Image via Manglobe
Updated Jun 16, 2026, 4:58 AM EDT
Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts.
Sign in to your Collider account
Anime is known for its creative stories, bizarre sequences, and stunning animation, but there are countless more aspects that make up a great series. While not every show can do everything, anime like Attack on Titan and One Piece try their best to be the best in every category. One of the most underrated elements of anime is its music, with beautiful compositions transporting fans into the worlds and situations.
While some fans might not pay it any attention, music is a key aspect of anime that controls the vibe and flow of the story, needing to be perfect to make the show perfect. Since it's such a valuable part, this list will rank the ten anime with the best music, mainly focusing on the soundtracks. It will rank them based on the number of good songs and the quality of individual tracks, taking into account fan opinion and critical acclaim.
15 'Black Clover' (2017–2021, 2026–Present)
Composers: Minako Seki and Yuya Mori
Image via PierrotThere are many shōnen anime that also have fantastic music. One such example is Black Clover, which will finally return in 2026 after a long hiatus. In a world filled with magic, Asta is born without any, but when his grimoire allows him to wield anti-magic swords, he begins his legacy with a rowdy guild of mages.
Black Clover's score is pure dark-fantasy sweeping magic, using its operatic tones and choral chants to deliver sweeping music that rises and booms when the stakes get bigger. Not only that, but Black Clover is renowned for its iconic and catchy openings and endings, with some of the most popular in all anime.
14 'Attack on Titan' (2013–2023)
Composers: Hiroyuki Sawano and Kohta Yamamoto
Image via MAPPAOne of the biggest anime series ever is Attack on Titan, and it expresses this through many avenues, including its music. When Eren's village is destroyed by the Titans, he vows revenge, only to find himself able to turn into a Titan. He now leads humanity outside the walls to face their true enemy.
Attack on Titan is better than most anime, but one unexpected aspect that also excels is its music, earning a spot on this list. Hiroyuki Sawano is known for blending traditional orchestra with electric guitars, creating a distinct fusion that especially works with his drops, where the music cuts out for a second only to return even stronger than before. Attack on Titan also has some of the most iconic anime openings.
13 'Your Lie in April' (2014–2015)
Image via A-1 PicturesIt is only natural that an anime about music would have good music, and Your Lie in April isn't the last music-centric anime on this list. Kousei is a child prodigy when it comes to the piano, but he is unable to take the stage again after his mother's death. Years later, a fellow student helps him get over his trauma and go back into the spotlight.
Scoring an anime about music seems easy, but it is actually incredibly difficult, proving how impressive the work Masaru Yokoyama did on Your Lie in April is. The story itself uses heavy classical songs, so the score for the anime adopts a lighter feeling to accentuate what is happening in the show while still remaining brilliant.
12 'K' (2012–2016)
Composer: Mikio Endo
Image via GoHandsThis list features mostly well-known anime with big budgets, mainly because those are the ones that can afford the best music. However, there are some underrated gems featured, such as K, also known as Project K. Kings are those at the head of their gangs, wielding supernatural abilities. But when an innocent teenager is framed for the murder of a King, he teams up with another to clear his name.
A lot of anime featured on this list use an orchestra, but K boasts urban chillstep, EDM, and trip-hop to create a distinct score that is highly stylized and riveting. Abandoning drama, K aims for the rule of cool, which this music portrays, creating a vibrant, slick, and detached feeling that makes the soundtrack so good, having fans hooked on this anime from the start.
11 'Nana' (2006–2007)
Composer: Tomoki Hasegawa
Image via MadhouseOut of all the critically acclaimed anime on this list, Nana is arguably the best and most underrated, even if it doesn't have a proper ending. Two girls are on the same train; one is chasing her dreams of being a musician, and the other is trying to reconnect with her boyfriend. The two don't have much in common besides their first name and the fact that they are about to be roommates in Tokyo.
Music isn't just something to sound nice in the background; it is used to enhance the emotion and feelings in the story, and that is what Nana does so well. The score takes inspiration from the bands in the story and the real musicians they are based on, giving it an authentic feel. The music is tied to a character's mental state, ranging from raw and powerful to fragile and soft, displaying a variation of feelings that proves Nana is a master of music.
10 'Naruto' (2002–2007)
Composers: Toshio Masuda and Yasuharu Takanashi
Image via Viz MediaIt makes sense that some of the most popular anime series would also have magnificent music, and there aren't many anime more famous than Naruto. Following the titular character in a ninja world, fans witness his long journey to become the Hokage despite the villagers' resentment towards him. The soundtrack blends modern orchestral music with traditional Japanese instruments and a hint of J-rock.
Despite switching composers from Naruto to Shippuden, the music didn't skip a beat, continuing the ninja vibes that fans fell in love with. While some viewers may prefer one part, each show has great music that perfectly captures the moments. From the laid-back and classic tracks from the original series to the intense action-focused songs of the sequel, Naruto is a long anime with lots of music to keep fans entertained.
9 'Bocchi the Rock!' (2022)
Composer: Tomoki Kikuya
Image via CloverWorksMusic is a significant part of any anime and real life, and when those two merge, fans get an anime about music, with one of the most popular series being Bocchi the Rock! Following the titular socially anxious protagonist, she reluctantly joins a band to improve her social skills. She learns the importance of friendship and overcomes her flaws in an anime full of J-rock epicness.
As an anime about music, it is only natural that Bocchi the Rock would have incredible music. They expertly integrate the soundtrack into the story instead of enhancing it. The soundtrack is the music this group of girls plays, and the fans can feel their personalities through the tunes. Bocchi the Rock is one of the best anime series of the 2020s for its creative depiction of mental health and its unforgettable music.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like? Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky
Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.
🏜️Paul Atreides
🖖Capt. Kirk
✊Princess Leia
🔦Ellen Ripley
🔥Max Rockatansky
FIND YOUR HERO →
01
How do you lead when the stakes couldn't be higher? The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.
AI absorb everything — every variable, every pattern — and move only when I know the path forward. BI read the room, make the call, and own the consequences. Hesitation costs more than mistakes. CI rally people. A cause needs a voice, and I refuse to let fear be louder than conviction. DI assess the threat, establish what needs doing, and get it done without waiting for permission. EI don't lead. I act. Others can follow or not — I'm already moving.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
What is your greatest strength in a crisis? The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.
APrescience — the ability to see further ahead than anyone else and plan accordingly. BImprovisation — I'm at my best when the plan falls apart and I have to invent a new one. CConviction — I know what I'm fighting for, and that certainty doesn't waver under fire. DComposure — I stay functional when everyone around me is falling apart. Panic is a luxury. EEndurance — I outlast things. I take the hit and keep moving long after others have stopped.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
What is the thing you'd sacrifice everything else for? Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.
AThe survival and dignity of my people — even if I have to become something frightening to ensure it. BThe safety of my crew — every single one of them. No one gets left behind. CFreedom — for my people, for every world still crushed under the weight of an empire. DThe truth — what actually happened, what's actually out there, whether anyone believes me or not. EThe one person — or the one memory — that still makes any of this worth surviving for.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
How do you relate to the people around you? Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.
AWith intensity and distance — I care deeply, but the weight I carry makes closeness complicated. BWith warmth and irreverence — I take the mission seriously, not myself. CWith directness and trust — I say what I mean, and I expect the people I work with to rise to it. DWith professional care but clear limits — I'll protect you, but I won't pretend we're family. EWith wariness that slowly becomes loyalty — I don't trust easily, but when I do, it holds.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
You're facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do? How you respond when you're the only one who sees it defines everything.
APrepare in silence. If they won't listen, I'll be ready when they finally have to. BKeep pushing until someone listens — and if no one does, handle it myself. CBuild the case, find the allies, and make the threat impossible to ignore. DDocument everything. The truth matters even if no one believes it yet. EStop trying to convince anyone. Survive it. That's the only argument that counts.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
What has your heroism cost you personally? Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they'd pay it again.
AMy innocence — I've seen what I'm capable of, and I can't unsee it. BPeople I loved — the command chair has a view, but it's a lonely one. CA normal life — I gave up everything ordinary the moment I chose the cause. DMy sense of safety — I know exactly what's out there now, and I can't pretend otherwise. EAlmost everything — and I'm still not sure what I'm carrying it all for. But I keep going.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
How do you feel about the rules of the world you're in? Every hero has a relationship with the system. What's yours?
AI understand them deeply — and I know exactly which ones must be broken, and why. BI respect the spirit of them and bend the letter when the situation demands it. CThe system is the problem. I'm not here to work within it — I'm here to dismantle it. DI follow protocol until protocol stops being useful. Then I make the call myself. EThe rules collapsed a long time ago. What's left is instinct, and mine are reliable.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
When everything is on the line, what keeps you going? The answer is the most honest thing about you.
ADestiny — or something that feels so much like it that the difference no longer matters. BThe people on my ship — their faces, their trust, the fact that they're counting on me. CThe belief that what we're fighting for is worth every sacrifice, including this one. DSheer refusal to let it win — whatever it is. I don't stop. That's just who I am. EI'm not sure anymore. But the road is still there, and I'm still on it.
REVEAL MY HERO →
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
Paul Atreides
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you're capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
- You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
- You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn't ask for but can't escape.
- Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
- That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won't, is exactly you.
Captain Kirk
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you've always believed there's a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
- You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
- Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you've earned it.
- Kirk's genius isn't tactical — it's human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
- That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
Princess Leia
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you're fearless, but because giving up simply isn't something you're capable of.
- You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
- You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you've never looked back.
- Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
- That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
Ellen Ripley
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone's hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
- You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
- Ripley's heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn't have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
- You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn't there.
- When it counts, you don't flinch. That's everything.
Max Rockatansky
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
- You don't ask for help, don't need validation, and don't wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
- Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it's earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
- Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
- That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
8 'Jojo's Bizarre Adventure' (2012–Present)
Composer: Yugo Kanno
Image via Viz MediaAnime is known for its creativity and weirdness, and no series tops Jojo's Bizarre Adventure in those regards. This series follows a new descendant of the Joestar family in each part, along with a new setting, time period, and villain, providing some wacky plots and unique tracks. With every part changing things, the music style ranges from progressive rock, J-pop, electro-swing, and orchestral.
While this list doesn't take into account openings and endings, Jojo's has some of the best music in that regard. However, the anime still dazzles with its variety of wondrous soundtracks. With clear Western rock inspiration in the characters, music is an essential part of this anime that aims to be unique in everything it does. Jojo's is a modern classic with a musical style that reflects that.
7 'K-On!' (2009–2010)
Composer: Hajime Hyakkoku
Image via TBSWhile Bocchi the Rock is the newest cool music anime, it was inspired by the iconic series K-On! This show follows a group of girls who join the light music club in order to keep it from shutting down. They learn the joys of music and friendship there and experience everything together in a wholesome anime. K-On's musical style is most commonly pop punk, punk rock, and J-rock.
Whether fans watch K-On for wholesome experiences, delightful humor, endearing characters, or gorgeous animation, they know the highlight of the show is its music. A collaboration between Bocchi and K-On would be one of the best anime crossovers, but each series is still excellent on its own.
6 'Cowboy Bebop' (1998–1999)
Composers: Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts
Image via SunriseFans probably had a few shows in mind before reading this list, and Cowboy Bebop was definitely one of them, with its distinct musical influence and songs. Set in the future, where crime has spread across the galaxy, Spike Spiegel and his group of bounty hunters make a living by cleaning the cosmos of scum. With its stylized setting and jazz inspiration, the musical style is a mix of jazz, blues, and funk.
Fans may be shocked that Cowboy Bebop is this low on the list, but that just goes to show the overall quality of anime music as a whole. While the show isn't a music anime, it is an integral part of the show that defines the entire aesthetic. Every song fits the vibe and controls the atmosphere, creating something completely different in anime that helps make Cowboy Bebop a perfect sci-fi series.
English (US) ·