From award winners to rebooted classics, anime fans have been spoiled for choice with science fiction anime. Beloved by the community, sci-fi themes tend to blend well with anime as a medium, making many series that fall under this genre instantly successful.

Amid the ample amount of anime series currently available to stream, there are plenty of sci-fi anime shows that are worth binging during summer 2023, whether they be popular mainstream picks or underrated gems that deserve more recognition.

10 Kiznaiver

Originally airing in 2016 and produced by Studio Trigger, Kiznaiver is an ambitious sci-fi series that places a group of teenagers who are virtual strangers into a social experiment in which they share pain with one another – physically, and emotionally. As the group begins to bond despite their circumstances, they learn more about each other, and themselves, than they ever could have imagined.

Kiznaiver is an incredibly uplifting and sometimes bittersweet story that blends science fiction with character drama, making for an incredibly compelling series despite its brisk twelve episodes. The animation style has that unique Trigger charm, creating a captivating and binge-worthy experience.

9 NieR:Automata Ver1.1a

Based on Yoko Taro's smash hit video game NieR:Automata, A-1 Pictures' NieR:Automata Ver1.1a adapts the events of the game, which follows an android – also known as a "YoRHa" – named 2B and her efforts to reclaim the planet Earth after being overrun by alien crafted "Machine Lifeforms."

Taking on the seemingly impossible task of adapting an immensely dense and detailed story filled with intriguing lore and narrative mysteries, NieR:Automata Ver1.1a does an excellent job telling 2B's story and showcasing the post-apocalyptic wasteland that the Earth has become. The series also dives into existential ideas surrounding 2B's life purpose and the true consequences of her mission.

8 Serial Experiments Lain

One of the most popular avant-garde anime released in over twenty years, Serial Experiments Lain is a psychological mystery that, while not conforming to traditional science fiction conventions, serves as an eerie prediction of online communities and the effects of the internet on the modern world. The story focuses on a young girl named Lain Iwakura shortly after receiving an ominous email from a classmate who died by suicide prior to the events of the story. Though naive about technology, Lain finds herself becoming intertwined in the Wired, a virtual mass communication tool similar to the internet.

As the story progresses, Lain and the audience's grip on what's happening in the real world and cyberspace begins to slip, creating a bizarre and surrealist mystery that questions Lain's identity and consciousness. Despite being rather cryptic on first viewing, Serial Experiments Lain is an excellent analysis and critique of the internet, as well as the direction humanity could be taking as a result of how the online landscape is evolving.

7 Heavenly Delusion

Heavenly Delusion takes place in the not-so-distant future, where the world is on the verge of collapse, with grotesque monsters lurking on the streets of a ruined Japan while people scrape together whatever they can to live. Two young survivors, Maru and Kiruko, decide to band together to search for a mysterious place simply known as Heaven. Carrying with them the weight of their pasts and their trauma, the pair hold onto the hope that they can find answers in the tattered world they grew up in.

While the idea of finding hope in a bleak world is nothing new in anime, Heavenly Delusion adds a unique sci-fi mystery layer to this theme, filled with twists and turns and a dystopian setting that adds to the tense uncertainty throughout the series. The anime is incredibly ambitious and sets a high standard for the future of Disney+'s anime catalog.

6 Psycho-Pass

Taking place in the 22nd century, Psycho-Pass is an interesting look into the Sibyl System, a means of enforcing justice by examining the mental state of citizens and looking for signs of criminal intent. The individuals who enforce this system are divided into teams of Inspectors and Enforcers. Inspectors are tasked with upholding this justice system by subjugating, often lethally, anyone with ill will. On the other end are the Enforcers, Inspectors who have become criminals that are granted freedom in exchange for carrying out dirty work for other Inspectors.

Psycho-Pass follows the partnership between an Inspector and Enforcer duo as they learn more about the corruption behind the Sibyl System. It also raises questions regarding what justice truly is and whether those ideals can be upheld in a system wrought with corruption.

5 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

A staple from the early 2000s, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya follows a high school occult club called the SOS Brigade and their pursuit of the unnatural and otherworldly. The series focuses primarily on Kyon, a skeptic who refuses to believe in supernatural oddities, as he becomes intertwined with his peculiar classmate Haruhi and her hunt for something more than what they see in their day-to-day life.

As Haruhi and Kyon grow the SOS Brigade, each new member carries a mysterious – and oftentimes odd – secret about them, despite their mundane appearances. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a classic sci-fi mystery that blends slice-of-life tropes with the strange and mystical. The series is incredibly charming and has held up incredibly well over the years, making it timeless amidst other heavy-hitting sci-fi anime.

4 Sabikui Bisco

One of the most underrated series from 2022 and one of the best picks for anime fans looking to fill the void left behind by Trigun Stampede, Sabikui Bisco is an incredibly quirky, fun look at a dystopian sci-fi landscape. Taking place in post-apocalyptic Japan, Sabikui Bisco centers on a strange disease that causes people's bodies to rust, which, according to the government, is caused by mushroom spores being spread by individuals like Bisco Akaboshi, labeled as the "Man-Eating Mushroom" by the public.

Behind the scenes, Bisco considers himself to be the "Mushroom Protector" and is on the hunt for the legendary Sabikui mushroom, which is said to be the only cure for the rusting disease. Joined by a doctor desperately searching for a cure to save his sister, the pair traverse the vast dystopian wasteland on a quest for the mystical mushroom.

Sabikui Bisco is eccentric at heart, featuring high-stakes action and a cast of colorful characters – from their personalities to their appearances. The premise pushes the sci-fi genre to bizarre new heights with high-tech vehicles mixed with animals like crabs and snails. Sabikui Bisco is an underrated gem, perfect for any sci-fi fan's watch list.

3 Carole & Tuesday

Created and directed by the legendary Shinichiro Watanabe – the mind behind Cowboy Bebop – Carole & Tuesday is an interesting sci-fi series that takes place fifty years after humanity began migrating from Earth to Mars, a comfortable process thanks to advancements in technology and AI. The story follows Carole, a girl who lives in Alba City, a part-timer who spends her nights playing keyboard, and Tuesday, a girl who runs away from her wealthy family in Herschel City hoping to pursue music and play guitar.

After a chance meeting, the two girls decide to chase after their dreams of being musicians together. Facing off against AI songwriters who dominate the industry, the duo believes they can achieve success by conveying their emotions through their music.

Carole & Tuesday is a gorgeous anime with an expressive soundtrack that delivers a surprisingly poignant and timely message about the effects of replacing human talent with technology. Additionally, the crux of season 1 – a high-tech sci-fi spin on televised singing competitions – makes the show an incredibly fun watch.

2 Trigun Stampede

A reboot of the classic 1998 anime series Trigun, Trigun Stampede's story is a complete reimagining of Vash the Stampede and how he became acquainted with his iconic friends. Taking place on the planet Noman's Land, the series follows two reporters named Meryl Stryfe and Roberto De Niro on their search for the infamous criminal Vash the Stampede, also known as the "Humanoid Typhoon." As the two journalists connect with and learn more about Vash, chaos ensues, and the group is forced to work together to avoid the nefarious bounty hunters pursuing Vash and redeem Vash's reputation.

While reboots and remakes are often controversial and struggle to live up to fan expectations, Trigun Stampede succeeds in unprecedented ways to modernize its source material and make it compelling enough to feel fresh. The visuals are stunning, showcasing the intricate and vast world that the story takes place in. Additionally, the characters are just as iconic as they were in the original series, captivating fans old and new alike.

1 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Based on the CD Projekt Red game Cyberpunk 2077, Studio Trigger's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is one of the greatest modern sci-fi anime available to stream right now. The series tells the story of David Martinez, a street kid doing his best to survive in a world obsessed with high-tech body modifications. After losing everything that matters to him, he chooses to pursue the life of an edgerunner, an outlaw mercenary also known as a cyberpunk.

Despite being rather short – concluding after only ten episodes – Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a gorgeously heartbreaking series that perfectly balances gruesome sci-fi action with an impactful story and gut-punching finale. The show also won Anime of the Year during the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.