Top Anime Similar to Cowboy Bebop

Shinichirō Watanabe has been a trailblazer in the realm of sci-fi anime since his early days co-directing the acclaimed Macross franchise, particularly with Macross Plus. Over his illustrious 35-year career, Watanabe has crafted some of the most cherished and influential series, including his jazz-infused masterpiece, Cowboy Bebop. This series follows a ragtag crew of space adventurers navigating the neo-noir expanse of deep space. A significant part of Cowboy Bebop's enduring appeal is its iconic score by Yoko Kanno, which has kept the series timeless through live performances, soundtrack re-releases, and more.

Cowboy Bebop has not only captivated anime fans but has also 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 it as a major inspiration for their work.

6 Best Anime Like Cowboy Bebop

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Cowboy Bebop stands out as one of the few anime series that has resonated with audiences beyond the traditional anime fanbase. Its enduring popularity and influence make it a vital and long-lasting entry in the anime canon. If you're looking for what to watch next after your latest (or first) Cowboy Bebop binge, here's a list of the best space-faring, globe-trotting, and morally ambiguous anime that you can dive into.

Lazarus

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 the art and original compositions from Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, and Bonobos, Lazarus has generated more buzz than perhaps any other anime release this year. It serves as a stylistic companion to Cowboy Bebop, revisiting the gritty, underdog sci-fi vibe of that series—distinct from Watanabe's more recent works like Carole & Tuesday—and feels remarkably relevant in 2025.

The series follows the invention of a life-saving miracle drug that turns fatal three years after its use, putting millions at risk of sudden death. Enter our hero, the regular convict and jailbreaker Axel, who must assemble a team to find the enigmatic doctor who created the drug and convince him to produce an antidote within just 30 days. Buckle up for a dark and thrilling journey.

Terminator Zero

Continuing with the more grounded and bleak sci-fi themes, next up is Terminator Zero, an impressive addition to the Terminator lore, directed by Masashi Kudō, produced by Production IG, and created by Mattson Tomlin (known for directing Netflix's Project Power with Jamie Foxx). While it's more serious than Bebop and much of Watanabe's work, it shares a stylistic flair in its action sequences and impeccable gunplay that will satisfy your cravings for action-packed anime.

When it comes to contemporary sci-fi that grapples with current technological and cultural issues, Terminator Zero is unparalleled, making it a must-watch in 2025. For those seeking an aesthetically pleasing modern anime as visually striking as Cowboy Bebop, this series delivers a stunningly slick, boundary-pushing narrative that reinterprets the Terminator franchise's Judgement Day through a distinctly Japanese lens for the first time.

Space Dandy

Space Dandy is another gem from the Shinichirō Watanabe catalog, where he served as general director to Shingo Natsume's direction. This hilarious serialized space opera, brought to life by Japanese animation studio Bones, offers an easy, breezy throwback to classic Saturday morning cartoons that evokes the same nostalgia as Cowboy Bebop.

Packed with nods to classic sci-fi and anime, this charming adventure follows the titular Dandy, an outer space bounty hunter on a mission to discover and register new alien lifeforms. As stylish as Spike and Faye Valentine, Dandy has the swagger to save the world. Despite its seemingly simple premise, the show ventures into unexpected and existential territories as Dandy uncovers truths about the universe and his own existence while hunting aliens with his adorable crew of a robot and a cat. While it may not have achieved the global reach of Cowboy Bebop, it remains deeply rewatchable, visually stunning, and incredibly fun.

Lupin III

If you're seeking a series that captures the adventurous spirit and sense of unlimited potential found in Cowboy Bebop, Lupin III is a delightful crime caper that fits the bill. Since its debut in 1965, written by Kazuhiko Katō under the pseudonym Monkey Punch, the franchise has expanded into manga, anime, video games, and multiple films. For newcomers, the best entry point is the 1971 anime adaptation, which introduced audiences to Lupin, a laid-back criminal inspired by the fictional gentleman thief Arsene Lupin.

The first season spans 23 episodes and features directors like Masaaki Ōsumi, along with future Studio Ghibli legends Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. It's an excellent starting point to experience the best of Lupin III, and the good news is, fans have five decades of stories, movies, and shows to explore afterward.

Samurai Champloo

Samurai Champloo serves as the spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop. It began to take shape while Watanabe worked on Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, evident in its art style, structure, and storytelling. However, Samurai Champloo surprises with its historical action setting rather than the sci-fi genre Watanabe is best known for. While the themes differ, the series remains deeply concerned with life, the cost of freedom, and the struggle to overcome and eventually accept mortality.

Like much of Watanabe’s work, the story revolves around a ragtag group of morally compromised heroes: the outlaw Mugen, the tea server Fuu, and the ronin Jin. A notable aspect of this series is its period setting, which inspired Watanabe to emphasize themes of inclusion and tolerance, avoiding nationalistic overtones.

Trigun

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 ran in Monthly Shonen Captain, Trigun debuted in Japan in 1998 and reached 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. It follows Vash, a man with a colossal bounty on his head due to his uncontrollable superpowers that led to the accidental destruction of a city. As we delve into Vash's story, we also explore the motivations of those pursuing him, setting up a gripping conflict that earned the anime spots on numerous best-of-the-year lists and propelled the original manga to sell out in the US.