While anime has become much more accessible to audiences outside of Japan over the last few decades, finding stuff to watch can still be a challenge. And it's a lot harder to track down anime movies, save for a select few, because they haven't reached the same level of success as shows like Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece. There are some streaming services (such as Netflix and HBO Max) that carry anime movies, but without a subscription to one of those, it can seem impossible to find anything.
But there are actually way more anime movies available for free online than most people think. Free streaming services like Tubi and Crunchyroll have huge selections of anime that anyone can watch with just a single click.
One Piece: Heart of Gold (2016) - Tubi
One Piece: Heart of Gold is a feature-length tie-in to the theatrical release One Piece Film: Gold. It follows the Straw Hats as they set sail with a mysterious girl who holds the key to a long-lost island — and its coveted treasure.
One Piece: Heart of Gold, as well as many of the other feature-length One Piece television specials, is currently streaming for free on Tubi.
Digimon Adventure tri: Reunion (2015) - YouTube
The first chapter in a six-film series picking up the Digimon story from where it left off nearly fifteen years before, Digimon Adventure tri: Reunion is a nostalgia trip like no other. During the years they were gone, the lives of the DigiDestined have continued with little spectacle. But even though they've grown up and separated, a new threat will force them to reunite and save the world once more.
The entire Digimon Adventure tri. series is currently available to watch for free (with ads) on YouTube.
The Last: Naruto The Movie (2014) - Crunchyroll
The Last: Naruto the Movie is the tenth theatrical film based on the Naruto series and the first to take place within the continuity of the anime. This is just one of many ways it signifies the end of an era for the series. It develops Naruto and Hinata's relationship as they try to stop the moon from colliding with Earth and save Hinata's sister Hanabi from a vengeful celestial being.
The first three Naruto films are available for free on Tubi and Crunchyroll; five others, including The Last: Naruto the Movie, are available on Crunchyroll only.
Trigun: Badlands Rumble (2010) - Tubi
Based on the manga and anime series Trigun, Madhouse's Trigun: Badlands Rumble follows infamous bounty hunter Vash the Stampede as he fights other assassins for a multi-million-dollar prize. Fun, frenetic, and easily accessible even for those who aren't familiar with the cult-classic series, this is an animated spectacle that's well worth its 90-minute runtime.
Trigun: Badlands Rumble is available to watch for free on Tubi; the original 1998 anime series (also animated by Madhouse) can be found on Funimation.
Redline (2009) - Tubi
In the chaotic, adrenaline-filled sci-fi film Redline, slick driver JP battles the competition to get first place in the titular futuristic race. Though its characters are surface-level and there's not much of a plot, Redline's more-than-competent animation and busy visuals make it an energetic thrill-ride that's not easy to forget.
Redline can be watched for free on Tubi.
The Animatrix (2003) - Tubi
Featuring the work of several Japanese animators telling stories from the world of The Matrix, The Animatrix is a forgotten but essential piece of surreal sci-fi. It's an anthology for the ages, and there's nothing cooler than seeing animators such as Redline's Takeshi Koike and Cowboy Bebop's Shinichirō Watanabe hone their craft while expanding the Wachowskis' ambitious universe.
The Animatrix is currently streaming for free on Tubi; it may not be the only anime you'll get to hear Keanu Reeves in, but it's certainly the first.
Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms (2018) - Tubi
The sweet, touching fantasy drama Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms follows Maquia, a member of a mystical race called the Iorph, who can live for hundreds of years. When her home is attacked, she saves a newborn boy and adopts him as her own son.
A tear-jerker that's sure to win the heart of Ghibli devotees, Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms is currently streaming for free on Tubi.
Millennium Actress (2001) - PlutoTV
Millennium Actress is a fast-paced journey through the intertwining life and career of an aging actress, as captured by an obsessive TV documentarian and his hapless cameraman. Directed by Satoshi Kon, whose other works include Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent, it's a must-watch for anyone looking for an anime movie with a little more scope and depth than the traditional fare.
Millennium Actress can be watched for free on either Tubi or PlutoTV.
Akira (1988) - Tubi
The cyberpunk masterpiece Akira is at least partly responsible for introducing anime to the Western world, and it's hard to think of a better movie to do it. Set in 2019 Tokyo, as a corrupt government takes power and an uneasy populace fights for survival, it follows Shōtarō Kaneda, a vigilante gang leader who must protect his friend Tetsuo after the latter gains incredible psychic abilities.
Akira is worth watching simply to see how it impacted all of sci-fi, not just anime; from The Dark Knight to Stranger Things, it inspired countless creative works, and it changed the game for dystopian fiction. It's currently streaming for free on Tubi.
Ghost In The Shell (1995) - YouTube
Another seminal work in the history of anime, Ghost in the Shell left its own mark on the cyberpunk genre. The philosophically-toned dystopian masterwork follows Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg police officer. As she rushes towards a confrontation with the elusive Puppet Master, a cyber-hacker whose work threatens the consciousness of all, she explores her personal identity and beliefs.
Ghost in the Shell is currently streaming for free on YouTube, Tubi, PlutoTV, and Amazon Prime Video.