The Wild West is one of the great settings in film, but it is weirdly rare in anime. When a show does saddle up, though, the results are fantastic. Whether it is a lone gunslinger on a desert planet or a bounty hunter chasing outlaws across the stars, a good wild west anime channels that lawless frontier spirit perfectly.
Most of these are space westerns, taking the dusty six-shooter energy of a Clint Eastwood classic and blasting it into the future. Others go post-apocalyptic, gothic, or historical. I ranked the best western anime, from the fringes of the galaxy to the ghost towns of the wasteland, with the most popular saved for the very bottom.
One quick note: I have kept the streaming links I could find. Rights shift around, so confirm current listings before you ride out.
The Best Wild West Anime, Ranked
Wild Arms: Twilight Venom
Wild Arms: Twilight Venom takes the western into deep space. Based on the cult PlayStation RPG series, it is set on the desert planet of Filgaia, all dusty frontier towns, outlaw-infested badlands, and ancient ruins. A band of adventurers hunts the planet’s secrets with guns and robotic weaponry. It is rough around the edges, but a fun, rustic wild west anime deep cut.
Western flavor: Space Western
Gunslinger rating: 4 out of 5
Where to watch: check current listings
Coyote Ragtime Show
Coyote Ragtime is a breezy space caper with real outlaw charm. Its hero, Mister, is a legendary “coyote,” which is this universe’s word for an outlaw. He breaks out of prison to find a girl and her late father’s hidden treasure, kicking off a galaxy-spanning chase full of gunfights and bounty hunters. It is not deep, but it moves fast and looks great.
Western flavor: Space Western
Gunslinger rating: 4 out of 5
Where to watch: check current listings
Rust-Eater Bisco
Rust-Eater Bisco has one of the most creative worlds on this list. In a post-apocalyptic Japan being eaten alive by a rusting plague, a sharpshooting outlaw named Bisco fires mushroom-growing arrows to heal the land. Swap the six-shooter for a bow and you still get the full western package: ghost towns, hunted outlaws, and a lone wanderer. Weird, wild, and one of the most inventive wild west anime around.
Western flavor: Post-Apocalyptic Western
Gunslinger rating: 3 out of 5
Where to watch: check current listings
Desert Punk
Desert Punk drops the western into a post-apocalyptic Japan buried in sand. Kanta, the mercenary known as Desert Punk, is a scheming, cowardly, and weirdly lovable gun-for-hire. He survives the wasteland on dirty tricks and pure nerve, like the antihero of a spaghetti western. It is crude, funny, and a total blast.
Western flavor: Post-Apocalyptic Western
Gunslinger rating: 4 out of 5
Where to watch: check current listings
Gun x Sword
Gun x Sword is a spaghetti western with a giant robot bolted on. Van is a wandering gunslinger in a black duster coat, hunting the man who murdered his bride. His twist is a mecha called Dann of Thursday that he summons for the big fights. Revenge, deserts, and giant robots. What is not to love?
Western flavor: Mecha Spaghetti Western
Gunslinger rating: 4 out of 5
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a gorgeous gothic western. In a far-future wasteland ruled by vampire nobles, D is a half-vampire bounty hunter who rides the badlands taking dangerous jobs. He is the ultimate strong, silent stranger, straight out of a Sergio Leone film with fangs. The animation still looks stunning decades later.
Western flavor: Gothic Western
Gunslinger rating: 3 out of 5
Where to watch: check current listings
Outlaw Star
Outlaw Star is a rollicking space western and a 90s classic. Cocky Gene Starwind and his ragtag crew fly the galaxy in a one-of-a-kind ship, chasing treasure and dodging space pirates. The universe is pure frontier: saloon-like spaceports, bounties, and a whole lot of lawlessness. If you love Cowboy Bebop, this is your next wild west anime watch.
Western flavor: Space Western
Gunslinger rating: 4 out of 5
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Golden Kamuy
Golden Kamuy swaps the desert for the snow, and it works beautifully. Set during a Hokkaido gold rush, it follows a war veteran and a young Ainu girl hunting a fortune in stolen gold. It has everything that makes a western sing: a lawless frontier, prospectors, and constant danger. Add brilliant survival tips and a wild cast, and it is unmissable.
Western flavor: Frontier Western
Gunslinger rating: 4 out of 5
Where to watch: check current listings
Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop is the greatest space western ever made, full stop. Bounty hunter Spike Spiegel and his crew drift through the solar system chasing marks, jazz on the soundtrack and melancholy in the air. It blends western, noir, and kung fu into something timeless. If you watch one anime cowboy show that is not set on a literal frontier, make it this.
Western flavor: Space Western
Gunslinger rating: 4 out of 5
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Trigun
If you want the definitive wild west anime, it is Trigun. Vash the Stampede is the ultimate anime cowboy: a goofy, doughnut-loving pacifist who also happens to be the deadliest gunslinger on the desert planet of Gunsmoke, with a $60 billion bounty on his head. It is the purest fusion of six-shooter western and sci-fi out there, equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. An absolute classic.
Western flavor: Space Western
Gunslinger rating: 5 out of 5
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Types of Western Anime, Explained
Western anime comes in a few distinct flavors, so here is how to find your vibe.
Space westerns are the big one. Take the frontier, the bounty hunters, and the lawlessness, then launch it all into the cosmos. Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Outlaw Star, Wild Arms, and Coyote Ragtime live here. This is Clint Eastwood by way of a starship.
Post-apocalyptic westerns keep things earthbound but ruined. Desert Punk and Rust-Eater Bisco turn a wrecked, sun-baked world into the new frontier, full of ghost towns and gun-toting drifters.
Gothic and frontier westerns round it out. Vampire Hunter D brings horror to the badlands, while Golden Kamuy finds the lawless frontier in a snowy gold rush. Different scenery, same outlaw soul.
What Makes a Great Western Anime?
After riding through all of these, I think the best western anime share a few things.
The frontier is everything, whether that is a desert planet, a wrecked wasteland, or a snowy gold-rush town. You need a lone wanderer with a code, usually a gunslinger or bounty hunter who says little and shoots straight. Lawlessness sets the stakes, since a world with no rules is where westerns thrive. And the best ones nail that unmistakable spaghetti western mood, all tension, dust, and cool. Get those right, and it does not matter whether the six-shooter is firing across a saloon or a star system.
Your Turn
From dusty desert planets to snowy gold rushes, wild west anime prove the frontier spirit works in just about any setting.
So which of these is your favorite, and which outlaw did I leave off?
Drop a comment and tell me the western anime I should ride out with next.