Some Cyberpunk pieces of media are set in a post-apocalyptic setting, but not all of them. Looking specifically at the darkest of post-apocalyptic anime, some of them are cyberpunk and some of them aren't. Sometimes the technology is important, and other times what is known of what the future should look like is completely wiped away by cataclysm.

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Strangely enough, while the genre may seem necessarily rooted in sci-fi, that's not always the case. Sometimes, the setting is mostly a backdrop which allows the characters in the show to thrive and exist in a way that only that dark setting could support, as is the case with anime like Fist of the North Star and more.

10 Fist Of The North Star: Ken Blows Up His Enemies By Using Magical Martial Arts

kenshiro fist of the north star

Fist Of The North Star isn't just one of the most important post-apocalyptic anime, it's also one of the most important anime in general. Without Fist Of The North Star, plenty of different shonen anime today wouldn't have the same influence or inspiration. The anime stars Ken, the central character, who is (supposed to be) the sole inheritor of a nearly magical form of martial arts called Hokuto Shin Ken, which allows him to protect the people he cares about by blowing up his enemies using pressure-points in a post-cataclysmic world.

9 Neon Genesis Evangelion: Takes Place Between Apocalypses With The Goal Of Stopping The Next One

Asuka Rei Shinji NGE

Neon Genesis Evangelion is at this point an anime that almost everyone knows the name of. The story revolves around Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley, and Rei Ayanami, the pilots of the titular Evangelion units, which are giant mechs. This is a deep psychological character study more than a mech anime, although that's a major part as well. Eva is unique because it actually takes place between apocalypses, detailing the effort to put a stop to the next one.

8 Akira: Akira's Psychic Powers Causes The First Fall Of Tokyo

Akira throne

Akira was actually a major effort for Japan and their film industry in general since there was a lot going on in the west at the time that was doing its best to become the new standard in animation by pioneering 3D CGI technologies.

RELATED: 10 Amazing Times Akira Was Referenced By Other Anime

What came out of this effort was something that would stand the test of time, not just in the sense of its animation, but also in the atmosphere and plot established. The titular Akira caused the first fall of Tokyo, and a member of a vigilante biker gang is developing psychic powers akin to the ones Akira had, which sees Tetsuo, the biker, apprehended by the government.

7 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: Takes Place 1000 Years After The Seven Days Of Fire War

Nausicaa and her pet

Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind is a classic Miyazaki film, which was one of his earlier works. He actually adapted it from a manga he had written of the same name. The film takes place 1000 years after The Seven Days Of Fire, which was a war that resulted in a post-apocalyptic landscape and tribal nations at varying levels of psychological advancements. The film features plenty of environmental themes, a heroes-journey kind of plotline, and absolutely beautiful wildlife.

6 Texhnolyze: Portrays A City With Factions Who Are At War With One Another

Ichise fights for his life in Texhnolyze

Texhnolyzei is a modern classic of experimental anime, taking elements heavily from both the Cyberpunk and psychological drama genres. The anime is produced by Yasuyuki Ueda, who also produced and helped with the writing for Serial Experiments Lain, another anime from the same genre that's since become a cult classic. Texhnolyze draws on Dante's Inferno and other classical works to portray the near extinction of the human in a city filled with factions that are at war with each other.

5 Silent Mobius: Opening Up A Portal Which Leads To Earth's Invasion

Silent Möbius (2002)

Silent Mobius, like most other series in the Cyberpunk genre, is particularly influenced by Blade Runner, maybe being one of the most formative works in the genre.

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The plot circles around the pollution inherent in the earth's atmosphere, which is fixed with a plan to open up a portal to an alternate dimension to siphon the air out of our world. Instead, the earth is invaded by the people of Nemesis (the other world), and it follows the police force assigned to stop them.

4 A Wind Named Amnesia: A Mysterious Wind Erases The Memory Of All Humans Except For One Man

a wind named amnesia protagonists

A Wind Named Amnesia starts with a particularly interesting plot. Although it doesn't get the most press these days, it's one of the best "forgotten classics" of the genre. The series (and the anime film adaptation) take place in a world where a mysterious gust of wind swept over the entire earth, which erased any semblance of memory from the human mind, including things as fundamental as speech and writing. One man retained his memory, and it follows the journey of two men doing their best to figure out what went wrong.

3 Casshern Sins: Robots Overthrow The Human Race

Casshern in his armor in Casshern Sins.

Casshern Sins is actually a reboot of an earlier series from 1973, written by Hiroshi Sasagawa. While viewers probably wouldn't know it looking at Casshern Sins, the series it's based on is actually written by the mangaka behind series such as Speed Racer and plenty of other classic golden age anime.

RELATED: 10 Best Cyberpunk Anime of All Time, Ranked

The anime tells the story of humanity on the brink of extinction after the overthrow of the human race by robots. Eventually, conditions worsen and humanity can't reproduce. Casshern is our protagonist, the murderer of humanity's savior, Luna.

2 Now And Then, Here And There: A Kendo Enthusiast Enters A Dark Future Of Gangs & Murder

Anime Now and then, here and there sunset

Now And Then, Here And There is technically an Isekai. The series tells the story of the protagonist Shu, who's completely obsessed with a form of martial arts called Kendo. The show quickly declines from his idyllic life as he enters the future, where roving gangs pillage and murder as Shu does his best to protect his friend Lala-Ru. This series has received praise and comparison to Grave Of The Fireflies, so viewer discretion is advised on this one.

1 Blame!: The Protagonist Wanders Around "The City" Of Many Factions & Machinations

Killy Tae blame

Blame! is a manga series that's been around for a while, however, the film that came out recently on Netflix has only been around since 2017. The protagonist Killy wanders around "The City" which is essentially a character on its own. There are various factions operating in the city, hostile roving transhumans and cyborgs, and a hidden genetic marker that allows for control over the machinations of the city.

NEXT: 10 Best Yokai Anime, Ranked