Top 10 Winter 2026 Anime You Need to Watch (And Where to Find Them)

Now that the year is coming to an end, it’s time to look ahead to the next major wave of anime hitting for the Winter 2026 anime schedule. 2025 has been a stellar year for new anime releases, and thankfully 2026 is already looking to keep up that hot streak with a lot of new shows that you’re going to want to look out for. Things are kicking off with a bang too as the Winter 2026 anime schedule is one of the most stacked anime schedules in quite some time.

The Winter 2026 anime schedule will be officially starting this January, and we’re about to get a ton of new anime shows. It’s largely dominated by sequels and returning franchises, but at least they are some heavy hitters that fans have been wanting to see for quite a while. At the same time, there are a number of brand new shows making their debut that you’re going to want to be sure to watch. Read on for the full breakdown of the Top 10 Winter 2026 anime you’re going to need to watch and where to find them.

10). My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 2

Release Date: January 5th (Crunchyroll)

My Hero Academia‘s TV anime just came to an end this month, but the franchise is set to continue with a brand new season of the official prequel series. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes introduced fans to a trio of vigilante heroes who have risen up in a time before pro heroes were spread throughout Japan, and with it revealed who new aspects of the franchise’s hero world. This second season is all going to take this up a notch in a huge way.

Koichi and the others are not only going to take on much more intense villains, but we’re about to get an entire look into Shota Aizawa’s history that wasn’t seen in the main series. So if you’re still missing My Hero Academia this January, this is the perfect way to keep that train going.

9). Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku Season 2

Release Date: January 11th (Crunchyroll)

Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku hit the scene a few years ago, but the franchise is finally coming back for its highly anticipated second season. The first season introduced fans to a roster of condemned criminals who were suddenly sent to a mysterious island filled with deadly and otherworldly monsters. The first season was an intense and violent affair, but it was only scratching the surface of what’s to come.

Yuji Kaku’s original manga version came to an end a few years ago, so it means that the anime has a long runway to adapt before it’s going to end as well. There’s going to be a lot more intrigue and action, so fans are going to want to check it out and see what’s next.

8). Fire Force Season 3 Part 2

Release Date: January 8th (Crunchyroll)

Fire Force is coming back this Winter for the second and final part of the anime’s final season. This final wave of episodes is likely going to feature some of the biggest surprises of the Winter slate overall too. The first half of the grand finale essentially ushered in the apocalypse, and Shinra Kusakabe and the rest of the Special Fire Force Company 8 are going to try their best in order to somehow stop it. At the same time, it’s clear that as everyone gets stronger, reality is starting to warp and dissolve around them. It’s going to be wild.

7). Medalist Season 2

Release Date: January 25th (Hulu, Hulu on Disney+)

Medalist has been one of the biggest surprises of the last few years. The sports anime series made its debut with Hulu (and Disney+ in international territories) earlier this year, and quickly became one of the most talked about hits. It’s got a lot of great moments to be seen in motion, and the second season is going to take this even further with some bigger moments that fans are going to want to see. There’s a chance that this second season is going to offer even more figure skating greatness than the first, and it’s really the only thing scratching that particular itch right now.

6). Sentenced to Be a Hero

Release Date: January 3rd (Crunchyroll)

The first of the brand new shows on this list, Sentenced to Be a Hero could end up being one of the biggest hits of the next year overall. Rocket Shokai and Mephisto’s original light novel series is set in a dark fantasy world where the hero is actually a prisoner who is doomed to fight, die, and be revived over and over again. But when the main hero this time around comes across a surprise goddess, he sets out to break the cycle once and for all.

This was delayed from its initially premiered planned premiere from the Fall 2025 slate, but it’s already looking incredible. It’s going to kick off with an hour long special episode, and that’s usually a sign that the team behind it all is incredibly confident in what they are going to showcase. Definitely keep an eye on this one.

5). Trigun Stargaze

Release Date: January 10th (Crunchyroll)

Yasuhiro Nightow’s classic action series Trigun made its comeback with a brand new reboot series that reinvented it all from the ground up. Making its debut with a fully CG animated take, the first series ended with the reveal that this was all just a prequel leading to a whole new grand finale. Trigun Stargaze is going to pick it up from where it all left off, and it’s going to be a bit more familiar to fans of the classic anime.

At the same time, it’s teasing new developments that were never seen in the original TV anime series, and ushering with it the final phase of the story. If you don’t like CG anime, you’re still going to want to check it out because it’s one of the best looking shows that we’re going to get in 2026 overall. Not to mention any potential surprises coming our way too.

4). The Darwin Incident

Release Date: January 6th (Prime Video)

Shun Umezawa’s The Darwin Incident might not be getting as much buzz as some of the huge returns that are going to be kicking off this Winter, but it’s definitely going to be one of those quiet hits that’s going to catch a lot of fans by surprise. This story follows the birth of a half-human, half-chimpanzee hybrid who’s been raised by humans throughout his life. But suddenly he’s caught in the middle of fights between animal rights activists, terrorism and more. It’s a shuddering look at humanity through the eyes of a new being, and it’s sure to be one that really becomes a cult hit. Make sure to keep track of it.

3). Love Through a Prism

Release Date: January 11th (Netflix)

As the only brand new anime original on this list, Love Through a Prism is looking to be one of the most curious new releases of 2026 overall. This original series has its story, character designs and more from the same creator behind the popular romance series, Boys Over Flowers, and animated by the same studio behind Ranking of Kings, Vinland Saga and Attack on Titan. But also because it’s original, it’s tough to guess what to expect.

It follows a young Japanese student who goes to London to study art, and from there sparks new rivalries, romances, and more within her new school set in the early 1900s. There aren’t a lot of standout romances this Winter, so fans are going to want to keep an eye to see how this one develops.

2). Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1

Release Date: January 8th (Crunchyroll)

But when getting down to brass tax, there are two major franchises making their return this Winter that will undoubtedly be dominating all of the conversations for the next few months. The first is Jujutsu Kaisen as it’s coming off the back of an explosive second season with a whole new wave of deadly fights. The Culling Game arc introduces a ton of new foes, allies, and abilities that will be testing Yuji Itadori more than ever before.

What fans might not immediately realize about this coming season, however, is that there’s going to be a much greater focus on the extended cast than before. With a deadly tournament breaking out throughout Japan following the Shibuya Incident, it’s going to be nothing but chaos from here on out.

1). Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2

Release Date: January 16th (Crunchyroll)

The most anticipated return of the Winter 2026 season, and the most anticipated return of 2026, is undoubtedly Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. The first season really blew up with its second half as the scope of its journey started to sink in, and it introduced fans to an elf who was trying to fully understand the depth of human connections and emotions that she’s never really thought about in her long life.

Going on a new adventure to retread her past and properly mourn the loss of her friends from many years ago, the series also provides some explosive sequences that fans loved to see in action. That’s only going to be more the case next year, so definitely make sure to check this one out when it hits.

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