Top 20 Greatest Anime Crossovers
Top 20 Anime Crossovers
Top 10 Craziest Anime Crossovers Ever
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we are counting down our picks for the Top 20 Anime Crossovers. For this list, we’re going over the times where anime properties jumped the dimensional rift and buddied up with a different series altogether. They can be wacky, they can be epic, they can be commercials, just as long as there is some kind of crazy collaboration – it counts. Think we missed an awesome team-up? Let us know in the comments.
#20: “Gundam Build Fighters: Battlogue” (2017)
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Aside from the interconnected stories of the Universal Century, most entries in the Gundam-verse’s long catalog are strictly separate, with the only common thread being giant robots kicking the crap out of each other. At least until Sunrise decided that everyone should have a chance to fight each other! Thus, we have this OVA, where the main takeaway is that we got to see two of Gundam’s biggest villains, Char and Ribbons, battle it out! Either that or the creators made the whole thing purely to address that they were in on the joke that both Ribbons and Amuro share the same voice actor!
#19: “Mameshiba” + Various (2013-20)
We shouldn’t be surprised by the anime scene these days, but we still are. Basically, Mameshiba are tiny, sentient green beans that look like dogs, who randomly appear and give random facts to folks about to munch down on them. That’s it. Not sure how this captured the imagination of the powers that be, but the little green bastards somehow had the pull to bring in the likes of Fairy Tail, Gintama, and others. It’s about as weird as you’d expect. If we didn’t know any better, we’d think this was a gag Gintoki thought up.
#18: “Kaginado” (2021-)
The chibi-fication of anime characters is not a new thing, though it seems to have found its feet now that there are more series than the industry knows what to do with. Case and point, this chibi-fest – which combines the likes of anime such as Air, Kanon, Clannad, Little Busters and even Angel Beats! Not exactly the collective sequel everyone was hoping for, but if you’re eager to revisit some of these slice of life icons, it’s a harmless watch.
#17: “Infini-T Force” (2017)
At long last, the Avengers of Tatsunoko Productions. For those that aren’t a fan of golden oldies, this series is a CGI smash bros union of the biggest stars under the Tatsunoko banner, including the protagonists from Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, Casshan, Hurricane Polymar, and Tekkaman. What’s the result? A fun romp if you’re a diehard fan of those classics and enjoy seeing them bounce off one another. Though be warned…it does come with an unnecessary and useless original character the Tatsunoko-bros have to constantly rescue.
#16: “Inazuma Eleven” + “Despicable Me” (2011)
Those minions truly are everywhere. In what might just be one of the craziest power plays; to advertise the changing time slots, the studio behind this long-running, light-hearted anime soccer series decided to integrate the characters from Despicable Me. Why? We have no idea. All we know is that Gru and the Minions kept slipping into these bite-sized commercials. Does this mean we can expect more Illumination properties to start randomly showing up? We’re not ready for the Secret Life of Pets anime edition!
#15: “REBORN!” x “ēlDLIVE” Special (2016)
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It must be nice being Akira Amano, or any other mangaka that has two of their works animated, let alone combined into a promo video to help boost sales! While the shounen superpowered mafia series Reborn ended way back when, it was brought back briefly with crisp looking animation in order to help draw attention to a then upcoming adaptation of Amano’s sci-fi cop series ēlDLIVE. Not sure about you, but seeing Tsuna and his Familia again just made us nostalgic. Hurry up and adapt the final arc already you cowards!
#14: “Gundam vs Hello Kitty” (2020-21)
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Yeah…turns out that the one who actually ended the 100 Year War was this plush kitty icon. As a way to celebrate Gundam’s 40th and Hello Kitty’s 45th anniversaries, the two titans of the toy-line gave us the crossover that marketing departments had been waiting their entire lives for. Hopping over to the universe next door, Kitty endeavors to make friends with everyone in order to stop the intergalactic conflict, teaming up with Amuro along the way. Does this make Kitty an official member of the Gundam waifu club?
#13: “Mazinger Z vs Devilman” (1973)
Given just how vastly different they are in genre and story, you wouldn’t think Go Nagai’s works would meld very well together. But it didn’t stop the studios from trying though, since they pitted the darkness of Devilman against the pioneer of all mecha way back in the seventies! Does this combo work wonders? You be the judge. While it does have some manner of bloody action, it’s nothing compared to Devilman’s roots. But if you’re a Go Nagai nut, then go nuts!
#12: “Tsubasa Chronicle” (2005)
CLAMP and their characters have been constructing their own in-house universe longer than most, with the height of their hubris being this en-masse crossover that features more recycled characters than they know what to do with! While it features the cast of Cardcaptor Sakura, xxHolic and even Chobits, they’re reimagined into a newfound fantasy setting with plenty of filler, lots of fluff, and few reasons to stick around, since even Clamp’s core audience agreed this project was a bit of a wasted effort. Kudos for the attempt though!
#11: “Gintama” + “The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.” (2018)
When it comes to fourth wall breaks, these two are kings, so it only makes sense that one would hijack the other in one of the funniest cameos in recent memory. Interrupting Saiki’s opening monologue just to gloat about their new time slot, the folks over at Odd Jobs Gin do what they do best and completely steal the spotlight. While they are somewhat gone in the blink of an eye, the fact they got one over on the world’s ultimate psychic in such a blasé way is all kinds of hilarious.
#10: “It's a Rumic World: 50th Anniversary Weekly★Shonen Sunday” (2008)
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It’s a cluster of gags involving a bunch of classic anime icons that barely reaches over the three minute mark. Basically, a barrel of a fun for old school fans. You’ve got the unexpected trifecta of Inuyasha, Ranma ½ and Urusei Yatsure all colliding, and considering how many of those contain hotheads with a knack for battle, it isn’t long before everyone starts throwing hands. That, and we get to see Lum, Kagome and female Ramna again, each with beautifully updated visuals, so there’s a bonus!
#9: “Cyborg 009 VS Devilman” (2015)
Now here’s a crossover in the making, one that stretches back decades. Might sound a bit out there to have Go Nagai’s demonic anti-hero butting heads with a group of rather…aesthetically challenged machines, but the result is actually lit in the most unexpected of ways. From a visual standpoint it's rather outstanding, lending itself to some impressive fight scenes where we see Hell battle it out with the power of science. Ironically, it’s also Devilman’s least soul-shattering on-screen venture since his Cutie Honey cameo. About time Akira got off lightly!
#8: “Dragon Ball Super” + “Doctor Slump” (2018)
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It’s not the first time that Goku has interacted with an adorable robot that somehow surpasses the strengths of all Saiyan’s, but this most recent collab was far away the funniest. Not only does Arale prove herself to be the strongest being in existence, but does so at the explicit expense of Vegeta. Poor guy gets his ass handed to him by a mechanical elementary schooler. Throw in some great gags courtesy of Beerus, and while this filler episode may be wholly jarring, by itself it’s a solid laugh!
#7: “Carnival Phantasm” (2011-12)
The Fate franchise is many things – convoluted, confusing, gorgeously animated and more depressing than a graveyard. Not the kind of place you’d expect to see off the wall comedy, which is what makes this spin-off feel so out of the blue. Essentially, any and all masters and servants from across the Fate-verse along with characters from Tsukihime and other Type Moon franchises are thrown into an endless slew of parodies and slapstick. We definitely don’t recommend you start with this one, but if you want to see the cast actually smile for once, it’s worth checking out.
#6: “Isekai Quartet” (2019-)
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This shouldn’t have worked. There was no way putting several fundamentally different anime into a high school setting with a chibi art style was going to work, especially if the only thing to connect them was the fact they all stemmed from the isekai genre. We were so wrong. The interactions between the casts of Re;Zero, Shield Hero, Overlord, Tanya the Evil, and KonoSuba are hilariously on point, keeping true to the characters without all that doom and gloom their shows are known for. If anything we want to see them keep packing in new additions! Cautious Hero where you at?
#5: “Lupin the 3rd vs. Detective Conan: The Movie” (2013)
What happens when the world’s greatest detective takes on the world’s most uncatchable thief? A delightful crime caper that pits Conan’s one truth against Lupin and his devilish luck. While far mellower than what Lupin fans might expect from something starring Fujiko, watching these two unorthodox intellects try to trip one another up makes for a great time. Their eventual team up may have been predictable, but they proved to be such an unstoppable force together that they could probably bring down the Black Organization within a day.
#4: “Gintama” + “Sket Dance” (2011)
Gin and the rest have parodied so many other anime that it’s sometimes a shocker they didn’t get sued to hell and back. Among their many dalliances with the fourth wall, slice of life comedy Sket Dance came under fire multiple times, in the most endearing Gintama way of course. This eventually led to a legitimate crossover that saw Odd Jobs Gin actually clash with the Helper’s Club over such issues as having a parallel premise, occupying their old time slot, and other craziness, to the point where the whole thing becomes a whirlwind of WTF!
#3: “Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Time” (2010)
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A failed student, a guy on a motorcycle and a kid with ancient Egyptian personality disorder all walk into a card to prevent the destruction of time. That’s not a terrible joke, that’s the premise of what might be the most outlandish Yu-Gi-Oh movie to date. Taking on a time-travelling madman whose world was somehow devastated because of card games, the protagonists of Yu-Gi-Oh, GX and 5Ds team up for a three vs one duel that is sure to get any duellist pumping. Sure, the premise is insane, but it’s a treat for fans!
#2: “Fairy Tail x Rave” (2013)
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Oh yeah, Rave Master was a thing back in the day. At least until Hiro Mashima found overwhelming success with Natsu and the mages over at Fairy Tail, wherein Haru and his Ten Commandment Sword were left behind. Thankfully, both of Mashima’s works were brought to the forefront together in a surprising, fun reunion of sorts that had both casts cross blades before teaming up to cause some mayhem on some unlucky bad guys.
#1: “One Piece” + “Dragon Ball Z” + “Toriko” (2013)
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Now this is how you do a crossover! What’s the plot here? Who cares? It’s a tournament arc featuring Luffy, Goku and Toriko beating the hell out of each other with all the bells and whistles. It’s so in your face and surface level, yet the hype could not be more real. Say what you will about why a Super Saiyan would struggle against a super chef and a rubber man, it’s still awesome to see them battle it out. Our one complaint? We needed way more focus on the fight between Zoro, Vegeta and Zebra. Let’s be honest guys, they’re the most interesting characters out of the bunch!
