Summary
- The superhero anime genre expands globally with Japanese mangaka creating their own phenomenal takes amidst Western comic book trend slowdown.
- Satirical and creative postmodern superhero interpretations emerge in anime, blending traditional superhero plotlines with humor and unique twists.
- From iconic classics like Astro Boy to modern hits like My Hero Academia, superhero anime continues to evolve with diverse themes and narratives.
Western fans of superheroes have devoured the superhero-themed stories from Marvel and DC in recent years, with many new fans discovering the comics through film and TV show adaptations. Japanese mangaka have created their own phenomenal takes on the genre, and some of the best and most popular have been adapted into anime.
Best School Anime Everyone Should Watch, Ranked
Exams, crushes, after-school hijinks — these school anime explore all the ups and downs of life as a student — in ordinary or extraordinary worlds.
The Superhero genre has gone through some creative postmodern interpretations partly because of the extensive live-action adaptations. Some of the following anime shows and movies are more recent entries in superhero fandom, while others are older shows that have been rediscovered by a curious and resourceful fanbase with the internet at their fingertips.
Updated February 22, 2025 by Oluwatokiloba Folami: Superhero anime has some of the most thrilling and emotional storytelling in anime. This action-packed genre is filled with high-stakes battles, adventures, and heroic moments guaranteed to give fans a memorable viewing experience. Whether the protagonists of this genre are powerful warriors defending humanity, masked vigilantes fighting injustice, or reluctant heroes rising to the occasion, they are the embodiment of strength, sacrifice, and justice.
When watching superhero anime viewers can be sure to expect high-flying action as there will be intense battles between good and evil, deep character struggles as the protagonists are on a journey of self-discovery, and unforgettable moments of heroism. In anime, anyone can be a hero as long as they dare to fight for what is right.
1 Hugtto! Pretty Cure
Showcases The Importance Of Girl Power
- Release Date: February 4, 2018
- Studio: Project: Toei Animation
- Number of Episodes: 49
It is the dream of most clumsy individuals to be the opposite of themselves, in this case, mature and reliable. Hana Nono is known to be cheerful but also clumsy and childish. She is ready for a fresh start in her new school but life has other plans for her as she finds herself in a dangerous situation that turns her into a hero called Cure Yell.
This magical girl superhero anime is one for the books particularly because it preaches the importance of girl power, telling all female anime fans around the world that they can do anything and be anything they want to be.
2 Go! Princess Pretty Cure
Guardian of Dreams
- Release Date: February 1, 2015
- Studio: Project: Toei Animation
- Number of Episodes: 50
This is another magical girl superhero anime with a childish protagonist according to the people around her. Haruka dreams of being a princess but is mocked by those around her for having such a childish dream. She proves her mockers wrong when she enrolls in Noble Academy and soon after she becomes Cure Flora, a princess superhero.
This superhero anime revolves around the protection and preservation of dreams. If Haruka had given up on her dream she would not have awakened the spirit of Cure Flora in her. As a princess superhero, she makes sure dreams are not locked away in despair by the evil witch Dyspear.
3 Go! Go! Loser Ranger!
The Blurred Line Between A Hero And Villain
Go! Go! Loser Ranger!
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Keiichi Sato
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu
- Creator(s)
- Negi Haruba
This superhero anime flips the script by focusing on the villains instead of the heroes. This new perspective follows the story of the Divine Dragon Rangers, 13 years after defeating the Villainous Army of Evil. In a vain attempt to remain victorious and be worshipped by the public, the Rangers stage fake battles every Sunday against the surviving and immortal foot soldiers of the villainous army. It unsettles expectations by revealing the heroes as frauds who stage battles to maintain their popularity. So a dynamic is created where the lines between hero and villain are blurred, and viewers are forced to question their assumptions about these patterns.
This desire to remain relevant in the eyes of the public backfired as one of the foot soldiers infiltrates the Dragon Keepers to destroy them from within and expose the truth behind the so-called heroes. This anime redefines the superhero genre and questions what makes a hero or a villain.
4 Garo The Animation
Superhero Knights Instead Of The Traditional Caped Ones
- Release Date: October 4, 2014
- Studio: Project: MAPPA
- Number of Episodes: 24
Put in a dark place after his mother’s death, Leon finds it hard to let go of the hatred he has for the kingdom that killed his mother. He inherits the armor of the Golden Knight Garo from her to protect the same kingdom behind his despair. This dark fantasy superhero anime follows Leon as his quest for revenge subsides as he adjusts to his new role as a protector.
Garo: The Animation is a brutal and mature take on the superhero genre where heroism is not just about strength but also about resisting corruption and overcoming personal demons.
5 Shy
A Protector With Crippling Anxiety
Shy
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2023 - 2024-00-00
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Bukimi Miki
A superhero is supposed to be bold and courageous but the hero Shy is the opposite, making viewers wonder why she would get into such a line of work. But that is what makes her story heartwarming and inspiring because, despite her crippling anxiety, timidity, and self-doubt, she still manages to protect Japan from evil.
Shy does not give up despite her many limiting flaws. She just pushes through one day at a time. This anime proves that being a true hero is not just about strength but about courage, compassion, and fear.
6 Love After World Domination
Blends Superhero Action With Romance
- Release Date: April 8, 2022
- Studio: Project No. 9
- Number of Episodes: 12
This superhero anime is mixed with romance, offering viewers a refreshing take on both genres. In Love After World Domination, the Gelato 5 are a group of superheroes who want to save the world from Gekko, the villainous organization responsible for burning half of their world. The Gelato 5 consists of Fudo Aikawa, Hayato Ōjino, Misaki Jingūji, Daigo Todoroki, and Haru Arisugawa, and while they carry out their heroic duties, Fudo and Desumi fall for each other and try to date secretly.
What makes Fudo’s relationship with Desumi controversial and in secret is that Desumi works for Gekko, the villainous organization that Fudo and the remaining Gelato members are trying to take down. Fraternizing with the enemy is often not a good idea, but Fudo and Desumi do not care as they keep on with their duties in their respective but opposite organizations.
7 Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure
Middle Schoolers Who Are Also Superheroes
- Release Date: February 8, 2021
- Studio: Toei Animation
- Number of Episodes: 46
Manatsu is excited about her new life as she moves cities to be with her mother. Unknowingly for her, her life is going to be more interesting than what she expected. Manatsu is in a new city, a new school, closer to her mother, and everything is going well. Things start taking a fascinating turn when Manatsu encounters a real-life mermaid, Laura. Laura is looking for a group of warriors, the Pretty Cure, who will fight against the Witch of Delays attacking the Grand Ocean, the land of mermaids.
Manatsu receives power from the sea and becomes the Cure Summer after saving Laura from trouble. As the Cure Summer, she forms the Tropical Rouge! Pretty Cure team after her friends, Sango, Minoru, and Asuka all become cures, and they embark on an adventure to save the Grand Ocean. These superheroes are mere middle school girls, but they sure get the work done as they battle evil forces while participating in their school activities.
8 Fuuto Tantei
Two Detectives Come Together To Form A Superhero
- Release Date: August 8, 2022
- Studio: Studio Kai
- Number of Episodes: 12
This anime is known for fusing two uncommon genres. It blends superhero action with the detective genre, as Shoutarou and Philip are private detectives who come together to act as Kamen Rider W, a superhero who defends and protects the peace of their city, Fuuto. When they are not acting as the Kamen Rider W, they individually work as detectives at the Narumi detective agency, where they take on cases that often intertwine with the darker underbelly of Fuuto, involving criminals and corrupted individuals using Gaia Memories to wreak havoc.
7 Most Intelligent Detectives In Anime
These anime detectives may not be the best fighters in the world, but their astonishing deductive abilities make them the best at their jobs.
As they try to stop the spread and usage of Gaia Memories, they go deeper into the dark world of people who are putting their world in jeopardy, and they act as Kamen Rider W with other individuals on the side of justice to put an end to the evil that is threatening the peace of their city.
9 Kinnikuman II Sei
Reluctant to Be A Hero
- Release Date: January 9, 2002
- Studio: Toei Animation
- Number of Episodes: 51
Most individuals tend to shy away from physical alteration, and Mantarou does not like the idea of fighting, even though his opponents are villains who are trying to destroy Earth. Mantarou is the son of the powerful king and wrestler, King Suguru, but he is the opposite of his father. King Suguru is a worthy and powerful hero, while his son, Mantarou, is lazy, a coward, and scared of fighting.
Mantarou has to put on his big boy’s pants and fight against the villains as his father is nowhere to be found. This anime takes viewers on an inspiring and action-packed journey as Mantarou grows from being a cowardly boy to a worthy hero as the Muscle League, a group of wrestlers, recruits and trains him to be prepared for his inevitable fight with the villains.
10 One-Punch Man
Showcases A Hero Who Can Defeat Any Opponent With One Punch
One Punch Man
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Saitama, the main character of One-Punch Man, is the most powerful superhero ever. That's the premise of this show, which relies on satire to tell the story of a kindly but bored superhero in a whole world already choked with heroes.
Even though it pokes fun at the genre, it still has a lot of inspirational messages and borrows some typical plotlines that tend to get recycled in stories about superheroes. All Saitama asks for is a foe that's worthy of him, which is a lot to ask when you can take out literally anyone with only one punch. The clever satire is one of the reasons this fairly recent entry is one of the best superhero anime in the history of the genre.