The best anime skins for CS:GO, all of which carried over to CS2 unchanged, are the AUG | Akihabara Accept, AWP | Oni Taiji, M4A1-S | Player Two, M4A4 | 龍王 (Dragon King), Galil AR | Kami and MP9 | Mount Fuji. Prices vary widely: Kami and Mount Fuji cost a few dollars, while the Akihabara Accept ranges from about $250 in Battle-Scarred to around $3,450 in Factory New. Below we cover each skin: the design, where it drops and what it costs.
The developers originally planned to focus on realistic skins, but players turned out to prefer bright designs, and skin makers began experimenting with style, including anime and Japanese aesthetics. For a newer take on the theme, see our best anime skins in CS2, and you can finish the look with anime stickers.
AUG: Akihabara Accept
The AUG | Akihabara Accept is one of the best-known anime skins. It is named after Tokyo's Akihabara district, an entertainment and shopping hub many anime fans dream of visiting. The body shows a girl in combat armor, and Japanese lettering completes the design. It belongs to the Rising Sun Collection and does not drop from cases, which keeps it rare and expensive: about $470 in Field-Tested, around $1,100 in Minimal Wear and roughly $3,450 in Factory New.
AWP Oni Taiji
Another skin for fans of Japanese culture is the AWP | Oni Taiji from the Operation Hydra Case. It looks back to earlier eras, imitating classical Japanese painting: the body shows a samurai in traditional armor, and the stock a man in an oni demon mask. Prices start at about $240, and Factory New costs around $510.
M4A1-S Player Two
The M4A1-S | Player Two from the Prisma 2 Case is one of those skins you can study for a long time, like a page of a well-drawn comic. A character with a gun on the body, a dog with its tongue out on the magazine and plenty of lettering on a bright background come together into one picture. Most wears cost about $55, Factory New about $150. More options for this rifle are in our list of the best M4A1-S skins.
M4A4 龍王 (Dragon King)
The M4A4 | 龍王 (Dragon King) from the Chroma Case will appeal to fans of Asian style. The body features a traditional Chinese dragon flying over a blue and white ornament. It won't bring you luck in a fight, but it looks impressive and is affordable: about $10 in Field-Tested and around $50 in Factory New. For similar designs, see our article on dragon skins.
Galil AR Kami
Skins in this style don't have to be dazzlingly bright. The opposite approach is the Galil AR | Kami from the Huntsman Weapon Case, whose design recalls black and white manga pages. The name is no accident: in Japanese, kami means a deity. It is the cheapest skin here, about $2, with Factory New around $5.
MP9 Mount Fuji
Finally, a skin for fans of Japanese culture that doesn't copy the anime or manga style directly. The MP9 | Mount Fuji from the Operation Riptide Case shows Mount Fuji, one of the best-known symbols of Japan. It costs about $5 in Field-Tested and around $15 in Factory New.
All prices are approximate LIS-SKINS market figures and change daily.
