Star Wars is one of the most famous franchises in the entire world. The original films from the 70s and 80s were — and still are — a pop culture phenomenon. The other six films in the series also have their fans. However, Star Wars has some glaring flaws that make it difficult to enjoy or seem clichéd.

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Anime has been another global phenomenon that swept the world outside Japan starting in the 2000s. There are so many good stories throughout anime that fans have gained an appreciation for it over the years. Some anime have even surpassed Star Wars in quality. While Star Wars can seem boring and predictable by today's standards, anime has found so many new ways to entertain audiences over the years.

10 Berserk Is Dark Fantasy Goodness

Guts holding his sword in Berserk.

Berserk follows the tale of Guts, a mercenary who gets picked up by the Band of the Hawk, and his eventual quest for revenge against their leader, Griffith. The original anime series ran for 25 episodes in the late 1990s. The author, Kentaro Miura, passed away last year and his artwork and writing for the series are fondly remembered.

Berserk doesn't pull any punches when it comes to content. Characters are brutally murdered on a regular basis, guilty or innocent. The series is about overcoming the odds despite all the issues Guts has to deal with. Despite ending on a cliffhanger and the more recent adaptation being a bit lackluster, Berserk continues to drive audiences to persevere and do better. Berserk is a better story than Star Wars because of this. Star Wars can seem like a jumbled mess at times with no real purpose while Berserk set out to teach its audience how to be better people.

9 Death Note Is All Mind Games

Ryuk with an apple in Death Note.

Death Note is about a notebook with the power to kill people. It falls into the hands of a teenage genius who uses it to rid the world of scum. The series explores the nature of morality across 37 episodes.

Despite some story missteps and questionable portrayals of women, Death Note's overall story is better than Star Wars. The Star Wars films seemed to make things up as they went along, whereas Death Note was a meticulously planned-out story. Death Note is also a compact series with very few loose ends.

8 One-Punch Man Is A Hit

Saitama from One-Punch Man with his arms folded.

One-Punch Man follows Saitama, a man who can defeat anyone with a single punch. He became a superhero because life as a salaryman was unfulfilling. He quickly finds that superheroism is nothing without a challenge. Despite an overpowered main character, there is quite a bit of tension in the series involving other heroes as well as hilarious comedic elements.

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One-Punch Man is really about a man dealing with his mental health. Saitama remains unfulfilled no matter what he does. Even after attaining his goal, Saitama feels hollow. It's through the relationships he builds that he gets back on his feet and learns to live again. Star Wars just seems to be a typical hero's journey story and not quite as interesting.

7 My Hero Academia Saves The Day

Deku uses One For All in My Hero Academia.

My Hero Academia is about Deku, a boy who gains superpowers thanks to a chance encounter with his superhero idol. He attends a hero academy to learn how to be the best superhero he can be. Deku and his friends at the academy get caught up in sports festivals, school hijinx, and supervillains.

My Hero Academia is all about heart. Most people in its world are born with powers while Deku was not. Deku has proven time and again that it's what's on the inside that counts for being a hero. The story also deals with such themes as alienation and abuse. My Hero Academia treats these topics with respect and perpetrators are not unnecessarily glorified. My Hero Academia has far better fights than Star Wars and doesn't need flashy special effects to draw an audience.

6 91 Days Is A Great Mob Show

An image from 91 Days.

91 Days is a classic tale of revenge. A boy watches his family being killed by a crime family. Seven years later, he resurfaces as a man and tries to join the family to get his revenge. The series aired in 2016 and is a hidden gem of the 2010s.

91 Days has good tension and drama. There are so many moments when the audience is on the edge of its seat. There's so much backstabbing that fans question whose side everyone is really on. The English dub is also amazing, from the accents to the acting itself. Compared to 91 Days, the character relationships in Star Wars are quite basic and not nearly as compelling.

5 Jujutsu Kaisen Is Scary Good

Itadori using his Cursed Technique (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Jujutsu Kaisen concerns a boy who devours a cursed object and becomes cursed himself. He is sentenced to death, but he is then saved and enrolled in a high school dedicated to curses and cursed techniques. The first season aired in 2020 and has been a huge hit with shonen fans.

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Jujutsu Kaisen knows just how to utilize darker story themes. Tragedies are plentiful, and the story doesn't pull any punches when it comes to things like death. The series has great characters and epic battles. Jujutsu Kaisen may even be one of the best shonen anime in recent memory. Star Wars is tired at this point; it utilizes some basic character archetypes in clichéd ways. Jujutsu Kaisen's characters are way more interesting.

4 Mobile Suit Gundam Is A Mecha Classic

The RX782 Gundam launches in Mobile Suit Gundam.

The Gundam franchise is one of the oldest sci-fi anime franchises in Japan. It all started with Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979. From there, the series grew and became one of the best-selling anime franchises of all time. Through its anti-war message and cool mecha designs, the series has captivated generations of fans.

Gundam has many entries and most of them are quite good. Star Wars, on the other hand, varies greatly in quality. The Gundam franchise is also consistent in its themes while Star Wars constantly flip-flops on things and brings back characters — like Palpatine — for no reason.

3 Samurai Champloo Is Very Cool

Fuu, Jin, and Mugen in Samurai Champloo.

Samurai Champloo features three wanderers who are in search of a man who smells like sunflowers. The series combines great action with fresh hip-hop beats in a style that meshes surprisingly well. The series was a 2000s classic and was one of Manglobe's greatest successes.

Samurai Champloo is a unique mix of genres that hasn't been done before or since. Star Wars has been copied and parodied so much that some moviegoers have gotten sick of its formula. Champloo is a one-of-a-kind experience filled with some of the best storytelling and music in anime.

2 Cowboy Bebop Is As Smooth As Jazz

Spike aims at Vincent in Cowboy Bebop The Movie.

Cowboy Bebop is one of the most popular anime among Western fans. The series follows the crew of the Bebop as they hunt down criminals to make a living. The series ran for 26 episodes in the late 90s and featured a great soundtrack and excellent drama.

Bebop remains one of the most well-regarded anime in the West with its jazz aesthetic and relatable characters. It took genres like science fiction and Westerns and combined them for an amazing effect. Star Wars did similar genre-bending with sci-fi and samurai films, but the quality of the films tends to vary.

1 Avatar: The Last Airbender Bent Expectations

Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Avatar: The Last Airbender follows a boy who is both the last of his kind and the savior of a war-torn world. The boy, Aang, must master the four elements and stop the Fire Nation from taking over the world. Along the way, he finds friendship and love and wrestles with his pacifist convictions.

Avatar is a true masterpiece among anime. From strong character arcs to powerful lessons for all audiences, it's truly a breathtaking experience. Star Wars has captivated fans, but a lot of fans would argue that only the original trilogy is worth consuming. Avatar: The Last Airbender is truly great, and anime fans of all ages owe it to themselves to watch it as soon as they possibly can.