Top Anime Similar to Cowboy Bebop

Shinichirō Watanabe has been a trailblazer in the realm of sci-fi since his co-direction of the acclaimed Macross franchise, Macross Plus. Over the span of his 35-year career, he has crafted some of the most cherished and influential series, including his jazz-infused masterpiece, Cowboy Bebop. This series follows a ragtag group of space adventurers navigating the cosmos in a neo-noir style. Cowboy Bebop's iconic score, composed by Yoko Kanno, has played a significant role in its timeless appeal, keeping it alive in the public consciousness through live performances and soundtrack re-releases.

This renowned sci-fi show has significantly influenced cinema and storytelling, with creators like Rian Johnson of Star Wars, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Diego Molano of Victor and Valentino citing Cowboy Bebop as a major influence on their work.

6 Best Anime Like Cowboy Bebop

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Cowboy Bebop also stands out as one of the few anime series that have captured the attention of non-anime fans. Its enduring appeal and influence make it a vital and lasting entry in the anime canon. If you're seeking what to watch next after your latest (or first) Cowboy Bebop binge, here's a curated list of the best space-faring, globe-trotting, morally ambiguous anime to dive into.

Lazarus

Adult Swim

Our first recommendation is Watanabe's latest series, Lazarus, which premiered its first episode on Adult Swim at midnight on April 5th. Produced by MAPPA and Sola Entertainment, with John Wick director Chad Stahelski overseeing art direction and original compositions from Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, and Bonobos, Lazarus is arguably the most anticipated anime release of the year. Stylistically akin to Cowboy Bebop, it revisits the gritty, underdog sci-fi vibe of that series, feeling remarkably relevant in 2025.

The series revolves around a life-saving miracle drug that turns fatal three years after its use, putting millions at risk of sudden death. Enter our hero, Axel, a regular convict and jailbreaker, tasked with assembling a team to find the drug's enigmatic creator and develop an antidote within just 30 days. Brace yourself for a thrilling, dark ride.

Terminator Zero

Netflix

Continuing with the more grounded and bleak approach to sci-fi, next up is Terminator Zero, an impressive addition to the Terminator lore from director Masashi Kudō, Production IG, and creator Mattson Tomlin. While it's more serious than Bebop and much of Watanabe's work, it boasts a stylistic flair in its action and impeccable gunplay that will satisfy your cravings for Cowboy Bebop-style action in your anime viewing.

For a contemporary take on sci-fi that reflects our current technological and cultural landscape, Terminator Zero is unmatched and a must-watch in 2025. If you're seeking an aesthetically pleasing anime that's as visually captivating as Cowboy Bebop, you'll find it hard to top this stunningly slick series. It offers a fresh Japanese perspective on the Terminator franchise's Judgement Day.

Space Dandy

Crunchyroll

This entry in Shinichirō Watanabe's catalog saw him take a step back to serve as general director, with Shingo Natsume directing this humorous serialized space opera brought to life by Japanese animation studio Bones. If you're looking for a light-hearted throwback to classic Saturday morning cartoons with the same nostalgic feel as Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy is a perfect choice.

Filled with nods to classic sci-fi and anime, this charming adventure follows the titular Dandy, an outer space bounty hunter on a quest to discover and register new alien lifeforms. Just as stylish as Spike and Faye Valentine, Dandy has the swagger to save the world. Despite its simpler premise, the show delves into unexpected and existential territories as Dandy explores the truths of the universe and his own existence while hunting aliens alongside his adorable crew of a robot and a cat. Though it didn't achieve the global success of Cowboy Bebop, it remains deeply rewatchable, visually stunning, and incredibly fun.

Lupin III

Tokyo Movie

If you crave the same sense of adventurous joy and boundless potential as Cowboy Bebop, then the delightfully entertaining crime caper Lupin III is for you. Since its debut in 1965, created by Kazuhiko Katō under the pseudonym Monkey Punch, the franchise has expanded across manga, anime, video games, and numerous cinematic releases. For on-screen adaptations, the 1971 anime series is the best starting point, introducing audiences to the laid-back criminal Lupin, a modern take on the legendary and fictional gentleman thief Arsene Lupin.

Spanning 23 episodes, the first season was directed by Masaaki Ōsumi and future Studio Ghibli legends Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. It's an excellent entry point into the world of Lupin III, and if you enjoy it, you have five decades of stories, movies, and shows to explore further.

Samurai Champloo

Crunchyroll

Samurai Champloo serves as the spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop, with its development starting during Watanabe's work on Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. The art style, structure, and storytelling of Champloo echo this connection, though it's set in a historical rather than sci-fi context. The series explores themes of life, the cost of freedom, and the struggle to overcome and accept mortality.

Like much of Watanabe's work, the narrative revolves around a group of morally ambiguous heroes: an outlaw named Mugen, a tea server named Fuu, and a ronin named Jin. One of the series' standout features is its focus on inclusion and tolerance, inspired by its Edo period setting, to avoid nationalistic overtones.

Trigun

Adult Swim

If the stylistic action and the allure of a morally complex anti-hero in Cowboy Bebop excite you, then Trigun is likely to become your next favorite anime. Adapted from the hit manga by Yasuhiro Nightow, which originally ran in Monthly Shonen Captain, the series debuted in Japan in 1998 and in the US three years later, at the dawn of the new millennium.

Like Cowboy Bebop, Trigun is a noir-inspired space western, but with heightened stakes as it follows Vash, a man with a massive bounty on his head due to his uncontrollable superpowers that led to the accidental destruction of a city. As we uncover the man they seek to kill, we also learn about his pursuers, setting up a compelling conflict that earned the anime spots on numerous best-of-the-year lists and propelled the manga to sell out in the US.