It’s a brand new year, and with it comes a new season of anime, and it’s starting off with a bang. Normally, winter is considered a lighter season when compared to spring and fall, but this year is an exception. Plenty of hotly anticipated anime are returning with new seasons on Crunchyroll and Netflix, and there’s a fair amount of new anime that’s garnering some attention as well.
Like all of our seasonal guides, we’ll be looking at the ten titles that seem to be the most interesting and the most exciting. Of course, anything can happen during a show’s production, and some of these titles, despite showing initial promise, could fall apart spectacularly. Nevertheless, these titles all have something going for them that has piqued our curiosity, and some have even been placed within our Top 100 TV shows during their earlier runs. So if you’re looking for some new anime to kick off the new year, give these ten shows a watch!
10) SHIBOYUGI: Playing Death Games To Put Food On The Table (2026)
When done right, death game anime can be completely fascinating to watch. While it’s way too soon to tell if SHIBOYUGI: Playing Death Games To Put Food On The Table will be a good death game anime, with a title like that, how could you not be at least a little curious?
Starring a girl who has been subjected to multiple death games, there’s more of an understated grimness to the show’s premise that leans more to psychologically thrilling death games like Death Parade (2015) than the bombastic nature of death games like Danganronpa (2013). With a relatively smaller cast than one would expect from an anime like this, it should also give SHIBOYUGI a chance to really dive into each character’s psychology before they’re ultimately executed for failing at a given game. If you prefer your thrillers with deeper introspection and girls in maid outfits, then give SHIBOYUGI a shot.
SHIBOYUGI: Playing Death Games To Put Food On The Table premieres on January 7, 2026 on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
9) Hell’s Paradise (2024-Present)
Years ago, the term “Dark Trio” was thrown around to describe a group of darker Shonen Jump manga that thrived on gore, violence, and dark character drama. All three of these manga went on to become critically acclaimed anime, and while it hasn’t been as popular as its siblings, Hell’s Paradise definitely warrants a look.
Continuing from the first season, the show follows a group of samurai, ninjas, and bandits sent to an island to find an elixir of immortality, only to find monsters waiting for them. It’s a show that isn’t afraid to kill its protagonists as frequently and as viciously as Akame ga Kill! (2014). One moment you’re rooting for their survival, and the next you’re forced to witness their gruesome end. Because of this, much like SHIBOYUGI, Hell’s Paradise is more focused on character drama than action. That isn’t to say the action isn’t good, because fans of classic ninja and samurai films will love what Hell’s Paradise offers, but it wasn’t the focus for the first season. The second is meant to be more action-oriented, so the show should hopefully find a better balance of the two with its second season.
Hell’s Paradise premieres on January 11, 2026 on Crunchyroll.
8) The Holy Grail of Eris (2026)
It seems odd to have two new fantasy series airing back-to-back that feature a main heroine named Scarlet, but The Holy Grail of Eris is absolutely nothing like the blunt and immensely enjoyable May I Ask for One Final Thing? (2025).
The Holy Grail of Eris is all about suspense and mystery; a woman accused of a crime she didn’t commit has to figure out why she was accused in the first place, and in the process, uncovers a grand conspiracy that spans decades and features a fair amount of supernatural elements. It’s the kind of mystery that presents new questions for every answer it gives, keeping viewers hooked in the same way that Undead Murder Farce (2023) did. It’s less boastful than that series and tends to commit more to the overarching question of how and why Scarlet was killed, so those looking for a compelling mystery this winter should find one in The Holy Grail of Eris.
The Holy Grail of Eris premieres on January 8, 2026 on Crunchyroll.
7) Jujutsu Kaisen: Culling Game Arc (2020-Present)
While Hell’s Paradise may have taken a while to get an anime adaptation, the first of the “Dark Trio” to receive an anime was Jujutsu Kaisen. As a result, its popularity has skyrocketed and is now gearing up for a new season.
Following the absolute bloodbath that was the second season, Jujutsu Kaisen’s third season is set to shake things up drastically. One of the core appeals of the series, much like Hunter x Hunter (2011-2014), was its complicated power system that seemed ripe with possibilities. Well, season 3 is set to debut some of the most ludicrous and imaginative abilities yet. By now, the series has stepped further away from physical and psychological horror into traditional Shonen action, which is totally okay. MAPPA more than delivers when it comes to visual spectacles, and Jujutsu Kaisen is nothing if not a visual spectacle. The sakuga is plentiful here, and all action fans need to pay their respects to one of the best in the business.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Culling Game Arc premieres on January 8, 2026 on Crunchyroll.
6) Oshi no Ko Season 3 (2023-Present)
There was a time when Oshi no Ko was considered one of the best anime of all time, almost entirely due to the first season’s masterful premiere. While time has caused more level heads to prevail and the show’s reputation to fall slightly, it’s still one of the best dramas around.
Oshi no Ko is an uncompromising look at several different entertainment industries and doesn’t shy away from showing how the sausage is made. From online harassment, the oppressive nature of the music and television industry, and the complications of actually breaking into the industry, they’re all shown in curt and unflattering terms. In a lot of ways, you can see how anime like Perfect Blue (1998) and Nana (2006-2007) inspired the series. Fans of dark psychological dramas will definitely eat up what Oshi no Ko presents, and that’s not even taking into consideration the murder mystery that drives the main plot. Just an all-around excellent show we’re great to have back.
Oshi no Ko premieres on January 14, 2026 on Crunchyroll.
5) Journal With Witch (2026)
This winter is filled with plenty of shonen action series and an unhealthy amount of isekai slop, so when a quieter josei title like Journal With Witch crops up, it stands out for how atypical it is.
Not a lot of anime tend to focus on and are targeted towards adult women, but that’s what makes Journal With Witch so interesting. It’s a series that explores grief and family in a way that’s natural and very realistic, with a woman raising her sister’s daughter after her parents are killed in a car crash. If you grew up watching Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2013), then Journal With Witch should hit a lot of those same notes, but from a much older and wiser perspective. It’s a low-stakes drama to be sure, but sometimes you need something down-to-earth and relatable to better convey the complicated feelings Journal With Witch clearly wants to explore.
Journal With Witch is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.
4) Sentenced To Be A Hero (2026)
To make a great action series, you need a rock-solid premise, characters that keep you interested in coming back week after week, and action that leaves you floored. Even after just one episode, Sentenced To Be A Hero already has the makings of one.
While it would be simple just to call Sentenced To Be A Hero an anime version of The Suicide Squad (2021), it’s so much more than that. Forced to fight a never-ending armada of demons, and being revived after each death is unnecessarily cruel, but that’s the kind of dark fantasy world that Sentenced To Be A Hero is. The series is dripping in the same anti-war messaging that made 86 (2021-2022) an underrated classic, but also manages to make the soldiers we follow all compelling characters in their own right. And, of course, the animation on display is jaw-dropping, with certain sequences even putting Solo Leveling (2024-2025) to shame. If there was one new action anime to give you the thrills you crave, chances are it’s going to be Sentenced To Be A Hero.
Sentenced To Be A Hero is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.
3) Trigun Stargaze (2026)
For old-school otaku, Trigun (1998) needs no introduction. As one of the most iconic space westerns in all of anime, its pacifistic violence still holds up after nearly three decades. Fans were rightfully nervous when it was remade as Trigun Stampede (2023), but now three years later, Orange is set to conclude their reimagining of the original series with Trigun Stargaze.
For fans put off by Stampede’s divergences from the original series, Stargaze appears to be at least a bit more faithful to the original. It’s still set to focus more on the space elements of its premise than the western parts, but with more returning characters from the original series, it’ll hopefully at least capture the tone more than Stampede did. That isn’t to say that Stampede’s tone was bad, just different. Orange took creative risks, but the desert action was still there, Vash was still charming, and all of that is set to continue with Trigun Stargaze.
Trigun Stargaze premieres on January 10, 2026 on Crunchyroll.
2) Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (2024-2026)
If you were to ask an otaku what the best fantasy anime of the decade so far was, there’s a good chance they would say Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Well, now it’s back, and it can continue its run of excellence.
What makes Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End such a compelling series is just how relaxing it is. It’s a story about a party not saving the world, and though there is some wonderfully animated monster-hunting action here and there, understanding the people and world Frieren and her friends encounter along the way is the main theme. In that regard, it has a lot in common with shows like Kino’s Journey (2003). Each character interaction is purposeful and meaningful, and helps us think about our own personal relationships and how ephemeral they really are. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has a calming influence that’s next to impossible to put into words, and people looking to find something peaceful and poignant should definitely give it a look.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End will stream on January 16, 2026 on Crunchyroll.
1) JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run (2026)
It may be skirting the line incredibly close to being considered a spring anime by one day, but there’s no way that the return of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure can be anything but the most anticipated anime of the season.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has always reveled in being a wacky adventure with plenty of… well, bizarre, superpowered heroes and villains, but even when compared to earlier installments of the series, Steel Ball Run is something special. Both a reboot and a continuation of the show’s prior six seasons, Steel Ball Run is about a race across the United States for a $50 million grand prize. Everything about the series is absurd, but as melodramatic as it is, it’s completely mesmerizing. The style, pageantry, and adoration of American culture will surely fill the hole left in many otaku’s hearts now that My Hero Academia (2016-2025) has ended. Fans have been waiting for years for this, and if you want to see one of the most climactic and thrilling races in anime history, watch Steel Ball Run.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run will stream on March 19, 2026 exclusively on Netflix.
