Some of the best new shows can get buried behind the typical hotly anticipated titles. While fans should be excited about what is out now, looking ahead is always good, which is why this list highlights ten upcoming anime adaptations fans cannot miss. Based on anticipation, potential, quality of source material, early looks and trailers, and overall quality, these ten anime need to be at the top of everyone’s watch list, no matter when they come out. Only new anime with source material will be featured, no original works or sequel seasons.
Collider Exclusive · Middle-earth Quiz
Which Lord of the Rings
Race Do You Belong To?
Hobbit · Elf · Dwarf · Man · Orc
Middle-earth is home to many peoples — the courageous, the ancient, the stubborn, the ambitious, and the wretched. Ten questions will determine which race truly claims your soul. The answer may surprise you. Or it may confirm what you already suspected.
🌿Hobbit
🌟Elf
⚒️Dwarf
⚔️Man
💀Orc
01
What does your ideal day look like? How we rest reveals as much as how we fight.
02
How do you feel about the passing of time? Our relationship with mortality shapes everything we value.
03
Danger is approaching. Your first instinct is to: Fight, flight, or something in between — it's more revealing than you'd think.
04
You stumble upon a great treasure. What do you feel? What we desire — and what we do about it — is the true test.
05
How important is community and belonging to you? No race of Middle-earth is truly alone — but some prefer it that way.
06
How ambitious are you, honestly? Ambition is neither virtue nor vice — it depends entirely on what you want.
07
Where do you feel most at home in the natural world? Middle-earth is vast — and every race has its place within it.
08
What kind of strength do you most respect? Every race defines strength differently — and they're all at least a little right.
09
What do you want to leave behind when you're gone? Legacy is the story we tell ourselves about why any of this matters.
10
Be honest — what do you actually want most out of life? The truest question always comes last.
Middle-earth Has Spoken You Belong To…
The race that claimed the most of your answers is your true kin. If two tied, both are shown — you walk between worlds.
◆ A TIE — YOU WALK BETWEEN TWO RACES ◆
🌿
Your Race
The Hobbits
You are, at your core, a creature of comfort, community, and quiet joy — and there is nothing small about that. Hobbits are proof that heroism does not require ambition, that the bravest heart can beat inside the most unassuming chest. You value good food, warm hearths, close friends, and a world that stays largely untroubled by dark lords and quests. When adventure does find you — and it will — you rise to it not because you sought it, but because the people you love needed you to. That is not ordinary. That is the rarest kind of courage in all of Middle-earth.
🌟
Your Race
The Elves
Ancient, graceful, and carrying a weight of memory most mortals cannot fathom, you are one of the Elves. You see the world in its fullness — its beauty, its impermanence, the unbearable ache of watching everything you love eventually fade. You pursue perfection not from pride, but because excellence is how you honour the time you have been given. Others may see you as remote or melancholy. They are not wrong, exactly. But they mistake depth for distance. You feel everything — which is precisely why you have learned to carry it so quietly.
⚒️
Your Race
The Dwarves
Stubborn, proud, fiercely loyal, and possessed of a work ethic that would exhaust most other races before breakfast — you are Dwarf-kind through and through. You do not ask for approval and you do not offer it cheaply. Your loyalty, once given, is given for life. Your grudges last longer. You love deeply and defend ferociously, and the things you build — with your hands, with your sweat, with generations of accumulated craft — are made to last. Not for glory. Because anything worth doing is worth doing properly, and you have never once done anything by half measures.
⚔️
Your Race
The Race of Men
Mortal, ambitious, flawed, and magnificent — you belong to the most complicated race in Middle-earth, and that complexity is your greatest strength. Men are capable of cowardice and extraordinary bravery, of cruelty and breathtaking sacrifice, sometimes within the same breath. You feel the urgency of your finite years, and it drives you. You want to matter. You want to leave something behind. You fall, and you rise, and the rising is what defines you. Tolkien called mortality the Gift of Men — not a curse, but a fire that burns bright precisely because it does not burn forever. That fire is you.
💀
Your Race
The Orcs
Brutal, survivalist, and contemptuous of anything that can't defend itself — you answered with the instincts of an Orc, and there is a certain savage honesty in that. You do not dress up your desires in polite language or pretend you want things you don't. You want power, survival, and to never be at the bottom of any hierarchy ever again. Orcs are not evil by nature — they were made from something that was once good, and broken into this shape by forces they did not choose. What remains is fierce, territorial, and deeply aware that the world is not kind. You've made your peace with that. The question is what you do with it.
Anime Japan had quite a few new announcements to get fans excited, and one of them is Kindergarten Wars. Children of the elite can’t go to school anywhere normal, which is why they are sent to a special school. But because of political enemies, all the staff at the school are former assassins who are working away their crimes by protecting these kids.
This established series is one of the greatest modern-day manga stories, so fans should get excited about its anime adaptation. Kindergarten Wars still isn’t coming out anytime soon, but it should be a bright spot whenever 2027 comes around. Its unique sense of humor and exhilarating action combine to create a funny and entertaining action series.
Not every manga gets a happy ending; some don’t even get endings at all, such as Black Torch, which was canceled after only five volumes. But now, in 2026, it returns as an anime. Azuma has the ability to talk to spirits, and when he makes a pact with one in particular, he joins an organization that keeps the balance, making sure any dangerous ones don’t cause mayhem.
Having an unfinished story find new life in anime format is a fantastic idea, and Black Torch is an excellent first choice, featuring an action-packed story that is more Shōnen goodness. Its story may not be particularly impressive, but Black Torch is sure to be an entertaining ride and a good time for anyone who gives it a chance.
Historical anime are all the rage nowadays, with series such as Vinland Saga and The Apothecary Diaries proving that. But the next big anime to look out for is Historie, which follows Eumenes, the right-hand man of Alexander the Great and his struggle to gain his position. His grand journey to make a name for himself and manage his turbulent life is one of epic proportions.
Ancient history is always fascinating, but it is always better dramatized, and Historie creates an intriguing story based on the life of Eumenes. Historie starts as a simple yet entertaining historical adventure, but becomes more complex as it goes on, offering more battles, drama, and memorable moments. It likely won’t reach the mainstream, but Historie is bound to be a phenomenal anime.
As mentioned, not every manga ends when the time is right, and one of the best axed series is Psyren, but that won’t stop it from getting an anime this fall. When Ageha picks up a mysterious card, he learns that a classmate also has one. But after she goes missing, he, too, enters a new world full of monsters, with the only way back home to participate in a game of life and death.
Fans can only hope that the Psyren anime will have an original ending that properly concludes the series, but even if that isn’t the case, just getting an anime is a win. The story is simple yet effective, but the real highlight is the characters. Each one is engaging and has its own arc, making this an excellent anime with magnificent character development. Psyren will surely be the must-watch new anime of October, and a show no one should skip.
Kyoto Animation is one of the best anime studios of all time, meaning anything they put out is a must-watch, and their next series is Sparks of Tomorrow. Set in an alternate future where steam power is the main power source, two siblings navigate this mysterious world and investigate the prospect of a new power source, electricity.
Sparks of Tomorrow is based on a light novel that not many people have read, making it the perfect anime to go into blind, as fans are bound to be pleasantly surprised. The first trailer delivered an absolutely gorgeous display of animation and scenery that proves the studio hasn’t lost its touch. Sparks of Tomorrow will be fantastic, becoming yet another must-watch in a stacked summer season.
Action and Shōnen aren’t all that’s in store for fans, because for viewers who prefer a little more romantic intrigue, there is Behind the Supermarket, Smoking with You. Sasaki’s soul-sucking job offers him no joy, with the only bright spot in his day being when he sees the cheery supermarket cashier. However, when one of her coworkers invites him to a smoke, the two form a budding friendship, but are there ulterior motives?
As fans get older, watching teenage drama doesn’t scratch the same itch. That is where Behind the Supermarket, Smoking with You comes in. This adult-cast romance is mature, relatable, and a subtly brilliant experience that proves love isn’t dead. The premise is alluring, the side characters are all breakout scene-stealers, and the art style is nuanced, creating a complex and engaging romance tale with all the elements to thrive as an anime.
As mentioned, Kyoto Animation is a legendary studio, but Sparks of Tomorrow isn’t their only anticipated project; they also have Ruri Dragon coming out sometime in the future. Ruri is a seemingly normal high school girl, but when she wakes up with horns, she learns she is half-dragon, meaning her future will be anything but normal.
After nearly being canceled, Ruri Dragon’s manga managed to survive, and it’s a good thing, because it has become an all-time classic. Kyoto Animation is a master of the slice-of-life genre, and this anime has the potential to be the studio's best adaptation yet. The manga is super popular, and the reason is that its daily antics and dragon fun are a blast. Ruri Dragon will be a fun anime that no one should miss, and it has the potential to become a new cult classic.
If Historie is too far away for fans, there is another must-watch historical anime not too far away, with Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia set to air in July 2026. A young girl dreams of becoming well-educated, which leads her to the Palace of the Mongols, where she meets the queen. Together, they aim to change the political climate through ambition and studying.
Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is animated by Science SARU, one of the most respected new studios that delivered anime such as Dandadan. One look at the trailer and fans will know why they cannot miss out on this anime. Boasting a stunning visual style and stellar animation, this anime is bound to have a fantastic vibe that also has the potential to be a memorable story. Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia should be at the top of everyone’s anime watch list in 2026.
Remakes are always hit or miss, but after the critically acclaimed movie by Mamoru Oshii deviated from the source material, The Ghost in the Shell will be a faithful adaptation. Motoko and her squad spearhead an operation to find a mysterious criminal in this cyberpunk world who leaves his victims without their memories. However, will Motoko be able to keep composed when the case involves her past?
Science SARU earns back-to-back mentions, as they are also animating The Ghost in the Shell, one of the most anticipated crime series of 2026. It's a more faithful adaptation that will make things more vibrant, sillier, and more comedic, but that is a nice change of pace compared to the original. The trailer looks gorgeous, and fans who have seen the original know that the story is absolutely flawless.
There are a lot of anime coming out that are must-watches, but if there is one that fans definitely can’t miss out on, it is The One Piece. This remake by WIT Studio will deliver a streamlined version of Monkey D. Luffy's legendary story. Following Luffy and the rest of the Strawhats in the East Blue, this is just the start of their legendary journey that will take them all over the blue planet.
One Piece is one of the best anime series of all time, but it is too long for many and has horrible pacing. That is why this remake is essential for anyone who hasn’t viewed it. WIT Studio seems to be taking its time, and while that means fans don’t have a release date, it ensures the quality will be top-notch. The One Piece will be an unmissable anime event whenever it comes out, so everyone should get excited that this iconic anime will be made more accessible.
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