10 best canon anime movies, ranked
The best canon anime movies are an interesting topic to discuss because they have to be excellent and also do justice to the source material. Some films do not adapt events from the manga or light novels and are inclusions to the canon, such as the example of the Broly film in the Dragon Ball franchise.
Be that as it may, all of the best canon anime movies tend to stand out because of the animation, the narrative, the soundtrack, and overall working as a complete story. These are some of the best in the market in that regard, ranked from the least excellent to the finest.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series mentioned here. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.
The 10 best canon anime movies and why, ranked
10. Jujutsu Kaisen 0
When it comes to the best canon anime movies in the market, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 might be one of the first examples that comes to people's minds. Not only because of the sheer quality of the product in question, but also due to this movie being about one of the most popular anime in recent years, alongside being part of a new wave of canon films that have taken this market in a new direction.
This film adapts volume 0 of author Gege Akutami's manga, which was initially a standalone series before its success. It follows a teenager named Yuta Okkotsu, whose childhood crush Rika Orimoto died and became a Curse, a spirit who is connected to him. He is saved by a sorcerer named Satoru Gojo and joins Jujutsu High in Tokyo, where people like him are trained to destroy Curses.
This story is fairly straightforward and a classic battle shonen series, but it has become one of the best canon anime movies because of the what studio MAPPA does. It elevates the fighting sequences, such as Satoru Gojo vs. Miguel, and also adds some extra scenes that make certain moments a lot more compelling for the viewer.
9. Trigun: Badlands Rumble
When it comes to the case of the best canon anime movies, the example of Trigun: Badlands Rumble might be one of the most peculiar. Released in 2010 by Madhouse, the studio that adapted the 90s anime, it fits within the canon of the manga but is a new story.
Gasback is a thief who stole from people twelve years prior to the beginning of the story and was stopped by Vash the Stampede to save the lives of innocent people. However, Gasback manages to escape and continues with his life of crime, with the movie featuring the return of the character and his encounter with Vash.
8. Sailor Moon Cosmos part 1 and 2
The original Sailor Moon anime from the 90s is iconic and pushed the franchise to become a worldwide phenomenon, but Toei Animation took a lot of creative liberties. Most of these decisions, such as the constant filler, were understandable since the anime was catching up to author Naoko Takeuchi's manga, but fans weren't given a faithful adaptation of the source material.
However, a few years ago, the Sailor Moon Crystal series by Toei was a much more loyal anime to the manga, and later released a few films for the next few arcs. Sailor Moon Cosmos is a two-part film that covers Usagi's fight with Sailor Galaxia and is one of the best canon anime movies in recent years.
The stellar animation, voice acting, and music fit perfectly with the dark and tragic first act as Sailor Galaxia quickly defeats everyone close to Usagi, slowly leaving her on her own. The second act is equally memorable as Sailor Moon has to prepare to face her rival in a battle for the faith universe, showing stakes grander than ever before.
7. Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul
Made in Abyss is one of the most underrated anime series, combining a fantasy setting with some compelling and dark storytelling. In that regard, there have been several film adaptations of the manga, and the most famous was the third one, which came out in 2020, Dawn of the Deep Soul.
The first two movies of the franchise cover the first 13 episodes of the anime adaption but Dawn of the Deep Soul serves as an extension of the plot involving Riko's efforts to become a master Cave Raider. This movie covers the events of the Ido Front arc and focuses heavily on the dynamics between Nanachi and Bondrewd, which is one of the best moments of the series.
6. Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door
A great edge that Cowboy Bebop has over most series is that it mostly doesn't have an overarching plot but rather focuses on a lot of episodic storylines. This makes the context of a film a lot more flexible, thus paving the way for one of the most underrated and best canon anime films, Knockin' On Heaven's Door.
Spike and his crew have to deal with the threat of a biological terrorist who may become a major danger across the galaxy. It seems like a typical affair for this group but is a perfect representation of a classic Cowboy Bebop adventure, and also has the benefit of a higher budget for animation, thus giving audiences everything they could ask for in this franchise.
The title of the movie is a reference to the hit song by artist Bob Dylan, which was later popularized even further by the North American rock band, Gun 'N' Roses.
5. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train
Among the best canon anime movies, there are few as important in the history of the medium as Demon Slayer: Mugen Train. This film not only capitalized on the success of the first season of the anime adaptation by Ufotable, but also proved that there was a wide market to adapt arcs from the manga in movie format.
The movie was a worldwide success, becoming one of the highest-grossing movies in the history of Japan, and also turned Demon Slayer into one of the most popular franchises in the world. This arc, in particular, features Tanjiro and his friends, tagging along on a train with one of the Hashira, Rengoku, as they have to protect innocent civilians from a powerful demon.
The plot isn't overly complex and doesn't try to reinvent the wheel but is an enjoyable battle shonen movie with some amazing moments. Most fans have placed it as one of the best canon anime movies simply because of the battle Rengoku has with the third Upper Moon, Akaza, and the memorable conclusion this combat has in the film.
4. Dragon Ball Super: Broly
Making one of the best canon anime movies of all time doesn't always require having the most complex plot but rather knowing what the franchise is about and delivering something excellent that celebrates the spirit of the series. Dragon Ball Super: Broly is a great example of how to celebrate the latter part of the franchise, while also pushing the envelope with the canon.
As the title suggests, this movie is about the legendary Super Saiyan, Broly, and how he became an official part of the canon. While he retains some elements from the 90s movies, this version of the character was revamped by author Akira Toriyama, with a lot of people preferring this version to the original.
The vast majority of the film is Goku and Vegeta having to fight Broly because of the latter's father, Paragus, and he are being manipulated by Frieza. It is one of the best canon anime movies because of the animation, strong characterization, and some of the best battles in the franchise, with the final Gogeta vs. Broly fight being borderline historical these days.
3. Gintama: The Very Final
A big reason why the best canon anime movies work is because they do justice to the source material. In that regard, Gintama: The Very Final serves as a fitting conclusion to one of the finest anime and manga franchises of the last thirty years, elevating the original story with stellar animation and a good soundtrack.
Gintoki, Shinpachi, and Kagura have to fight Utsuro— an immortal entity— to bring back peace to the universe, which is a fitting level of insanity for the franchise. This film had to fulfill a lot of expectations and managed to do so with gusto, to the point of becoming one of the best canon films of all time.
2. Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle
Some of the best canon anime movies work because they capture a great arc or moment from the source material and Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle is certainly a great example of that. It captures Hinata Shoyo and the rest of the Karasuno High volleyball team going up against Nekoma High in the nationals, which is a rivalry that has been built for years in the series.
The stakes are greater than ever since it is do or die for both teams, and this match is also key for concluding the growing rivalry between Hinata and Kenma Kozume. They are direct opposites in terms of mentality, personality, and abilities, but this film does a phenomenal job of fleshing them out, thus delivering a fitting and satisfying conclusion.
This also ranks as one of the best canon anime movies when it comes to animation and fluidity. Adapting sports anime is always a nightmare for studios because of the constant movement, but Production I.G. proved once again why they were the best choice to adapt this series.
1. The End of Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most iconic and celebrated anime of all time. This series tries to branch out beyond the classic tropes of the mecha genre, while also exploring topics such as depression, identity, and overall the nature of the child soldier that is so prevalent in the medium, thus becoming a fan favorite in the community.
However, there is a general perception that the anime's final episodes in the 90s version were fairly ambitious and had some great moments and visuals, but didn't make a lot of sense. That was mostly due to budget reasons, which is why the overarching narrative of the ending doesn't work as well as the previous episodes.
All of that was fixed with the 1997 film, The End of Evangelion, whose title is self-explanatory. It is one of the best canon anime movies since it adds greater context to the ending of the series, and it is always advised to watch this film prior to the last two episodes.
Final thoughts
There are other projects that could qualify as some of the best canon anime movies of all time but these are some of the most prominent. These films have been outstanding success stories in their respective franchises, and some of them have even pushed the envelope of what can be done in this format in terms of animation and storytelling.
Related articles
- 10 Dragon Ball characters who deserve Conqueror's Haki
- 8 high school anime characters who are bigger bullies than Bakugo from My Hero Academia
- 10 anime characters who are louder than Black Clover's Asta
- 10 anime main characters more heroic than Deku