You might think that watching anything related to apocalypse or post-apocalypse during these trying times is counterproductive but as far as their stories go, they're all about hope. The idea that humanity can be destroyed and rebuilt once again by the survivors is certainly a welcome thought.
It just so happens that no other television medium reiterates human beings' resilience better than anime (thank goodness for Japan). There is a long list of post-apocalyptic anime you ought to watch once you've exhausted your Netflix queue, and we're here to help you pick the best. So, here they are, your episodic does of hope, served Japanese-style.
10 DESERT PUNK
We would have recommended Tri-Gun but it's not quite post-apocalypse just yet. Instead, we give you Desert Punk, it's the closest anime you could have to the Fallout games assuming they had an unholy love child with Tri-Gun.
Desert Punk's premise is simple: it's the future, and Japan turned into a big desert. The remaining bastions of human civilization enforce what little laws they can but disputes and power plays are still mostly settled with bullets. At the heart of it all is the shonen-like mercenary named Kanta Mizuno.
9 FIST OF THE NORTH STAR
Fist of the North Star is practically Mad Max but with martial arts and over-the-top gore and action. It's also set in a ruined Japan where murderous gangs vying for power and control over what little remains.
Then, along comes Kenshiro who had the misfortune of having his fiancee kidnapped by an old rival. While rescuing her, Kenshiro straightens up twisted the post-apocalyptic landscape and its people using his fists and martial arts prowess. Easier said than done.
8 DR. STONE
Fist of the North Star too old for you? Then we present you some relative newcomers to the genre, Dr. Stone. This anime was released just last year and made waves for being a unique shonen. Basically, everyone on Earth becomes petrified and civilization crumbled.
Thousands of years later, a genius teenager named Senku Ishigami finds out that the petrification process preserved everyone and that it can be undone. Along with his friends both old and new, they set out to rebuild thousands of years of progress in human society.
7 THE PROMISED NEVERLAND
Speaking of new and fresh anime, The Promised Neverland is also up there with Dr. Stone. Its closest rival in anime history would be Attack on Titan and we all know how unique that one is. Anyway, The Promised Neverland operates in a similar setting to Attack on Titan.
Humanity is nothing but livestock for monsters or demons and the worst part was that they find children tastier than adults. Hence, orphanages are set up everywhere for that purpose. It wasn't long before three genius kids eventually found out and started staging a daring escape plan.
6 FROM THE NEW WORLD
From the New World is also quite new and quite a traumatic experience. Don't let that put you off from watching it though, it's every bit as beautiful as it is gory or disturbing. The story involves teenagers with the gift of telekinesis.
A small percentage of the population also began developing the same powers and with that, the world naturally plunged into war and chaos, ruining civilizations. As the gifted people try to found their own nation, the world (what remains of it) is threatened once again to be destroyed.
5 COPPELION
If you want something closer to reality, then Coppelion should be right up your alley. It's a post-apocalyptic anime that takes place in a near-contemporary setting and features an apocalypse triggered by a nuclear meltdown, similar to what happened in Chernobyl.
Somehow, three kawaii girls survived and managed to stave off the radiation and it's their task to look for survivors amid the desolation. Somewhere along with their search, they uncover some threats and dangers bigger than a nuclear meltdown itself.
4 HUMANITY HAS DECLINED
So far all of the post-apocalyptic anime you've seen are mostly bleak or ominous, sometimes even disheartening. That's why Humanity Has Declined is a refreshing take on post-apocalypse. It's happy, loud, and colorful with characters to back that up.
In Humanity Has Declined, human beings are on the verge of extinction because of their dwindling resources. Hence, they turned to fairies (yes, really) in order to give them sustenance. It's wacky alright, and certainly something that will cheer you up despite the post-apocalypse tag.
3 HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD
Where would the post-apocalypse genre be without the good old-fashioned zombie apocalypse? High School of the Dead grabs that opportunity and sprinkles it with lots of blood, shonen action, and fan service.
It's a simple anime; a zombie apocalypse happens and a group of high school students happens to be in the thick of it. As they fight for survival, they also discover a bigger and more sinister plot regarding the whole disaster.
2 GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET
The humans in Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet are so far into the post-apocalypse that they even thought Earth, the birthplace of humanity, was just a myth. That is until a man out of time named Ledo awakens from stasis thanks to his mech.
Even as some of the humans survived, they were still being plagued by a warlike alien species responsible for wrecking much of the human beings' creations. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet is one of the most visually pleasing anime on this list and is a treat for any sci-fi genre fan.
1 TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGANN
Last but not least, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. It's an anime as ridiculous and immoderate as its title. The Earth and human beings have been enslaved by alien creatures called the Beastmen. Humans are forced to live underground until a curious boy named Simon unearthed a mech along with his adopted older brother Kamina.
Together, the two of them rebel against the Beastmen and reclaim Earth in the most optimistic and shonen way possible, practically reversing their post-apocalypse status. Trust us when we say that no one can comprehend the level of awesomeness this anime offers.