The 12 Best Anime Games on Switch in 2024

Sure you can watch anime, but have you ever wanted to be part of the action? To feel like you’re contributing to the story even a little bit? Anime fans rejoice! Here’s a curated list of the best anime games on Switch you can buy.

I’ll be focusing on more general anime games. Let’s get into it!

What are the Best Anime Games on Switch?

1. Dragon Ball FighterZ

Who can forget the ever-iconic screaming for 3 episodes before a battle? Now you can get directly into the action with Dragon Ball FighterZ!

In the Dragon Ball universe, Our main character Goku is always looking for the Dragon Balls and a stronger opponent. Originally baby Goku was sent from planet Vegeta to destroy the planet Earth. However, when he landed there was a crash causing him to lose his memory and forget that he was there to destroy the planet. This series has gone on for many years, first being released as an anime in 1989 taking a brief halt and being rereleased in 1996.

Anime fans can enjoy playing through the story as Goku. On another quest for the Dragon Balls. We also come across a new character, Android 21. She’s created by Dr. Gero and is not referenced in the manga or the anime so her story is exclusive to this game. Can the Dragon Ball Fighterz beat the new android? Will they stop Dr. Gero’s evil plan?

In the battle version of the game, you can battle others in teams of three. You control each of the players on your team so that allows you to create well-rounded teams. Face off against your friends to see who has the best strategy. As fighting games go, this is one of the best that you can find on the Nintendo Switch.

What I love about this game is that the story mode is fully voice-acted. You have the option to choose dubs in English and Japanese along with corresponding subtitles. This is one of the best anime games on Switch to play for die-hard anime fans of the Dragon Ball universe. Even if you’re not you can enjoy the fighting aspect of the game.

2. Persona 5 Royal

With its stunning visuals, amazing soundtrack, and excellent game features you need to get Persona 5 Royal!

Persona 5 follows our protagonist who is an unlucky high school student. Walking home one day, our protagonist spots an altercation between a woman and her then fiancé. Our protagonist stepping to stop the altercation gets in trouble as he accidentally causes injury to the man involved. Due to this being his 3rd or so strike, he’s sent to live with his uncle in hopes to reform his behavior.

One day, on his way to school he ends up tailing a female student and a teacher and going into a suspicious building he follows. After this is a lot of spoilers. This is how the storyline kicks off and starts a series of events. Our game features from here include dungeon crawling and battles to build experience.

If you’re new to the Jrpg scene, I recommend this but I will say it will set your expectations sky-high! Everything from the art style to the music and characters you’ll feel like your heart has been stolen by the phantom thieves!

I believe that even if the main plot doesn’t appeal to you there are also bits of the game that you can sort of level your character and teammates up within the dungeons. By the same company, Shin Megami Tensei is a more dungeon-heavy crawler if you’re interested in that.

3. One Piece Pirate Warriors 4

Join Luffy and the crew on their adventure in the Grand Line!

One Piece is about our pal Luffy trying to become the best pirate there is, there’s so much more to that but it’s how the series kicks off. One Piece Pirate Warriors follows our pal Luffy and the Strawhats. This is the 4th game in the installment of the Pirate Warriors series. In the anime game version of One Piece, you can play through several arcs in the series.

In this iteration of the game, you can many different characters through these arcs. The playable characters have a range of powers that can be their pre and post-time skip selves. Say for example a speed-boosted character like Sanji can now have the ability to skywalk.

There are a whopping total of 52 playable characters. There are 43 within the base game and 9 that you can obtain later through DLC. The voice acting is amazing, it’s available in English and Japanese while the subtitles are available in both as well. In total, you can anticipate playing this game for upwards of 9 hours if you’re more casual and 41 hours if you’re a “completionist”.

This game has raving reviews, and most players call this one of the best anime games on Switch you can play! It’s a great addition to the One Piece Pirate Warriors games.

4. Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy

The Naruto series is one of the best anime series around, on or off the switch!

Are you finding your Nindo- I mean Ninja way? The Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm trilogy could be right up your alley. Naruto is about the life of our main character Naruto who is trying to be Hokage. The Naruto games are epic non-stop action anime games that will have you ready for more.

The trilogy comes with all three games and past DLC! You can still get the old outfits and complete the other missions on each previous iteration of the game. The games chronicle Naruto’s life from youth to adulthood in the village. You can expect to see some antics from our favorite headbanded loud guy.

You can expect to have an overworld that has a similar look and feel to the hidden leaf village as well as mini-games in the overworld! Overall between all three games you can expect to play a total of 36 hours or more.

Something to be a bit leery of in this game however is that there is not a tutorial mode. In a way, it is similar to games that kind of expect that you’re a diehard fan of the series. Once you get passed that it is easier to play and learn as you go.

5. My Hero One’s Justice

My Hero Academia is a Shonen Jump manga series and anime created by Kōhei Horikoshi. The story follows our young aspiring Hero Midoriya who in this world full of heroes and villains wants to be the best of the best like his hero All Might.

In My Hero One’s Justice, the main menu also has a gallery where you can view scenes in the game. You can play the mainline story mode of the game. Where you can play as young Midoriya making his way to being the top hero.

There are also the mission mode and free battle mode if you want to go all out. What I like about this game is that you can choose between playing as a pro hero or a villain. You can have up to 2 sidekicks on your team to help you maximize your strategy in the combat system.

6. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R

Yare Yare Daze your way to victory!

In the series the anime and manga are about a family bloodline- the Joestars fighting against a jealous, evil man turned vampire Dio Brando. JBA is an excellent watch as it has everything you could want in an action anime: fashion, comedy, and revenge! Now onto the anime game version of this masterpiece.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is not the first game in the list but truly adds to the antics of its preceding game. You can anticipate a more Smash bro’s style fighting game from this as the main draw is more for fan service.

You can play online multiplayer or local multiplayer as well as solo. You can play any character from the universe both Hamon and Stand arcs. The game’s main storyline is about 4 hours long. So focus is more on your fighting outside of the main game.

You can play a whopping total of 50 characters! The modes in the game include All-Star Battle Mode, Arcade Mode, Online Mode, Versus Mode, Practice Mode, and Gallery Mode. The battle system has over 100 customizations that you can add to truly make it worthwhile!

7. Steins Gate Elite

Steins’ Gate gives me major Welcome to the NHK vibes. They’re not the same but the animation style and

Steins Gate Elite is a Visual Novel that will appeal to our more science folks. The plotline is our lab-coated pals discover that they can travel into the past via email and a microwave. In the show version, and visual novel our lead Okabe is a socially awkward mad scientist who is on a quest for a rare computer and Jon Triton.

This stays true to the visual novel trope and lends true as you have multiple love interests that you can adventure in. The Elite part of this game is that you also have cutscenes from the anime that flow seamlessly into this game.

Most people who’ve seen the anime love the game but I think that if you’re curious you should pick it up. Join our wayward group on their quest to defeat SERN!

8. Code Realize: Guardians of Rebirth

Code Realize can also be found on our best Otome games on Switch and for good reason, It is an excellent anime game!

This as I mentioned above is listed on another game list that I made for visual novels. It also has an anime series as well! As such it deserves a spot on this list as well. So in the video game, you play as the main character who has a very awful curse everything she touches dies!

In this, you’re locked away in an abandoned mansion where one day the guards come to imprison you because even though you’re locked up you’re still dangerous. Flashforward after being rescued by a mysterious man and his cohorts you’re now on a quest to find a cure.

This game plays like the visual novels you can expect where there are multiple romance options. What is cool about the setting of the story is that it places us in a fictional sort of steampunk version of Britain. It also has several fictional characters like the great thief Lupin.

If you’re a girl gamer, also be sure to check out our article on the best Nintendo Switch games for girls.

9. Attack On Titan 2: The Final Battle

In one of the most harrowing anime worlds I have ever really watched Attack On Titan has a second game in the series that deserves the spotlight. If you haven’t watched Attack on Titan you should.

To summarize a group of kids join a war to stop the Titans from coming further into the wall. This series is headed by Eren Yager, the protagonist who is honestly our favorite problematic antihero. Overall the series does an excellent job of storytelling.

In this installment of the video game, can play over 40 characters both in the scout regiment and new characters from season 3. Allowing you to experience the story from the other character’s point of view. Great for those who want to feel like their part of the action!

In Attack On Titan 2: Final Battle there is also a new mode called Territory Recovery Mode. In this mode, you can pick your favorites in the Scout Regiment to join you beyond the walls in an attempt to reclaim this land. Here you’ll get cutscenes that are exclusive to the game!

10. Daganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Monokuma is a truly dastardly bear in it for despair.

Daganronpa is a murder mystery series involving a bunch of high school students. Our main character who is as basic as can get (paraphrased from his own words) gets an invitation to the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy. Only the best of the best can get in, and each character has their strengths within the game.

This game plays a bit more like a visual novel but has some quick time events. If you’re into games like Ace Attorney, this would be right up your alley. You’re trying to get out of the school and the only way is to murder someone without everyone else knowing. If my memory serves me you never get the option to but you have to figure out who committed the murder.

In Daganronpa, you can filter through your school life which allows you to investigate your location and build relationships with the other characters. During the trial, is where you use all your active deduction skills to point out the inconsistencies in the possible murders statement.

What I love about this is that the bad guys are someone you’d never expect. It stands out against the other anime games on this list as the art style is unique, the gameplay is truly revolutionary for its time, and the anime series is also phenomenal!

11. Demon Slayer- Kimetsu No Yaiba: The Hinokami Chronicles

Demon Slayer or Kimetsu No Yaiba is a beautifully drawn anime about a Tanjiro, a boy whose family was killed aside from his sister now turned demon. On a quest to change his sister back to a human and to defeat Muzan the head demon giving out demon abilities like Opera.

First off, the graphics in this game as so good you’ll feel like you’re watching the anime. In Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles in the solo mode you play the storyline up until Mugen Train Arc from Tanjiro’s perspective. So we can all collectively cry over our Flame Hashira all over again.

In the verses mode, you can do a 2 vs 2 battle with some never before planned combinations. This would include any main characters that in total as of today there are 16 playable characters and multiple variations. You can currently get 3 additional characters through DLC and 3 new variations as of this article.

As this is a battle arena-style game you can expect very interesting battles. Making this one of the best anime games on Switch you could get to date.

12. Fairy Tail

Fairy Tail like One Piece is a long-standing show with a very large following for good reason. It’s an amazing anime!

Fairy Tail is an amazing anime that has been around for years. The anime starts in a world full of guilds and wizards. To make money the wizards must complete various guild quests. Natsu, our main character who happens to be a Dragon Wizard joins the Fairy Tail guild in search of his adoptive father dragon Igneel.

Along the way, he befriends several different wizards that he goes on quests with. In the Fairy Tail game, you can expect to see action much like the other Shonen anime games. High action, excellent story modes, and even more importantly great art style!

You can expect to spend upwards of 23 hours completing the game. If you’re more of a completionist expect to spend upwards of 45 hours getting all the additional things. Beat all the quests and become Magnolia’s number 1 wizard!

There are so many anime games on the Nintendo Switch! What are your favorites? Did they make the list?

Also, be sure to check out our article on the best adult Switch games.