Although anime began gaining popularity in the West during the 1990s, the past decade has seen an unprecedented rise in the medium’s success. Thanks to the streaming services and better quality animation, more and more viewers are getting invested in anime series. With gorgeous visuals, unique plotlines, and unforgettable characters, anime has a way of touching anyone who gets into the expansive world of storytelling. With the ever-growing rise of the industry, over a hundred anime series are released each year, but only a handful of them reach massive popularity all across the globe. From 2015 to 2025, more than a few genre-defining anime series have touched the viewers’ hearts, ultimately contributing to the rise in popularity of anime as a whole.
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While there will always be several incredible shows that went under the radar, there are also those that make their mark with their unique storytelling and many other qualities that make them stand out compared to the rest. In case you’re wondering which series could be considered the best, the following ranking highlights the most exceptional anime of the last ten years.
10) Dandadan
From its catchy opening theme to the eccentric storyline, Dandadan became a global hit overnight after its debut in Fall 2024. The incredible adaptation by Science SARU breathed life into Yukinobu Tatsu’s famous manga, following Momo and Okarun as they learn about the existence of supernatural and extraterrestrial beings. The duo continues to land themselves in more trouble with each encounter with these strange creatures, eventually learning how to use their unique powers.
Along the way, they continue to meet more people their age who gain special powers in a similar way. The manga is currently ongoing, and the anime has already been released in two seasons. While the third season has already been confirmed, the studio has yet to announce a release window and even a trailer.
9) Jujutsu Kaisen
Gege Akutami’s hit Weekly Shonen Jump manga debuted its anime adaptation in 2021 and instantly became a worldwide hit. This dark fantasy follows Yuji Itadori, a seemingly ordinary high school boy who gets embroiled in the world of curses after encountering Megumi Fushiguro, a young Jujutsu sorcerer.
In order to gain the power to save Megumi, Yuji swallows an ancient, cursed object without knowing that he will become a vessel of history’s strongest sorcerer. The manga ended in September last year, while the anime is all set for its third season’s premiere in January 2026. Following the immense popularity of the manga, Akutami returned in September 2025 with a sequel manga titled Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo.
8) Black Clover
Black Clover’s anime had a rocky beginning when it was released, and it slowly gained popularity as the animation improved while it was airing. Despite being released in 2017, when seasonal anime were already popular, Black Clover followed a weekly long-running format and stopped airing in 2021 with a promise to return again. The story is set in a fantasy world where everyone is born with magic, and their social status is determined by their power and innate talent.
In such a world, two orphans, a magicless boy named Asta and a commoner prodigy Yuno, swear to become the Wizard King, a title granted to the most talented mage in the kingdom. The manga will soon be reaching its conclusion, while the anime is all set for its highly anticipated return, almost five years after the series ended on a cliffhanger.
7) Dr. Stone
Winner of the 64th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shounen category in 2019, the Dr. Stone manga reached its conclusion in 2023. The series is praised for its unique premise since it’s set 3700 years into the future after humanity was turned to stone. Long after humanity was petrified, Senku Ishigami, a genius high school student, found a way to break free from the petrification and work towards rebuilding civilization despite the challenges ahead.
In his path to free as many people as possible and gain the manpower to recreate the world as he knew it, he must also find the source of the petrification. The anime’s Science Future Part 3 will wrap up this incredible story in 2026, although the exact release date has yet to be announced.
6) Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
This Madhouse sleeper hit is based on Uoto’s award-winning manga of the same name and concludes the story in 25 episodes of the anime. The story is set in 15th-century Poland, where challenging the preconceived notions about astronomy was considered heresy.
Those who challenge the Church’s beliefs are burned at the stake. In an era of turmoil, Rafal, a 12-year-old prodigy pursuing theology, the study of the nature of God and religious belief, faces the harsh realities of the time. However, after an encounter with a scholar who was deemed a heretic, Rafal’s curiosity in astronomy grows as he delves into the forbidden subject.
5) Spy x Family
Spy x Family is one of the most wholesome anime series of all time. The manga releases new chapters on a biweekly schedule, and the anime released its third season as part of the Fall 2025 lineup. The series follows Twilight, the best spy in Westalis, who has been tasked to create a fake family and enter the social circle of an esteemed political figure in Ostania named Donovan Desmond, who is under the radar for trying to instigate another war between the two countries.
In order to keep the fragile peace, he adopts a young telepathic girl named Anya and enters a sham marriage with an assassin named Yor Briar. As the story continues, the fake family keeps their true selves hidden from one another despite all the dangerous situations happening around them.
4) Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer has made history with its massive success this year as its latest film earns over 100 billion yen across the globe, and the numbers only keep rising. The anime by Ufotable has always been praised for its animation and its touching story. Set in the Taisho era, the story follows Tanjiro Kamado, an ordinary boy whose entire life was turned upside down when his family was massacred by a flesh-eating demon.
The only survivor is his sister, Nezuko, who has been turned into a demon. While on his way to get her help, Tanjiro encounters a mysterious swordsman who sets him on the path to becoming a Demon Slayer. The manga reached its conclusion in 2020, while the anime is in its final phase, as it has yet to release the two films of the Infinity Castle trilogy.
3) My Hero Academia
Debuted in 2016, the anime adaptation of My Hero Academia has released new content every year since then. The series will reach its conclusion next month, more than a year after the manga’s ending. Set in a world where 80 percent of the population gained unique abilities called quirks after a strange mutation, the story highlights the downsides of the superhuman society as these powers gave rise to heroes and villains.
Izuku Midoriya is one of the few who don’t have any quirk, and yet he aspires to be a hero just like his idol, All Might. After a fateful encounter with the hero he looked up to, Izuku learns that there is a way to achieve his goal, but the path will be full of trials and tribulations.
2) The Apothecary Diaries
Thanks to the unconventional approach to palace politics blending medical mystery through the protagonist, The Apothecary redefines the Seinen demographic. The story focuses on Maomao, a genius apothecary with deep knowledge of medicine and poisons, and a knack for solving mysteries. However, after being kidnapped and sold to the Rear Palace as a servant, she becomes entangled with Jinshi, a high-ranking eunuch in charge of the Rear Palace, where all the concubines reside.
The light novel is still ongoing, even more than a decade since its debut, while the anime adaptation has concluded its second season this year. The anime has confirmed a third season, which will be released in two cours, and a feature film written by the novel author Natsu Hyuuga.
1) Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Shortly after its anime debut in 2023, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End dethroned Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood as the highest-ranking anime on MyAnimeList. The series will return with a second season in January 2026 as fans anticipate continuation of Frieren’s journey. This beautiful and melancholic story has underlying themes of grief and the fleeting nature of time as it begins after the conclusion of an epic journey.
Following the Demon King’s defeat by the Hero’s party led by Himmel, Frieren, an elven mage who has lived for over a thousand years, parts ways with them, refusing to form deep bonds with humans, knowing how short their lifespans are. However, she is filled with regret after the death of Himmel the hero and embarks on a journey with new party members to learn more about him.
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