Introduction
We are officially halfway through 2026, and the anime landscape has delivered one of the most stacked first halves in recent memory, with returning heavyweights raising the bar, new series announcing themselves in spectacular fashion, and long‑awaited arcs finally starting to live up to their outsized expectations. From the most anticipated island in One Piece history finally arriving on screen, to a Fire Force finale that went out on one of the strongest runs any series has managed, to surprise new releases that seemed to come out of nowhere and demanded to be taken seriously, the first six months of the year have given anime fans an enormous amount to celebrate and debate.
This is TwilightRoom’s ranking of the ten best anime of 2026 so far—a list that will evolve as the year’s biggest arcs conclude and the fall slate takes shape, but for now reflects our honest take on the seasons and series that have defined the first half of what is already shaping up to be one of the medium’s standout years in recent memory.
1. One Piece Elbaph Arc
87.3/100 - Crunchyroll or Netflix
One Piece is, for the first time ever, on a seasonal schedule, and while the Elbaph arc is still ongoing, it would feel wrong not to place the year’s strongest‑running anime at the top of our 2026 list so far. For years, One Piece has towered over much of the competition in animation, storytelling, and pure adventure, and now the Straw Hats have finally reached the most anticipated island in the entire saga: the land of giants, Elbaph. With the long‑awaited arrivals of Loki and Shamrock living up to the hype, Robin’s emotional reunion with Saul, and Luffy learning to wield Gear 5 with more control than ever, Elbaph is positioned as the most important arc in the series’ history—and it’s begun on a spectacular, if notably measured, note that promises even bigger things to come. With expectations higher than ever, the first 13 episodes of this colossal arc still stand as the strongest anime currently airing, and they top our list as the best anime of 2026 so far.
2. Fire Force Season 3 Part 2
86.5/100 - Crunchyroll
We’ve been openly critical of Fire Force across its earlier seasons, often wanting more than surface‑level lore and spectacle. Season 3—especially the second part that aired in 2026—delivers exactly that, closing out the story with one of the strongest 12‑episode stretches any anime has had in recent memory and elevating the entire series in hindsight. Shinra finally lives out his destiny, the universe is reshaped, and the climactic duel between Arthur and Dragon lands with exactly the weight fans have been waiting for. This final season has it all, while still keeping the funky, sharply choreographed style and kinetic action that have defined Fire Force from the very beginning. Taken as a complete series, a few of the titles that appear later on this list may surpass it in certain areas, but when it comes to ending a story with a bang, the high‑octane chaos and momentum of Fire Force’s final 13 episodes rank among the very best, making it a series well worth your time. While the full series sits at an 82/100, this final run earns an 86/100 and ranks second on our list of 2026 anime seasons, standing as a clear awards contender and getting audiences genuinely excited for a potential Soul Eater reboot.
3. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3
85.9/100 - Crunchyroll
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 was originally planned as a 24‑episode run covering the first half of the Culling Games, a prospect that had fans endlessly excited and made it a strong contender to top this list. With the shift to just 12 episodes, an abrupt stopping point, and slightly less overall impact than the Shibuya Incident arc, however, JJK lands at third on our 2026 ranking rather than the very top. When the show fully leans into its intricate power system and the high‑velocity action that won over an entire new generation of viewers, it becomes one of the most thrilling things any medium is offering right now. Fights featuring Yuta, Itadori, and Megumi are absolutely electric—but they also leave fans hungry for more. Jujutsu Kaisen remains at the very top of the new‑generation anime field in ratings, quality, and visual design, delivering relentless, fast‑paced action alongside power‑system explanations that are as stylish as they are complex. Even with this season effectively cut in half, it still lands as one of the standout runs in a stacked 2026, earning an 85/100 from TwilightRoom.
4. Hell’s Paradise Season 2
84.8/100 - Crunchyroll
Hell’s Paradise is an interesting case: the core story is genuinely tantalizing and Gabimaru remains an outstanding protagonist, cementing the series as one of the stronger new‑generation titles. At the same time, uneven animation and occasionally choppy pacing make Season 2 feel more up‑and‑down than it should, keeping it just shy of true top‑tier status. While the early episodes of Season 2 left many viewers, including us at TwilightRoom, skeptical of the animation, which often felt unfinished or surprisingly rough, the back half is fantastic and more than redeems that shaky start. That late‑season surge elevates Hell’s Paradise to fourth on our list and earns it a strong overall rating, even with those visual missteps. When the battles against the Tengen become the focus and a wave of new, genuinely interesting characters enters the island, the season really comes alive: the fights ramp up in quality and power‑system creativity while preserving much of the eerie, tense vibe that made Season 1 work so well. In the end, Season 2 proves that Hell’s Paradise belongs among the top new‑generation anime despite its clear flaws—a rocky start, but a powerful finish that secures its place at number four on this list with an 84/100 from TwilightRoom.
5. Witch Hat Atelier
83.9/100 - Crunchyroll
Our highest‑rated new anime of the year so far is a surprise: a long‑gestating release that absolutely proves the wait was worth it. Witch Hat Atelier starts as what looks like a gentle magic‑drawing fantasy and slowly turns into a story about corruption, loss, power, and a forbidden magic undercurrent that’s as compelling as almost any anime plot out there. The animation was always expected to be stellar—and it delivers in every episode—but the real shock is how strong the storytelling is, winning over not just TwilightRoom, but seemingly every anime fan who tuned in week after week across its 13‑episode run. While four returning series sit above it on this list, they represent the absolute best of the best, which makes Witch Hat Atelier’s placement feel like very strong company. It’s a clear frontrunner for new anime of the year and has sparked enormous excitement now that Season 2 is announced—especially with Season 1 ending on a cliffhanger that leaves Coco and fan‑favorite Qifrey caught in the middle of something ominous and unknown. Witch Hat Atelier’s first season earns an 83/100 from TwilightRoom.
6. Devil May Cry Season 2
83.4/100 - Netflix
Devil May Cry doesn’t always get classified as anime by every outlet, but we’re including it here: it clearly fits the aesthetic, structure, and sensibility of the medium, and it holds its own alongside this year’s star‑studded lineup. After a first season that leaned heavily—and successfully—on Dante’s charisma, Season 2 does a fantastic job of widening the character bench and introducing Vergil, Dante’s twin brother, as a true co‑lead, pushing the show far beyond a one‑note action vehicle. Devil May Cry Season 2 doesn’t quite escape its flaws, but it firmly earns its place as our number 6 anime of 2026 with an 83/100 from TwilightRoom. While a larger climactic fight near the end is noticeably underwhelming, the season as a whole is a strong step in the right direction, delivering some of the most fun one‑liners, stylish needle drops, and high‑energy action sequences of any anime released this year.
7. Wistoria: Wand and Sword Season 2
83.3/100 - Crunchyroll
Wistoria might have slipped under the radar after its first season, largely because it never quite found the stakes it needed to fully capitalize on its strengths, even with Will as a genuinely compelling protagonist and elegantly crafted animation throughout. In Season 2, though, the show cranks everything up tenfold: Will finally taps into his true power, the upper‑tier magicians clash on screen for the first time, and the series delivers what feels like one of the biggest quality leaps of any anime season in the past few years. Wistoria: Wand and Sword Season 2 just wrapped up its run, and alongside Witch Hat Atelier it absolutely dominated the spring anime slate, week after week. Episode after episode delivered inventive yet emotional storytelling, blending heartfelt character work with fantasy action that stood out sharply against a crowded field of fairly middle‑of‑the‑road newer‑generation shows. Wistoria may not have the same explosive fanbase or headline‑grabbing storyline as the six anime ranked above it, but it absolutely earns its place among them. It stands as one of the most visually stunning and gracefully written currently airing manga adaptations, a series that deserves far more recognition than it gets. As one of the most under‑the‑radar releases of the year, its second season secures an 83/100 from us at TwilightRoom and a well‑deserved number seven spot on this list.
8. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2
83.1/100 -Crunchyroll
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End season one was a cultural phenomenon, blending slice-of-life pacing, gorgeous animation, and a peaceful tone punctuated by bursts of action to deliver something genuinely new while still embracing the classic fantasy tropes fans expect. Season 2 continues that momentum effectively, though it doesn’t quite manage to exceed the heights of its landmark premiere run. 27 episodes in the first season were a huge part of Frieren’s appeal, giving its story room to breathe and develop in a slow, deliberate way. In contrast, a second season capped at just 10 episodes limits how much the series can explore, even though it still remains coherent and entertaining with a focused arc that makes sense. That compressed runtime is likely Frieren’s biggest struggle this year, forcing a world and cast that thrive on quiet, gradual growth into a much tighter container. In the final few episodes, the level of interest and execution ramps back up in a way that reminds you exactly why Frieren is so beloved in the first place. Coming into season 2, I was already a bit lower on Frieren than the average viewer, and this new run doesn’t completely change that sentiment, even though it still delivers a very good, consistently enjoyable experience. Some fans will undoubtedly rank this season much higher on their lists, but at TwilightRoom we’re a touch more reserved: we still had a great time with it, yet it lands at our eighth spot with an 83/100 rating.
9. Sentenced to Be a Hero
81.9/100 - Crunchyroll
Sentenced to Be a Hero is the second of two new anime releases on this list and another surprise standout. Its one‑hour premiere generated so much buzz that the production team actually took a week off to dial up the animation, and that effort shows on screen. There are real issues with the show’s central concept, which the writers only truly address through the characters far too late in season one, but the fantasy adventure elements they do get right are hard to resist: dragons, kingdoms, external threats, and a strange alien‑amalgam creature army all combine to make the action sequences some of the most purely fun of the year. The clear main antagonist is mysterious and compelling, and the two protagonists, Xylo and Teoritta, share a bond that makes the series endlessly watchable and consistently fun. In a first half of the year dominated by returning seasons from some of the biggest new‑generation anime, Sentenced to Be a Hero still manages to slip onto this list as a surprise newcomer that feels poised to stick around for years to come. For its debut outing, it earns an 81/100 from TwilightRoom and a well‑deserved place among 2026’s standout releases.
10. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 2
79.5/100 - Crunchyroll
My Hero Academia just ended on one of the best notes in any anime’s history, even delivering an epilogue that finishes the series as peacefully and satisfyingly as possible. Now, it’s rolling out its new follow-up, Vigilantes, which takes a more laid-back, in-the-shadows approach to the familiar power system and hero-filled world. It’s generally regarded as notably weaker than its predecessor, but still intriguing enough to be worth checking out for fans of the franchise. This second season struggles heavily at times and has plenty of flaws, which is why it only lands at number 10 on this list. That said, it does one thing exceptionally well: choosing to tell beloved character Eraserhead’s backstory mid-season, and doing a fantastic job of using one of the show’s most enduring figures to anchor a plot for its less-liked new character to grow around. The flashback arc meaningfully elevates the season and gives it just enough emotional weight and narrative focus to squeak onto this list at the tenth spot, even though it sat lower in our weekly rankings and only earns an average rating of 79/100 from TwilightRoom.
