10 Best Anime Shows Of 2026 (So Far) – SlashFilm

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Whether it’s the best anime movies and TV shows streaming on Crunchyroll or fan-favorite titles on other major platforms, the anime medium is alive and well in 2026. The year has seen the return of popular shows and the debut of new favorites, many already garnering plenty of well-earned fans. The shows range from slice-of-life comedies to supernaturally tinged horror action, demonstrating the continued versatility of anime. Plus, if the success of “Demon Slayer” at the box office is to be believed, and it most certainly should, anime audiences are bigger than ever.

Simply put, 2026 is already off to a tremendous start in delivering some truly stellar anime shows. For this list, we’re featuring a mix of returning series that dropped new episodes this year as well as fantastic debuts. No matter the individual genre, these shows really bring something special to the medium and have appealed to global audiences. 

Here are the 10 best anime shows of 2026 so far, each offering something fresh and exciting to fans worldwide.

Despite its title, the manga series “Journal with Witch” by Tomoko Yamashita (and its subsequent anime adaptation) is not a fantasy story but a slice-of-life drama. The tale begins with reclusive novelist Makio Kōdai adopting her teenage niece Asa Takumi after she loses her parents in a car accident. With the two’s dynamic initially strained by Makio’s withdrawn nature and Asa’s friendly personality, Makio suggests her niece maintain a journal. As Asa pours her feelings into the journal, helping her overcome her grief, she and her aunt gradually learn how to live together as a cohesive family.

Though “Journal with Witch” starts with a cliche premise of an unlikely figure suddenly becoming a loving adoptive parent, the manga and show breathe fresh life into the narrative setup. A lot of that comes down to authentically presented emotional struggles and development by its main characters. Makio and Asa feel like more than shallow archetypes; they’re complex figures that have flaws and strengths, and they try to grow and learn how to coexist while mitigating interpersonal strife. That sophisticated and genuine approach to emotional honesty sets “Journal with Witch” above many of its contemporaries.

After wrapping its second season at the end of 2023, “Jujutsu Kaisen” returned with a vengeance for its third season at the start of 2026. Continuing its adaptation of Gege Akutami’s hit manga series, Season 3 has the Jujutsu Sorcerers regroup after Tokyo has become overwhelmed by living curses. As the show’s protagonist Yuji Itadori is sentenced to death, the advent of new magic users forces everyone to enter a battle royale known as the Culling Game. Organized by the villainous Kenjaku, the event is a deadly contest intended to harvest cursed energy for another cataclysmic event.

Following two seasons of establishing its world and mythology, “Jujutsu Kaisen” Season 3 put the heroes on the defensive and in an increasingly desperate position. This is enhanced by MAPPA bringing its usual flair for cinematic-level animation for what is a particularly combat-heavy season. For fans of the acclaimed prequel movie “Jujutsu Kaisen 0,” its protagonist Yuta Okkotsu steps up in a big way this season. With the stakes higher than ever, “Jujutsu Kaisen” Season 3 proves to be well worth the wait.

Bringing a more self-aware and emotional approach to the tried and true high fantasy genre is “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.” Based on the manga by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe, the first season of “Frieren” was one of the best anime of fall 2023. The series returned for its second season in January 2026, continuing Frieren’s journey north to reunite with the soul of the late hero Himmel to gain closure about his passing. Along the way, Frieren gains a greater understanding of humanity through her adventures and her party, including her magical apprentice Fern.

“Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” is the anime “Lord of the Rings” fans have been waiting for, featuring an epic quest with incredibly personal stakes. Season 2 doubles down on the cozier elements of the story while deepening its look on the supporting characters as Fern and Stark’s dynamic grows. At the same time, the fantasy action is still front and center and the animation remains absolutely gorgeous. A high fantasy story with a strong emphasis on the emotional implications of this world, “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” avoids the sophomore slump.

Every now and then, it’s good to remember that anime overall can appeal to audiences of all ages. The best family-friendly anime series to debut in 2026 so far is “The Demon King’s Daughter Is Too Kind!!,” adapting the manga by Yūya Sakamoto. A medieval fantasy story, the Demon King Ahriman pauses his conquest of the realm to focus on his young daughter Doux. Ahriman has his attendant Jahi try to make Doux a fearsome demon worthy of his legacy, only for Doux to win over hearts and minds in her own adorable way.

Look, if you prefer your anime intense and violent, “The Demon King’s Daughter Is Too Kind!!” may not be the show for you. That said, like so many monsters and warriors that Doux encounters, her innocent compassion may win over even the most hardened viewers that think the show is too cutesy. Part of the fun is seeing how Doux regularly subverts classic fantasy tropes, whether it’s trying out magical transformations or facing a marauding army of goblins. Truly a delight for viewers of any age, “The Demon King’s Daughter Is Too Kind!!” is a great gateway for younger audiences into the medium.

Not every anime story needs life and death stakes or major fantasy premise, of course, and “You and I Are Polar Opposites” is an excellent reminder of that. Based on the manga by Kōcha Agasawa, the story revolves around high school classmates Miyu Suzuki and Yusuke Tani. Despite the pair’s complete contrast in social demeanor, with Suzuki being the bubbly energetic one and Tani being the bluntly introverted counterpart, the two fall in love. As the two settle into the complexities of their relationship, the story expands to their friends and their own coming-of-age antics.

Compared to a lot of romantic comedies, “You and I Are Polar Opposites” ditches a prolonged will-they/won’t-they dynamic. Diving right into the romance by the end of the series premiere, the show takes the time to examine how this relationship works and the implications. This provides the story with a lot of its comedy, given the polemical social perspectives of its core couple, but also some of the heartfelt drama. A slice-of-life feel-good high school comedy, “You and I Are Polar Opposites” hits all the pleasant right notes.

One of the unsung anime series from the summer of 2023 was “Hell’s Paradise,” based on the manga by Yuji Kaku. The show returned for its second season, continuing the story of the amnesiac ninja Gabimaru as he searches for the Elixir of Life. The season hits the ground running, with the executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri helping him regain his memories and reorient his powerful Tao, or life energy. Upon his recovery, Gabimaru resumes his battle against the villainous Tensen, only for a surprise new threat to surface.

“Hell’s Paradise” always had its sweeping mythology and fantasy flourishes, which only grows in Season 2. This is arguably the most violent entry on this list, maintaining an unflinching intensity across its 12-episode season. But through all the bloody mayhem and maiming, the psychological drama of it all and its toll on the main characters is apparent. A period piece fantasy story with a stylishly harder edge than most of its counterparts, “Hell’s Paradise” doubles down on the visceral thrills.

It had been four years since the end of “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean,” wrapping up the latest adaptation of Hirohiko Araki’s best-selling manga series. With the generational saga of the Joestar family enduring a cosmic reboot at the end of “Stone Ocean,” the series returned in March with “Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.” Taking place in the rebooted timeline, paraplegic jockey Johnny Joestar enters a transcontinental horse race to pursue Gyro Zeppeli, a mysterious rider who briefly restored Johnny’s mobility. However, this contest quickly turns into a cutthroat competition, with several reimagined JoJo characters among Johnny and Gyro’s rivals.

Just like its manga source material, “Steel Ball Run” is a bold reinvention of what “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” can be, repositioning it as a 19th century Western. Anime fans were mad at Netflix for only releasing the season premiere, with the remainder planned for a weekly release later in 2026. But even the supersized episode proved that the franchise was still in good hands, with “Steel Ball Run” maintaining the series’ reputation for delivering the top anime fights ever. A tantalizing appetizer for the full, epic Wild West story to come, “Steel Ball Run” is both a solid continuation and fresh jumping-on point for new viewers.

“Jujutsu Kaisen” isn’t the only modern urban fantasy anime thrilling fans with new episodes this year, with “Daemons of the Shadow Realm” premiering this past April. Based on the manga by Hiromu Arakawa, the story centers on long-lost twins Yuru and Asa, who are born with the ability to control a pair of daemons. Yuru departs his isolated village to reunite with Asa, dazzled by modern society and technology outside of his remote community. As the twins master their dominion over Daemons, they are drawn into their destiny of preventing a global apocalypse.

One of the best TV shows of 2026, regardless of medium, “Daemons of the Shadow Realm” contains several major themes from Arakawa’s previous manga series, “Fullmetal Alchemist.” Both stories featured a sibling relationship as their emotional core, with a supernatural conflict for the fate of civilization. But perhaps more saliently than “Fullmetal Alchemist,” Arakawa’s later series features the juxtaposition of old world magic and modernism, colliding in intriguing ways. Offering its own complex mythology and more nuanced sibling dynamic than “Fullmetal Alchemist,” “Daemons of the Shadow Realm” proves Arakawa hasn’t lost a step in crafting epic fantasy stories.

The best-selling series “Witch Hat Atelier” by Kamome Shirahama is one of the more visually and conceptually striking fantasy manga tales of the past several years. Adapted into an anime that premiered in April, the show is set in a world where access to magic is tightly controlled by witches. The story’s protagonist, Coco, becomes an apprentice to a witch at a local atelier after accidentally casting a spell on her mother. This places her in the middle of a shadow war between rival witch factions over public access to magic.

The defining distinction with “Witch Hat Atelier” is that it’s a fantasy story that takes a craftsmanship approach to the world of magic. Coco’s training truly feels like an apprenticeship in creating the glyphs and runes that come with casting magic, giving these supernatural elements a pronounced visually artistic flourish. This all helps serve as the backdrop to an engaging coming-of-age story about self-empowerment and actualization with reality-shifting stakes. Another absolutely stellar new fantasy anime show, “Witch Hat Atelier” makes for a heartwarmingly empathetic watch.

One of the most richly complex anime stories of the year is “Nippon Sangoku,” based on the manga by Ikka Matsuki. The story is set in a Japan rocked by global nuclear war, deadly contagion, and natural disasters, all exacerbated by an ineffective government. With society regressing into a balkanized feudal system, the country is eventually divided into three kingdoms. In the wake of his wife’s execution, protagonist Aoteru Misumi sets out to unify Japan in the midst of the bloody warfare.

With its political intrigue and manipulative maneuvering across various rival factions, “Nippon Sangoku” is a masterclass in distinct world-building. The episode alone expertly establishes its premise along with kickstarting Aoteru’s mission to change his world after enduring a tragic loss. Following this, the story only gets more complicated and layered as it proceeds, brought to life by its striking art style. One of the most ambitiously rewarding new anime series of 2026, “Nippon Sangoku” is a must-watch for fans of shows with their own courtly politics like “Shōgun.”