2025 was the year anime won! From old favorites to new classics, there’s no denying anime’s global presence. 2026 is already shaping up for a strong start, but let’s take a moment to look back. Which series really defined 2025? Which ones left the biggest impact and made this year unforgettable? We can’t talk about 2025 without addressing the biggest show of all, the one that went beyond its limits for a plus ultra final season.
The Story of the Greatest Hero
9 years. 170 episodes. 4 movies. One for All.
It’s been a long time coming, but Kohei Horikoshi’s superhero action series My Hero Academia has finally come to a close. The eighth and final season aired in the winter 2025 anime season. Viewers bore witness to Deku’s triumph over All For One, ushering in a new age of hero-dom. It’s no exaggeration to call My Hero Academia a modern shonen masterpiece. Studio Bones pulled out all the stops to deliver a finale that was just as visually stunning as it was narratively satisfying. The show may be over, but the characters, themes and messages will burn on in all of us. Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!
Shonen is Still King
If last year’s shows were anything to go by, we can expect some awesome shonen anime in the future.
Sakamoto Days began its anime adaptation in early 2025. It follows Mr. Sakamoto, who used to be a legendary and unrivaled hitman. Now, after getting married, starting a family and running his own convenience store, he is targeted by other hitmen who want revenge or simply want to kill him and his family due to his retirement.
Fire Force also kicked off its final season in 2025, and things are heating up. Shinra and the rest of Company 8 are in the midst of their final battle with the White Clad and Evangelists for the fate of their world. DanDaDan had a big year, as well. The hit series returned for its highly anticipated second season, as well as a theatrical release for its first three episodes. The season followed Okarun and Momo as they came into conflict with Jiji’s newly acquired yokai, Evil Eye.
One of the biggest highlights of the year has to be the magnum opus of Kei Urana, Gachiakuta. Debuting during the Summer 2025 lineup, Gachiakuta has been anything but trash.
Rudo lives in the slums of a wealthy society, where they dump anything they deem as trash into “The Pit.” One day, Rudo is wrongfully charged with murdering his stepfather and dumped into The Pit. There, he meets Enjin, who saves Rudo from being killed by “trash beasts.” Enjin helps Rudo awaken powers as a “Giver” and is invited to join The Cleaners, a group of people who use their powers to hunt trash beasts. By joining The Cleaners, Rudo hopes to take his revenge on the surface.
A Sweeter Side
If romance and slower-paced shows were more your speed, there was plenty to choose from in 2025.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity follows a romance between Rintaro, a kind boy from a delinquent school, and Kaoruko, a warm girl from the prestigious neighboring school. The series navigates how these two learn about each other’s worlds and fall in love despite their schools’ vastly different reputations. The Apothecary Diaries season one was a hit with fans because of its strong female lead, Maomao. Season two continued to follow Maomao’s life in the Imperial Palace as she faced even greater dangers, such as assassins and uncovering more political secrets.
If you’re a fan of ’90s-style anime, Kowloon Generic Romance might just appease your sci-fi heart. The series follows two office workers, Hajime Kudou and Reiko Kujirai. They frequently spend their lunches together and bond over Kowloon. After Kujirai discovers a past photo of them she doesn’t remember, she is determined to find out what mystery is looming over this nostalgic walled city.
A Chill in the Air
Horror and suspense have generally been underrepresented in anime, but 2025 had some standout shows that really pushed the boundaries.
The Summer Hikaru Died painted a very chilling portrait of love, loss and fear. Not only did it stand out for its nuanced portrayal of queer relationships, but it was also a masterful lesson in atmospheric horror. Takopi’s Original Sin was a shorter series with only six episodes, but it was unapologetic in its depiction of despair and cruelty. Then Gnosia crept onto the line-up. Based on a mystery visual novel, it elevated the “traitor among us” plot with its stylish yet suspenseful sci-fi setting.
Is This the Real Life?
We may have gotten over the isekai boom of anime, but there were still plenty of series to keep the wish fulfillment alive.
ZENSHU was one of the few original anime that aired in 2025. A struggling animator gets transported to her favorite cult classic anime film, where her artistic skills directly affect the story. The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World shook up the isekai vibes by mashing together a fantasy world with Super Sentai clichés.
Then there was the anime adaptation of The Beginning After the End, which had one of the worst debuts of 2025. Despite the source material’s general popularity, the anime did not do it any favors.
Is This Just Fantasy?
Fantasy covers a wide range of sub-genres, and no better was that exemplified than in 2025.
A highlight of 2025 was none other than To Be Hero X, the superhero-fantasy anime that everyone couldn’t stop talking about. To Be Hero X brought superhero fans precisely what they wanted: strong world-building, action-packed combat and shocking storylines, keeping us on the edge of our seats all 24 episodes.
Disney took over the anime world with Disney’s Twisted Wonderland. Yuuken Enma is transported to a magical world and into Night Raven College, an all-boys academy. There, he meets characters across the different dorms that seem suspiciously similar to our favorite Disney villains. With production confirmed through season three, we cannot wait to meet more pretty-boy villains.
The dark horse of 2025 has to be Lord of Mysteries. Finally entering the global stage in 2025, this anime shared a beloved WebNovel-turned-donghua with the entire world.
(In)famous for being confusing and convoluted, the show pulls itself together after forcing hundreds of pages of lore into the first two episodes. However, the stunning visuals, heartfelt moments and incredibly choreographed fight sequences make up for it. The season finale is truly one to remember, containing two incredible payoffs and one ruthless shock. Klein’s journey has only just begun.
While numerous new series took center stage in 2025, anime fans worldwide seemed most excited for season three of Netflix’s Record of Ragnarok. With the season having the best fights easily thus far, highlighting Qin Shi Huang against Hades, Nikola Tesla against Beelzebub and Leonidas against Apollo, there was no shortage of action all season long. The dynamic fights, mixed with jaw-dropping results and a touch of heartbreak, left fans impatient for the next rounds of season four.
Another Day, Another Dollar
It wouldn’t be a year of anime without some chill slice-of-life vibes.
Ruri Rocks had viewers gawking at the (ahem) jewels and magnificent (ahem) rock formations, proving that even the most niche interests are made better with cute girls. Anne Shirley surprised everyone with its heartwarming tale of growing up in an unfamiliar place. By far the biggest surprise came from CITY The Animation. From the artist behind Nijichou and produced by Kyoto Animation, this series immediately stood out with its style and incredible animation quality.
Legacy Picks
2025 also saw a lot of revivals from properties thought to be stuck in anime limbo.
Everyone’s favorite mecha franchise added yet another wrinkle to the Universal Century timeline in Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuux. Digimon re-entered the scene with Digimon Beatbreak, a more mature take on the property.
Nobody could have expected the revival of a series made in the 90s, adapted from a manga in the 80’s. Yaiba: Samurai Legend’s retro style was beautifully adapted to modern anime standards. And finally, the Anarchy sisters came back with a vengeance in New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. After a 15-year absence, the series returned more foul-mouthed, more gutter-minded, more offensive than ever before.
Anime is Going to the Oscars
In the United States, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences holds its annual Academy Awards, more commonly known as the Oscars. It celebrates milestones and achievements made in film and is considered the industry’s most prestigious award. And would you believe that not one, not two, but seven anime films are eligible for the Animated Feature category for the 98th Academy Awards in 2026! The seven include:
- Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle
- Chainsaw Man
- ChaO
- COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing
- Dragon Heart – Adventures Beyond This World
- 100 Meters
- Scarlet
The official nominees have not been announced yet, as of this writing, but it’s still exciting that an animation medium as niche as anime could receive such high recognition to even be in the running.
And in Other News
Plenty happened in 2025 outside of anime, too, that helped shape the landscape of popular culture for the year.
On the big screen, Ne Zha 2, the sequel to the 2019 movie of the same name, and Netflix’s most-watched film of all time, K-Pop Demon Hunters, broke box office records. The latter was even certified double Platinum and nominated for 4 Grammy Awards.
Quite a bit happened in the original animation sphere as well. Amazon Prime hit it big with the second season of Hazbin Hotel and the premiere of Critical Role’s Mighty Nein. On YouTube, Milky Subway: The Galactic Limited Express and Bâan: The Boundary of Adulthood garnered widespread praise for their indie roots.
Finally, the year of the horse came early with the 2025 global release of the mobile game Umamusume: Pretty Derby. This multimedia franchise from Cygames took the fandom by storm. The anime adaptation is better than it has any right to be. Its popularity even affected the real-life horses the game is based on. 2025 would not have been the same without our beloved horse girls.
In Memoriam
And now a moment of silence for those in the industry we lost in 2025, not just in anime, but in popular culture as a whole. Many beloved figures left us too soon.
- Takaya Hashi: renowned voice actor (Fist of the North Star, Naruto, SpyXFamily) – 1952
- Tatsuya Nagamine: anime director (One Piece, Dragon Ball Super: Broly) – 1971
- Tomo Sakurai: voice actress (Pokémon, Rurouni Kenshin) – 1971
- Julie Mayfield: voice actress (One Piece, Fruits Basket, Detective Conan) – 1962
- James Carter Cathart: voice actor and director (Pokémon, One Piece, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) – 1954
- Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa: actor and film producer (Mortal Kombat franchise, 47 Ronin, Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo) – 1950
- Jeffrey Garcia: voice actor and comedian (Jimmy Neutron franchise, Barnyard) – 1975
Looking Ahead
As great as this past year was, 2026 is already promising to be an even better year.
Many beloved anime have new seasons scheduled for 2026, like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Yona of the Dawn and Jujutsu Kaisen. The biggest announcement has to be everyone’s favorite meme-generating show, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run.
Some new titles are in the works, like the highly anticipated anime adaptation of Witch Hat Atelier and even a modern remake of Yoroi Den Samurai Troopers. Original creator Hajime Yatate, who has a lengthy reputation with Bandai-Namco, returns to announce the remake of one of the most beloved classics of the 80s.
And we can’t forget the premiere of Netflix’s live-action One Piece. The Strawhats finally enter the Grand Line only to encounter a giant whale, giant warriors and giant snow-capped mountains. It’s ramping up to be a real show stopper.
Thank you from all of us here at Anime Fire for another incredible year!
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