With the end of the year approaching quickly, many anime fans are taking a look at some of the best series of the year that made 2025 stand out among others. There have certainly been a few slower years for anime in the past decade, but 2025 managed to succeed in a lot of different ways; we’ve seen numerous theatrical releases, renewed seasons, and brand-new series that tons of fans were waiting on. Fans are already discussing the potential 2026 has to be even better, boasting a roster of new anime shows and films that are set to release in the New Year.
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Despite the focus shifting to next year, with December only a day away, there’s still a month left in the year to indulge in a few recent hits that have been getting a lot of attention from the community at large. Fall is coming to a close, and with it, there are plenty of opportunities to watch some of the anime that fans have been raving over to end the season right. While we all know popular series such as My Hero Academia are coming to a close, while others like Demon Slayer won’t have new material for some time, there are still tons of great options to watch. This list will commemorate 10 awesome anime series you should add to your watchlist before the end of fall.
10) Odd Taxi
One of the most underrated anime shows of the last few years is easily Odd Taxi, though it’s beginning to gain more traction among a dedicated fan base who recognize just how brilliant this show is. The anime was released in 2021 with its first season containing 13 episodes, and an additional movie, titled Odd Taxi: In the Woods, which debuted the following year. While the anime is not exactly the most recent release, it’s on this list because, for years, there was no hype around it despite Odd Taxi’s unique premise and character design.
Odd Taxi can best be described as a crime mystery drama with elements of the thriller genre threaded throughout its plot. The show is cast entirely with anthropomorphic animals done in a somewhat cutesy art style that provides a juxtaposition to the anime’s mature themes, such as social dynamics, exploration of the psyche, and stereotypes. Its plot follows an introverted taxi driver named Odokawa who becomes entangled with the disappearances of teenage girls in the area.
9) Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man is one of the most recent anime series that is already considered a modern classic by many fans who adore the show’s brutal yet heartfelt tone. This show was originally released at the end of 2022, with its most recent addition being a successful theatrical release, titled Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. It’s often cited as part of Shonen Jump’s Dark Trio, a series of manga with prevalent dark, mature themes and atmospheres (alongside Jujutsu Kaisen and Hell’s Paradise).
There’s a lot to enjoy about Chainsaw Man, if you haven’t managed to see or hear about it yet, from the amazingly smooth animation to the show’s compelling cast of characters. It follows the story of Denji, a young teenager who gains the power to transform into the Chainsaw Devil after his pet demon-dog merges with his body to save his life. While the show definitely doesn’t skimp on violence or gore, there’s a decent amount of emotional depth to the series, especially among the Devil Hunters whose backstories are complex.
8) Dandadan
Dandadan has jumped from a relatively small new series with a group of dedicated fans who read the manga, to one of the most successful anime shows of the last year. The series first aired at the end of 2024, with a second season debuting in summer 2025 after fans’ demands for more; additionally, the series has been green-lit for a third season, though no set date has been announced yet. It’s a fun blend of the supernatural, sci-fi, comedy, and drama genres combined into a thrilling, vibrant narrative.
The plot of Dandadan revolves around the blossoming friendship of two polar opposite high school students whose individual beliefs regarding the supernatural bring them together. This series has alien abductions, ghost possessions, and beneath it all, a really unique friendship between the two main characters who form an unlikely pair. If you’re a fan of shows such as Gintama, Mob Psycho 100, or even Jujutsu Kaisen, you’re gonna want to give this series a proper watch.
7) Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
It’s rare to find really good high fantasy anime that wasn’t released over a decade ago, but Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End managed to save the subgenre with its release. This series first aired back in 2023 and has not had another season since its initial debut; however, fans are excited to know the second season will release in January 2026 after their long wait for new content. There’s a lot to praise Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End for, ranging from the anime’s stellar animation and art to its deep, philosophical messaging.
The narrative of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End follows the elven mage Frieren, who decides to travel the world and learn more about her magic after she helps a band of adventurers defeat the Demon King. Much of the story is focused on the aftermath of the big battle, focusing on characters’ lives after defeating the main threat, and how it looks to settle back into the beauty of life once you’ve faced evil. There’s also a lot of emphasis on the importance of connection, the power of friendship, and the corroding effect of time, which even Frieren cannot escape.
6) Gachiakuta
Gachiakuta easily solidified its place as one of the newer anime titles with the potential to replace popular series that are coming to an end this year. The show debuted earlier this year, though its first season will conclude sometime in December 2025. This series garnered a lot of attention for its urban fantasy setting and overall aesthetic, which feels completely different from what we’ve been seeing in a lot of modern shonen anime.
The plot of Gachiakuta is centered around an exiled boy named Rudo who must survive in a wasteland filled with the trash and castaways of a floating utopian city, while working with those who live there to fight the monsters plaguing their underground world. Gachiakuta has one of the coolest power-scaling systems seen in anime for quite some time, along with some intriguing character design and dynamics that set the series apart from other contemporary titles. The series is far from over, but it definitely came out swinging and has a lot of potential to offer audiences in the future.
5) Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku
Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku is another dark fantasy anime series that is included in Shonen Jump’s Dark Trio, known for compelling themes and darker plot lines than other shonen series coming out at the same time. The show was released in 2023 and hasn’t had any new material since, though that will be remedied soon with the long-awaited debut of its second season in January 2026. While there’s definitely a lot more hype surrounding its Dark Trio counterparts, Hell’s Paradise should absolutely be regarded as one of the best-written anime series of the past decade.
The show manages to hit a flurry of complex themes such as redemption, trauma, cycles of violence, societal inequality, the concept of human nature, and the evils of immortality. It’s got some of the most gorgeous art and animation, insanely well-paced battle scenes, and a cast of main characters who are fully-fledged and realistic in their goals. Hell’s Paradise follows the story of Gabimaru the Hollow, a renowned killer who escapes execution by agreeing to travel to the infamous island of Shinsenkyo to search for the elixir of life.
4) Made in Abyss
Made in Abyss manages to take all of the preconceived notions about itself and flip them on their heads, gaining a reputation as one of the most thought-provoking anime to hit screens in the past few years. This series debuted back in 2017, followed by a second season that was released in 2022; in addition to these seasons, a film titled Made in Abyss: Awakening Mystery is set to release in 2026 as a continuation of the main plot. It’s a fantastic example of trope subversion done correctly, with every decision the characters make feeling like a foregone conclusion, leading the narrative along.
The plot of Made in Abyss focuses on the odd duo of a little girl and her android companion who descend into a massive chasm known as the Abyss in search of her missing mother. While the series might sound straightforward, there are so many aspects to the character’s descent, acting as both a literal and metaphorical representation of the changes they go through during the series’ run-time. The ever-changing landscape of the Abyss, mixed with incredible scenes of violence, manages to showcase the slow loss of innocence that the anime means to highlight.
3) Trigun Stampede
There are very few anime reboots that manage to capture the spirit and message of the original, but Trigun Stampede managed to do just that. The series was released back at the start of 2023, and its second season, titled Trigun Stargaze, will be released at the start of 2026. The anime is an adaptation of the Trigun manga series, and a reboot of the original Trigun anime from the 1990s. It presents the same story in a slightly different package, with gorgeous CGI animation making each battle sequence shine.
Trigun Stampede follows the same tale as the original series, set on the futuristic planet of No Man’s Land, characterized by harsh conditions and crime. Vash the Stampede holds residence there, an infamous gunslinger whose reputation manages to attract enough trouble to destroy the cities he visits. Any fans of the first anime should absolutely give Trigun Stampede a chance, a great addition to the existing lore that adds onto the characters’ development and arcs with fresh new takes.
2) Delicious in Dungeon
It’s not super common to find anime shows focusing on dungeon fantasy that wouldn’t be out of place in a tabletop roleplaying game, though Delicious in Dungeon manages to hit all of the best fantasy checkpoints during its run. The anime first came out during the start of 2024; the second season has been announced and is currently in production, though no release date is confirmed yet. It’s been highly praised by fans for its intriguing take on survival in a fantasy setting, along with its expert blend of comedy, action, and fantasy genres.
The series revolves around a group of dungeon adventurers in a magical fantasy world, who are on a quest to rescue a lost member from the clutches of a dragon. Along the way, the party must figure out how to survive once their supplies are diminished, relying on their surroundings to create strange new recipes that will keep them alive to complete their mission. Delicious in Dungeon is one of the few shonen series to actually highlight the mundane aspects of the everyday adventure, such as cooking, giving it a fresh, new perspective from other shows in modern times.
1) Cyberpunk : Edgerunners
If there’s a single anime series you need to watch before the end of the year, it is without a doubt Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. This cyberpunk science fiction anime excels in so many ways, with stellar animation, an expert use of color to highlight setting and character design, and an incredibly complex plot with genuine emotional depth. The series was released in 2022 as a Netflix original series and quickly blew up among fans, prompting a continuation in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, releasing in 2026.
The story of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners takes place in a futuristic city overtaken by crime, body modification, gang violence, and societal control by the government. David Martinez must find a way to survive in the city after his mother’s tragic death, leaving him to become an Edgerunner on the fringes of society, opposing the corrupt government hunting him down at every turn. This series has something for everyone, with fast-paced action sequences and an intense character-driven plot that’s sure to appeal to most anime fans.
Have you watched any of these anime yet? Tell us your must-watch anime of 2025 in the comments below.
