The world of anime is expansive and offers many unique stories with compelling characters, engaging plots, and epic moments. While some anime come and go, many deliver unique and memorable experiences. Those types of anime typically contain well-written storylines and characters.
We want to highlight the best noir anime for our ongoing series of articles depicting the best anime. From iconic sci-fi classics to underlooked gems with depth, we have a variety of noir-themed anime here to whet your appetite.
Feel free to leave your comments about our choices below. If we happen to forget one of your favorites, let us know in the comments. We’ll be sure to add it later.
Darker Than Black
For those hinkering for a dark and mysterious sci-fi anime with noir elements, Darker Than Black might be worth watching. This anime delivers gritty visuals, an intriguing premise, and a morally ambiguous cast. It follows Hei, a supernatural humanoid who gets into countless sticky situations with a chief named Misaki.
As he tackles countless missions with Misaki, Hei uncovers a scheme that will threaten his and others’ existence. This anime’s filled with countless twists, conspiracies, and secrets that’ll keep folks on their toes. Its characters are well-rounded and ambiguous. The fight scenes will leave you speechless as the soundtrack accompanying these bouts will enhance your experience with this work.
If you’re after a tale that’s complex, action-packed, and gritty, check this out.
Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop is a fantastic noir series with captivating sci-fi and western aspects. It follows a band of bounty hunters who explore numerous planets in search of new opportunities. This anime is loved for its stylish and atmospheric essence. It has a marvelous jazzy soundtrack that sets the stage for its compelling noir-esque narrative.
This story’s semi-episodic structure oozes mystery and suspense, which are must-haves for any noir-themed endeavor. Additionally, this anime touches on concepts concerning existentialism, loneliness, and the consequences of our cast’s past decisions. It all culminates into a 26-episode series fans will never forget.
The Big O
Set in a dystopian world with a 1940s-inspired city, The Big O encircles audiences in a dark atmosphere and skillfully incorporates elements of sci-fi, mystery, and noir well into its narrative. Our lead, Roger Smith, is an interestingly flawed character who captures the aura you’d expect from your classic noir detective.
His complex nature, in addition to the compelling interactions he has with others, adds layers of intrigue to The Big O’s storytelling. Coupled with its countless suspenseful and mysterious episodes, you’ll be pleased with The Big O’s accomplishments with its tale.
Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass shrouds audiences with elements of crime, sci-fi, and psychological drama. It takes place in a future society where the government uses advanced tech to monitor its citizens’ mindsets. At the center of this tale is Akane, an inspector who uncovers the horrid truth behind this advanced AI and plans to expose its fallacies in the name of justice.
This anime wonderfully explores the human psyche and offers a nice mix of suspenseful action scenes and tension. On top of having engaging confrontations between our protagonists and antagonists in this work, you’ll love what Psycho-Pass accomplishes with its story.
Baccano
If tales with unique story structures are your cup of tea, Baccano is worth checking out. This anime gives viewers a glimpse at its world’s issues through countless characters’ perspectives. The characters in this tale come from distinct backgrounds and become entangled in a complex web of crime and madness.
This anime skillfully uses flashbacks to heighten the tension behind its multiple mysteries. It maintains a dark and ambiguous nature throughout its run and contains rich action sequences to give viewers time to breathe. With its wonderfully rounded characters, exceptional production quality, and suspenseful atmosphere, Baccano is a 1930s-based series worth watching.
Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is considered to be one of the best noir anime due to its cyberpunk setting, complex themes, and fantastic cast. The series explores ideas like identity, consciousness, and the relationship between humans and machines well. The anime’s technologically advanced and corrupt society contributes to its setting wonderfully, offering audiences a grandiose experience.
Furthermore, this series has wonderful gun fights that’ll help viewers remain immersed in its tale. Therefore, with its stellar noir elements, compelling story beats, and high production quality, Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex is worth every anime fans’ time.
Monster
Monster is a captivating tale full of twists, drama, and thought-provoking scenarios. It follows Kenzou, a surgeon who is on the lookout for a mass murderer named Johan Liebert. Keznou vows to bring Johan to justice because it’ll help make amends for the decision he made in the past involving Johan himself.
This tale has a gritty atmosphere that’s elevated by its realistic depictions of depression, murder, and child endangerment. Additionally, every character has a purpose in this tale, regardless if they are a major or minor player. Coupled with thrilling encounters, well-executed cliffhangers, and phenomenal character development, you’ll be wishing you had watched Monster sooner.
Ergo Proxy
Ergo Proxy can be described as gothic, complex, and moody. Its tale follows a detective who must unravel his post-apocalyptic world’s deepest conspiracy yet. This investigator’s journey is filled with tons of existential themes and will lead him down paths of dread and angst. This anime contains incredible societal critiques and unique technological advancements to keep audiences hooked.
Additionally, the characters in this series receive phenomenal development and establish connections many fans can get behind. Although Ergo Proxy requires audiences to view it multiple times to grasp its concepts, it remains one of the most well-crafted and thought-provoking anime to date.
Gungrave
Gungrave is an anime that effectively blends crime, action, and drama, and is one of the earliest examples of a video game-based anime done right. This anime offers the classic noir aesthetic fans adore and tackles ideas revolving around loyalty, tragedy, and trust. In this tale, viewers examine the lives of two childhood companions who get involved in criminal activities.
This series delivers rich visuals, fascinating violence, and a deep examination of the psyches of its characters. By the end of the series, you’ll understand how criminal activity can impact one’s life.
Noir
Amusingly, Noir is an incredible noir-centric anime. It dabbles into scenarios of crime and conspiracy well and features a cast that feels well-rounded and fun to follow. The series’s female protagonists exhibit likable traits from their skillful assassin qualities to their rousing personalities. Noir’s brooding atmosphere, combined with its intricate characters, captures the essence of crime storytelling.
The multiple mysteries, twists, and turns presented in Noir will leave viewers on the edge of their seats. You’ll be enveloped by our cast’s attempts at navigating through it all, as they’ll be met with instances of betrayal and conspiracy. Combined with its remarkable animation and soundtrack, Noir is an emotionally rich anime that’ll satisfy audiences.
So, there we have it, our picks for the best noir anime of all time!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!