The Best Old School Anime From 1999 And Before - Ranker
Yu Yu Hakusho · Dragon Ball Z · Rurouni Kenshin · Hunter x Hunter · Princess Mononoke · Ghost in the Shell · Great Teacher Onizuka · Cowboy Bebop.
fighting anime
Have you seen all of these early classics below? Which of these 1990's anime titles and '80s staples were your favorites? We want you to vote for the top series you love the most, but this list is also a great guide if you're looking to find some great vintage 80s and 90s anime shows to watch. A few of these are movies and not TV series, such as Akira and Grave of the Fireflies. If you're a fan of Dragon Ball Z, definitely check out Fist of the North Star. The series was very influential in modern day <anchor>fighting anime</anchor>. You should also check out classics like Astro Boy which is considered one of the oldest anime series in the industry.
Best Samurai Anime of All Time | Anime Shows With Sword Fighting
Best Samurai Anime of All Time \| Anime Shows With Sword Fighting

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# The Best Samurai Anime of All Time

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Updated August 15, 2024812.2K views33 items

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37.2K votes

10.7K voters

Voting Rules

Vote for your favorite samurai anime- don't downvote something if you haven't seen it!

Latest additions: Meiji Gekken: 1874, Onimusha

Most divisive: Onimusha

Over 10.7K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Samurai Anime of All Time

It's hard not to love an anime with epic [sword fights](http://www.ranker.com/list/top-7-manliest-swordfights-on-film/matt-blackwood?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword) and Edo period ideals. Here is Ranker's list of the best samurai [anime of all time](https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-anime-series-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword), as voted on by fans of the genre. With so much great samurai anime out there, it's hard to say what the best one is. If you're more interested in some good old fashioned shootin', then you'll want to check out these [top western anime series](http://www.ranker.com/list/best-western-anime/ranker-anime) instead. People often cite Shiniciro Watanabe's Samurai Champloo as the greatest samurari anime, but there are plenty of other greats, such as Samurai X, Afro Samurai and Ninja Scroll. We've included the first episode of each show when available, so check out a few you haven't seen before if you're looking for a new [anime to watch](https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-anime-series-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword).

If you add a new show to the list, make sure it falls under the specific "samurai" genre. Shows like Bleach may have swordplay, but you wouldn't consider it to be a true samurai series.

![](https://imgix.ranker.com/img/icons/chevronExpand.svg?auto=format&q=60&fit=crop&fm=png&dpr=4&h=13&w=71)

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- ## [1\. Samurai Champloo](/review/samurai-champloo/1969267 "Samurai Champloo")















[![Samurai Champloo](https://imgix.ranker.com/user_node_img/99/1969267/original/1969267-photo-u-1651182281?auto=format&q=60&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&dpr=2&w=500)](/review/samurai-champloo/1969267 "Samurai Champloo")



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  - Samurai Champloo

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- ## [2\. Samurai X](/review/rurouni-kenshin/62342531 "Samurai X")





















![Samurai X](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1kdCNKRI2RU/hqdefault.jpg?auto=format&q=60&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&dpr=2&w=500)









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3,868 votes

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- ## [3\. Rurouni Kenshin](/review/rurouni-kenshin/87844213 "Rurouni Kenshin")















[![Rurouni Kenshin](https://imgix.ranker.com/user_node_img/4393/87844213/original/87844213-photo-u1862240155?auto=format&q=60&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&dpr=2&w=500)](/review/rurouni-kenshin/87844213 "Rurouni Kenshin")



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28 votes

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- ## [4\. Sword of the Stranger](/review/sword-of-the-stranger/9504046 "Sword of the Stranger")































- Photo:
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1,725 votes

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- ## [5\. Ninja Scroll](/review/ninja-scroll-the-series/162413 "Ninja Scroll")































- Photo:
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1,820 votes

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- ## [6\. Afro Samurai](/review/afro-samurai/18889576 "Afro Samurai")































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