In futuristic Japan, the human soul is analyzed and digitized. A flawless structure called the Sibyl System assesses this data and creates a perfect life for each citizen while also evaluating their potential for crime—otherwise known as one's "Psycho-Pass." Even so, incidents still occur, requiring the existence of the Ministry of Welfare's Public Safety Bureau (MWPSB).

Short on personnel, MWPSB employs latent criminals as Enforcers—morally corrupt individuals whose Psycho-Pass surpasses the allowed threshold—in service of the capable Inspectors. They make use of Dominators, special guns designed to read one's Psycho-Pass, and work together to apprehend wrongdoers.

Being one of the few people the System considers adequate for MWPSB, Akane Tsunemori is assigned as Criminal Investigation Division's new Inspector of Division 01. Secured by her strong sense of justice, Tsunemori's Psycho-Pass is unwavering in the face of incurable fugitives on both the just and rotten sides of the system. But early into her career, Tsunemori encounters a person thought impossible: a criminal with the Psycho-Pass of a righteous man.