Star Wars: The Mandalorian is a masterful entry in the sci-fi Western genre, one that stands out from the rest of the Star Wars franchise as a unique and independent work of fiction. There are several masterful anime out there that, much like The Mandalorian, draw upon the aesthetics of the Western in the world of science fiction.
For fans eager for more shows like The Mandalorian, here are seven anime that will scratch that itch for wandering bounty hunters, eccentric characters and worlds on the brink of destruction.
Cowboy Bebop
For many anime fans, Cowboy Bebop needs no introduction, but in case you're unfamiliar with the Bebop crew, they're a squad of bounty hunters traveling throughout the solar system searching for their next paycheck. Spike's a former mafioso who has lost any meaning in his life. Jet's an ex-space cop. Faye is a femme fatale who doesn't know her own past. Ed's a hyperactive elite hacker, and Ein the corgi might be the smartest of the bunch.
The anime follows their adventures across the galaxy as their pasts are thrust upon them. It's often regarded as one of the greatest anime ever made. Bebop is perhaps closer to The Mandalorian in terms of plot structure, style and tone than any other anime one could possibly recommend. It is essential viewing.
Galaxy Express 999
Galaxy Express 999, based on the classics manga by Leiji Matsumoto, is an ideal anime for anyone who enjoys The Mandalorian. Airing from 1978-1981, it is a contemporary of the original Star Wars that matches the sheer imagination of that saga. Galaxy Express 999 is part of the greater universe Matsumoto created, which includes Captain Harlock and Queen Emeraldas.
The original anime series focuses on a young boy looking to become a robot to avenge his mother. To reach these goals, he takes a trip on the Galaxy Express, a railroad system that travels from planet to planet. The journeys he embarks on feel very much like those in The Mandalorian, as episodic adventures up to a greater whole.
Space Dandy
Space Dandy, directed by Cowboy Bebop's Shinichirō Watanabe, presents a universe full of possibilities, brilliant animation and irreverent satirical humor, laughing in the face of convention by being downright absurd. Dandy's adventures across the stars are very loose on continuity, with each episode taking place in different parallel universes.
No other adventure anime out there follows the rule-of-cool quite like Space Dandy. Space Dandy's sillier nature is obviously very different from The Mandalorian, which has to adhere relatively strictly to established Star Wars lore, but fans of The Mandalorian should appreciate Space Dandy's free-spirited sense of adventure.
Outlaw Star
Gene Starwind, a jack-of-all-trades, is just some kid who ends up taking up a job bodyguarding a famous outlaw. When things so south, Gene finds himself the owner of an advanced prototype ship they call the Outlaw Star. They find themselves steered on a journey to find the Galactic Leyline, which will bring them untold treasures. Antics ensue.
In the hierarchy of sci-fi anime, few are as widely beloved as Outlaw Star. For many who grew up with Toonami in the early 2000s, this served as the ultimate alternative to Cowboy Bebop, featuring a more fantastic and wild future. It has a heavier overall conflict, while still maintaining the more episodic nature that Cowboy Bebop became famous for. If you're a fan of how The Mandalorian mixes episodic one-off adventures in-between key plot-shifting events, then this might be for you.
Desert Punk
Japan has been nuked to oblivion. In the fallout, scavengers survive by stealing what they can and fighting for the rest. One wandering mercenary, Kanta Mizuno, known as the Desert Punk, survives thanks to his cunning, bravery, and sheer skill. The series follows his many adventures as he encounters new companions and finds himself in the crosshairs of those with power in this devastated society.
Like The Mandalorian, Desert Punk's main character is a masked hired gun. However, it's similar in a different, less obvious way: both Mizuno and Din Djarin are trying to survive in a collapsed society, one that rewards success but punishes failure.
Trigun
Vash the Stampede, the Humanoid Typhoon, is a walking disaster. Wherever he goes, destruction rests in his path -- though, bizarrely enough, no deaths. An insurance company sends two agents to find the Humanoid Typhoon, only to receive the shock of their lives when they find a good-humored gunslinger who hates taking lives. The first half of the series follows an episodic series of missions and adventures, while the second delves into Vash's history.
Trigun often feels more Western than sci-fi, thanks to its other-worldly setting and complete removal from anything modern. While Vash has little in common with Djarin personality-wise, the two are both enigmatic gunslingers with dark pasts. The series combines intense action with heavy emotions, especially in its second half.
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise
This might seem like an odd recommendation. Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise is an anime film that, on the surface, does not appear much like The Mandalorian. It isn't an action series, nor is it much of a Western. However, what Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise accomplishes is creating a sci-fi setting that feels as though it is on the cusp of reconstruction.
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise centers on a young man who volunteers to become the first astronaut. It is an alternate history world, grounded in hard sci-fi. Aesthetically, the anime film feels more akin to a historical depiction of space travel, but it also captures the sense of underdog science fiction key to The Mandalorian's appeal. In the face of a story far larger than itself, Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise features regular humans accomplishing small missions, ultimately changing the course of history as a result. Similarly, much of the appeal of The Mandalorian is in how small people can find greatness in a world as grand as Star Wars' galaxy far, far away.