The Best Space and Sci-Fi Anime (& Where to Watch Them)

Download Article

Your ultimate guide to anime that’s truly out of this world!

Co-authored by Richard Moore and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: July 22, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Non-Mecha
|
• Mecha
|
• Sci-Fi Anime
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

Anime is full of fantastical stories, but where are the ones where folks travel across the galaxy? Well, right here, of course! In this article, we detail some of the most exciting space anime, both mecha and non-mecha, for you robot lovers out there. We even dive into some sci-fi anime to help scratch your astronomical itch, plus include the MyAnimeList rank for each anime in our list. Read on to find your next favorite adventure! 🌌

The Best Space Anime of All Time

Download Image

Download Image

• Legend of the Galactic Heroes: An epic interstellar anime depicting the battle between two warring communities.
• Cowboy Bebop: A deep, fun space anime following a ragtag group of space bounty hunters.
• Spacy Dandy: A comedic ‘villain-of-the-week’ space anime with zany adventures.
• Astra Lost in Space: A deep anime where nine high school students fight to make their way back from the edge of space.
• Eureka Seven: An adventurous anime where a young boy pilots a mecha across space.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Non-Mecha Space Anime

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Legend of the Galactic Heroes Legend of the Galactic Heroes depicts a war between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance, two space factions determined to destroy the other. Over the course of the story, this war exposes the factions’ political motivations, realistically depicts warfare, and allows all of the characters to progress in a natural way, making for a deep, thought-provoking space anime.

   • Rating: 9.02/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Not legally available in the U.S., but the remake is available on Crunchyroll.
2. 
   2
   Cowboy Bebop Cowboy Bebop follows a ragtag group of space bounty hunters as they travel across the galaxy searching for criminals to turn in for cash. Although it starts as a fun ‘villain-of-the-week’ style anime, it quickly dives into the characters’ traumatic pasts as they learn how to get over them, making for a fun, introspective story.

   • Rating: 8.75/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   Space Dandy Space Dandy follows the comedic space venture of Dandy, a goofball who’s accompanied by his cat-alien friend Meow and robot QT as he tracks down rare aliens for money. It’s another anime that resets each week, making for a fun watch with crazy antics and low, yet exciting, stakes.

   • Rating: 8.27/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
4. 
   4
   Planetes Planetes follows Ai Tanabe and her fellow crew members as they try to clear the Earth’s orbit of junk. Although space travel is normal to them, the characters are still extremely relatable, dealing with things like struggling coworker connections and feeling underappreciated at work. So, if you’re looking for a space anime that’s still down to earth, check out Planetes.

   • Rating: 8.24/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Apple TV
5. 
   5
   Astra Lost in Space Also known as Kanata no Astra, this mysterious space anime follows nine high school students who are transported to the edge of space by a mysterious ball of light. As they float in orbit, they notice an abandoned spaceship, which they must use to travel 5,012 light-years back home.

   • Rating: 8.07/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Apple TV
   • Over the course of their journey, the students visit different planets and face various challenges together. This makes for a deep, gripping story that keeps you engaged throughout all 12 episodes.
6. 
   6
   Galaxy Express 999 This tech-filled space anime follows Tetsuro Hoshino, an orphaned boy who hopes to ride the Galaxy Express 999 space train and avenge his mother’s death. When a mysterious woman named Maetel offers him a ticket alongside her, Tetsuro quickly takes it, embarking on a deep journey of self-discovery across the galaxy.

   • Rating: 7.79 stars/10
   • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Tubi, Apple TV
7. 
   7
   Banner of the Stars Banner of the Stars is the sequel to Crest of the Stars, taking place three years after Lafiel and Jinto’s initial adventure. After reuniting, the two embark on a journey to defend the strategically important Aptic Gate, learning more about the realities of war while fighting to keep it safe.

   • Rating: 7.66/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Google Play
8. 
   8
   Crest of the Stars This classic space opera follows a polite nobleman named Jinto and a princess named Lafiel, who both flee from an ongoing interstellar war. During their journey, they must navigate hostile territory, a blooming, slow-burn romance, and the ins and outs of war, making for a space anime that’s both deep and thrilling.

   • Rating: 7.63/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Not legally available in the U.S.
9. 
   9
   Heroic Age In deep space, the remaining humans face an alien threat that’s set to wipe them out entirely. That’s until Age comes in. He’s a powerful rebel who has enhanced powers that give him the strength to defeat the threat. This epic space anime tracks humanity’s near extinction in the distant future and explores a cosmic war, survival, and destiny along the way.

   • Rating: 7.51/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Not legally available in the U.S.
10. 
    10
    Edens Zero Shiki Granbell lives in an abandoned theme park and wants a more exciting life. His wishes are answered when the park has visitors for the first time in 100 years, but when the robots in the park chase him away, the visitors take him on a space adventure. He quickly becomes the commander of an interstellar warship called Edens Zero and embarks on a cosmic journey that’s not without loss, growth, and triumph.

    • Rating: 7.24/10 stars
    • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
    • The story explores themes of friendship, finding companions, and overcoming prejudice and human cruelty.
11. 
    11
    Bodacious Space Pirates Also known as Mouretsu Pirates, this fun space anime takes place in the far future and follows a high schooler named Marika Katou. After learning that her father was a space pirate and she’s been called to take his place, she hops on his ship and embarks on an exciting journey across the galaxy.

    • Rating: 7.15/10 stars
    • Where to Watch: Not available to legally stream through a U.S. subscription service, but it can be bought for $2.99 per episode on Amazon Prime Video.
12. 
    12
    Terra Formars Terra Formars details what happens when a good thing goes horribly wrong. In the 26th century, humanity is grossly overpopulated. To solve the issue, they try to terraform Mars by planting algae and cockroaches. While the results initially seem promising, centuries later, they find that the roaches have mutated into humanoid creatures, and they’re not eager to give back their planet.

    • Rating: 6.98/10 stars
    • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Hulu
13. 
    13
    Exception This space horror follows the tale of humans who are forced to leave the Earth in search of a new home. The natural humans send a spacecraft of 3D-printed humanoids to find planets to terraform, but when one of them is printed in a deformed state, everything goes wrong.

    • Rating: 6.41/10 stars
    • Where to Watch: Netflix
Advertisement

Section 2 of 3:

Mecha Space Anime

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Eureka Seven This mecha anime tells the story of Renton Thurston, a boy who joins the outlaw group Gekkostate, which is led by his idol Holland Novak. When he joins, he realizes it’s not all fun and games, but a mysterious mecha pilot named Eureka piques his curiosity just enough to keep him on board for the exciting 50-episode space adventure.

   • Rating: 8.05/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Available to buy on Apple TV for $2.99 per episode.
2. 
   2
   Super Dimension Fortress Macross More commonly known as Macross, this fun space anime combines romance and action for an exciting one-two punch! It details humanity’s rapid technological advancement after an alien ship arrives on Earth, which they use to fight in their battle against another alien race called the Zentraedi.

   • Rating: 7.89/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Not legally available in the U.S.
   • The romantic battle elements are not often seen in space anime, so this is definitely a unique one to add to your list.
3. 
   3
   Outlaw Star Outlaw Star is a western-style space anime that follows Gene Starwind and his crew on the titular ship. As they travel through outer space, they search for a treasure called the Galactic Leyline, which is believed to hold vast knowledge, power, and riches. If you’re looking for an exciting space anime that never keeps the settings the same, check out Outlaw Star.

   • Rating: 7.83/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Available to buy on Apple TV for $2.99 per episode.
4. 
   4
   Mobile Suit Gundam Mobile Suit Gundam follows a high schooler named Banagher Links, who is pulled into a dangerous interstellar war after meeting a woman named Audrey Burne. Burne wields a box that can change or destroy the world, and Links chooses to help her keep it safe from the evil space force, Neo-Zeon.

   • Rating: 7.78/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
   • Mobile Suit Gundam kicks off the famous Gundam story, explaining the origins of the Universal Century timeline in which the rest of the story takes place.
5. 
   5
   Voices of a Distant Star This space anime OVA follows a young girl named Mikako, who has been recruited into a space army to fight against the Tarsians, an alien race. In the army, she pilots a mecha known as a “Tracer,” using it to hunt down Tarsians. She also keeps in touch with her friend Noboru, but as her journey goes on, their texts grow distant, testing their relationship along the way.

   • Rating: 7.08/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Not available to legally stream in the U.S.
6. 
   6
   Ninja Robots Ninja Robots follows a war between two alien races and sixteen-year-old Joe Maya’s place within it. Joe lives on Mars under a dictator, but joins the Ladorian army to pilot a mecha, hoping to gain his freedom. Throughout the series, he uses this mecha to fight against evil forces in a classic episodic fashion, with a larger story-driven plot developing later on.

   • Rating: 6.98/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Philo
Advertisement

Section 3 of 3:

Other Sci-Fi Anime

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Steins;Gate Steins;Gate follows a scientist and his friends, who discover a microwave time machine that allows them to text people in the past. With it, they try to stop an evil organization and its plans. If you’re looking for a fun, intelligent sci-fi anime to add to your list, anime expert Richard Moore suggests checking this one out!

   • Rating: 9.07/10
   • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Apple TV
2. 
   2
   Gurren Lagann Gurren Lagann is your classic mecha anime, but it’s dressed in beautiful colors and designs. In the anime, humanity lives in underground villages under tyrannical rule. But when teens Simon and Kamina find a giant robot and head to the surface, they learn that an alien force is keeping them as slaves, and they’re determined to do something about it.

   • Rating: 8.64/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, Disney+
3. 
   3
   Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex This series serves as a follow-up to the 1995 Ghost in the Shell film, expanding the universe as the Public Security Section 9 police unit investigates cyber and technological crimes. It also dives into some of the ideas mentioned in the original film, further expanding the universe and enlightening viewers on the world of political conspiracies in the process.

   • Rating: 8.42/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Tubi, PLEX, Sling TV
4. 
   4
   Neon Genesis Evangelion According to Moore, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a mecha anime that deals with themes like discrimination, war, and trauma. It follows an organization called NERV, which uses large “Evangelion” mechas to battle the monstrous Angels. The series also questions reality and existence, making it a great watch if you’re looking for something introspective!

   • Rating: 8.37/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Netflix
   • Not only do those piloting the mechas battle monstrous beings on a post-apocalyptic Earth, but they also deal with deep mental and emotional issues stemming from the trauma of war.
5. 
   5
   Astro Boy Astro Boy follows a father who creates a robot called Astro Boy following the death of his son in a tragic car accident. Once he realizes the robot won’t grow like a human, however, he sells him to a circus owner. From there, Astro Boy fights different criminals, learning about the world along the way. If you’re looking for a fun, episodic anime, this is the one for you.

   • Rating: 7.11/10 stars
   • Where to Watch: Not legally available in the U.S.
   • Astro Boy is widely considered the godfather of the modern anime genre, being introduced all the way back in 1963.
Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!