First up is arguably the most popular space opera anime ever created, Cowboy Bebop. It was critically praised during its original run in the late 90’s. This anime is listed first because it has been universally loved. The characters are deep and the series as a whole exudes coolness. It is very easy to get into this show, not to mention the fact that the English voices are just as good, if not better, than the original voice actors.

The series revolves around a bounty hunter named Spike Spiegel. He and his partner, Jet Black, travel across space hunting down bounties for a living. Through various circumstances they encounter interesting characters and some of them become a part of the crew. Spike could very easily be compared to Han Solo. They’re both able to be arrogant, reckless, and essentially treat strangers like trash while still being relatable. If you focused a series on Han before he met Luke or was tangled up with the Empire, you would have this anime.

• Episodes: 26
• Aired: Apr. 1998 - Apr. 1999

Next, is Gundam SEED. Most people who watch anime are familiar with the Gundam franchise. All of them take place, at least partially, in outer-space. Also, a large percentage of the mobile suits have lightsaber-like weapons. For those two reasons alone you could say that any and all Gundam series are similar to Star Wars. But, SEED was chosen specifically because of how strong the series is, as a whole, and because of a few of plot devices that are similar to those found in the original Star Wars trilogy.

The story starts on Heliopolis, a neutral space colony. The viewer is introduced to Kira Yamato. You see him interact with his friends and classmates. He seems like a normal boy, albeit very tech savvy. Suddenly, the colony is attacked and he is unwittingly thrown into a war between the Naturals and Coordinators.

Later in the series, you are introduced to new characters that have similar counterparts in the trilogy. Without giving away any spoilers, it suffices to say Cagalli Athha and Athrun Zala are two people, in particular, you’ll want to keep a close eye on. As the plot develops you’ll start to notice relationships that closely resemble ones from Star Wars.

Those narrative points, along with the setting and lightsaber-like weapons should be more than enough reasons to check out this anime. Plus, if you enjoy the series you can branch out to any of the other Gundam stories and enjoy more space adventures and mechas.

• Episodes: 50
• Aired: Oct. 2002 - Sep. 2003

And last on the list is Space Battleship Yamato 2199. It was released in 2012, but this anime is actually a remake of Space Battleship Yamato which was released in the early 70’s. This series stands out from the others because it does an excellent job of making space feel vast, mysterious, and dangerous all at the same time.

The narrative begins with the viewer being introduced to an on-going war between humans and an alien race known as the Gamilas. Through the battles, Earth has become a wasteland and practically uninhabitable. But, a friendly race of aliens from the planet Iscandar reaches out to humanity. They give humans blueprints for building a highly advanced ship. They are meant to use this ship to travel across space and retrieve a special device that can return the planet to how it once was.

Each episode connects very well to the overall story that it’s trying to tell. For this reason, it doesn’t have that “episodic” feel where each 25 minute show has an intro, a problematic situation, and then a clear and concise ending. Instead, the pacing for the story and character development is very well done. It feels like you’re watching one long movie that just happens to span 26 episodes.

• Episodes: 51
• Aired: Apr. 2008 - Mar. 2009