This article is part of a directory: Game Rant's Ultimate Sci-Fi Guide
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2022 was a stellar year for anime, and saw the release of many amazing shows, including the likes of Summertime Render, Chainsaw Man, and Spy x Family to name a few. The year also brought back many fan favorites like Kaguya-Sama Love is War. It even brought Mob's story from Mob Psycho 100 to a close. While the anime medium has been going strong recently, the sci-fi genre is one that hasn't seen the limelight in the anime medium for quite a while now.

The science fiction genre has always been one of the most engaging anime genres out there, and though this year hasn't been the best for it, a decade ago was a totally different story. 2012 was an absolutely amazing year for fans of sci-fi anime, filled with time-traveling mysteries and strange apocalyptic worlds. Here are some of the best anime in the genre that are now officially a decade old.

5 Accel World

Accel World

Released in the spring of 2012, Accel World is a sci-fi show that stars a badly bullied overweight boy named Harukyuki Arita, whose only escape from his miserable life are online video games. One day he finds out that all his high scores have been topped by the vice president of his school's Student Council, Kuroyukihime. Kuroyukihime then offers Harukyuki a chance to play an Augmented Reality fighting game called Brain Burst, capable of accelerating brain waves to a point that time appears to stop.

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Kuroyukihime offers to help Harukyuki get rid of his bullies and in return asks him for his help to find the creator of Brain Burst and figure out why the game was created in the first place, After making the deal, the two start their efforts to become the best fighters in Brain Burst and reach the top. Accel World has a core of 7.23 on MyAnimeList.

4 From the New World

From The New World

From the New World is a mystery sci-fi show set in a dystopian future where some humans have the ability to awaken psychic powers. This show tells a coming-of-age story about a girl named Saki Watanabe as she awakens to her psychic abilities. But soon after she does so, Saki begins to wonder about the fate of those who are unable to awaken psychic powers, and starts to question the utopian world around her.

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As Saki and her group of psychic friends try to find answers to the mysteries surrounding their perfect society, they start to realize that the truth might be more disturbing than they could have ever imagined. From the New World has a rating of 8.29 on MyAnimeList.

3 Space Brothers

Space Brothers

Space Brothers is a tale of two brothers who dream about going to outer space together after witnessing what they believe to be a UFO encounter on one summer night. Following this event, the two vow to become astronauts and go to the moon. But as they grow up, the challenges of adulthood make them go their separate ways.

While the younger brother, Hibito, was still aiming for the moon, the elder brother, Mutta, started working for an automotive company. However, after losing his job and getting offered a once-in-a-lifetime offer to go on a space expedition, Mutta decides to finally chase his old dream. The two brothers then set course to fulfill their ambitions that were set 19 years ago. The first season of Space Brothers has a rating of 8.50 on MyAnimeList.

2 Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online is one of the most influential and popular anime series ever made. The series successfully combined futuristic science fiction elements with the genres of fantasy and romance. A decade later, Sword Art Online still holds up due to its interesting premise and originality. Interestingly enough, the show is set in the year 2022, a time when virtual reality technology has revolutionized the gaming medium enabling players to log into immersive virtual worlds.

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With the release of the innovative virtual reality headset, NerveGear, players from across the world can immerse themselves in amazing fantasy worlds and play to their heart’s content. However, this dreamlike experience soon turns into a nightmare when an accident leaves protagonist Kazuto Kirigaya and thousands of other players trapped within a VR game known as Sword Art Online. The show has a rating of 7.20 on MyAnimeList.

1 Psycho Pass

Psycho Pass

The first season of Psycho Pass is arguably one of the best sci-fi anime ever. The show aired in the fall of 2012 and is set in the 22nd century, a time when Japan has introduced a new system for detecting criminal activity known as the Sybil System. The Sybil System allows law enforcers to measure a person's criminal intent, apparently enabling the enforcement of an ideal justice system. However, some individuals are aware of the flaws in the Sybil System all too well, and are bent on exploiting it.

Akane Tsunemori is an up-and-comer enforcer with a desire to uphold true justice, but when she is paired with the veteran Shinya Kougami, Akane soon learns that the Sybil System is far from perfect. As the two start to embark on dangerous cases together, Akane starts to question what the true meaning of justice is. This futuristic thriller is a must-watch for sci-fi fans, and has a rating of 8.34 on MyAnimeList.

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