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Do you love anime? Do you also love Star Wars? Of course you do, that’s why you’re here. But do you wish there were some anime to binge that satiates both obsessions? Aliens, strange planets, fast-paced spaceship action, galactic conspiracies, interstellar battles — this anime list has it all! Strap in and get ready to have a blast with these top space sci-fi picks for those of you who just can’t get enough anime and Star Wars!
Whether you’re an otaku with your sights set on Japanese animation or a die-hard Star Wars fan shooting for the stars, you can’t go wrong with these astronomical anime. If you’re looking for a space odyssey that focuses on Han Solo and droid-level humor and wit, funky Cantina vibes, exhilarating spaceship piloting, suspenseful cosmic clashes, or a range of characters just as extensive and strange as the variety of planets to explore, you’re sure to find a stellar Star Wars-like series.
1) Space Dandy
“Space Dandy: he’s a dandy guy — in space. He combs the galaxy like his pompadour on the hunt for aliens. Planet after planet, he searches, discovering bizarre new creatures, both friendly and not. These are the spectacular adventures of Space Dandy and his brave space crew — in space.” Dandy, along with his crewmates, QT, the outdated robot, and cat-like alien Meow, explores space in their ship, the Aloha Oe, in search of strange, undocumented aliens in exchange for money. Often making pitstops at Dandy’s favorite diner, BooBies, the crew explores the perils of the galaxy, getting themselves into many misadventures in many strange places and even stranger encounters.
If you’re searching for a show that not only excels in fresh comedy but brings a groovy Star Wars vibe, Space Dandy is for you, baby. With a main character who’s like a more eccentric Han Solo, this hilarious series is absolutely worth your time.
Space Dandy can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
2) Redline
Every speedster is eager to race in the most prestigious competition in the universe that takes place only once every five years: Redline. What really draws in competitors is the all-out thrills of racing with zero rules, where anything goes, including driver JP, who, upon having just qualified to participate, lives for the exhilaration. Eager for the challenge, JP is especially eager to race against the only other human participating, Sonoshee McLaren, who also happens to be absolutely gorgeous and skilled. With the race to be held on the planet Roboworld, both criminals and the military alike intend to use the race to their own advantage, only really adding to the excitement.
As an action-packed sci-fi racing anime, the film Redline is like if the strange alien society and funky Cantina from Star Wars merged with major Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Space Dandy vibes.
Redline is available on Tubi where available.
3) Cowboy Bebop
In 2071, though humanity is no longer constrained to the bounds of Earth, neither is criminal activity. Spike Spiegel and his associate Jet Black pilot their ship, the Bebop, throughout space to hunt bounties on intergalactic outlaws. It doesn’t pay much, but it’s a living for them. They meet many interesting characters, including a few who decide to join them on their adventures: Faye Valentine, a con artist; Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, or just Ed, a spry, eccentric teenage girl with a knack for hacking; and Ein, a bioengineered corgi. Through their bounty-hunting escapades, something else seeks to hunt them — Spike’s past.
With its blend of futuristic and antiquated elements and technologies, Cowboy Bebop manages to exude that “used future” aesthetic that’s also inherent in Star Wars. And if you’re a fan of Han Solo and his ship, the Millennium Falcon, you’re sure to love Spike Spiegel and the Bebop. For those living under a rock who have still never seen this series, the perfect opportunity continues to be right now.
Cowboy Bebop is available for streaming on Netflix, Hulu, or Crunchyroll where available.
4) Knights of Sidonia
In the year 3394, the aliens known as Gauna pursue what’s left of humanity as they flee among the stars, having long ago deserted their destroyed home planet of Earth. When Nagate Tanikaze surfaces from the depths of the gargantuan spaceship in search of food and supplies, he’s dragged into the fight against the alien monsters. Now, not only is Tanikaze discovering the plights of fighting alongside his newfound soldier friends Shizuka Hoshijiro, Izana Shinatose, and Yuhata Midorikawa, but also what everyday life on the surface of the ship is like.
While many may be put off by CGI animation styles, fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars may take a liking to Knights of Sidonia. With an interesting space society fighting off larger-than-life alien enemies, the galactic action in this series is sure to keep you on your toes.
Knights of Sidonia can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
5) Astra Lost in Space
In 2063, with space travel now being possible on a commercial level, the bubbly Aries Spring arrives at the spaceport to travel to camp on planet McPa, along with the rest of Group B-5, including the athletic Kanata Hoshijima, sisters Quitterie and Funicia Raffaeli, the knowledgeable Charce Lacroix, mechanic Zack Walker, artistic Luca Esposito, meek Yun-hua Lu, and the brooding Ulgar Zweig. But when they arrive at their destination, they’re swiftly whisked away when a mysterious black sphere transports them impossibly far from home. Stranded in deep space, the group manages to board a nearby abandoned ship. Having to manage their resources, work together, and hop from strange planet to strange planet, the crew embarks on their voyage home aboard the Astra.
If you enjoy the space exploration to different planets in Star Wars, Astra Lost in Space may be the series for you. Along with many strange planets the crew visits, the mysterious underlying conspiracy is also sure to keep you engaged.
Astra Lost in Space can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
6) Star Wars: Visions
This animated anthology series includes three volumes made up of nine original animated short films. Each film centers on a self-contained narrative set in or inspired by the Star Wars universe. Some of the works included had been created by various studios including Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G, and Science Saru. Presented “through the lens of the world’s best anime creators”, the works were granted creative freedom outside of the constraints of the franchise’s traditional canon. The first volume includes:
- “The Duel” set in an alternate Feudal-Jedi Empire history with a ronin Jedi protagonist
- “Tatooine Rhapsody” a young Jedi-Hutt rock band duo set during the Clone Wars
- “The Twins” the Sith, using alchemy, are able to create two Force-sensitive twins
- “The Village Bride” a bride must surrender herself to a group of bandit raiders after her wedding day
- “The Ninth Jedi” a group of newly inducted Jedi are ambushed by Sith
- “T0-B1” a droid named T0-B1 (Tobi) dreams of becoming a Jedi Knight, so sets out to find a kyber crystal to forge a lightsaber
- “The Elder” Jedi Tajin and his Padawan Dan meet the Elder, a former Sith
- “Lop and Ochō” Lop, a rabbit-like alien slave, escapes her captors and is adopted by the planet’s clan leader, Yasaburo, and his daughter Ochō
- “Akakiri” Jedi named Tsubaki assists his old love, the princess Misa, in taking back her kingdom that had been taken by her aunt, who embraced the dark side
C’mon, it includes works by renowned anime studios and is literally set in the Star Wars universe. You can’t get much more of a mashup than literal anime Star Wars.
Star Wars: Visions was specifically made for streaming on Disney+.
7) Planets
The year is 2075, and traveling in space is as easy as traveling via plane for everyday convenience since mankind colonized the Moon. And with the commercialization of space comes the vast amount of space trash, which is where the Debris Section at Technora Corporation comes in to clean up the debris floating between the Earth and Moon. When Ai Tanabe joins the team, she quickly learns how understaffed and poorly funded the department is, and the crew is forced to use a dilapidated spaceship nicknamed the “Toy Box” for the job. Not only will Ai learn how inferior the branch is treated, but also learn to cooperate with the ragtag team, including the friendly chief clerk Philippe Myers, the secretive temp worker Edelgard Rivera, and the temperamental Hachirouta Hoshino.
If it’s the range of characters and their unique developments you enjoy most in Star Wars, Planets is the quirky space sci-fi for you. Although the spaceship stays pretty close to home, the relationships between these misfit space trash collectors grow even closer.
Planets can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
8) Legend of the Galactic Heroes
As the new generation of leaders, idealistic military genius Reinhard von Lohengramm of the Galactic Empire and reserved historian Yang Wenli of the Free Planets Alliance, rise in power, there shines hope for the end of the 150-year-long stalemate between the two interstellar superpowers. Alongside his childhood friend Siegfried Kircheis, Reinhard doesn’t just face the struggles of war, but also to free his sister from the Kaiser of what remains of the Goldenbaum Dynasty and unify humanity under one leader. Simultaneously, Yang, along with his pupil Julian Mintz, tries to stand firm in his democratic ideals in the face the autocratic FPA. Amidst clashing ideologies, the progressive leaders must find the real reason behind the dispute.
With two opposing syndicates and space battles being the bread and butter of Star Wars, so too is it the core subject matter of Legend of the Galactic Heroes. But in this series, the dispute isn’t as simple as Light Side versus Dark Side, but takes a deeper look into the complexities of galactic war.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes can be streamed on HiDive where available.
9) Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199
In the year 2199, as the Gamilas Empire expands to Earth’s territory, the remainder of humanity retreats to the depths of the dying planet to escape the irradiated wasteland of the surface. But the distant planet Iscandar holds the key to humanity’s salvation: the Cosmo Reverse System, technology capable of reviving the planet. As the Earth Defense Force takes its last chance at survival, the crew of the state-of-the-art battleship with infinite energy, the Yamato, set out to retrieve the humanity-saving technology. Varying in experience from the young Tactical Officer Susumu Kodai to Captain Juuzou Okita as an accomplished veteran, the team embarks on their perilous voyage to save humanity.
As a remake of the 70’s series Space Battleship Yamatothe 2199 updated series still utilizes a groovy space soundtrack. Traveling across the universe, scrounging for technology, and a motley space crew, this pick is ripe for the Star Wars fan who has a soft spot for a dying home planet.
Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199 can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
10) Lost in Starlight
“Although her astronaut mom failed to return to Earth when things went awry during her Mars probe, Nan-young has always dreamed of exploring space too and longs to go to Mars in hopes of finding a trace of her mom. Her dream comes true when she is selected as one of the astronauts for a Mars probe project. Before she blasts off, though, she meets Jay, a musician who also fixes retro sound instruments… The vast infinite space dividing the star-crossed lovers in this animated romance that crosses the cosmos.” – Netflix
If you’re more of a fan of the dynamic between Han Solo and Princess Leia in Star Wars, Lost in Starlight has the romance you’re looking for with these star-crossed lovers. And, unlike the plot twist with Luke, the love interests in this movie are not siblings.
Lost in Starlight can be streamed on Netflix.
As a Star Wars fan, what’s your favorite sci-fi anime set in space? Let us know in the comments!
