These bangers are the best the anime scene has to offer! Join Ashley as we look over the greatest anime OSTs around
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00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 20 Anime with the
00:10 Best OSTs.
00:21 Number 20. My Hero Academia
00:31 If a hero is as good as their theme song, then the young superheroes in this series
00:37 are already amazing. The soundtrack by composer Yuki Hayashi manages to capture an incredible
00:43 array of moods for every situation. Villain themes are moody and menacing, while the hero's
00:49 themes are more energetic and hopeful. The famous "You Say Run" is a natural standout
00:56 since it goes with everything and is so catchy you'll never get it out of your head. However,
01:14 the soundtrack also features memorable vocal performance pieces such as "Might" and "Hero
01:20 2". All in all, the soundtrack for My Hero Academia is bursting with music that will
01:26 make your heart soar and have you believing you too can become a hero.
01:42 Number 19. Devilman Crybaby
01:52 The tears never stop flowing in this epic anime tragedy and the music only makes it
01:58 that much more emotional. Kensuke Ushio's powerful soundtrack features sweeping choral
02:13 tracks that hit you in the feels as much as the events on screen. However, the intense
02:31 action and atmospheric moments are brought to life with thumping rave tunes as well.
02:37 Whether you're banging your head to the beat or it feels like someone's banging on your
02:42 tear ducts, Devilman Crybaby brings a demonic heat with its impressive soundtrack.
03:01 Number 18. FLCL
03:14 It's fairly unusual for a band to do an entire anime soundtrack, but FLCL is pretty weird
03:20 in general. From its opening themes to its ending theme and everything in between, it's
03:25 all performed by the Japanese alternative rock group, The Pillows. The band's exuberant
03:37 off-beat sound perfectly captures both the protagonist Naoto's growing pains as a pre-teen
03:43 boy and the insanity that the bizarre alien girl Haruko brings to his life. While the
03:49 world of FLCL may be anything but consistent, its soundtrack is great from beginning all
03:55 the way to ride on shooting star.
04:04 Number 17. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
04:22 Given how musically inspired the story is, with characters and abilities often taking
04:27 inspiration from real-world musicians, it's no surprise that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
04:33 has one of anime's greatest soundtracks. Composed primarily by Yugo Kano, though with
04:39 contributions from Hayato Matsuo and Taku Iwasaki, the JoJo's OST is brimming with
04:45 creativity and features a variety of genres. Each of the series' JoJo's have a theme
04:52 that goes incredibly hard, with Jotaro's horn-heavy fanfare and Giorno's piano and
04:58 saxophone-filled masterpiece being especially beloved. Even the villain's songs hit difference,
05:16 with Kira's theme being a full-on meme and the Pillar Men's Aztec dubstep being absolutely
05:22 out of this world. The JJBA soundtrack is as weird and wonderful as the show itself.
05:41 Number 16. Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex
05:45 Yoko Kano is among the most celebrated anime music composers. The first of her work we'll
06:03 be discussing is on this cyberpunk series. Kano composed nearly every piece of music
06:09 for Ghost in the Shell's Stand Alone Complex. While there are the expected techno tracks
06:20 to match the futuristic setting, a large portion of the music features ethereal strings and
06:27 vocals, which lends gravity and majesty to both the action and weighty topics examined
06:33 in the show. The soundtrack lends the vulnerability and humanity to a world where being human
06:39 is often tied to being a machine too.
06:50 Number 15. Bleach - Shiro Sagisu
06:59 Shiro Sagisu is another long-time anime composer, and he goes off with the Bleach soundtrack.
07:06 Rock is the primary genre of most of this supernatural action series' tracks, though
07:11 even within that umbrella, the music can range from rapid-fire hard rock to eerie and unsettling.
07:29 There are also plenty of other genres featured, from jazz to a heavy Spanish influence. In
07:35 the case of the latter, the villain's showing up is always a chance to vibe. While it may
07:40 feel like number one, Bleach doesn't top our list unfortunately, though it still shines
07:46 out for all to see.
08:00 Number 14. Kill la Kill
08:09 Hiroyuki Sawano has composed some of the most memorable anime soundtracks of the last decade,
08:15 and he absolutely kills it for Kill la Kill. The music is every bit as grandiose and over-the-top
08:21 as the clothing-based battle show deserves. While there are a few quieter tracks, for
08:35 the most part, Sawano generally shoots for the moon with his compositions. The obvious
08:41 standout is "Before My Body Is Dry" or "Don't Lose Your Way" with its powerful
08:46 vocals and oh-so-catchy chorus. But no matter what craziness is happening on screen, the
08:52 soundtrack is gonna be just as insane.
09:03 Number 13. Hunter Hunter
09:12 The sheer variety of tracks Yoshihisa Hirano composed for Hunter Hunter is truly impressive.
09:19 The adventure series can often be light-hearted and comedic, and Hirano's bouncy tunes fit
09:24 those moments perfectly. But it can also feature tragic and mournful music, like the much-memed
09:31 "Kingdom of Predators," and it's also just right. The powerful action themes like
09:43 "Emperor's Time" or the always-incredible "Hashire" also deliver whenever they come
09:49 up. Hunter Hunter is a show with hidden depths, and its soundtrack takes even the most unlikely
09:54 situations – like say, a dodgeball match – and makes them epic.
10:08 Number 12. Naruto Franchise
10:20 The soundtrack for Naruto and its sequel series was crafted by a few composers and
10:25 bands. The latter includes Yaiba and Musashi Project, while the former includes composers
10:32 Toshio Masuda and Yasuharu Takanashi, who also composed "Fairy Tail," which we regrettably
10:38 couldn't fit on our list. Music in Naruto is most notable for its mixture of traditional
10:56 Japanese instruments and more modern music, particularly rock. Each song manages to stir
11:02 emotions in the viewer, from the iconic "Sadness and Sorrow" to more action-oriented tracks.
11:18 The Naruto Franchise music can give generations of anime fans the feels. Or maybe there's
11:24 ninjas cutting onions in our rooms.
11:40 Number 11. Pansy and Stocking with "Gotta Belt"
11:52 This wild adult anime takes its cues from American cartoons, but its music is put together
11:58 by a laundry list of Japanese musicians. These include Taku Takanashi and Teddy Lloyd, who
12:05 are both notable DJs. The tunes generally fall into the electronic and dance categories.
12:12 The soundtrack takes the show's incredible zaniness and overt sexual energy to absurd
12:18 new heights, perfectly complementing the comedy and rare serious moments. We can only hope
12:31 that the music team returns for the rumoured Season 2 and brings as much intensity as they
12:37 did for the original.
12:44 Number 10. Attack on Titan. Hiroyuki Sawano strikes again, and the composer goes for broke
12:51 with this epic soundtrack. The grandiose and operatic orchestral music, as well as the
13:07 vocally driven tracks are larger than life, which fits the tone of the giant-focused dark
13:13 fantasy series to a T.
13:31 Battles swell with excitement and surging emotion thanks to the incredible music. Meanwhile,
13:37 each new twist or betrayal hits that much harder, with the music going wild in the background.
13:43 Despair, triumph and joy, no matter the emotion, Sawano plays the audience like one of the
14:00 instruments in his arsenal, and makes us feel exactly what the characters do in this legendary
14:06 anime saga.
14:19 Number 9. Beyblade. Unlike most of our entries, in this case, we're talking about the Beyblade
14:26 dub soundtrack. Performed primarily by Lucas Rossi and Sick Kid, as well as other Canadian
14:39 artists, the soundtrack for the Beyblade dub is shockingly good for a show that's basically
14:45 about elaborate battles using spinning tops. Primarily made of energetic rock songs, these
14:51 tracks never fail to pump you up for battle. Bangers like "Never Gonna Take Me Down" and
14:56 "Rise Above The Storm" still get us hyped decades later. Whether you're a veteran fan
15:12 or just hearing them for the first time, it's best to put this soundtrack on and let it
15:17 rip.
15:24 Number 8. Gurren Lagann. There's nothing quite like Gurren Lagann, and that extends
15:29 to its soundtrack too. The impossibly optimistic mecha series sees its heroes shoot for the
15:40 heavens with their drills, and the music is every bit as outrageous as that premise. Triumphant
15:55 action scenes are underscored by Taku Iwasaki's compositions, which range from hopeful string
16:01 pieces to the weird fusion of opera and rap that are the show's signature pieces, "Libra
16:07 Me From Hell" and "Rap Is A Man's Soul". The soundtrack is as ridiculous and ridiculously
16:14 awesome as the rest of Gurren Lagann. Anyone who experiences it will be ready to "Do The
16:20 Impossible, See The Invisible, and Ro-Ro-Fight The Power".
16:35 Number 7. Death Note. When you think "supernatural crime thriller", something dark and moody
16:49 probably comes to mind. And while composers Hideki Taniguchi and Yoshihisa Hirano do include
16:55 moodier subdued pieces throughout Death Note, their soundtrack for the series is perhaps
17:00 best well-known for orchestral songs with over-the-top Latin chanting. These tracks
17:06 in particular lend even the most mundane actions, like writing in the titular notebook or eating
17:12 a potato chip, a sense of weight and importance. The OST also features quieter, yet no less
17:33 intriguing pieces, such as El's famous theme, whose piano is instantly recognisable. Death
17:40 Note's music makes every twist and turn of this gripping story leap off the screen
17:45 and get your heart racing, though hopefully not because of anyone writing your name down.
18:00 Number 6. Neon Genesis Evangelion. As one of the most famous and influential anime ever
18:17 made, it's fitting that Evangelion also has one of the best soundtracks in anime.
18:22 Composed by Shiro Sagisu, the soundtrack has drawn comparisons to everything from classical
18:27 music to tokusatsu themes to The Beatles. It's this wide range of styles that has
18:33 helped this OST become as beloved as its series. The music nearly always accentuates the characters
18:50 and the events on screen, with the many genres allowing for a diverse array of moods. Additionally,
18:57 it's like The Beast experimented with orchestra and guitar before it became popular to do
19:02 so. Not everyone gets Neon Genesis Evangelion, but its soundtrack, at least, has universal
19:09 appeal.
19:17 Number 5. Dragon Ball Z. For as much as many of us grew up watching and loving the schools
19:31 in this show's various dubs, we have to give it to the original DBZ soundtrack composed
19:36 by Shinsuke Kikuchi. The prototypical shonen soundtrack for the archetype of its genre,
19:42 Kikuchi's score hits all the right notes. Comedy scenes feel bouncy and upbeat, villains'
19:48 themes are menacing and eerie, and Goku and company's triumphs are made even more impactful
20:03 by optimistic and hopeful tunes. And the epic orchestral fanfares that play during moments
20:24 like the first Super Saiyan transformation are forever burned into our memories, right
20:29 along with the imagery. Still, we'd argue that there may be one shonen series whose
20:34 soundtrack has surpassed it, and that's...
20:37 Number 4. One Piece. In terms of sheer overwhelming volume of tracks, One Piece easily has the
20:54 most soundtrack on our list. It's also one of the best. Composers Kohei Tanaka and
21:01 Shiro Hamaguchi have been delivering greatness for decades, and they haven't slowed down
21:06 at all. In this epic pirate journey, every character, every location, every battle feels
21:12 unique, distinct, and unforgettable, thanks to the choice in musical style. And One Piece
21:29 fans are devoted enough that we can all recognize certain old favorite tracks, such as "Overtaken"
21:35 immediately. Whether the scene calls for melancholy or hope and wonder, the One Piece OST always
21:42 goes for broke.
21:53 Number 3. Initial D. It's not often that an anime helps popularize an entire genre
22:12 of music, but Initial D pulled it off. Composers Ryuichi Katsumata and Atsushi Umeburi inject
22:19 the series full of high-octane energy through their tracks that blend rock, techno, and
22:25 dance music. Meanwhile, their work is supplemented by contributions from nearly every European
22:44 artist alive during the period the show is airing. Tracks like "Deja Vu" and "Running
22:50 in the 90s" have become internet memes in themselves, and their use in Initial D turns
22:55 drift races into pulse-pounding events that we can't look away from. It's not often
23:01 that an anime helps popularize a... wait, "Deja Vu."
23:11 Number 2. Cowboy Bebop Music is baked into the DNA of this space-western/noir anime.
23:19 Even the episode titles pay tribute to musical styles and songs. The "Cowboy Bebop" soundtrack
23:33 is composed by Yoko Kanno, and it's arguably her most famous work. Although instrumental
23:39 jazz is the predominant feature across the show, every single track is toe-tappingly,
23:45 heart-pumpingly amazing. But there are plenty of vocal tracks as well, from the ending theme
23:56 "Real Folk Blues" to the beautiful and melancholy "Brain." "Cowboy Bebop" is often called a
24:02 masterpiece, and its soundtrack is a major reason why.
24:31 Number 1. Berserk Composer Susumu Hirasawa has worked on every
24:46 adaptation of Berserk so far, but it's his soundtrack for the original anime from the
24:51 90s that has won and/or broken our hearts for decades. While the number of tracks is
24:57 comparatively few, every one of them feels rich and evocative, immersing you in the feelings
25:03 of the characters and the world. Guts' theme may be a meme, but its breathtaking beauty
25:09 and tragedy are still incredibly moving. And every time Forces plays, it's a new chapter
25:27 in the series. Even the most minor battle feels epic in scale. Berserk's music stirs
25:32 the soul and tears it apart, much like the Dark Fantasy series itself. Is there an anime
25:46 soundtrack you love that we forgot? Let us know in those comments below.
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