What is this genre all about? A dystopia (from Ancient Greek: δυσ-, "bad, ill", and Ancient Greek: τόπος, "place, landscape"; alternatively cacotopia, or anti-utopia) is, in literature, an often futuristic society that has degraded into a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian. Dystopian literature has underlying cautionary tones, warning society that if we continue to live how we do, this will be the consequence. A dystopia, thus, is regarded as a sort of negative utopia and is often characterized by an authoritarian or totalitarian form of government. Dystopias usually feature different kinds of repressive social control systems, a lack or total absence of individual freedoms and expressions and constant states of warfare or violence. Dystopias often explore the concept of humans abusing technology and how humans individually and collectively cope with technology that has evolved too quickly such as the car, the flamethrower or the microwave. A dystopian society is also often characterized by widespread poverty and brutal political controls such as a large military-like police.
We present you the list of Dystopia anime you should watch right now.
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Top 20 Dystopia anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]
- 20. Metallic Rouge
- 19. Attack on Titan: The Final Season
- 18. Ishura
- 17. Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2
- 16. Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 1
- 15. Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 2
- 14. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
- 13. Kenpuu Denki Berserk
- 12. Psycho-Pass
- 11. Ergo Proxy
- 10. Akudama Drive
- 9. Deadman Wonderland
- 8. Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World
- 7. Claymore
- 6. Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai
- 5. Guilty Crown
- 4. Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers
- 3. Toaru Kagaku no Railgun
- 2. Shinsekai yori
- 1. Maoyu ~ Archenemy & Hero
20. 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
19. Attack on Titan: The Final Season
4 years after the Survey Corps reached the shore beyond the walls, Falco Grice and Gabi Braun are among Marley's "Warrior Candidates" who wish to inherit the power of the Titans. After emerging victorious in a hard-fought war, they continue their military training when Marley shifts its focus on invading Paradis once again. Nevertheless, in the midst of this announcement, Reiner has an unexpected encounter with a key person from his past... one who brings along terror and chaos.
Attack on Titan: The Final Season has finished airing and it has 16 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shingeki no Kyojin The Final Season, 進撃の巨人 The Final Season, Shingeki no Kyojin Season 4, Attack on Titan Season 4
18. Ishura
In a world where the Demon King has died, a host of demigods capable of felling him have inherited the world: a master fencer who can figure out how to take out their opponent with a single glance; a lancer so swift they can break the sound barrier; a wyvern rogue who fights with three legendary weapons at once; an all-powerful wizard who can speak thoughts into being; and an angelic assassin who deals instant death. Eager to attain the title of “One True Hero,” these champions each pursue challenges against formidable foes and spark conflicts themselves. The battle to determine the mightiest of the mighty begins.
Ishura has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 異修羅, Ishura
17. Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2
The war for Paradis zeroes in on Shiganshina just as the Jaegerists have seized control. After taking a huge blow from a surprise attack led by Eren, Marley swiftly acts to return the favor. With Zeke’s true plan revealed and the military forced under a new rule, this battle might be fought on two fronts. Does Eren intend on fulfilling his half-brother’s wishes or does he have a plan of his own?
Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shingeki no Kyojin The Final Season Part 2, 進撃の巨人 The Final Season Part 2, Shingeki no Kyojin Season 4 Part 2, Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 2
16. Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 1
The fate of the world hangs in the balance as Eren unleashes the ultimate power of the Titans. With a burning determination to eliminate all who threaten Eldia, he leads an unstoppable army of Colossal Titans towards Marley. Now a motley crew of his former comrades and enemies scramble to halt his deadly mission, the only question is, can they stop him?
Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 1 has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Kanketsu-Hen (Zenpen), 進撃の巨人 The Final Season 完結編 (前編), Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Final Edition, Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Part 3, Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 3, Attack on Titan The Final Season Final Arc, Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 3, Attack on Titan Season 4 - Final Edition (Part 1), Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Edition (Part 1), Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 1
15. Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 2
Eren, as the Founding Titan, advances on Fort Salta with countless other Titans. Appearing before the refugees, who stand on the brink of despair, are Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Conny, Reiner, Pieck, and Levi, who narrowly escaped from the rumbling. The battle between former comrades and childhood friends with Eren concludes here.
Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 2 has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Kanketsu-Hen (Kouhen), 進撃の巨人 The Final Season 完結編 (後編）, Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 4, Attack on Titan Season 4 - Final Edition (Part 2), Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Edition (Part 2), Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2, Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 4
14. 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.
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
13. Kenpuu Denki Berserk
Born from the corpse of his mother, a young mercenary known only as Guts, embraces the battlefield as his only means of survival. Day in and day out, putting his life on the line just to make enough to get by, he moves from one bloodshed to the next.
After a run-in with the Band of the Hawk, a formidable troop of mercenaries, Guts is recruited by their charismatic leader Griffith, nicknamed the "White Hawk." As he quickly climbed the ranks in order to become the head of the offensive faction, Guts proves to be a mighty addition to Griffith's force, taking Midland by storm. However, while the band's quest for recognition continues, Guts slowly realizes that the world is not as black-and-white as he once assumed.
Set in the medieval era, Berserk is a dark, gritty tale that follows one man's struggle to find his own path, while supporting another's lust for power, and the unimaginable tragedy that begins to turn the wheels of fate.
Berserk has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: 剣風伝奇ベルセルク, Kenpuu Denki Berserk, Kenfu Denki Berserk, Sword-Wind Chronicle Berserk, Berserk: The Chronicles of Wind Blades, Berserk: Sword-Wind Tales, Berserk: SWORD-WIND ROMANCE
12. 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
11. Ergo Proxy
Thousands of years after Earth's atmosphere was destroyed, adventure blooms in the strangest of places. The domed city of Romdo is supposed to be perfect, but Re-l Mayer, a young female inspector from the Civilian Intelligence Office, knows better. In this place where humans and robots coexist, she receives a strange message: something is awakening!
Ergo Proxy has finished airing and it has 23 Episodes. It is also Known as: エルゴプラクシー, Ergo Proxy
10. 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
9. Deadman Wonderland
It looked like it would be a normal day for Ganta Igarashi and his classmates—they were preparing to go on a class field trip to a certain prison amusement park called Deadman Wonderland, where the convicts perform dangerous acts for the onlookers' amusement. However, Ganta's life is quickly turned upside down when his whole class gets massacred by a mysterious man in red. Framed for the incident and sentenced to death, Ganta is sent to the very jail he was supposed to visit.
But Ganta's nightmare is only just beginning.
The young protagonist is thrown into a world of sadistic inmates and enigmatic powers, to live in constant fear of the lethal collar placed around his neck that is slowed only by winning in the prison's deathly games. Ganta must bet his life to survive in a ruthless place where it isn't always easy to tell friend from foe, all while trying to find the mysterious "Red Man" and clear his name, in Deadman Wonderland.
Deadman Wonderland has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: デッドマン・ワンダーランド, DEADMAN WONDERLAND
8. Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World
Based on a hit light novel series by Keiichi Sigsawa, the philosophical Kino's Journey employs the time-honored motif of the road trip as a vehicle for self-discovery and universal truth. Deeply meditative and cooler than zero, the series follows the existential adventures of the apt marksman Kino along with talking motorcycle Hermes as they travel the world and learn much about themselves in the process. Imaginative, thought-provoking, and sometimes disturbing, Kino's journey is documented in an episodic style with an emphasis on atmosphere rather than action or plot, though still prevalent.
Kino's Journey has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: キノの旅 -the Beautiful World-, Kino's Travels: The Beautiful World
7. Claymore
In this world, humans coexist with demonic predators called Yoma. These demonic beasts feast on human innards and can blend into human society by taking on human appearance. As a counter force, a mysterious organization created half-human, half-Yoma warriors known as the "Silver Eyed Witches" or "Claymores," after the huge claymore swords they carry. They are detested by humanity however necessary.
The story begins with a young boy, Raki, who has lost everything in a Yoma attack, and the Claymore, Clare, who is generally detested by society. Throughout the series, Clare and Raki show their deeper qualities, powers and Clare's never ending devotion to the goal she swore to fulfill in her childhood.
Claymore has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: クレイモア, Claymore
6. Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai
With the introduction of strict new morality laws, Japan has become a nation cleansed of all that is obscene and impure. By monitoring citizens using special devices worn around their necks, authorities have taken extreme measures to ensure that society remains chaste.
In this world of sexual suppression, Tanukichi Okuma—son of an infamous terrorist who opposed the chastity laws—has just entered high school, offering his help to the student council in order to get close to president Anna Nishikinomiya, his childhood friend and crush. Little does he know that the vice president Ayame Kajou has a secret identity: Blue Snow, a masked criminal dedicated to spreading lewd material amongst the sheltered public—and Tanukichi has caught the girl's interest due to his father's notoriety.
Soon, Tanukichi is dragged into joining her organization called SOX, where he is forced to spread obscene propaganda, helping to launch an assault against the government's oppressive rule. With their school set as the first point of attack, Tanukichi will have to do the unthinkable when he realizes that their primary target is the person he admires most.
SHIMONETA: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 下ネタという概念が存在しない退屈な世界, ShimoSeka, Shimoseka
5. Guilty Crown
Japan, 2039. Ten years after the outbreak of the "Apocalypse Virus," an event solemnly regarded as "Lost Christmas," the once proud nation has fallen under the rule of the GHQ, an independent military force dedicated to restoring order. Funeral Parlor, a guerilla group led by the infamous Gai Tsutsugami, act as freedom fighters, offering the only resistance to GHQ's cruel despotism.
Inori Yuzuriha, a key member of Funeral Parlor, runs into the weak and unsociable Shuu Ouma during a crucial operation, which results in him obtaining the "Power of Kings"—an ability which allows the wielder to draw out the manifestations of an individual's personality, or "voids." Now an unwilling participant in the struggle against GHQ, Shuu must learn to control his newfound power if he is to help take back Japan once and for all.Guilty Crown follows the action-packed story of a young high school student who is dragged into a war, possessing an ability that will help him uncover the secrets of the GHQ, Funeral Parlor, and Lost Christmas. However, he will soon learn that the truth comes at a far greater price than he could have ever imagined.
Guilty Crown has finished airing and it has 22 Episodes. It is also Known as: ギルティクラウン, GUILTY CROWN
4. Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers
Set in a dystopian near future where otaku culture in Japan has been obliterated by a mysterious organization known as "SSC", Magical Girl Destroyers follows the misadventures of Otaku Hero—a young revolutionary who loves otaku culture—and Anarchy, Blue, and Pink, a trio of magical girls who admire him. Together they struggle to create "a world where you can say what you like about what you like as much as you like."
Magical Destroyers has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 魔法少女マジカルデストロイヤーズ, Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers
3. Toaru Kagaku no Railgun
The student-filled Academy City is at the forefront of scientific advancement and home to the esper development program. The seven "Level 5" espers are the most powerful in Academy City, and ranked third among them is middle schooler Mikoto Misaka, an electricity manipulator known as "The Railgun."
When strange incidents begin occurring throughout the city, she finds each crime to be connected to the elusive "Level Upper," a legendary device that allegedly increases the esper level of its user. As the situation escalates, it becomes apparent that there is more to the Level Upper than meets the eye, and that Academy City may be a far more twisted place than the glamorous utopia it appears to be.Toaru Kagaku no Railgun focuses on Mikoto and her friends—and the dangerous situations they find themselves in—as they get caught up in the matter of the Level Upper. As Mikoto says, "There's never a dull moment in this city."
A Certain Scientific Railgun has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: とある科学の超電磁砲, Toaru Kagaku no Choudenjihou
2. Shinsekai yori
Following a sudden outbreak of psychokinesis in 0.1% of the population, a rapid transformation swept the world. The godlike ability to manipulate matter remotely turned many power wielders to violence, inciting a long period of upheaval. Finally, after a chaotic era shaped by the rise and fall of oppressive regimes, the psychic humans were able to achieve a fragile peace by isolating their society, creating a new world bound by complex rules.
In the town of Kamisu 66, 12-year-old Saki Watanabe has just awakened to her powers and is relieved to rejoin her friends—the mischievous Satoru Asahina, the shy Mamoru Itou, the cheerful Maria Akizuki, and Shun Aonuma, a mysterious boy whom Saki admires—at Sage Academy, a special school for psychics. However, unease looms as Saki begins to question the fate of those unable to awaken to their powers, and the children begin to get involved with secretive matters such as the rumored Tainted Cats said to abduct children.Shinsekai yori tells the unique coming-of-age story of Saki and her friends as they journey to grow into their roles in the supposed utopia. Accepting these roles, however, might not come easy when faced with the dark and shocking truths of society, and the impending havoc born from the new world.
From the New World has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: 新世界より, Shin Sekai yori
1. Maoyu ~ Archenemy & Hero
Fifteen years have passed since the war between humans and demons began. Dissatisfied with their slow advance into the Demon Realm, the Hero abandons his companions to quickly forge ahead towards the Demon Queen's castle. Upon his arrival at the royal abode, the Hero makes a startling discovery: not only is the Demon Queen a woman of unparalleled beauty, but she also seeks the Hero's help. Confused by this unexpected turn of events, the Hero refuses to ally himself with his enemy, claiming that the war the demons have waged is tearing the Southern Nations apart.
However, the Demon Queen rebuts, arguing that the war has not only united humanity but has also brought them wealth and prosperity, providing evidence to support her claims. Furthermore, she explains that if the war were to end, the supplies sent by the Central Nations in aid to the Southern Nations would cease, leaving hundreds of thousands to starve. Fortunately, she offers the Hero a way to end the war while bringing hope not only to the Southern Nations, but also to the rest of the world, though she will need his assistance to make this a reality.
Finally convinced, the Hero agrees to join his now former enemy in her quest. Vowing to stay together through sickness and health, they set off for the human world.
Maoyu ~ Archenemy & Hero has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, まおゆう魔王勇者, Maoyu Maou Yusha
