Anime has, slowly but surely, become one of the most dominant forms of media on the planet. What was once a niche market for video stores, late-night animation blocks, and Saturday morning kids’ shows has quickly grown into one of the most in-demand and exciting genres around. Millions of people watch shows like Solo Leveling (2024) and My Hero Academia (2016), and with a new year comes plenty of new shows ready to be the next big thing.
For this list, we’re going to talk about 10 anime that could very well dominate the anime industry in 2026. Some of these titles are adaptations of long-running manga, revivals of classic shows for a new generation, or even completely new series that have a certain spark that’s worth keeping an eye on. While it’s too soon to tell whether some of them will end up on sites like Crunchyroll or Netflix, we know, at the very least, that these 10 anime will be released sometime in 2026. If you want to be in on the loop before they debut, then read on and see which anime, presented in chronological order, could be 2026’s next big hit.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 (2023-Present)
When you’re starting 2026 with a continuation of one of the best anime of the decade, you know it’s going to be a great year. In fact, any year that has Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a great year by virtue of just having more Frieren in it.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a fantasy series that feels classic in all the right ways. On the surface, it’s an old-school adventure involving an elf and her companions going on a quest for years and dealing with monsters, other mages, and all of your usual fantasy trappings. However, there’s an emotional maturity to Frieren that’s impossible to resist. It’s a slow-paced character study in the same vein as Vinland Saga (2019), but the excellent character moments will have you stop and ponder your own life and actions. It’s a deeply philosophical anime, and the eleven-episode second season is set to continue the show’s streak of excellence. Fans of high fantasy need to watch this show at any cost.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 will premiere on Crunchyroll on January 14, 2026.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run (2026)
It may have been four years since the last season of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, but the long wait was worth it. At long last, what some fans consider to be the best entry in the series, Steel Ball Run, is almost here.
Taking cues from The Cannonball Run (1981) by way of Fist of the North Star (1984), Steel Ball Run should be one of the most complicated and intense anime races ever produced. The show contains all of the usual trappings of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure—creative superpowers, melodramatic posing, and vivid colors—all set in a cross-country race set to last for dozens of episodes. There’ll be death, heartbreak, plenty of twists, and one of the best antagonists the series has ever seen. It’s everything a Jojo fan could want and more! And the best part? As a soft reboot of the series, even newcomers can join in without worrying about prior continuity.
Steel Ball Run will premiere on Netflix on March 19, 2026.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm (2026)
Ask any anime fan worth their salt, and they’ll tell you that Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) are some of the best anime of the 21st century. It stands to reason that their creator’s next series, Daemons of the Shadow Realm, should be put on every anime fan’s radar ASAP.
The manga has been running since 2021, and the fantasy world depicted in Daemons of the Shadow Realm has all of the makings of a potential classic. It hits many of the tropes you would expect of a fantasy series, such as a prophecy depicting our leads as heroes and their ability to control fantastical creatures called daemons, but what helps give the series its unique flavor is its anthological approach. Our two leads were separated as kids, and the series follows the encounters they have as they try to reunite with one another to save the world. With art design to die for, and carrying the same spirit of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Daemons of the Shadow Realm could potentially be the next dark fantasy epic we’ve been looking for.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm will premiere on Crunchyroll in April 2026.
Witch Hat Atelier (2026)
While this list is presented in chronological order, it’s hard to think of any reason why Witch Hat Atelier shouldn’t be considered the most anticipated anime of the year. In virtually all aspects, it’s simply in a class of its own.
There’s an artistry present in Witch Hat Atelier that’s breathtaking to watch. Its magic system is exceptionally well thought out and creative, rivaling Nen from Hunter x Hunter (2011) in terms of potential and complexity. The series is bursting with ideas, yet maintains a youthful and carefree atmosphere not unlike The Owl House (2020), where we’re just as excited as Coco to learn about the vast world of magic. The original manga won the Harvey Award in both 2020 and 2025. If the anime adaptation can translate even a fraction of Kamome Shirahama’s intricate artwork, then the series may very well be one of the most beautifully animated series of the year. If you claim to be a fan of anime or fantasy in general, then you can’t miss Witch Hat Atelier.
Witch Hat Atelier will premiere on Crunchyroll in April 2026.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4 (2022-2026)
It’s going to be a wild year for the Big Three. One Piece (1999) has shifted to a seasonal model to improve production quality. Naruto (2002) is set to return with new episodes, and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War will conclude and end the anime after over two decades.
By this point, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has proven itself to be a worthy follow-up to the original series, and its final part has a lot of potential to be the best yet. Thanks to only adapting 30 chapters of the manga, as well as confirmation that there will be anime original content that expands on the source material, Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4 should fix the rushed ending of the manga. Like Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle (2025), the series has been building relentlessly to its action-packed finale. With Studio Pierrot spending a year and a half to perfect this ending, the visuals may even exceed Infinity Castle. If you’ve ever been a fan of shonen action, it’s time to give the most underrated member of the Big Three its due.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4 will premiere in July 2026.
Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia (2026)
While fantasy seems to be all the rage in recent years, historical dramas have surged in popularity as well, and Jaadugar: A Witch in Monologia looks to be a fascinating series focusing on a culture often forgotten about in the anime world. While anime tends to focus on Japanese culture, very few series explore Middle Eastern civilizations. Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia offers a rare Persian protagonist. Watching her be taken away and forced to work in the Mongolian imperial court may give you flashbacks to Apothecary Diaries (2023), but that’s by no means a bad thing.
The series is grounded in character drama and is incredibly well researched, where any fan of Middle Eastern history will surely appreciate the attention to detail. And then there’s Science Saru’s animation, which, even by its already high standards, appears painterly and gorgeous. If you’re tired of the usual anime tropes and crave something different, Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is that change you’re looking for.
Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will premiere in July 2026.
Black Clover Season 2 (2017-Present)
Black Clover has always marched to the beat of its own drum. It releases new chapters every quarter instead of weekly, and the anime has been on hiatus since 2021 to allow the manga to reach its conclusion. Now, after what feels like eternity, Black Clover is finally back. While we don’t know exactly when it will premiere in 2026, we do know that the show will continue to carry the same charm and energy that propelled Naruto to success all those years ago.
There’s a determination and infectious energy in Black Clover’s Asta that is never deterred, and he bounces off wonderfully with the fully fleshed-out supporting cast. No matter how big or how small, each character gets a time to shine, giving the series one of the best casts in modern shonen. Not only that, but the shift to a seasonal release window will hopefully give Studio Pierrot the time it needs to animate the fight scenes to make them as impressive as the manga. There’s plenty of highly anticipated fantasy shows this year, but if you want one with a huge and colorful cast of characters, Black Clover will do the job.
Black Clover Season 2 will premiere in 2026.
Ghost in the Shell (2026)
As the godmother of dystopian sci-fi anime, Ghost in the Shell (1995) was truly ahead of its time. It still stands as one of the greatest anime feature films of all time, so hearing that Science Saru and Production I.G. will revive the series with Ghost in the Shell (2026) has me all kinds of excited.
While very little is known about the series other than that it exists, what makes Ghost in the Shell so exciting is its aesthetics. Based on the key art available, the series is going for a retro cyberpunk aesthetic not dissimilar to Bubblegum Crisis (1987), which will help separate the series from the hordes of modern-day anime with bland and forgettable character designs and visuals. Ghost in the Shell’s visuals instantly pop, and if the series is a full retelling of the original manga/film, then it’ll be a treat to see the show go through its themes of humanity and identity in a world where technology is now more prevalent than ever. If you’ve been waiting years for a mature sci-fi anime that carries the spirit of Serial Experiments Lain (1999), then this remake may be the series you’re looking for.
Ghost in the Shell will premiere in 2026.
Goodbye, Lara (2026)
It’s rare for an original anime to draw as much attention as Goodbye, Lara, but that also speaks to how compelling Kinema Citrus’ 15th anniversary project is shaping up to be. There’s a lot of old-school charm present in the character designs of Goodbye, Lara, with the series feeling almost Ghibli-esque.
There’s a quaintness to the character designs and the setting that seems as cozy as Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), with the seaside waves feeling especially soothing. Not much is known about the show’s plot other than it centers on a mermaid who dies and is reincarnated as a human, but it appears to be a cute fish-out-of-water story with a fair bit of fairy tale magic strewn in. So much of Goodbye, Lara is drawn from the ‘90s that anyone who is looking for a throwback to anime of that era will be in for a treat when they see it.
Goodbye, Lara will premiere in 2026.
Magic Knight Rayearth (2026)
Isekai has become a dirty word in the anime industry. Each season, you can find countless shows that seem like generic slop, but there was a time when isekai anime was creative and compelling, and 2026’s Magic Knight Rayearth is set to remake one of the genre’s best.
The original Magic Knight Rayearth (1994) was extremely popular thanks to its trio of peppy heroines and their quest to return home from the world of Cephiro. A part of what made Magic Knight Rayearth so fun was its fusion of genres. Yes, it was an isekai, but it was also a fantasy series, a magical girl adventure, and a mecha anime all rolled into one. It’s easy to see how Rayearth would inspire shows like Vision of Escaflowne (1996), and a remake of the original series with modern visuals is a recipe for success, provided Production I.G. and Signal MD can stick the landing. Fans of old-school mecha, magical girl, and adventure anime should be in for a treat when this project sees the light of day.
Magic Knight Rayearth will premiere in 2026.
