While Anime is bigger than ever, it is also, unfortunately, an expensive hobby. While services like Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu offer a cavalcade of anime at a reasonable price, even a low monthly subscription fee can prove back-breaking for those either on a tight budget or with no reliable source of income.
Still, not all hope is lost for those without the means to afford subscriptions to streaming giants. There aren’t many players in the free-streaming game, but two of the biggest, Tubi and YouTube, have a wide variety of big anime series and important movies on offer. While these are mostly older titles, they’re still worth watching for new and old fans alike.
10Naruto
Based on the Manga By Masashi Kishimoto, Animated By Studio Pierrot
Narutois one of the biggest anime series of all time, and the entire series is available for free on Tubi. Though the service doesn’t offerShippuden, it does, strangely enough, offer the comedy spin-off seriesNaruto: Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals, which takes place duringShippuden(though it isn’t canon).
One of the greatest shonen anime series of all time,Naruto’sninja-based action still hits just as hard over two decades after its premiere. Part of the series' enduring legacy is that, beneath all the breathtaking action, is an in-depth story that tackles weighty themes like abuse, abandonment, and the cyclical nature of war.
The only two things holdingNarutoback from a higher placement on this list are its filler content and the lack ofShippuden.Naruto’s filler episodesare infamous and hurt the anime’s pacing despite a few gems. The lack ofShippudenis also unfortunate because, as good asNarutois, it’s only half of a much larger story.
9JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Based on the Manga By Hirohiko Araki, Animated By David Production
Another Shonen classic that needs little introduction,JoJo’s Bizarre Adventureis also available for free on Tubi. The series is a multi-generational epic that sees Jonathan Joestar and his descendants battle a wide variety of evils, such as vampires, serial killers, and a super-powered mafia.
Though its start is slow,JoJo’s Bizarre Adventuretruly lives up to its name over time. Each generation of heroes is wildly different from the last, resulting in complex stories that emphasize melodrama and intense mental battles.
Despite the strength ofJoJo’s Bizarre Adventureand its anime, much likeNarutobefore it, the only thing holding the series back on Tubi is that not all of it is available.JoJo’s Bizarre Adventureseasons one through four are watchable on Tubi, but the last season,Stone Ocean,is exclusive to Netflix.
8Magic Knight Rayearth
Based on the Manga Series By CLAMP, Animated By Tokyo Movie Shinsha
In terms of Shojo anime that are free to stream, it’s difficult to do much better thanMagic Knight Rayearthon YouTube. The 1994 anime series is peak 90s anime, with gorgeous animation and a moving story packed into its 49 episodes.
What makes the series work so well, especially in the modern day, is how it so effortlessly combines genres. It might be difficult to imagine what an isekai, sword and sorcery, mecha, and magical girl anime would even look like, butMagic Knight Rayearthmakes these disparate flavors work together without a hitch.
While the more famousSailor Moonis streamable on Tubi,Rayearthis a once-popular series that always deserved much more attention than it got from Western anime fans. The availability of its English dub on YouTube courtesy of TMS Entertainment also makes it exceptionally easy to find and watch for anyone interested.
7Mr. Osomatsu
Based on the Manga By Fujio Akatsuka, Animated By Studio Pierrot
Available for free on YouTube courtesy of Viz Media,Mr. Osomatsuis easily the funniest anime available for free on streaming. The series follows a group of six identical brothers as they go about their daily lives, inevitably falling into shenanigans that always lead to gut-busting results.
Keeping this modern reinvention of Fujio Akatsuka’s classic manga afloat is the typically wonderful production ofNarutoandBleachstudio Pierrot. Their smooth animation and sense of timing add so much to the already hilarious writing of the series, resulting inone of the most hilarious anime ever.
Anime fans looking for a free laugh or two can’t go wrong withMr. Osomatsu.
6Ghost in the Shell
Based on the Manga By Masamune Shirow, Animated By Production I.G.
One of the most influential cyberpunk anime and manga franchises ever,Ghost in the Shellis easily watchable on Tubi. In addition to the classic 1995 movie, Tubi is also home toGhost in the Shell 2.0, both seasons of theStand Alone Complexanime, theStand Alone Complexmovie, and the 2017 live-action adaptation starring Scarlet Johansson.
Though the story ofGhost in the Shellis relatively simple on the surface, Production I.G.’s stunning animation work and a script with a lot on its mind lead to an unforgettable experience.Ghost in the ShellandAkiradefined early anime fandom long before popular anime were airing on mainstream networks.
Times certainly have changed sinceGhost in the Shelldropped and changed the anime landscape forever. Though some of those changes have been for the worse, it’s still encouraging to see classics likeGhost in the Shellbecome so easy to watch. The era of low-quality, unsubtitled VHS rips is long over.
5Hunter x Hunter
Based on the Manga By Yoshihiro Togashi, Animated By Madhouse
Hunter x Hunteris a genre-defining shonen battle manga that is available to watch in its entirety on Tubi. Withinspirations reaching to modern-day mega-hits likeSolo Leveling,Hunter x Hunterisn’t just a great series; it’s one that’s instrumental in understanding the current shonen landscape.
At its heart, what makesHunter x Hunterso relentlessly compelling is its fantastic character work. Featuring a lovable cast of heroes and a series of villains that are anything but one-note,Hunter x Hunterwill have viewers hooked just based on sheer force of personality.
4Redline
Original Anime Produced By Madhouse
A thrilling action movie from start to finish, Redline is a must-see film that is currently free on Tubi. Though the movie is, ostensibly, a racing film, the heart-pounding thrills make it easily accessible to any kind of action fan.
Madhouse pushes its typically great production work to its breaking point withRedline, resulting in a film that uses its art style and animation to tell a story that really couldn’t be told in any other medium.Redlineis a true thrill-ride from beginning to end, so if fans haven’t seen it, they need to fix that ASAP.
3Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
Based on the Franchise Created By Mamoru Oshii, Animated and Produced By Production I.G.
An underrated science fiction classic,Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigadeis another great anime film streaming on Tubi. The series is set in an alternate future where Japan sided with the Allies in World War II and the Nazis won, resulting in the latter occupying the former.
Predictably, life in Nazi-occupied Japan is absolutely oppressive, leading to resistance cells forming, trying to take the nation back. The biggest obstacles to the rebelion are heavily armored soldiers known as Kerberos.
The film is part of a much larger world and series, but it does a great job focusing on its characters. With its grounded portrayal of life under fascism,Jin-Roheffectively immerses viewers in the mindset of its characters.
2Revolutionary Girl Utena
Created By Be-Papas, Animated By J.C. Staff
Revolutionary Girl Utenaisn’t just the best magical girl anime ever; it’sone of the greatest anime period, and it’s available for free on YouTube courtesy of Nozomi Entertainment.
The series is about the titular Utena, a young woman who attends a new school and is forced into a series of vicious battles with the oppressive school council. It sounds like a typical anime premise on its surface, but the deep psychological storytelling makes it a subversive series that has a lot to say about gender, sexuality, and the meaning of revolution.
At a solid 39 episodes,Utenawill give viewers a good amount to chew on before the curtains fall.Utenais a foundational classic, and though it might not be as famous as fellow ’90s anime deconstructionNeon Genesis Evangelion, it’s just as poignant and moving.
1Paprika
Based on the Novel By Yasutaka Tsutsui, Animated By Madhouse
Satoshi Kon’sPaprikais an absolute all-timer, and it’s free to stream on Tubi. The anime is a masterpiece of science fiction and psychology, using the power of dreams and the subconscious to tell the kind of mind-bending story that was Kon’s bread and butter.
In terms of free anime to stream, it’s difficult to imagine anything better, more competently made, or more thrilling thanPaprika. Paprikais one of the greatest anime ever made, so the fact that it’s available for free is an absolute gift to every anime fan in the world.
