We can all probably agree that genre is a huge deciding factor in the type of media we individually enjoy and consume. Whether it’s fantasy, sci-fi, romance, or action, everyone tends to gravitate towards a genre or two with their favorite series encompasses by that preference. The hard part is locating the next selection in our watch list that checks all the boxes of our last favorite franchise. This remains true for a huge franchise that recently had its main series come to an end (not without a healthy amount of spin-offs, of course), The Walking Dead.
The post-apocalyptic television show revolves around the idea of a zombie pandemic, essentially hard resets the world the main characters inhabit, with the series having a huge fanbase and no shortage of critical acclaim. And while The Walking Dead might have finally let its original show come to a close (and its acclaimed comic source material), plenty of zombie-centric shows, movies, and books spawned in its place. Anime is no different: this list will explore a selection of post-apocalyptic anime picks that even the pickiest TWD fan can find something to enjoy from.
10) Ergo Proxy
Ergo Proxy is another overlooked series of the anime world, with a blend of dystopian, sci-fi, and post-apocalyptic genres. The series is moody, atmospheric, and reflective of human nature and individuality. Though Ergo Proxy doesn’t exactly draw out its plot, the show feels weighty due to the substance of its material. Themes that are explored throughout the series include self-discovery, humanity, free will, and the meaning of consciousness.
The plot is set in a futuristic world destroyed by a past ecological catastrophe that nearly wiped out the population. Humanity now resides in domed cities alongside android creations named AutoReivs, robots designed to serve and cater to human needs. In one of these domed cities, Re-l Mayer, an investigator on the city’s intelligence board, discovers a conspiracy involving a being known as a Proxie. With this information, she must begin to uncover the truth of the cities and the fate of humanity.
9) Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
If you’re looking for an anime with gorgeous art and a fluid animation style that will make each moment enjoyable to watch, then check out Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. The show mixes its own unique brand of zombie with steampunk elements that create a distinct setting not often seen in anime. This series lays heavily on the idea that community and bonds are what will get humanity through the most difficult of times, even the apocalypse. This highlights the character dynamics in a compelling narrative that doesn’t lack in enticing fight scenes or a well-paced plot.
The story of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress starts in a world best described as a parallel universe in historic Japan. A strange disease has begun to turn humans into monsters known as Kabane, beings with near-impenetrable hearts, making it close to impossible to kill them. Ikoma, a talented engineer, is bitten by a Kabane and manages to fight off the virus; however, he is altered to become a Kabaneri, a human-monster hybrid. Ikoma decides to set out in hopes of finding a safe haven away from the Kabane, leading him to join a fellow Kabaneri as they journey towards a better future.
8) Girls’ Last Tour
Girls’ Last Tour is a triumph in storytelling and creating an atmosphere that is utilized to further the development of the main characters. The cute art style doesn’t detract from the bleakness that permeates the show — if anything, this only adds to the feeling of watching two young girls struggle to find meaning in a nearly dead world. While it isn’t necessarily dark, Girls’ Last Tour also doesn’t turn its back on exploring and navigating the hard themes: accepting the futility of life and its beauty, searching for human connection, finding meaning, and the importance of appreciating the small moments.
This series doesn’t focus on a large, overarching plot or goal that the characters are trying to reach. Instead, our story revolves around Chito and Yuuri, young girls who are companions in the apocalypse. The two struggle to locate food and resources, navigate the ruins of the city, and find hope to move forward, often relying on each other to overcome the everyday obstacles. Both girls travel on their motorbike through the remains of what was once the modern world, prompting both to reflect and remember on the past and speculate on the future.
7) Gurren Lagan
Gurren Lagann is considered by many to be one of the best mecha anime ever made, with enough absurdity to set its plot and tone apart from others of the genre. While the show certainly does utilize aspects of the sci-fi and mecha genres, it doesn’t erase the fact that much of the early show takes place in desolate, underground villages that give a post-apocalyptic vibe. A portion of the series deals with themes of rebuilding to create a better future, hope, and the perseverance of the human spirit — all themes that are commonly found in apocalyptic media.
In Gurren Lagann, we start with brothers Simon and Kamina, both having grown up in a small, underground town that relies on the use of tunnel-digging to expand and find resources. On a dig, Simon discovers a strange drill along with a robot, prompting questions about their origin and purpose. Shortly after this unearthing, a Gunman (another name for the mecha devices), crashes on top of the brothers and forces them up to the surface world. While learning about the truth of the outside world and the oppression the subterranean villages face, the brothers form a team of mecha-wielding humans willing to fight to save humanity.
6) Zombie Land Saga
Zombie Land Saga is a fresh take on a classic genre, taking the concept of zombies and combining it with the harsh realities of the idol entertainment industry. The show is known for having gorgeous animation, a unique plot, and strong music choices interspersed throughout. Layering bubbly idol visuals with the innate horror elements of undead superstars makes for a fun, intriguing watch that isn’t exactly post-apocalyptic but does touch on zombie media in a completely new way. Not to mention, Zombie Land Saga may seem lighthearted, but the show does touch on heavier themes like rebuilding your life, moving past trauma, and mental health struggles.
The anime is centered around the concept of an idol group composed of dead girls from different historical periods who are reanimated and given a new purpose. Our main character is Sakura Minamoto, a high schooler who was hit by a truck and brought back to join the idol group, Franchouchou. Their goal is to revitalize the Sage Prefecture and save the area from its rapid decline by bringing prosperity back through their hard work. Being zombies only adds to the fact that they can combat the rigorous work and training schedule most idols face, giving Franchouchou an edge on the competition as they perform to save a dying prefecture.
5) Trigun
Trigun leans towards the sci-fi end of the spectrum for post-apocalyptic anime, which isn’t necessarily out of place for a zombie movie or post-apocalyptic media in general. But what really makes Trigun embody the vibe of this genre is the setting, the planet of Gunsmoke (alternatively, “No Man’s Land”), a desert wasteland where inhabitants struggle to survive against the harsh elements. The closest thing to describe Trigun might be a space western with a dash of Armageddon, taking us deep into the world that Vash lives and breathes. And like all good post-apocalyptic shows, the series stresses the common theme of the complexity of human nature.
The story of Trigun centers around Vash the Stampede, an infamous outlaw with a massive bounty placed on his head. While Vash’s reputation paints him as a violent, brutal fighter, the reality is quite different: he’s a pacifist with a knack for getting into trouble. Despite this, his presence draws such a large number of bounty hunters and rival outlaws that destruction follows in his wake. The story follows Vash and his gang across the desert, encountering numerous challenges and foes, and unveiling a tragic past centered around Vash’s family.
4) Zom 100 : Bucket List of the Dead
Zom 100 : Bucket List of the Dead is the first actual zombie pick on this list, and one of the relatively few zombie anime in the medium in recent years, shockingly uncommon considering the recent surge in fantasy and sci-fi shows. That being said, this anime is unique in that it doesn’t exactly treat the zombie apocalypse happening in the show as the worst thing to ever happen. Instead, it’s used as a trigger to live life without regrets and not look back in sadness. Zom 100; Bucket List of the Dead stresses a key ingredient in a successful zombie franchise: hope. The hope for a better day, to experience happiness one more time, and to find purpose in a changed world.
The plot of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead follows Akira Tendo, a disillusioned office worker whose life is a monotonous drone of misfortune, work, and his lonely apartment. When the city he lives in is overrun by zombies, the outbreak gives Akira the excuse he was looking for to find new excitement in life. Akira makes the conscious decision to create a bucket list of things he wants to do before the inevitable end of turning into one of the undead. The show follows Akira in his journey to finish his list, traveling through a dilapidated city and facing the horror and beauty of life.
3) Heavenly Delusion
Heavenly Delusion does a stellar job at telling a non-linear plot from different points of view without losing the point of the story. This post-apocalyptic anime weaves together opposing narratives told from different locations entirely, with the expectation that they will eventually overlap in some way. It’s got all the classic makings of a great end-of-the-world story, too: huge monsters, robots raising children, a world-altering event, and a journey to somewhere better. It also remains true to its name, with the theme of paradise and hell on earth used to describe the different settings of the characters in the story.
The plot of Heavenly Delusion is split in two: the children of Takahara Academy, and the unlikely duo, Maru and Kiruko. At the Academy, the children live in a utopian-like facility that’s controlled entirely by robots that care for, teach, and feed their young charges. This school is called “Heaven”, and they’re often warned about the dangers of the outside world, filled with nothing but monsters and evil. Outside these walls, Maru and Kiruko travel across the destroyed landscape of Japan, searching for said “Heaven” in the hopes it will contain something better than what they know.
2) Made in Abyss
Made in Abyss, while technically not post-apocalyptic, is an often overlooked anime that does a great job at exploring the brutality of survival while softening the darker themes with an adorably cute art style. So many times, the media that deals with serious circumstances can forget to emphasize the destruction of innocence among those who deserve it most; Made in Abyss doesn’t let you forget for a second. It presses on the bruise, forcing the viewer to watch the highs and lows of the two companions as they descend into the Abyss, experiencing the wonder of past civilizations and abandoned places. The whole while, one question revolves: what aspects of life make it worth living?
The story of Made in Abyss starts with Riko, a young orphaned girl who decides to descend into the Abyss, a massive chasm of unexplained origin, with the hopes of finding her mother and bringing her back home. Riko brings along her newly discovered friend, Reg, a robot boy who comes from the Abyss. Together, the two lower themselves through multiple layers of Abyss, each containing different ecosystems and unnatural beauty; however, the looming threat of a one-way trip hangs over their heads, as descending into the Abyss often means ascending will result in death, if they manage to come back up at all.
1) Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan had to make it on this list, whether we liked it or not. The show checks far too many boxes that link it to themes The Walking Dead explores in detail, especially during the later seasons of the series. Yes, it’s got its fair share of monster hordes that plague the island our main character lives on and kill humans on sight, but that really isn’t what makes Attack on Titan stand out above the rest. It’s the fact that the true threat in the anime comes from people, be it via corrupt government, warring countries, or friends who enact betrayals, that shocked audiences upon first watch. Attack on Titan reminds us that Titans are there to drive the plot and represent the horror of this current world, but it’s the humans who have created and perpetuated the horror to start with.
In Attack on Titan, the island of Paradis is trapped behind massive walls that were erected to keep out humanity’s greatest threat: Titans, man-eating monsters with mindless drive and focus. Eren Yeager grows up within the outermost Wall with no knowledge of the world outside. That is, until the Wall by his town is breached, resulting in the tragic death of Eren’s mother and the destruction of his home. Followed by his childhood best friends, Eren decides to join the Scout Regiment, a military group designed to travel beyond the Walls and learn more about the outside and how to destroy the Titans, in the hopes of one day avenging his mother and ridding the world of Titans for good.
Have you seen any of the anime on this list? Tell us more about your favorite apocalyptic anime series in the comments below!
