10 Highest Grossing anime movies of all time

Anime films have grown into a global phenomenon, captivating audiences of all ages with their stunning animation, compelling stories, and memorable characters. From timeless classics to recent blockbusters, certain titles have achieved extraordinary box office success, breaking records and earning a lasting place in cinematic history.

This list highlights the top ten highest-grossing anime movies worldwide, detailing why each film achieved its remarkable success. The figures presented are lifetime box-office grosses as reported by industry monitors and trade publications, with notable records and achievements included to provide context and verifiable insights.

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Highest-grossing anime movie

10. Ponyo (2008) — $204.8 million

Ponyo, another Studio Ghibli hit, delighted families worldwide through a wide international release and extensive localization, including an English dub by Disney in many countries. It started very well in Japan and continued to perform well abroad, with the brand recognition of Ghibli and cross-market promotion campaigns supporting this performance. The total amount is approximately $204.8 million globally.

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9. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) — $237.5 million

Howl’s Moving Castle (featuring Howl and Sophie Hatter) benefited from Studio Ghibli’s global reputation and multiple distribution windows across regions, including re-releases that bolstered its long-term box office performance. Re-releases and high attendance in the home market in both Japan and Europe helped in generating long-term revenue. Its family appeal and adult themes guaranteed theatrical legs, earning it a lifetime gross of $237.5 million.

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8. One Piece Film: Red (2022) — $246.6 million

One Piece Film: Red leveraged Eiichiro Oda’s popular franchise and an international release strategy, surpassing $246 million globally, driven by strong domestic ticket sales and limited releases in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Demand at the theatres increased due to merchandising tie-ins and franchise momentum (touring exhibitions, streaming interest). Its global gross of $246.6 million is recorded in total box-office lists.

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7. The First Slam Dunk (2022) — $279.0 million

The theatrical anime reenactment of the Slam Dunk brand, the First Slam Dunk, achieved unusually high box office grosses in East Asia, specifically Japan, South Korea, and China, as basketball-related culture and nostalgia towards the original series pushed subsequent viewings. The extensive play in IMAX/large format and regional releases helped give this film a global gross of approximately $279 million, making it one of the highest-grossing anime movies. Industry trackers are sources of detailed financial breakdown.

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6. The Boy and the Heron (2023) — $294.2 million

The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki posted very good international performances because of the international status of Ghibli, positive reception, and staggered release strategy, which continued the theatrical performance into 2023. Premium formats and festival premieres created press attention, which translated into long-term box office. The gross of the movie has reached about $294.2 million worldwide.

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5. Suzume (2022) — $323.6 million

Suzume by Makoto Shinkai followed the trends of success that the director had shown earlier in his works - it was a visually impressive animation with emotional music, and it was in high demand abroad (particularly in China and Southeast Asia). Broadly released with a fanbase of Shinkai across the world, Suzume earned a record of $323.6 million worldwide. Marketing the film has focused on spectacle and emotional investment, which made it more transnational.

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4. Spirited Away (2001) — $395.6 million

Spirited Away is one of the most successful anime movies of all time; the gross of the movie itself shows decades of release and re-release, and it even received an Academy Award (Best Animated Feature, 2003). The gradual international releases, high critical respect, and long-tail collection led to a global cumulative of approximately $395.6 million at Studio Ghibli. Its cross-generational popularity and cultural position keep it at the top of every list of the highest-grossing anime films.

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3. Your Name (2016) — $405.3 million

Your Name by Makoto Shinkai was an example of a small film in Japan that achieved an unusually long international distribution, especially in China, where it was an overnight success. The film gained a global hit due to its youth appeal, impressive visuals, and word of mouth, which made the movie earn an approximate lifetime gross of $405.3 million. The promotional efforts of the movie and its appearances at film festivals also contributed to its global box office.

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2. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train (2020) — $506.5 million

Upon its release, Mugen Train established new standards when it turned the TV viewer into a huge movie audience, particularly in Japan and China. Its performance can be attributed to several factors: (1) the movie was a continuation of a hot television streak, (2) repeat viewing was strong among the hardcore fans, (3) the release strategy was aggressive, featuring hundreds of screens, and (4) the pandemic-related driving forces pushing viewers to eventual cultural events. The lifetime gross of the film is estimated at about $506.5 million, which was the highest-grossing anime at the box office.

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1 — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (2025) — $605.4 million

The most recent reporting has made it the highest-grossing anime movie globally at the time of its release, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. It passed previous records as a result of multiple domestic record openings in Japan, record U.S. openings of an anime film (a 70M U.S. opening weekend), and an extensive international release that maintained multi-week grosses. It became the highest earner on the planet of all anime films, having earned over $600 million in the world market, and was the first Japanese animated movie to do so. The leading industry trackers and trade outlets have validated this first position.

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The top ten highest-grossing anime movies above highlight the reasons behind their global success, including franchise strength, director and studio reputation, international release strategies, repeat viewings, and premium format screenings. The figures are based on lifetime grosses of the industry and box-office records; the 2020 leader is Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which has passed the legendary $600 million threshold and has replaced Mugen Train as the highest-grossing anime film. To confirm numbers and to further break down territories, refer to the box-office sources quoted and box-office trackers above.