Top Anime Similar to Cowboy Bebop

Shinichirō Watanabe has been a trailblazer in the realm of sci-fi anime since his co-direction of the acclaimed Macross franchise with Macross Plus. Over his illustrious 35-year career, Watanabe has crafted some of the most beloved and influential series, including Cowboy Bebop, a jazz-infused masterpiece that follows a group of intrepid space adventurers navigating the neo-noir expanse of the cosmos. The series' iconic score, composed by Yoko Kanno, has played a pivotal role in its enduring appeal, keeping it relevant through live performances, soundtrack re-releases, and more.

Cowboy Bebop has significantly influenced the landscape of cinema and storytelling, with creators such as Rian Johnson of Star Wars, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Diego Molano of Victor and Valentino citing it as a major inspiration for their work.

6 Best Anime Like Cowboy Bebop

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Cowboy Bebop also stands out as one of the few anime series that has captivated even non-anime fans. This, along with its other merits, solidifies its place as a vital and enduring part of the anime canon. If you're looking for what to watch after your latest or first binge of Cowboy Bebop, here is a curated list of the best space-faring, globe-trotting, and morally-ambiguous anime to explore next.

Lazarus

Adult Swim

Our first recommendation is Watanabe's latest series, Lazarus, which premiered on Adult Swim at midnight on April 5th. Produced by MAPPA and Sola Entertainment, with John Wick director Chad Stahelski overseeing the art direction and original compositions by Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, and Bonobos, Lazarus is arguably the most anticipated anime release of the year. It serves as a stylistic companion to Cowboy Bebop, returning to the gritty, underdog sci-fi vibe of that series, contrasting with Watanabe's more recent works like Carole & Tuesday, and feeling remarkably relevant in 2025.

The series follows the aftermath of a life-saving miracle drug that turns fatal three years after its use, endangering millions. Enter our protagonist, Axel, a regular convict and jailbreaker tasked with assembling a team to track down the drug's enigmatic creator and secure an antidote within just 30 days. Brace yourself for a thrilling, darkly wild journey.

Terminator Zero

Netflix

Continuing with the grounded and bleak approach to sci-fi, next is Terminator Zero, an impressive addition to the Terminator universe from director Masashi Kudō, Production IG, and creator Mattson Tomlin (known for directing Netflix's Project Power with Jamie Foxx). While it's more serious than Cowboy Bebop and much of Watanabe's work, its stylish action and impeccable gunplay will satisfy fans craving that particular thrill, filling the void left by Cowboy Bebop in their action-anime diet.

For a contemporary sci-fi narrative that reflects current technological and cultural landscapes, Terminator Zero stands unrivaled in 2025. If you're seeking an aesthetically pleasing and cutting-edge anime that matches Cowboy Bebop's visual appeal, this series, which reimagines the Terminator franchise's Judgment Day through a distinctly Japanese lens, is a must-watch.

Space Dandy

Crunchyroll

This addition to the Shinichirō Watanabe catalog sees him stepping back to serve as general director, with Shingo Natsume at the helm, for this humorous serialized space opera produced by the Japanese animation studio Bones. If you're yearning for a lighthearted throwback to classic Saturday morning cartoons that evokes the same nostalgia as Cowboy Bebop, this is an excellent choice.

Filled with references to classic sci-fi and anime, Space Dandy follows the titular character, an outer space bounty hunter on a mission to discover and register new alien lifeforms. With style akin to Spike and Faye Valentine and enough swagger to save the world, Dandy's adventures take unexpected and existential turns as he explores the truths of the universe alongside his quirky crew of a robot and a cat. Though it might not have achieved the global success of Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy is highly rewatchable, visually stunning, and incredibly entertaining.

Lupin 3rd

Tokyo Movie

For a series that captures the adventurous spirit and sense of limitless potential found in Cowboy Bebop, look no further than the delightfully engaging crime caper Lupin III. Since its inception in 1965 by Kazuhiko Katō under the pseudonym Monkey Punch, the franchise has expanded across manga, anime, video games, and numerous films. The best entry point into the on-screen adaptations is the 1971 anime, which introduced audiences to Lupin, a laid-back criminal inspired by the legendary gentleman thief Arsene Lupin.

Spanning 23 episodes, the first season was directed by talents like Masaaki Ōsumi and future Studio Ghibli legends Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. It's an ideal starting point to explore the best of Lupin III, and fans have five decades of stories, movies, and shows to delve into afterward.

Samurai Champloo

Crunchyroll

Samurai Champloo is often considered the spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop. Conceived during Watanabe's work on Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, the series echoes its predecessor in art style, structure, and storytelling. However, it diverges into a historical action tale set during the Edo period, rather than the sci-fi genre Watanabe is renowned for. While the setting is different, the thematic focus on life, the cost of freedom, and the struggle to overcome and accept mortality remains consistent with Watanabe's oeuvre.

The narrative centers around a trio of morally ambiguous heroes: the outlaw Mugen, the tea server Fuu, and the ronin Jin. A notable aspect of the series is its progressive approach to inclusion and tolerance, inspired by the period setting, which helps avoid nationalistic overtones.

Trigun

Adult Swim

If the stylish action and morally complex anti-hero of Cowboy Bebop excite you the most, Trigun is likely to be your next favorite anime. Adapted from the acclaimed manga by Yasuhiro Nightow, which ran in Monthly Shonen Captain, the series debuted in Japan in 1998 and reached the US three years later, at the dawn of the new millennium.

Like Cowboy Bebop, Trigun is a noir-inspired space western, but with heightened stakes as it follows Vash, a man with a massive bounty on his head due to his uncontrollable superpowers, which led to the accidental destruction of a city. As the narrative unfolds, we learn not only about Vash but also about those who pursue him, setting up a compelling conflict that propelled the anime onto multiple best-of-the-year lists and led to the manga's successful run and sell-out in the US.