The 10 Best Anime Vehicles Ever, Ranked (2025)

From the briny waters within One Piece to the vast reaches of space from Cowboy Bebop, the wide world of anime offers plenty of lands, societies and cultures, yet transportation remains a crucial need for many. The lush worldbuilding in many anime titles often require creative solutions when it comes to vehicles, with many anime series forced to think outside the box when it comes to transportation.

The relative mundanity of answering the question of travel presents a unique opportunity for anime series to flex their worldbuilding muscles in answering that need, with some proving more ingenious than others. From All Might’s Hercules vehicle in My Hero Academia to Goku’s Flying Nimbus in Dragon Ball, these vehicles stand apart in terms of creativity and utility, remaining iconic to this very day.

10 Kagome’s Bike Allowed her to Traverse Feudal Japan

From Inuyasha

Inuyasha follows Kagome, an ordinary and modern school girl who discovers a well connecting her time to a Feudal Japan filled with demons, magic and adventure. When she accidentally brings the Jewel of Four Souls from the present into the past, she becomes responsible for finding it again, ensuring that the demons who covet the gem can’t tap into its destructive power. Kagome teams up with Inuyasha, Miroku and many others on her adventures, as she discovers her own strength and a budding romance along the way.

The Jewel of Four Souls shatters relatively early on in the series, with Kagome forced to travel the length and breadth of Japan to retrieve them. As such, she takes her bicycle from the present into the past, using it to cover ground quickly. While perhaps not the most eye-catching vehicle, it does an exceptional job of carting Kagome around ancient Japan, while serving as a visual reminder of how alien Kagome is to the past. Plus, the multiple times the bike gets caught up in demonic explosions makes for a fun gag throughout the series, lightening what could potentially be a dark premise.

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Inuyasha

TV-14

Comedy

Mystery

Action

Anime

Fantasy

Release Date

October 16, 2000

Cast

Ai Kobayashi, Kappei Yamaguchi, Satsuki Yukino, Koji Tsujitani, Ken Narita, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Taiki Matsuno, Kumiko Watanabe, Akiko Yajima, TARAKO, Houko Kuwashima, Kenichi Ogata, Cho, Noriko Hidaka, Yukana, Joji Yanami, Mamiko Noto, Hisako Kyoda, Izumi Ōgami

YouTube Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCFBsLagBPk

Writers

Katsuhiko Chiba, Akatsuki Yamatoya

Network

ANIMAX, Nippon TV, YTV

Directors

Masashi Ikeda, Yasunao Aoki, Akira Toba, Hirofumi Ogura, Takashi Ikehata, Kunihiro Mori, Noriaki Saito, Naoki Hishikawa, Teruo Satou

Character(s)

Akago (voice), InuYasha (voice), Kagome Higurashi (voice), Miroku (voice), Sesshomaru (voice), Naraku (voice), Koga (voice), Shippo (voice), Kohaku (voice), Kirara (voice), Sango (voice), Myōga (voice), Jaken (voice), Kikyo (voice), Kanna (voice), Tōtōsai (voice), Rin (voice), Kaede (voice), Kagura (voice)

9 Team Rocket’s Balloon Made for a Comedic Mode of Transportation

From Pokémon

Throughout the Pokémon series featuring Ash Ketchum and Pikachu (all the seasons prior to Pokémon Horizons), Team Rocket’s Jessie, James and Meowth constantly attempt to steal Pikachu away. Given that their target frequently moves around, as Ash traverses through the many Pokémon Regions to fight at gyms, collect badges and challenge strong opponents, Team Rocket likewise needs a way to keep up. Their answer to that conundrum manifests in a hot air balloon shaped like Meowth’s head.

The flavor of their preferred method of transportation — over something more practical like a car or a truck — provides a bit of levity to the largely children-oriented show. It helps set the tone for Team Rocket’s antics, painting the bad guys in a less serious manner, in a move that makes the original series different from Horizons. The iconic hot air balloon makes Jessie, James and Meowth less frightening that way, ensuring that children in the audience stay tuned in without being too afraid of Ash’s signature villains, while also providing an exceptional prop for the trio to slam into during their best Team Rocket blast off moments.

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Pokemon

Expanding across a multitude of media, including TCGs, video games, manga, live-action movies and anime, the Pokémon franchise is set in a shared world of humans and creatures with a wide variety of special abilities.

Created by

Satoshi Tajiri

First Film

Pokemon: The First Movie

Latest Film

Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle

First TV Show

Pokémon

Latest TV Show

Pokémon Horizons

First Episode Air Date

April 1, 1997

Video Game(s)

Pokémon GO, Pokemon X and Y, Pokémon Legends Arceus, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Pokemon Red and Blue, Detective Pikachu, Detective Pikachu Returns, Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! , Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!

8 The Briggs Tank Helped the Heroes Storm Central

From Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows the manga-faithful story of the Elric brothers, a pair of alchemists who attempted the taboo of human transmutation and paid a dear price for their hubris: Edward lost an arm and a leg while Alphonse lost the entirety of his body. Determined to reclaim their original bodies, the two set out through the world of Amestris, only to discover a dark conspiracy around the legendary Philosopher’s Stone at the core of their government.

The Alphonse brothers rally with the Briggs men from the north to hold a coup d'état after they all recognize the danger the government poses to the citizens of their country. Part of the heroes’ plan to take the capitol building involves the hardy Briggs Tank, an ingenious military vehicle created and manufactured in the north. The use of it in the coup d'état serves as a visual cue of Brigg’s tactical and technological superiority, leading to its subsequent destruction by Wrath all the more shocking. The use of the vehicle as a method of conveying the tide of the coup d'état makes it stand out as a vehicle more for the audience, rather than the characters, and just goes to show why Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is one of the best action anime ever created.

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Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

TV-14

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Two brothers search for a Philosopher's Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.

Release Date

April 5, 2009

Cast

Romi Park, Rie Kugimiya, Vic Mignogna, Maxey Whitehead

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

7 Hercules Allows the Quirkless All Might to Stand Toe-to-toe with All for One Once More

From My Hero Academia

In My Hero Academia, Pro Hero and Symbol of Justice, All Might grants his Quirk to newcomer Izuku Midoriya, effectively making him Quirkless and vulnerable. Not one to be deterred by something as boring as losing all of his superhuman strength, speed and power, All Might continues to train his body so that he might one day resist his fate to die — as seen by his previous sidekick, Nighteye — and help his protégé. When the villainous All for One sets his plan in motion to take over Japan, All Might drives out to meet his destined foe in his modified Hercules car.

The car grants All Might armor and weapons, just like the Iron Man suit helped Tony Stark fight villains in the MCU. While nowhere near as powerful as he was when he still possessed One for All, All Might proves just as determined thanks to the upgraded suit Hercules grants him. The way All Might can once again stand as the smiling hero of justice — thanks largely to Hercules’ abilities — makes it one of the best cars in the world of anime.

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My Hero Academia

Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life—a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered “quirk,” Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies.

6 The Thousand Sunny Makes the Straw Hat Actual Pirates

From One Piece

One Piece follows the adventures (and sometimes the misadventures) of the pirate crew, The Straw Hat Pirates. Led by Monkey D. Luffy who dreams of becoming the next Pirate King, the Straw Hats search for the legendary treasure, the One Piece, the horde left behind by Gol D. Roger. To help him in his quest, Luffy recruits many talented misfits such as Nami, Roronoa Zoro and Sanji to the Straw Hats.

Often referred to as Sunny by the crew, the Thousand Sunny is a brigantine-type ship designed and built by Franky to carry the Straw Hat Pirates around the world, taking them through the Grand Line and the New World. Built from Adam Wood, the ship boasts unparalleled craftsmanship while providing nearly double the space of the Straw Hats’ previous pirate ship, the Going Merry. Given that pirates tend to spend most of their time on the open sea, Sunny proves to be an invaluable asset to the team, as no pirate crew would be complete without their pirate ship.

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One Piece

Created by Eiichiro Oda, the One Piece franchise explores the adventures of pirate Luffy D. Monkey and his crew, the Straw Hats. Since the manga first debuted in 1997, One Piece has been adapted into an ongoing anime that has seen multiple movies. Most recently it was adapted into a live-action series by Netflix.

Created by

Eiichiro Oda

First TV Show

One Piece

Latest TV Show

Netflix's One Piece

First Episode Air Date

October 20, 1999

Cast

Mayumi Tanaka, Kazuya Nakai, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Christopher Sabat, Kerry Williams, Kappei Yamaguchi, Sonny Strait, Hiroaki Hirata, Eric Valette, Ikue Ootani

5 Goku’s Flying Nimbus Ferries the Saiyan Around

From Dragon Ball

Widely regarded as one of the most popular anime series of all time, Dragon Ball follows Son Goku, a young Saiyan warrior with a monkey’s tail, on his search for the legendary seven Dragon Balls. Along the way, Goku makes friends and enemies, trains to become a powerful fighter and faces off against increasingly strong enemies and opponents. Goku’s past heritage comes to light, and he meets other aliens like the Namekian Piccolo, as he searches for the wish-granting Dragon Balls.

The Flying Nimbus is a puffy, yellow cloud that, oddly enough, Goku can ride. Given to him by Master Roshi as compensation for saving Turtle, the Flying Nimbus is capable of zipping through the air at high speeds, allowing Goku to reach places quickly without expending his energy. It appears throughout Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z and sporadically in Dragon Ball Super, yet the iconic image of young Goku wielding his Power Pole while surfing through the skies on the Flying Nimbus remains relevant decades after Dragon Ball first aired.

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Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.

Created by

Akira Toriyama

First Film

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

Latest Film

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

First TV Show

Dragon Ball

Latest TV Show

Dragon Ball DAIMA

First Episode Air Date

April 26, 1989

Cast

Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil

Current Series

Dragon Ball Super

4 Kaneda’s Bike Remains an Iconic Anime Image

From Akira

In a post-apocalyptic world after an atomic bomb destroyed Tokyo in 1988, the rebuilt Neo-Tokyo is plagued by corruption, anti-government protests, terrorism and gang violence. Kaneda, leader of a vigilante biker gang, attempts to save his friend Tetsuo after he manifests psychic abilities and draws the attention of a secret government group. As Kaneda battles activists, politicians, scientists and military leaders to save his friend, Kaneda uncovers the truth about Akira, the esper who obliterated Tokyo in the past.

Not only does Kaneda’s bike capture the cyberpunk mentality of the 1980s, blending together rebellion, technology and individualism in one of the best films ever made, but its enduring appeal lies in its almost contradictory ability to represent both the nostalgia for the past and the aesthetic for the future. The image and symbolism of the bike’s sleek curves, vibrant red color and powerful design remain relevant nowadays, despite the film’s theatrical release in 1988.

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Akira

R

Anime

Action

Drama

A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.

Director

Katsuhiro Otomo

Release Date

July 16, 1988

Cast

Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Taro Ishida, Tesshô Genda, Mizuho Suzuki, Tatsuhiko Nakamura, Fukue Itō, Kazuhiro Shindō

Writers

Katsuhiro Otomo, Izô Hashimoto

Runtime

124 Minutes

Main Genre

Anime

Budget

$5.7 Million

Studio(s)

Tokyo Movie Shinsha Co. Ltd

Distributor(s)

Toho

3 The Bebop Serves as a Home for Jet’s Ragtag Crew

From Cowboy Bebop

Set in the future after a hyperspace gateway allows humans to colonize the stars, Spike Spiegel and Jet Black work as bounty hunters, hunting down criminals on the many far-reaching planets where humans now live. Along the way, the pair meet con artist Faye Valentine, Edward the teenage hacker and genetically engineered corgi Ein. As the crew face mishaps and confrontations with their pasts, each one grapples with the series’ core themes of existential boredom and loneliness, eventually discovering the kinds of people they wish to be.

The Bebop even plays into the same themes the characters contend with. In a previous life, the Bebop was a fishing trawler, but remade into its current version after Jet purchased it prior to the events of the series. Its current life sees it as the primary residence and vehicle for the crew, yet the shadows of its past life still linger, as seen in the episode where a Ganymede rock lobster was left in a fridge and mutated into something that attacked the crew. The philosophical nature of the show — and even the ship that houses the main characters — makes the Bebop stand out in terms of vessels, helping the Cowboy Bebop to remain an old school sci-fi anime that still holds up today.

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Cowboy Bebop

TV-14

Animation

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

The futuristic misadventures and tragedies of an easygoing bounty hunter and his partners.

Release Date

September 2, 2001

Cast

Koichi Yamadera, Unshô Ishizuka, Megumi Hayashibara, Steve Blum, Beau Billingslea

Seasons

1

Finale Year

November 30, 1998

Studio

Sunrise

Writers

Shinichirô Watanabe, Keiko Nobumoto

Network

Adult Swim

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

Franchise(s)

Cowboy Bebop

Directors

Shinichirô Watanabe

Showrunner

Shinichirô Watanabe

2 The Mach 5 Crafts an Enduring Ultramodern and Futuristic Aesthetic

From Speed Racer

Combining humor, action and characterization, the 1960s anime series, Speed Racer, follows the titular Speed Racer, who seeks to become the world’s best race car champion, even after his older brother tragically lost his life while racing. His friends and family lend him their support, with his father granting him use of the Mach 5, a high-tech race car capable of living up to Speed Racer’s dreams. He encounters plenty of competition along the way, including Racer X, who happens to be his older brother, still alive but in disguise.

An oldie but a goodie, the Mach 5 brilliantly combined the mid-1900s optimism for the ultramodern with futuristic creativity, creating an enduring and endearing aesthetic. The thrill of the race, and the sense of wonder and adventure jam-packed into each episode, made a lasting impression on audiences worldwide. As such, the Mach 5 played a huge hand in shaping the action-adventure genre of anime, cementing its legacy as one of the best vehicles in anime out there.

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Speed Racer

TV-Y7

Action

Adventure

Animation

Racing

Speed, a talented young race car driver, competes in high-stakes races worldwide. With his advanced car, the Mach 5, and the support of his family and friends, Speed faces off against rivals, criminals, and dangerous challenges in his quest for victory.

Release Date

April 2, 1967

Creator(s)

Tatsuo Yoshida

Cast

Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr, Jack Grimes, Jack Curtis, Nelly Valverde, Cleonir dos Santos, Nair Amorim

Main Genre

Adventure

Seasons

1

Story By

Tatsuo Yoshida

Writers

Jinzō Toriumi, Peter Fernandez

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

Franchise(s)

Speed Racer

Directors

Hiroshi Sasagawa, Peter Fernandez

Showrunner

Tatsuo Yoshida

1 Catbus Perfectly Captures Childhood Imagination

From My Neighbor Totoro

Receiving worldwide critical and popular acclaim, Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro follows young sisters Satsuki and Mei as they move into an old house close to their mother’s hospital. While exploring the forests and grounds of their new home, the pair encounter strange spirits, with Totoro among them. As the girls go on adventures with Totoro and the other spirits, the confusion and fear over their mother’s illness attempts to butt heads with the innocence and naivety of childhood, making the film a compelling family film and one of Studio Ghibli’s best movies for kids.

Catbus debuts in the film, with its whimsical design capturing the attention and hearts of the movie’s viewers. Its visually striking design combines a furry cat with a familiar bus, producing something charming and unique that somehow perfectly captures the magical spirit of a children’s movie. Building off its sketch is its cultural relevance, giving a nod to the Japanese folklore of the Bake Neko, or the shape-shifting cats. Catbus’ helpful demeanor, rich inspirational history and instantly recognizable appearance makes it one of the best anime vehicles ever created, even as it toes the line between vehicle and creature.

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My Neighbor Totoro

G

When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Release Date

April 16, 1988

Studio

Studio Ghibli

Cast

Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi, Sumi Shimamoto, Tanie Kitabayashi

Writers

Hayao Miyazaki

Runtime

86 Minutes

Main Genre

Anime