Top 20 Anime Opening Songs

“Steins;Gate” (2011)

One of the greatest sci-fi anime of all time demands an opening that can capture its intrinsic, time-jumping essence. Thankfully, they did just that. Blending together a killer, hard rock edge along with electronic interludes, the whole thing has this cold, robotic nature to it, and yet beneath the surface is practically seething thanks to the strength of its percussion. Kind of like how despite being presented as a series centred around calculations and physics, Okabe’s ventures are very much about the human will and its ability to overcome scientific obstacles. Final grade? Kurisu out of ten.

“Tokyo Ghoul” (2014)

While Kaneki’s tale has always been a tragedy, the opening for the most part has a serene atmosphere to it, especially due to those heavenly vocals that hint at the fading innocence of the cast. At least until the shredding starts. From there, everything becomes far more intense, to the point where it all seems like it's about to shatter, in no small part to the vocals verging on the edge of screaming. Yet it still maintains its shape, balancing its duality like few could have hoped! Broken yet beautiful.

“Bleach” (2004-12)

While certainly the least explosive and dramatic of this shounen’s multitude of openings, it is by and large the most recognisable of the batch, serving as the intro to what would become Ichigo’s career as a Substitute Shinigami. With a mellow rhythm along with the Japanese rap rock vibe we’ve all come to love, this opening gives us flashes of the adventures ahead, while also keeping things surprisingly chill. Instead of watching the Gotei 13 go to war with Hollows, we’ve got the Karakura crew rocking some slick outfits while the beat plays on, and it all works surprisingly well!

“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (2009-10)

Every fan has got their favourite Elric song, each serving as its own musical tour de force while illustrating the next arc of the narrative with crystal precision. Given how we’re all about that hype, we’re naturally veering to the penultimate opening. You’ve got the entire cast battling against the Homonculi just as chorus reaches its peak, setting the stage for the anime’s final payoff. Admit it, when that guitar kicked in just as Ed and AL faced off against Pride, your adrenaline spiked!

“My Hero Academia” (2016-)

From fanboy to the hero of tomorrow, Deku’s journey is the shounen underdog fantasy that we can’t get enough of. Of course, every journey has to start somewhere, and what better way to kick things off than this? Highlighting Class 1-A’s origins, the bitter rivalry between Midoriya and Bakugo, as well as All Might symbolically handing the reins over to the next generation of heroes, the opening accomplishes all this with an upbeat edge that truly provides a sense of a new beginning, with something spectacular on the horizon.

“Yuri on Ice” (2016)

When focusing on a series that specialises in something as elegant, beautiful and touching as this, you need an opening that perfectly encompasses its best elements. Needless to say, they nailed it here. This sequence is a flawless performance from a visual standpoint as well as with its accompanying song. There’s such a sense of triumph on display here, showcasing Yuri and Viktor as they demonstrate their techniques on the ice. With such graceful movements and seamless transitions, it’s no wonder it etched itself into everyone’s ears.

“Bakemonogatari” (2009-10)

Quintessential Monogatari, that’s the only way to describe this one. And by that we mean the visuals are an absolute spectacle with rich detail, colour and brimming with imagination. It’s also misleading as all hell. The sweet and playful vocals, the bounce of the musical arrangement, how cheerful Nadeko looks as she dominates the opening with her cuteness…sorry to say but the whole thing is a ruse so it can blacken your soul when you get around to watching the anime later on. That being said, it’s still seriously catchy!

“Saint Seiya” (1986-89)

Holy Athena those riffs are fire! While it might start off like something out of your average Super Sentai, things soon pick up, just as we see Seiya and the rest of the Saints leap onto the screen and start strutting their stuff. We can only imagine what it was like for newcomers back then to have their minds blown as they watched a gaggle of galactic pretty boys start punching out monsters while the vocalist is yelling about Pegasi!

“Mob Psycho 100” (2016-19)

Whoever said basic math couldn’t make for a great song clearly has never met Mob and his choir. Sure, unless you know what to look out for, the visuals are a radiant mess of incomprehensible insanity, but that doesn’t make the complete package any less awesome. As the climb to the number ninety nine continues, everything else escalates with it – the swell of the electronic rock, the force of the vocals, all culminating in the musical equivalent of Mob going on one of his esper rampages!

“Fist of the North Star” (1984-88)

Are you shock? You will be after listening to this! It’s as if the best action tropes of the 80s were all combined into one unapologetically macho track, complete with all the visuals you could want of Kenshiro ripping off his top with force alone. Is it cheesy? Absolutely. But it still serves as the perfect counterbalance to a series set in a nuclear wasteland filled with raiders and super-powered martial artists. It’s the proud theme of one of anime’s greatest OGs, so we’ve got to give it its due!

“One-Punch Man” (2015-19)

This song had so much power and weight behind it that it smashed the mainstream, kind of like Saitama himself. Light on the comedy and big on the action, the song explodes from the opening punch, bombarding us with incredible guitar work and hefty vocals. From there, it just keeps building and building. For every giant and impossible monster that Saitama smashes off screen, the song continues to escalate, all before reaching a climax so intense that it’s probably the closest we’ll get to feeling like Boros did when he got wasted by that Serious Punch.

“One Piece” (1999-)

Perpetuating that sense of adventure that dominated the earlier aspects of Luffy’s pirate career, this opening is an excellent intro to the Straw Hat’s voyage, highlighting the key players and the fantastical elements that could only have been conjured by Oda. All the while, the music merrily chugs along while spouting about the thrill of dreams, exploration, and getting into all kinds of crazy confrontations with your crew by your side! Set sail and give it another listen!

“Code Geass” (2006-08)

When you’re overthrowing an Empire, you only need three things: the threads, the squad, and the soundtrack, and wouldn’t you know it, Zero has all three. Despite being a series focusing on the rise of a revolutionary taking on the totalitarian rule of the corrupt elite, the opening has got some funk to it! You’ve got a parade of mecha, seamingly no end of waifus, some crazy lad capable of making miracles with his eyes, and all this other madness going on, yet the soundtrack is surprisingly victorious in its presentation. We’re guessing Lelouch and his Geass had some words with FLOW.

“Cowboy Bebop” (1998-99)

There’s no way to describe this song other than cool. But not just any kind of cool, Spike Spiegel levels of cool. Strutting its stuff with a powerhouse jazz sound that is sure to cure anyone’s Real Folk Blues, the way that sax blasts out those notes is so top tier that it turns its lack of vocals into a strength. Decades on and this one is still guaranteed to get fingers clicking, especially when it comes to those exquisite ending notes. Bring it on home Bebop!

“Attack on Titan” (2013-)

Bringing the hype like few can, blasting this track out inspired a whole generation of anime fans to pound their chests, grab some 3D manoeuvre gear and go off to slay some Titans. The distorted vocals combined with the operatic additions really grants the whole opening this huge sense of scale, which is probably handy when you’re portraying a lone soldier zipping through the air to take on a monster the size of a city. Some say this song goes with anything and we certainly don’t disagree!

“Serial Experiments Lain” (1998)

It’s a rarity for an non-Japanese song to be used as the opening for an anime, but we’re grateful that in this instance this one made the cut, given how its soulful melody and dark undertones perfectly reflect Lain’s own sinister reality. While the song certainly makes for a cheery listen the first time you spin it, the more you delve into Boa’s lyrics, the sense of unravelling and paranoia starts to become clear, especially with the interjected scenes of Lain being broadcast through the Wired.

“Naruto” (2002-07)

Honestly, it seems like the Naruto franchise will continue to unleash new openings until the sun goes out, but for our buck this one from the shinobi’s earlier years just about clinches it for the best of the bunch! The energy and pulsating beat of the music works marvellously as the opening highlights each character in the most shounen way imaginable. Sure, the vocals get so wild near the end you think the guy is having a stroke, but it still hits its mark and gets us more than a little fired up for the Chunin Exams!

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” (2012)

Everyone’s got their favourite JoJo opening, and while others might have a bit more swag, no one can deny that this was a hell of a way to kick off one of the most iconic anime franchises in recent memory. Jonathan Joestar’s battle against Dio may have been a bit rough around the edges, but at the very least he had an opening that got your blood pumping, especially with the constantly building tempo, all leading up to that final “JoJo”. Seriously, was the vocalist channelling Hamon there?

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

Now this is a classic. While we in the west got to indulge in “Rock the Dragon”, back over with the rising sun, the original had something a tad more on the electronic side. With a sick riff cutting right through its iconic chorus, this song is as much a part of the franchise as the Kamehameha and Krillin’s death count. There’s just such joy to be found in the opening seconds as we see Goku spiral onto the scene, the vocals resonating out like the voice Kami! No wonder they keep bringing it back.

Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honourable mentions.

Kiseki no Umi, “Record of Lodoss War” (1998)
A truly magnificent opening for even the most hardcore D&D fans!

Ah Yeah!!, “Haikyu!!” (2014-)
Spiking Its Way Into the Hearts and Ears of Fans Everywhere.

Voracity, “Overlord” (2015-18)
Evil Has Never Sounded So Good!


Inferno, “Fire Force” (2019-)
Lit in More Ways Than One.

Kaen, “Dororo” (2019)
That Drop Will Hit You Harder Than Hyakkmaru’s Blades.

Howling, “The Seven Deadly Sins” (2014-)
Will Rock You Like Only Escanor Can!

“Neon Genesis Evangelion” (1995-96)

You have to wonder, was Shinji’s refusal to get in the robot all due to it not having a speaker system so he couldn’t blast this song? Because if we had our own Eva Unit, you can bet we’d have this track on loop while ripping Angels a new hole. Digging into its evangelical theme, the opening moments are reminiscent of a classical overture…at least until the beat drops. From there, the whole thing gives way to a non-stop barrage of unsubtle text and random shots of Eva-01 causing carnage, all the while the song transcends into this groovy anthem that uplifts and excites you for the events ahead. Not if you’re Shinji of course.