2023 will be fondly remembered by Crunchyroll, a subscription video on-demand streaming service owned by Sony Group Corp. that distributes anime programming. The popularity of that genre is reflected in the number of TV shows that the company placed among the 50 best TV episodes of 2023.
To determine the best TV episodes of 2023, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on audience reception from IMDb. Television episodes that aired in 2023 were ranked based on IMDb user rating as of December 2023. In the case of a tie, the episode with the greater number of IMDb votes was ranked higher. Episodes with fewer than 1,000 user votes were excluded. Only the three highest ranking episodes of each television show were considered.
Founded in 2006, San Francisco-based Crunchyroll was initially a for-profit video upload and streaming site that specialized in presenting East Asian content, much of it Japanese anime. Its website says Crunchyroll “champions the art and culture of anime to a passionate community of fans around the world.”
Anime fans turned out in 2023, as six episodes of “Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Vinland Saga” earned places among the 10 best TV episodes of 2023. They were among the 50 best TV episodes that tallied IMDb user scores of 9.1 or above on our list.
Three episodes from another Crunchyroll anime series, “One Piece,” were the oldest on the list, from 1999. Other Crunchyroll anime series on the list are “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,” “My Hero Academia,” and “Attack on Titan.”
In total, there are seven shows that placed three episodes on the best TV episodes of the year. Aside from the Crunchyroll anime series, these include “Succession,” “The Bear,” “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War,” and “The Last of Us.” (These are the best new shows of 2023.)
Scroll below to see the best TV episodes of 2023.
30. The Last of Us, “When We Are in Need”
- IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
- IMDb user votes: 56,326
29. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, “A Connected Bond: Daybreak and First Light”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb user votes: 4,665
28. Star Trek: Picard, “Võx”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb user votes: 6,239
27. Star Trek: Picard, “The Last Generation”
- IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb user votes: 6,720
26. The Bear, “The Bear”
- IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb user votes: 7,021
25. Ted Lasso, “So Long, Farewell”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb user votes: 11,677
24. Succession, “Church and State”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb user votes: 11,866
23. One Piece, “The Strike of an Ifrit! Sanji vs. Queen”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb user votes: 18,455
22. One Piece, “Believe in Momo – Luffy’s Final Powerful Technique!”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb user votes: 46,896
21. The Last of Us, “Endure and Survive”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb user votes: 77,053
20. Clarkson’s Farm, “Climaxing”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.5/10
- IMDb user votes: 1,280
19. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, “The Master”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.5/10
- IMDb user votes: 3,274
18. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, “Four Minutes”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.5/10
- IMDb user votes: 3,559
17. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, “Too Early To Win Too Late To Know”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.5/10
- IMDb user votes: 4,004
16. Succession, “With Open Eyes”
- IMDb user rating: 9.5/10
- IMDb user votes: 19,860
15. Loki, “Glorious Purpose”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.5/10
- IMDb user votes: 22,682
14. Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake, “Jerry”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user votes: 1,024
13. The Owl House, “Watching and Dreaming”
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user votes: 1,519
12. Blue Eye Samurai, “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user votes: 2,197
11. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, “Black”
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user votes: 3,758
10. Vinland Saga, “Oath”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user votes: 5,025
9. The Bear, “Fishes”
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user votes: 14,569
8. One Piece, “The Three-Sword Style of the Supreme King! Zoro vs. King”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user votes: 56,690
7. Vinland Saga, “Two Paths”
- IMDb user rating: 9.7/10
- IMDb user votes: 4,575
6. Vinland Saga, “Emperor of Rebellion”
- IMDb user rating: 9.7/10
- IMDb user votes: 5,243
5. Jujutsu Kaisen, “The Shibuya Incident – Gate, Open”
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.7/10
- IMDb user votes: 8,988
4. The Bear, “Forks”
- IMDb user rating: 9.7/10
- IMDb user votes: 11,219
3. Jujutsu Kaisen, “Thunderclap – Part 2”
- IMDb user rating: 9.8/10
- IMDb user votes: 10,116
2. Jujutsu Kaisen, “Thunderclap”
- IMDb user rating: 9.8/10
- IMDb user votes: 12,246
1. Succession, “Connor’s Wedding”
- IMDb user rating: 9.9/10
- IMDb user votes: 34,070