10 Must-Watch Anime Coming to Streaming in Fall 2026

Custom Image by Vanessa Piña Published Sep 24, 2026, 9:30 PM EDT Vanessa Piña has been writing as a journalist for over two years. As a senior writer, she focuses on timely coverage of the latest anime releases and popular comic franchises. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Historically in the anime industry, the final months of the year bring some of the most anticipated series, and Fall 2026 is no exception. With Crunchyroll already revealing its Fall 2026 lineup, this last quarter of the year is packed with exciting premieres, ranging from highly anticipated sequels to adaptations of early 2000s Shonen Jump manga and manhwa that are finally making their way to the screen. Netflix isn't lagging behind either, boasting several new original anime, premiering either on a weekly schedule or as batch releases, that have the potential to become the most talked-about titles of the year. Fall 2026 also brings major remakes, such as Magic Knight Rayearth and Dragon Ball Super: Beerus. However, the upcoming anime series poised to rank among the best of Fall 2026 not only stem from franchises with massive fanbases but also feature groundbreaking stories capable of revolutionizing the medium as we know it. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run Release date: September 25, 2026 Studio: David Production Streaming Platform: Netflix More than six months after its debut, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run returns with its second stage. This stage adapts the "Crossing the Arizona Desert" arc, a phase of the race across the United States where the journey becomes more dangerous than ever. Unlike other Netflix series that are released all at once, the streaming platform has confirmed that both the 2nd and 3rd stages of Steel Ball Run will follow a weekly schedule, with a total of 11 episodes. Now Streaming · Press Play How Well Do You Know Netflix Originals? “Red light, green light.” 🌀StrangerThingsThe Upside Down 🎭SquidGamePlayer 456 👑TheCrownLong live the Queen 🕸WednesdayNevermore Academy 🌹BridgertonDearest readers PRESS PLAY → 01 Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number? A067 B218 C001 D456 ✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries. NEXT → 02 The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character? AJenna Ortega BMillie Bobby Brown CSadie Sink DMaya Hawke ✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022. NEXT → 03 In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it? AOrange Is the New Black BHouse of Cards CArrested Development (revival) DHemlock Grove ✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. NEXT → 04 Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4? AImelda Staunton BOlivia Colman CHelena Bonham Carter DGillian Anderson ✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win. NEXT → 05 The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set? ADerry, Maine BHawkins, Indiana CHill Valley, California DTwin Peaks, Washington ✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder. NEXT → 06 Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner? AShonda Rhimes (Shondaland) BRyan Murphy CJulian Fellowes DJenji Kohan ✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal. NEXT → 07 La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure? AGuy Fawkes BSalvador Dalí CChe Guevara DPablo Picasso ✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits. NEXT → 08 Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth? AFlorence Pugh BAnya Taylor-Joy CSaoirse Ronan DDaisy Edgar-Jones ✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller. REVEAL MY SCORE → Credits Rolling · Autoplay On Your Binge-Watcher Rank 🎬 / 8 Platinum subscriber — or still on the free trial? ⤴ PLAY NEXT EPISODE The first episode of Steel Ball Run earned critical acclaim, reaching the top of the anime charts. Moreover, in addition to more exciting phases yet to come, David Production took extra time to work on this batch of episodes to ensure the series' animation quality. This signals that anime fans have a lot to look forward to in this new part of Steel Ball Run, especially since the series has already teased its antagonist, who is a fan-favorite villain in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise. Overgeared Release date: September 27, 2026 Studio: J.C.Staff Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll The latest addition to the list of manhwas adapted into anime, Overgeared, is a must-watch for Fall 2026, especially for fans of video game fantasies and power-progression series like Sword Art Online. The series follows Shin Youngwoo, on his journey through the VRMMORPG "Satisfy," where a dangerous quest allows him to unlock a legendary class, gradually growing from a mere weak player to gain unimaginable power. Overgeared is not only ideal for those who enjoy a good underdog story, showing the protagonist transform from being unlucky into a powerhouse, but it also immerses viewers in game dynamics. As Grid progresses through the game, he interacts with NPCs and uncovers mysteries linked to the game's origins, all while grinding his way to the top. Overgeared is an action-packed series, and while J.C. Staff was mired in controversy over the latest season of One-Punch Man, the anime's trailers promise good animation that could truly do justice to the manhwa's incredible artwork. The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 Release date: October 2, 2026 Studio: OLM Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll Just a few months after the conclusion of its second season, The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 is shaping up to be one of the biggest premieres of Fall 2026, continuing Maomao's story with an arc that light novel fans have eagerly awaited. Picking up after the climactic resolution of the Shi Clan's conflict and the revelation regarding Loulan, this new season takes the relationship between Jinshi and Maomao to the next level. Now that Jinshi’s true identity has been revealed and Maomao has returned to the Verdigris House, The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 follows the pair as they investigate matters far from the imperial palace, where new mysteries emerge alongside enigmatic figures hatching schemes in the shadows. In addition to the anime, Fall 2026 also marks the release of The Apothecary Diaries' first movie, filling the final quarter of the year with new content for fans. Black Clover Season 2 Release date: October 3, 2026 Studio: Studio Pierrot Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll More than five years after the first part ended, and three years since the release of the original movie, Asta and the Black Bulls return in style with Black Clover Season 2. This new installment will continue the Spade Kingdom raid arc, pitting the Clover Kingdom's Magic Knights against the Dark Triad, who demonstrated power levels far superior to theirs at the end of the anime' first part. Although Black Clover significantly improved its animation over time, this new arc marks the series' first foray into a seasonal format, promising enhanced visuals and battles that surpass anything seen in the show so far. With a power boost for Asta and Liebe, the arrival of new allies, including the vice-captain of the Black Bulls, and the future of the captains and the kingdom hanging in the balance, the intensity of Black Clover is set to skyrocket, positioning it as a contender to be one of the best anime of 2026. Blue Box Season 2 Release date: October 4, 2026 Studio: Electric Circus Streaming Platform: Netflix One of Shonen Jump's great new-gen manga, Blue Box proves that romance and sports series can rival major action anime in terms of quality. While the first season of Blue Box focuses largely on Hina Chono, this new installment will further develop Taiki and Chinatsu's relationship. What has made Blue Box a beloved anime is not just how realistically it handles its slow-burn romance, but also the fact that it doesn't neglect character development, with the protagonist and supporting characters growing both on and off the court. Blue Box Season 2 will cover one of the most anticipated moments by manga fans and marks the first production by Electric Circus, who took the reins following the dissolution of Telecom Animation Film. Aoashi Season 2 Release date: October 4, 2026 Studio: TMS Entertainment Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll While series like Blue Lock have recently dominated the sports-anime landscape, Aoashi sets itself apart as a realistic soccer story. Unlike most sports anime where forwards take the spotlight or the plot revolves around a high school team, Aoashi focuses on a player making the leap to professional soccer, becoming a defender. The anime features matches won through tactics and strategy, alongside characters facing relatable situations, such as the pressure of making a living playing soccer, the need for constant effort, competition against more talented players, and the struggle to live up to family expectations. As Ashito Aoi improves his technique and bridges the gap with more experienced players while transitioning to a higher-level team and advancing his professional career, fans can look forward to more exciting matches and hilarious moments in Aoashi Season 2. Psyren Release date: October 5, 2026 Studio: Satelight Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll One of the most interesting premieres of Fall 2026 is Psyren, not only because it is an underrated Shonen Jump title, but also because it adapts a manga that concluded over 15 years ago. Produced by Studio Satelight, this sci-fi-tinged shonen series remains just as relevant today as when it first debuted, featuring a high-stakes game set in an apocalyptic future. The series follows Ageha Yoshina, whose destiny changes after he picks up a red phone card in a public booth and discovers that a classmate has disappeared, getting involved with a mysterious voice that transports him to the world of Psyren. Psyren even made it onto AnimeJapan's "Manga We Want to See Animated" list more than once, a testament to the quality of the story, which hints at why it received an adaptation so long after its original run. Firefly Wedding Release date: October 9, 2026 Studio: David Production Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll Firefly Wedding, the new anime from David Production, the studio behind JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Fire Force, is by no means a typical historical romance. The series follows the unlikely bond between the noblewoman Satoko Kirigaya and Shinpei Goto, an assassin hired to kill her, whom she proposes to in a desperate bid to survive. Shinpei fits the mold of a yandere character, but he becomes the protector of Satoko, whose life is in danger, all set against the backdrop of the Meiji era. The anime explores the fine line between obsession and love through a captivating yet toxic bond, delivering moments of high tension. It is easy to see why Firefly Wedding became one of the most popular dark romance manga, making it an anime perfect for those who enjoyed the morally ambiguous characters and romances with extremely dangerous individuals in titles like Yakuza Fiancé. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Release date: October 20, 2026 Studio: Studio Trigger Streaming Platform: Netflix Cyberpunk: Edgerunners won Anime of the Year in 2023, and the franchise is now bringing viewers back to Night City with a new standalone story. While the first season was characterized by being quite bloody and tragic, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 takes that same formula and pushes it to the extreme, while also exploring the limits of human despair by following a crew that has fallen victim to societal decay. Moving beyond David Martinez, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 has already revealed the characters who will take center stage. Given the anime will follow multiple points of view, the appeal will lie in how each character's backstories and plotlines converge within the narrative. The season will consist of 10 episodes, released as a batch on Netflix, and since Studio Trigger never disappoints when it comes to animation quality, fans should prepare for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 to be a major highlight of 2026 and perhaps for some heartbreak, too. Fool Night Release date: November 26, 2026 Studio: Sunrise and SHAFT Streaming Platform: Netflix Fool Night has steadily gained followers as one of the best new-gen manga, featuring an original, profound story set in a dystopian society. Rich in body horror and existential themes, the series takes place in a bleak future where humanity is devoid of sunlight and faces a critical oxygen shortage. To survive, people can undergo "transfloration," which means essentially transforming into plants to replenish oxygen levels in exchange for a large sum of money for their final days. Beyond marking the first collaboration between animation studios Sunrise and SHAFT, a partnership that promises to faithfully capture the original manga's beauty and eerie atmosphere, Fool Night fascinates through its blend of environmental themes, human corruption, and suspense, as the story follows an investigation of crimes related to Transfloration. However, the series truly shines thanks to its realistic, flawed characters. This well-balanced combination positions Fool Night to be one of the biggest anime of 2026.