Best anime of 2026: our picks from every season

With two months of 2026 left, it’s a good moment to look back at the year in anime. These are our favourites from each season so far, with where they stream. We’ve built the list from our own viewing and checked dates and platforms against the official announcements; Anime News Network’s seasonal “best of” lists, linked below, were a useful cross-check.

This list doesn’t repeat our other guides. For older shows that deserve more attention, see underrated anime from the last five years. For everything that started this autumn, see our Fall 2026 watchlist.

Before you start: dates below are the international streaming premieres. Platforms differ by country, and even a “worldwide” Crunchyroll or Netflix release can skip some regions, so check that a show is listed where you live.

Winter (January–March)

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 – Crunchyroll, from 16 January

The most anticipated sequel of the year, and it delivered. Frieren, Fern and Stark are back on the road, mostly to the gentle, episodic rhythm that made the first season so special. If you’ve never watched it, this is a brilliant reason to start from season 1. It streams on Crunchyroll across most of the world.

Journal with Witch – Crunchyroll

A quiet, grown-up drama about a novelist who takes in her teenage niece after a family tragedy. There are no battles and no magic, just two awkward people learning to live together. It was one of winter’s most acclaimed shows. It’s on Crunchyroll, and in the US it’s also available through other services.

Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Netflix, from 19 March

JoJo’s long-awaited Part 7, a cross-country horse race through 1890s America, finally arrived as a Netflix release, beginning with an extra-long 47-minute first episode. The 2nd and 3rd Stage started on 25 September with weekly Friday episodes, so this is a good time to catch up.

Spring (April–June)

Witch Hat Atelier – Crunchyroll, from 6 April

The adaptation of Kamome Shirahama’s award-winning manga is the year’s most beautiful-looking TV anime: a young girl who isn’t supposed to be able to do magic becomes a witch’s apprentice. It premiered with two episodes and a same-day English dub on Crunchyroll in most regions; in some Asian countries it’s on Netflix instead.

Nippon Sangoku: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun – Prime Video, from 5 April

The surprise of the year. In a future Japan split into three warring states, an agriculture-loving young man sets out to reunite the country through strategy and speeches. It’s political, brutal and strikingly stylish. It streams exclusively on Prime Video outside Japan.

Summer (July–September)

The Ghost in the Shell – Prime Video, from July (7 July in Japan)

Science SARU’s new take on the cyberpunk classic is a 10-episode series with a distinct, sharper look than the famous film. Prime Video streams it in more than 240 countries and territories, though not in every market, so check in the app.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity – Hulu (US) / Disney+ (other regions), from 25 July

The final part of Bleach’s big comeback, with some of the most spectacular action of the year. It was still heading towards its last episodes when we checked, so a full binge may be best saved for when it’s complete. It’s on Hulu in the US and on Disney+ in many other countries. Disney+ line-ups vary, so check yours.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 – Crunchyroll, from 5 July

A dense, character-driven fantasy that continues Rudeus’s story into adulthood. Season 3 has been widely praised for its production quality. Fair warning: like the earlier seasons, it contains content some viewers find uncomfortable, so check a parents’ guide or review if you’re unsure.

Fall (October–December)

The autumn season is still airing, so it’s too early to call. We’ve covered the new shows and returning favourites, including The Apothecary Diaries season 3 and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, in our Fall 2026 watchlist, and we’ll update this list in December once those seasons finish.

Where to start

If you only have time for one, start with Frieren if you want something calm, Nippon Sangoku if you want something bold, and Witch Hat Atelier if you want something beautiful. Not sure whether to watch subtitled or dubbed? Our sub vs dub explainer can help. And if you’d like something to show off your favourite series, our small fan shop, Nightfandom on Etsy, is run by the same person as this site. It’s a small fan-merch shop, and we make money if you buy from it; stock changes, so the shop itself is the up-to-date source.

Availability varies by country throughout this list, and streaming deals change, so check the platform in your region before you settle in.