Top 10 90s Anime Intros

These tracks opened the gates of anime during our childhood. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we are counting down our picks for Top 10 90sAnime Openings/Intros.

For this list, we are considering both English and Japanese versions of each opening as long as they were released during the 1990s.

“Mobile Suit Gundam Wing” (1995-96)

Serving as the original opening to the mega-successful “Mobile Suit Gundam Wing”, “Just Communication” quickly gets our blood pumping for the mecha warfare that was about to ensue. It’s got all your typical 90s anime-opening tropes: hair blowing in the wind, an abundance of tilts and pans, and more flashing lights than an EDM concert. Many of you may be more familiar with this instrumental ending theme, if you caught the show on toonami back in the day. But for our money, Just communication is the gundam wing theme song.

“Outlaw Star” (1998)

Damn. This opening hits you like a ton of bricks.
Through the Night takes no time getting fired up, fitting for an adrenaline fuelled space opera with no brakes. This song was, for many, their first exposure to J-Rock, as it was surprisingly kept in for the western broadcast of the show. Setting the stage for the cool and stylish adventures of Gene Starwind and his crew, this song never got tiresome to listen to over the 24-episodes that aired.

“Digimon: Digital Monsters” (1999-03)

Alright, alright, we know this isn’t exactly the most lyrically adventurous song – and many of you out there may complain that you preferred the Japanese opening – but this song ear-wormed its way into our hearts. This song is catchy as hell, we’re still singing it decades later – not that awful digi-rap from the movie though. Above all, it tells you everything you need to know in so few words – Digimon…digital monsters…digimon are the champions. Need they say more? Probably, but they’re not going to.

“Yu Yu Hakusho” (1992-94)

Here’s a song that’ll put a smile on your face. The first and only theme for “Yu Yu Hakusho”, which follows “Spirit Detective” Yusuke Urameshi as he takes down some of the nastiest ghost and demons around. We have to say, this song takes a pretty cheery approach to such a dark show. No complaints here though – it somehow works! “Smile Bomb” was later covered in the English version of the show by Sara White and Carl Finch, giving the song worldwide popularity.

“Serial Experiments Lain” (1998)

It’s about time we moved to the more avant-garde realm of anime. Written and performed by English rock band Boa, “Duvet” matches the melancholy nature of the series. Boa’s lead vocalist Jasmine Rodgers provides eerily haunting vocal work that flows with the dark and deceptive tone that “Serial Experiments Lain” portrays. It adds another level of surrealism to an already mind-bending premise, one you might not find in any other series. Hell, you could probably show this song to normies and they’d be none the wiser.

“Sailor Moon” (1992-97)

Don’t act like you don’t love it. You love it. Whether you watched the show or not, this little number managed to reach your ears back in the 90s. Starting with a star wars-esque opening crawl, We get a glimpse of everything the show has to offer; kick ass ladies, villainous monsters, romance and sparkles! The song actually uses the same tune as the Japanese opening for “Sailor Moon S” by DALI, though that version didn’t have the bodacious guitar solo.

“Cowboy Bebop” (1998-99)

Make way for a 90’s classic. The first and only suitable opening for Spike and the Bebop crew, “Tank” adds a layer of class to an already epic space western. Whether it be from the jazzy upbeat drum line or the thunderous horn work from The Seatbelts, “Tank!” takes “Cowboy Bebop” to the next level. While it is primarily an instrumental piece, it hasn’t stopped fans from strumming along. Accompanied by the silhouettes and colourful backdrops, this opening title has an aesthetic like no other.

“Dragonball Z” (1989-96)

Already singing along? Again, it would be quite simple to write a transcript of this song’s lyrics – but the catchiness is undeniable. Earning its spot as the English opening for “Dragonball Z”, “Rock the Dragon” doesn’t just depict the chaos and hardcore action that DBZ has in store for us but is also a solid rock song that pushes you to the limit. But maybe you’re more familiar with the Japanese theme “Head Cha-La” or the Canadian “ocean” dub’s theme song. And while they’re just as good, we will gladly rock the dragon any day.

“Neon Genesis Evangelion” (1995-96)

Who is ready for a deep discussion on philosophy that is cleverly disguised as entertainment? We are! Opening with Yoko Takahashi’s angelic vocals, the series follows teengager Shinji as he saves the world against invading monsters known only as Angels. Though you might be thinking that this upbeat j-pop song doesn’t quite fit the dark themes of the show – and neither did director Hideaki Anno, either. In fact, he actually wanted to use the classical “Polovetsian Dances” by Borodin – so let’s see how that would’ve gone…[…plays Polovetsian Dances over the Evangelion opening video]…ehh, maybe we’ll stick to the Cruel Angel’s Thesis.

Before we belt along with our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.



“We Are!” by Hiroshi Kitadani

“One Piece” (1999-)


“H.T.” by Tsuneo Imahori

“Trigun” (1998)


“Give a Reason” by Megumi Hayashibara

“Slayers Next” (1996)

“Pokemon” (1997-)

If you weren’t chanting along with one of our earlier entries, we surely got you with our number 1 pick. The “Pokemon Theme” embodies what it meant to watch anime during the 90’s. This theme pushed us to be ready for adventure while at the same time teaching fans core values and life lessons – and boy were we disappointed when they replaced it. The song has since been covered, but never quite captured the magic of the original. 4Kids didn’t get a lot of things right with their translations…but with this song, they knocked it out the park.


Do you agree with our list? What is your favorite 90’s anime opening? For more nostalgic top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.