflexibly loyal to Sibyl. As Akane ponders both the nature of her job and the legitimacy of Sibyl's verdicts, a disturbing new menace emerges.
A mysterious figure has discovered a way to control the Crime Coefficient—a number compiled from mental scans that allows Sibyl to gauge psychological health and identify potential criminals. Through these means, he is able to murder an enforcer, leaving behind a cryptic clue: "WC?" scrawled in blood on a wall.
Akane and the rest of Division 1 soon find themselves playing a deadly game against their new foe, coming face-to-face with a conspiracy threatening not only the authority of the Sibyl System, but the very foundation of Akane's own convictions.
Psycho-Pass 2 has finished airing and it has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: PSYCHO-PASS サイコパス 2, Psycho-Pass Second Season, Psychopath 2nd Season
6. Your Forma
Your Forma, a technology developed to safeguard against viral encephalitis, has become commonplace. Officer Echika must use this invasive technology to crack cases in a world where your every sight, sound, and emotion is being recorded.
Your Forma has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: ユア・フォルマ, Your Forma
5. Metallic Rouge
Metallic Rouge takes place in a a world where humans and androids coexist. The story follows Rouge, an android girl, who is on a mission on Mars with her partner Naomi. The mission is to murder nine artificial humans who are hostile to the government.
Metallic Rouge has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: メタリックルージュ, Metallic Rouge
4. Appleseed XIII Remix Movie 1: Yuigon
This is a remix, theatrical release of the first half of the Appleseed XIII series.
Appleseed XIII Remix Movie 1: Yuigon has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: 劇場リミックス版 APPLESEED XIII ～遺言～, Gekijou Remix Han Appleseed XIII 1, Appleseed XIII Gekijou Remix-ban 1: Yuigon
3. Appleseed XIII
After facing massive destruction from a devastating war, the city Olympus has become the last stronghold as the center of command for the world. In order to protect the city from a group of terrorists known as the Argonauts, former LAPD SWAT member, Deunan Knotts, runs special military forces consisting of Biroids (cloned humans) and her cyborg partner Brialeos. Knotts must protect the city at all costs but is met with difficulties when Al Ceides, the Argonaut leader thought to be dead, resurfaces and causes problems.
Appleseed XIII has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: アップルシード XIII, Appleseed (2011)
2. Bubblegum Crisis
In the near future, Tokyo was left flattened as a result from a great earthquake. A new city, MegaTokyo, was then recreated due in no small part from the aid of a multi-million dollar company, Genom Corp. Genom created and mass-produced biomechanical creatures called Boomers to aid in the restoration of MegaTokyo. When the Boomers began to run out of control, the ADPolice at first tried to stop them, but they proved to be far more difficult to deal with than was first imagined. Under the ever looming Boomer threat, a group of four girls from varying degrees of society banded together. Calling themselves The Knight Sabers, they were the only ones with enough firepower and resourcefullness to defend the fledgling MegaTokyo from Genom and it's berserk Boomers.
Bubblegum Crisis has finished airing and it has 8 Episodes. It is also Known as: バブルガムクライシス, Bubblegum Crisis 2032, Bubblegum Crisis 2033
1. TRIBE NINE
Haru Shirogane is a weak-minded person who is constantly bullied while Taiga has traveled from across the sea in hopes of becoming the strongest man in the world. One night, the two meet up with Shun Kamiya, the strongest XB (Extreme Baseball) player, and leader of the Minato Tribe. When they meet, each of the Tribes scattered throughout Neo-Tokyo are about to face a major threat.
On the orders of the King of Neo-Tokyo, "Houtenshin", the Chiyoda Try, led by the mysterious Ojiro Otori, has started to take control of all the tribes in the country. Their evil clutches are about to reach the Minato Tribe...
Tribe Nine has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: トライブナイン, TRIBE NINE
