Top 15 Highest Rated Anime Series of 2023, Ranked

In the blink of an eye, another year flies away, gifting us an exciting stack of anime series. Each season, we received a mixture of different genres of anime series, each depicting a unique story.

But the question on everyone’s mind at the end of 2023 is which anime series were the most influential during 2023. So, let’s answer that question today!

To answer such a big question, we used the internet to our advantage by compiling the best anime series 2023 ratings from the most prominent online anime databases, including MyAnimeList and AniList.

This not only added diversity to the list but also prevented any personal bias from a single website. So, here are the highest-rated anime series from 2023, ranked!

Note: If there are two seasons from a single franchise present in this list, then the one with the higher rating will be included. For instance, Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4 and 5 were both nominated for this list, but to maintain a standard, only season 5 was included (because it had the higher rating out of both).

15(1). Danmachi Season 4 Part 2

“Danmachi” has been a long-running successful isekai series, making it a good contender for the best series in 2023.

Although the series has reached a whopping “fourth sequel,” it still manages to captivate its fans with an intriguing story and decent animation.

“Danmachi Season 4 Part 2″ continued the story from the previous part, where Bell and Ryū fell deep into the 37th floor of the dungeon known as “White Palace.”

Bell experiences more hardships here as he deepens the bond with his current allies!

15(2). Horimiya -piece-

“Horimiya” was the most popular romcom series during its time, which made it pretty among its peers. But the rushed last episode killed all hopes of a sequel for this series.

Fortunately, the series returned for a sequel in the form of “Horimiya -piece-” which showed the details missed during the season 1 rushed finale.

“Horimiya -piece-” showed the missing pieces of the time Miyamura and Hori spent in their high school, with the rushed ending of the first season.

The series included new characters, some new developments, and a good time between our main characters until they ultimately fell in love with one another!

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14. Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc

“Demon Slayer” has been an anime phenomenon since its first season premiered. The “Swordsmith Village Arc” was also one of the most anticipated arcs, which delivered accordingly.

The series had some heartwarming moments, which were animated with top-quality animation.

“Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc” followed Tanjiro as he ventured into a new village to find Haganezuka so that he could request a new sword.

As he goes through a tight security check, he reaches the Swordsmith Village, where the strongest swords are forged for demon slayers! Will Tanjiro be able to find his wordsmith in this big village?

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13. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2

“Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation” revived the isekai genre with its drama touch to this boring genre.

Season 2 started pretty slow but managed to pick its pace later on with the introduction of an old cast member.

“Mushoku Tensei Season 2” carries the events from the first season, as Rudeus wanders the world searching for a remedy for his impotence.

As he wanders, he meets some new fellows and manages to be admitted to one of the world’s best magic academies. Will he finally be able to revive his manhood that died ages ago?

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12. Dr. Stone NEW WORLD (Season 3) Part 2

“Dr Stone” brings its hype with every season, as the series only gets noticed by its dedicated audience. Due to this, it enjoys healthy ratings.

Season 3, part 2 carried the mystery from the previous season as the Science Team learned more about the present world while facing some challenges.

“Dr Stone Season 3 Part 2” revolved around the Mystery Island as the Science Team tried their best to know about this island and the mysteries that resided on it.

The series also dwelled on the origins of the Petrification Device as we learn more about Why-Man.

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11. The Eminence in Shadow Season 2

“The Eminence in Shadow” is a very innovative isekai series that combines a perfect comedy aspect to the plot, which ensures the series does not lose its true identity.

Season 2 continued the story from a new page, as the central premise of the series was taken care of in the first couple of episodes, and the series later diverted to focus on the members of the Shadow Garden.

“The Eminence in Shadow Season 2” was centered around the Lawless City, where the Blood Queen is about to be revived. But our main protagonist handles this crisis in the first couple of episodes.

The series is later shifted to the relationship between Shadow and the leading members of Shadow Garden, as we see their pasts and how Cid recruited them.

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10. Link Click Season 2

“Link Click” has been the most influential donghua (Chinese anime) among anime fans, as every genre lover has appreciated the series.

Season 2 raised the standards as we saw one main character die while performing his duties, which made season 3 even more anticipated than usual.

“Link Click Season 2” continued the adventures of Cheng and Lu as they spent their everyday lives traveling to other people’s past.

This series mainly focused on Li Tianxi and Tianchen’s origins and the series’ main antagonist, Qian Jin.

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09. PLUTO

“Pluto” was a reasonably popular anime series that deserved more recognition, given the amount of work put into this show.

But unfortunately, the show had a one-time release on Netflix with very little promotion. The show still enjoys good ratings because the only people who watched it loved it.

“Pluto” takes place in the modern era, where robots have become a functioning part of society, but a robot-killer is roaming free, killing the most advanced ones.

Gesicht, a detective robot, is given the case, and he uncovers some uncanny mysteries while looking for this murderer.

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08. Bungou Stray Dogs Season 5

“Bungou Stray Dogs” started as a worldwide phenomenon with its first season but was later limited to its dedicated watchers only.

The fifth season featured yet another try of the series’ cast trying to act as vigilantes and protect others, but this time also protecting their name.

“Bungou Stray Dogs Season 5” saw the Armed Detective Agency go against the Hunting Dogs to prove they are a welfare organization and mean no harm.

But their rival comprises the strongest people in the game, so things might not go off the hook as quickly as usual.

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07. The Apothecary Diaries

“Apothecary Diaries” was a manga series that manga readers kept to themselves, and this did perfectly for the anime watchers, as they went in with no expectations and were impressed in every way.

The show offers a fascinating protagonist in a historical setting, which makes the series intriguing and engaging.

“Apothecary Diaries” revolves around Maomao, a poor teenage girl kidnapped and placed in the Imperial Palace to serve as a working lady.

Due to her interest in medical knowledge, she tries to intervene in official matters and is found out. So, she is offered a prominent place in the palace, but she doesn’t like the spotlight. Will she try to make a change by accepting this offer?

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06. Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War – The Separation (Part 2)

The return of “Bleach” after more than ten years in the form of “Bleach Thousand Year Blood War” was nothing short of a miracle, which had every shounen fan on edge.

It also brought in as much hype as before because it was nominated as the highest-rated anime series of Summer 2023.

“Bleach TYBW Part 2” continued the story of the last part as we witnessed one of the most anticipated fights in this series.

With fights like Kenpachi vs. Gremmy and Rukia vs. As Nodt, the series was connected with some original content, included by the author himself.

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05. Oshi no Ko

The first episode premiere of “Oshi no Ko” was nothing short of internet-breaking as it foreshadowed its greatness immediately in the heart of every fan.

Combined with one of the best anime opening and ending songs of this year, the sequel for this series is one of the most anticipated series of the future!

“Oshi no Ko” follows the story of Ai, a famous idol, who gets pregnant with a mysterious man’s baby, and to deliver her baby, a random doctor is chosen, who turns out to be her big fan.

But when her delivery is a few minutes away, the doctor is killed. When he wakes up, he finds himself reincarnated as Ai’s son. What do these twisted events mean for Ai and her children?

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04. Vinland Saga Season 2

“Vinland Saga” has been a universally appreciated anime series because it has one of the best protagonists in a written story. Also, it was another series whose production was shifted from “Wit Studio” to “Studio MAPPA.”

Season 2 of this series grabbed some mixed views but was still in this year’s top 5 highest-rated anime series.

“Vinland Saga Season 2” continues the story from the previous season, as this series focuses on Einar. He is a slave from England who meets Thorfinn while working in a barn.

The series also focused on Thorfinn’s wavering beliefs as he rethinks about taking his revenge!

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03. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

“Jujutsu Kaisen” placed its name as the modern competitor for the Shounen series and has delivered in every aspect without fail.

Season 2 was unexpectedly immaculate in every way, but the animators didn’t enjoy it as much as the fans did. It is still one of the spotlight series from 2023.

“Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2” starts with Gojo’s past as we see his friendship with Geto. The first half also pictured Geto’s wavering beliefs, which led him to become the series’s main antagonist.

The second half of the series featured the Shibuya arc, the most anticipated arc of this series. The arc delivered the most awaited fights, with one character getting sealed for a while.

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02. Attack on Titan FINAL CHAPTERS

“Attack on Titan” is what made 2023 special, as this series finally came to its climax this year. After a long wait of 10 years, the dedicated fans saw their favorite anime series end.

Although the final season was divided into three parts, the wait was worth it, as each part was animated beautifully.

“Attack on Titan FINAL CHAPTERS” followed the remaining survey corps and some Marley warriors trying to stop Eren’s Rumbling before it was too late.

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01. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

“Frieren” put 2023 to a fantastic end, becoming the highest rated anime of 2023. We might have finally found a series that will not get dethroned from its #1 spot by FMAB on MyAnimeList, anytime soon.

As the series continues into 2024, everything related to it gets better and better, making it reassuring to know how anime fans have started to like such a niche genre more than ever.

“Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” follows the story of an elf named Frieren who learns about the importance of human ties by losing her most cherished people!

As the story continues, Frieren learns that despite her age being hundreds of times more than an average human, humans cherish life better and pass away sooner, leaving behind their memories to cherish.

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There you have it: The top 15 highest-rated anime series of 2023, according to the most significant anime databases present online. Let us know your thoughts on this list in the comments below!