Custom Image by Vanessa Piña
Published Jun 30, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT
Vanessa Piña has been a freelance writer for the ScreenRant anime section since 2024. As a senior writer, she focuses on timely coverage of the latest anime releases and updates on popular franchises.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Even though half the year has already passed, that doesn't mean anime fans will run out of great series to look forward to in the coming months. The Summer 2026 anime lineup is entering full swing and packed with a diverse range of titles to keep viewers entertained throughout the upcoming quarter of the year. The selection ranges from highly anticipated sequels to a debuting series that has been in development for several years and could become an industry hit and even a new version of a beloved 1990s sci-fi classic.
Spring 2026 brought some of the best anime of recent years, but the current season promises to surpass it with standout titles across various streaming platforms, ensuring viewers always have something interesting to watch each week. Although it is difficult to predict exactly which new releases will surprise audiences, their legacy, the studios behind them, and their production quality suggest that these anime series will become the highlights of Summer 2026.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3
- Release date: July 5, 2026
- Studio: Studio Bind
- Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll
The first and second seasons of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation enjoyed great success, despite the controversy they sparked, and the anime has been hailed as one of the best isekai series of recent years. With the adaptation having covered half of the light novel series, Mushoku Tensei Season 3 will pick up the story from Volume 13, following Rudeus, who has matured personally, as he prepares to overcome new challenges.
Crunchyroll · Anime Knowledge Edition
The Official Crunchyroll
Anime Quiz
⚔ClassicsLegendary
✨New GenRising
🎬StudiosCreators
🏆AwardsBest of
▶StreamingWatch
START STREAMING! →
01
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) became one of the most-watched anime on Crunchyroll. The story takes place in a world where humanity lives behind massive walls to protect themselves from giant humanoid creatures. What are these creatures called?
AKaiju BTitans CHollows DDemons
✓ Correct! The giant humanoid creatures are called Titans. In the original Japanese, they’re referred to as “Kyojin” (giants). Eren Yeager’s quest to destroy all Titans after they breach Wall Maria became one of the most gripping storylines in anime history.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Titans. Kaiju are giant monsters from Japanese cinema like Godzilla, Hollows are the enemy creatures in Bleach, and Demons appear in series like Demon Slayer. In Attack on Titan, these towering humanoid creatures are specifically called Titans.
NEXT →
02
Studio MAPPA has become one of the most prominent anime studios in recent years, producing several massive hit series. Which of these popular anime was NOT produced by MAPPA?
AJujutsu Kaisen BAttack on Titan: The Final Season CChainsaw Man DDemon Slayer
✓ Correct! Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is produced by ufotable, not MAPPA. Ufotable’s stunning animation quality — especially the breathtaking fight sequences — became a hallmark of the Demon Slayer franchise. MAPPA produced Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Chainsaw Man.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer is animated by studio ufotable, renowned for its gorgeous visual effects. MAPPA has produced Jujutsu Kaisen, took over Attack on Titan: The Final Season from WIT Studio, and animated Chainsaw Man.
NEXT →
03
Solo Leveling became a massive hit anime in 2024 after being one of the most popular manhwa (Korean comics) in the world. The story follows a weak hunter who gains the unique ability to level up. What is the protagonist’s name?
AJin-Woo Sung BSung Jin-Woo CKim Dokja DYoo Joonghyuk
✓ Correct! Sung Jin-Woo is the protagonist of Solo Leveling. Originally the weakest E-Rank hunter, he gains the power of the mysterious System, allowing him to level up infinitely. His transformation from the “World’s Weakest Hunter” to the most powerful Shadow Monarch captivated millions of readers and viewers.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Sung Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo Sung reverses the name order (Korean names place the surname first). Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk are protagonists from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, another popular Korean series. Sung Jin-Woo is the iconic Shadow Monarch of Solo Leveling.
NEXT →
04
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrate the best in anime each year. Which anime won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards?
AJujutsu Kaisen Season 2 BFrieren: Beyond Journey’s End COshi no Ko DVinland Saga Season 2
✓ Correct! Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This beautifully contemplative series about an elven mage reflecting on mortality and the passage of time after her hero party’s quest ends charmed audiences and critics alike with its unique, introspective storytelling.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. While Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Oshi no Ko, and Vinland Saga Season 2 were all critically acclaimed, it was Frieren’s meditative exploration of time, memory, and connection that captured the top prize at the 2024 ceremony.
NEXT →
05
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is consistently rated as one of the greatest anime of all time. The story follows two brothers who attempted a forbidden alchemical technique. What taboo did Edward and Alphonse Elric commit?
ACreating gold BHuman transmutation (trying to revive their dead mother) CDestroying a Philosopher’s Stone DKilling a homunculus
✓ Correct! Edward and Alphonse attempted human transmutation to bring their deceased mother back to life. The attempt failed catastrophically — Edward lost his left leg and then sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. This event drives the entire series as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is human transmutation — specifically, attempting to resurrect their dead mother. In the world of FMA, human transmutation is the ultimate taboo in alchemy. The brothers’ failed attempt cost Edward his limbs and Alphonse his entire body, setting the stage for their epic journey.
NEXT →
06
Spy x Family became a worldwide phenomenon with its wholesome yet action-packed story of a found family. The father, Loid Forger, is secretly a spy. What is his spy codename?
AAgent Dusk BTwilight CShadow DNightfall
✓ Correct! Loid Forger’s spy codename is Twilight, and he’s considered the top agent of Westalis’s intelligence service, WISE. His mission, Operation Strix, requires him to build a fake family — leading him to adopt the telepathic Anya and marry the assassin Yor, creating one of anime’s most beloved found families.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Twilight. Agent Dusk and Shadow are fictional names, while Nightfall is actually the codename of another WISE agent, Fiona Frost, who has a crush on Loid. Twilight is Westalis’s greatest spy and the heart of Spy x Family’s charming story.
NEXT →
07
Crunchyroll merged with another major anime streaming service to become the dominant platform for anime. Which streaming service was absorbed into Crunchyroll?
ANetflix Anime BFunimation CHIDIVE DAnimeLab
✓ Correct! Funimation was merged into Crunchyroll after Sony’s acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021. The merger consolidated the anime streaming market, bringing Funimation’s massive library of dubbed anime together with Crunchyroll’s simulcast catalog, making Crunchyroll the world’s largest dedicated anime platform.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Funimation. Netflix Anime is part of Netflix and operates independently, HIDIVE is Sentai Filmworks’ streaming service, and AnimeLab was a smaller Australian service. Funimation — once Crunchyroll’s biggest rival — was fully absorbed into the Crunchyroll platform.
NEXT →
08
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are legendary in the anime world. Miyazaki’s final film was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. What is the title of this film?
ASpirited Away 2 BThe Wind Rises CThe Boy and the Heron DPonyo Returns
✓ Correct! The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024. The deeply personal, surrealist fantasy film was widely considered Miyazaki’s farewell masterpiece, exploring themes of grief, imagination, and the passage between worlds.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is The Boy and the Heron. Spirited Away 2 and Ponyo Returns don’t exist. The Wind Rises was Miyazaki’s previous “final” film from 2013. The Boy and the Heron marked his true farewell, winning the Oscar and cementing his legacy as anime’s greatest storyteller.
REVEAL MY SCORE →
Binge Complete Your Anime Watch Level
/ 8
Are you an anime sensei — or still on episode one?
↻ REWATCH
Mushoku Tensei Season 3 will kick off on July 5, 2026, with a special broadcast featuring two back-to-back episodes adapting Eris' training arc. These episodes will explore what Eris has been up to so far, given her absence during the previous season, showing how much she has progressed on her own and fueling the hype before her long-awaited reunion with Rudeus. Furthermore, this season will showcase more of the heartwarming interactions between Rudeus, Roxy, Sylphie, and the growing Greyrat family.
While the series has improved with each turning point, it's no exaggeration to say that everything seen in the anime so far will feel like merely a prelude to the true story. With anticipated battles and mind-blowing twists in the upcoming arcs, Mushoku Tensei Season 3 will reach a whole new level as the story unravels the biggest mysteries of its world.
Sparks of Tomorrow
- Release date: July 5, 2026
- Studio: Kyoto Animation
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
Although its source material doesn't enjoy the same level of mainstream recognition as other releases from the Summer 2026 season, everything signals Sparks of Tomorrow is on the verge of becoming one of the year's standout anime series thanks to the studio behind it. Sparks of Tomorrow was announced in 2018, but its release was indefinitely delayed by Kyoto Animation following the devastating arson attack of July 2019.
Thus, while the studio has been releasing sequels to its most popular franchises and recently the gag anime City The Animation, Sparks of Tomorrow marks their triumphant return to the kind of deeply human storytelling that connects with viewers. Based on the light novel 20th Century Electrical Catalog, the anime not only shares a similarly breathtaking animation to Violet Evergarden but is also set during a transitional period, exploring loss and how people's hearts can change after a pivotal encounter.
Sparks of Tomorrow is set in a fictional, steam-powered Japan and follows Kikachi Sakamoto’s quest to find a catalog linked to his brother, which is said to hold the key to ushering in the age of electricity and creating practical products for the people. The anime centers on the encounter between Kikachi and Inako Momokawa, exploring the blossoming bond between two individuals scarred by life who support one another despite their differing outlooks. Sparks of Tomorrow will stream globally on Netflix starting July 5, 2026, with new episodes released weekly, which will help maintain viewer interest throughout the season.
Saga of Tanya the Evil Season 2
- Release date: July 8, 2026
- Studio: NUT
- Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll
Although the Summer 2026 is packed with highly anticipated isekai anime, Saga of Tanya the Evil Season 2, arriving after a long seven-year wait, is strutting its way as the most promising comeback. The series will pick up the story right after Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie, a film that featured an unprecedented battle in which Tanya von Degurechaff came tantalizingly close to achieving her goal, only to see the chance to end the war slip through her fingers.
The new season will revolve around Tanya leading the Salamander Kampfgruppe, as she is thrown into a fierce war against the Federation. While this combat formation is grounded in reality, drawing on tactics used during World War II, which offers iconic references for history buffs, things will not prove easy for Tanya at all. Yet, this is precisely where the anime shines, depicting the strategic brilliance and madness of an egomaniac who prizes ruthless, corporate-style efficiency.
Related
Every Isekai Anime Coming To Streaming in June and July 2026 (And Where to Watch Them)
With Summer 2026 fast approaching, anime fans already have plenty of new and returning isekai series to look forward to in the coming months.
Saga of Tanya the Evil earned a reputation as a unique isekai, not only for the hilarious contrast between Tanya’s appearance and her diabolical mindset but also for how it managed to subvert viewer expectations while being consistently intriguing. With Saga of Tanya the Evil Season 2 sure to deliver spectacular combat scenes and the intense atmosphere of large-scale warfare clashing with Tanya’s hysterical facial expressions, the anime will continue to explore whether she can secure the comfortable life she desires and prove Being X wrong or if she will remain branded a battle-hungry maniac destined for the front lines.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity
- Release date: July 25, 2026
- Studio: Pierrot
- Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll
It's the end of an era for one of the "Big Three" of shōnen, as Bleach is preparing to bid farewell with the premiere of its final season in the summer of 2026. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War's final season is scheduled to premiere on Crunchyroll on July 25, 2026, after an advanced screening comprising its three first episodes taking over cinemas around the world a month prior to the anime's release.
While the anime was previously criticized for its excessive filler and inconsistent animation quality, this changed with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. With three seasons released so far, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War features the best animation the series has ever seen and also benefited from the supervision of the manga creator, Tite Kubo, who included original scenes to enhance the manga's final arc. Fortunately for fans, early reviews indicate that the final season of Bleach is wrapping up the story perfectly.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity will cover the climax of the Quincy Blood War, adapting roughly from Chapter 480 to Chapter 686 of the manga. The final showdown between the Soul Reapers and Yhwach is the ultimate clash of Ichigo Kurosaki that will determine the fate of the world, so fans have a lot of stunning battles to look forward to this season.
The Ghost in the Shell
- Release date: July 7, 2026
- Studio: Science SARU
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
One of the highlights of the second half of the year is the Ghost in the Shell remake, the newest adaptation of a cornerstone of sci-fi anime and the cyberpunk genre that even inspired cult movies like The Matrix. Ghost in the Shell premieres on July 7 on Prime Video and arrives not only with a new visual identity but also with a slightly different tone from what fans have been accustomed to so far.
Produced by Studio Science SARU, known for its experimental animation and colorful works like Dandadan, this version of The Ghost in the Shell is a more faithful adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s manga. Given that the source material is far more lighthearted than the films directed by Mamoru Oshii, it promises a fresh experience for both newcomers to the franchise and viewers familiar only with the movies by Production I.G.
English (US) ·