When done right, there is nothing better than a fantasy anime. These shows teleport us to beautiful (or terrifying) worlds that exceed our wildest imagination, or they morph Earth into somewhere new. These stories feature both traditional and subversive heroes, along with every sort of villain conceivable. Covering battle shonen, adventure, romance, comedy, isekai, and much more, fantasy anime come in so many forms that there is something for literally everybody. Finally, the best fantasy anime are also some of the greatest shows of all time.
There are thousands of fantasy series, a quantity that increases substantially with each new season. While we cannot hope to provide a comprehensive overview of the genre, we can at least highlight a few all-time masterpieces that any anime fan should check out.
Fantasy and supernatural can be difficult to distinguish, but we are going to try to avoid the latter. Therefore, no anime like Mononoke, Mushi-Shi, Dandadan, Fruits Basket, JoJo, Monogatari, and so on.
Updated May 7, 2026 by Mark Sammut: The Spring 2026 anime season has aired enough episodes for us to put together some recommendations. A section has been added at the end of the article that goes over the best currently-airing fantasy anime.
20
Humanity Has Declined
A Surreal Post-Apocalyptic Comedy
As this anime’s title suggests, Humanity has Declined finds mankind at a low point in its history. It looks like humans are on their way out, with fairies taking their place as the planet’s new dominant inhabitants. As the latter are driven nearly entirely by impulse, they need some guidance, which is provided by an unnamed woman with a realistic disposition.
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Humanity Has Declined delivers a blend of surreal comedy, vibrant visuals, and cynicism. It presents a fantasy world that is caught in the middle between two eras, sparking plenty of misunderstandings and bizarre happenings.
19
InuYasha
A Shonen Classic That Has Aged Well Enough
It’s hard to deny how much InuYasha fever spread after it first aired in the United States back in 2002, after already having massive popularity in Japan. Heck, it was so well-liked that it even spawned a trading card game. The series spanned over 160 episodes, following the story of Kagome and Inuyasha trying to reunite the shards of the Shikon Jewel.
InuYasha is a beloved classic for a reason, and any anime fans who have still somehow not seen it should change that as quickly as they can. Now, the series has a few things that hold it back, particularly a weak second half that gets really repetitive. However, InuYasha at its best showcases Rumiko Takahashi at her best.
18
Undead Murder Farce
A Victorian Epic Drenched In Literary References
Undead Murder Farce is delightfully macabre. Set in an alternative version of Meiji era Japan, the anime follows a bodyless immortal woman, her battle-hardened maid, and an ogre/human hybrid as they investigate cases dealing with the supernatural.
Blending history with fiction, Undead Murder Farce envisions a timeline where humans live alongside demons, vampires, and other monsters, although this coexistence is hardly without its detractors or issues. The leads are nuanced and world-weary, and the same can be said for side characters who feature in the cases.
17
From the New World
A Fantasy Anime That Gradually Becomes A War Drama
From the New World
Release Date
2012 – 2013
Directors
Satoshi Kon
Writers
Seishi Minakami, Satoshi Kon
From the New World takes a while to reveal its brilliance, and its first few episodes can be a bit rough to get through. However, once the story picks up steam and gets into the main crux of its themes and conflict, the anime barely sets a foot wrong as it marches towards arguably one of the fantasy genre’s best final episodes. In a nice change of pace, From the New World is a psychological thriller that dives fairly deep into its characters, all the while exploring the social and political climate of its setting.
The world is fascinating. Technically, it is post-apocalyptic, although this evolution’s mechanics are refreshing and unique for this type of story. The anime is very character-driven, with both the heroes and villains being presented as ambiguous throughout most of the journey.
16
Magi
Anime Arabian Nights
Spanning two seasons, The Labyrinth of Magic and The Kingdom of Magic, and a spin-off series, Adventure of Sinbad, Magi takes inspiration from Arabian Nights’ classic stories. Figures like Aladdin, Sinbad, Ali Baba, and Morgana serve as the protagonists of this fantasy anime.
Magi begins quite unassuming in its first season as it revolves around Aladdin and Ali Baba entering massive towers in search of treasure, but the show expands significantly as it progresses. The Kingdom of Magic is especially enthralling as it explores this world’s political and social climate more closely. The spin-off series is also a lot of fun and perhaps even better than the main show.
15
Black Clover
Overcame A Polarizing Start To Become One Of The Best Shonen Anime Of The Last Decade
Due to some unique voice acting and Studio Pierrot’s blatant attempt to position it as the new Naruto, Black Clover was kind of a joke when it debuted in 2017. Set in a universe defined by magic, Asta and Yuno are orphans who want to become knights and, eventually, the Wizard King. Unfortunately, the former doesn’t seem to have any magic capabilities; at least, that seemed to be the case until he received a special grimoire that lets him nullify magic. Asta ends up with the Black Clover, a knight group consisting of misfits.
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Black Clover can seem like a mash-up of older popular battle shonen anime, and the early arcs are watchable but nothing special. However, around episode 40 and the commencement of the Seabed Temple arc, Black Clover suddenly hits its groove and begins to blossom, paving the way to the brilliant Elf Reincarnation saga.
14
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-
The Best Isekai Anime
As isekai anime have their own article, I didn’t want to flood this write-up with them. That said, despite its overall negative reputation, isekai has produced plenty of brilliant shows over the years, nearly all of which fall squarely in the fantasy genre. TenSura, Overlord, KonoSuba, and The Eminence in Shadow are all must-watch for just about anybody, and Mushoku Tensei tends to be either somebody’s favorite or most hated anime.
Similar to Mushoku Tensei, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- is also a love-or-hate-type series, mainly due to Subaru being one of the most polarizing protagonists in anime. Be that as it may, the anime is one of the better dark fantasy stories of the last decade, with each arc putting all the main characters through absolute hell. Prioritizing character growth, Re:ZERO is not afraid to break down its heroes to build them back up again, and some scenes venture into genuine horror territory.
13
Slayers
An All-Time Great Fantasy Anime With An All-Time Great Female Protagonist
Slayers
Release Date
1995 – 2009
Network
TV Tokyo
Directors
Takashi Watanabe, Seiji Mizushima
A classic fantasy anime, Slayers is arguably among the genre’s funniest efforts, especially the first season. Almost coming across as a parody at times, the series revolves around the misadventures of Lina Inverse and her dysfunctional party, with the latter being generally driven by greed (while still being, overall, a good person).
The anime released 5 seasons and more than 100 episodes over the span of roughly 15 years, along with a few movies and OVAs. While the ’90s seasons are generally more highly regarded than the 2000s entries, Slayers is never anything less than entertaining, and Lina has stood the test of time as one of the fantasy genre’s greatest female protagonists. If somebody is specifically looking for a comedy, they will struggle to find something better than this series.
12
Solo Leveling
Top-Notch Fantasy Action
Hype can be a curse. The more highly anticipated a show, the quicker it needs to achieve greatness to avoid being labeled as “overrated.” Chainsaw Man and Hell’s Paradise are two recent anime that garnered some criticism for being just good rather than instant masterpieces, and Solo Leveling could go down this route in the future. Undoubtedly, the most famous manhwa of all time, the source material’s success sparked a rise in popularity for the medium as a whole, along with spawning plenty of imitators. The anime has big shoes to fill.
In an alternative version of Earth where gates to dungeons have randomly opened, some humans have developed abilities that allow them to work as hunters. Sung Jin-Woo is considered the weakest member of the organization, and he is generally only allowed to take part in the easiest hunts. However, during an average operation, the hunters find a secret passage that leads to a chamber that is well beyond their capabilities. Faced with death, Jin-Woo receives a unique offer that might not only save his life but also grant him a significant power boost.
The anime’s season 1 was generally great, as long as expectations are kept relatively realistic. The source material is largely loved for its fight sequences and art, both of which were adapted well by A-1 Pictures. Jin-Woo’s transformation into the ultimate powerhouse might be divisive depending on someone’s tolerance for OP protagonists; however, Solo Leveling chronicles his growth slowly, rather than just going from 0 to 100 in the space of an episode. Season 2 is far better than its predecessor, at least when it comes to pure action sequences. The sequel arguably set a new bar for that genre.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)
Medium (5.0s)
Hard (2.5s)
Permadeath (2.5s)
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)Start
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High Score: 0
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11
Violet Evergarden
Life After War
Based on Kana Akatsuki’s light novel series, Violet Evergarden is named after an Auto Memory Doll designed specifically for war. Once that conflict subsided, Violet found herself working as a messenger, a role that caused the doll to gain direct experience with human emotions.
Violet Evergarden follows an episodic format as most entries revolve around one of the protagonist’s missions. While the fantasy anime is a bit inconsistent at times, Violet Evergarden can be downright harrowing, moving, and unforgettable. The movie is also fantastic and well worth seeking out, even by those who are not especially huge fans of the series.
