Here is a look at some of the most anticipated anime series on Crunchyroll, coming out in January 2026.
Following Crunchyroll’s Anime Nights Sneak Peek one-night event on Dec. 15, anime fans have plenty to look forward to as new and returning series arrive in January 2026. The streaming platform is opening the year with several high-profile releases, setting the stage for what appears to be another strong season. Among the most notable titles are My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 2 and the highly anticipated return of Jujutsu Kaisen with its third season. While 2026 is shaping up to be a busy year for anime releases, concerns remain around Crunchyroll’s new subscription model, which takes effect Jan. 1.
One of Crunchyroll’s most significant recent announcements is the elimination of its free, ad-supported tier. Moving forward, paid subscriptions will be required. Current plans include Fan at about $8 a month, Mega Fan at about $12 and Ultimate Fan at about $16. These tiers offer ad-free viewing, simulcasts, offline access and other benefits, although pricing and features may evolve as the platform transitions fully to a paid model after years of offering free access. To offset the removal of the free tier, Crunchyroll is offering a limited-time year-end sale on Premium memberships from Dec. 15 through Dec. 29. This shift comes as the company continues to expand beyond streaming, growing its anime gaming catalogue, curating music offerings and launching Crunchyroll Manga earlier this year.
The central question for many users is whether the lowest Fan tier offers enough value. On one hand, having anime streaming, games, and related content in a single platform is convenient, particularly as the mobile gaming space continues to grow. Crunchyroll is positioning itself to fill a niche by consolidating anime-themed games into a unified ecosystem. On the other hand, many users continue to focus on the platform’s core function as a streaming service. Concerns persist around subtitle quality, especially as the release schedule accelerates and the company increasingly relies on artificial intelligence to assist with subtitle production.
In October 2025, Anime News Network tried to get to the root of the issue but did not receive the most reassuring answer. Going back to August, Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini sent out an internal memo that uncovered numerous layoffs, with a move to build engineering hubs in the U.S., Mexico, and India “to spark innovation and fuel transformation.” This was first reported by Variety. At the ground level, users are saying they want the streaming site to address the subtitle issue with three conditions: full transparency, ensuring that humans are always behind the subtitling, the subtitles are accurate, and the subtitles should help those who may not be able to read kanji, hiragana, and katakana when they pop up on the screen. The bottom line is that otakus believe art should not be sacrificed for faster releases.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 2 (BONES FILM) – January 5th
Koichi Haimawari is a dull college student who aspires to be a hero but has given up on his dream. Although 80% of the world’s population has superhuman powers called Quirks, few are chosen to become heroes and protect people. Everything changes for Koichi when he and Pop☆Step are saved by the vigilante Knuckleduster and get recruited to become vigilantes themselves!
Seeing My Hero Academia: Vigilantes come from page-to-screen has been a big treat for me, especially since I was reading this one when the first two or three volumes released in North America. This is a great entry into the My Hero Academia world, as it is not only a precursor to the original series, but it is more grounded. While the protagonists do not have the most flashy Quirks, they manage to save people by operating illegally while licensed heroes are busy facing bigger villains. The payoff for MHA fans is that this show opens up the worldview that vigilantes are still needed in a world of heroes.
Sentenced to Be a Hero (Studio KAI) – January 3rd
In a world where heroism is a punishment, Xylo Forbartz, a condemned goddess killer, battles endless hordes of monstrous abominations as part of Penal Hero Unit 9004. Death is no escape, only a cycle of resurrection and relentless combat. But when Xylo encounters a mysterious new goddess, their unlikely alliance sparks a rebellion that could shatter the chains of eternal punishment.
This was one of the series I was able to check out at Crunchyroll’s Anime Nights Sneak Peek. Sentenced to Be a Hero is a mix of elements from Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon?, some Berserk vibes, a tinge of The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Goblin Slayer. The one-hour premiere showcases one whole battle set piece, thoroughly establishing the protagonists and world. Even with all the world-building, this show kicked off with some dynamic animation and camera angle choices within the fighting. While it is not as cinematic as something like Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc or DanDaDan, it has its own cinematographic flavour that sharply captures this gritty, dark world.
【OSHI NO KO】Season 3 (Doga Kobo) – January 14th
It’s been six months since “POP IN 2” was released. Thanks to MEMcho’s hard work, B-Komachi is about to get their big break. Aqua is a multi-talented entertainer, and Akane’s career as a talented actress is going well. Meanwhile, Kana lost the cheerfulness she once had. To track down the truth behind Ai and Gorou’s deaths, Ruby keeps rising in the entertainment world, using lies as a weapon.
Manga fans know this season will be covering the 15-Year Lie arc, adding more drama, intrigue, and an overall darker side of the entertainment world. The morally ambiguous arc is where the manga readers questioned a lot of 【OSHI NO KO】’s story direction, but readers are hoping the show will take more liberties in improving upon the way the manga took. Not necessarily diverging in the way Fullmetal Alchemist went compared to Brotherhood, but fine-tune scenes in the anime.
Fire Force Season 3 Part 2 (david production) – January 9th
Shinra and the team are about to uncover the world’s greatest secret. But just as the other Special Fire Force Companies unite to face the looming disaster, Obi is captured by the Tokyo Imperial Army, and Company 8 is branded as traitors. Hunted by the Empire, they must fight alone to rescue Obi and stop the Evangelist—all while a new assassin and the corrupt Captain Burns block their path.
This is it; Fire Force is coming to an end in 2026. What a cliffhanger at the end of Season 3 Part 1, for both Shinra and the Evangelist. I cannot stress enough how much I love this series, even as someone who has not seen Soul Eater yet! From the sound design to the beautiful animation, this is a must-see action-thriller anime series. While I find the fan service atrocious, the story is rich with lore and has a big payoff for Soul Eater fans.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 (MADHOUSE) – January 16th
After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to their lives of solitude. Generations pass, and the elven mage Frieren comes face to face with humanity’s mortality. She takes on a new apprentice and promises to fulfill old friends’ dying wishes. Can an elven mind make peace with the nature of life and death? Frieren embarks on her quest to find out.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 1 swept everyone off their feet, with its heartwarming, dramatic story—along with its appealing visual art style. At first, I thought this was going to fall in the same slow-paced camp as To Your Eternity and The Ancient Magus’ Bride. I am glad I was wrong, not throwing shade at those who appreciate a slow-cooking story. However, Frieren balances its emotional beats with its charming dialogue/voice acting and purposeful action scenes. It is no wonder it won four awards at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025, out of 14 nominations.
Hell’s Paradise SEASON 2 (MAPPA) – January 11th – 7:15 AM PT / 10:15 AM ET
In search of clues to the elixir, Gabimaru and his group arrive at the castle of the Tensen, monsters who rule the island. Meanwhile, the shogunate sends additional expeditions to Shinsenkyo, led by Yamada Asaemon Shugen and joined by the Iwagakure. Gabimaru must find the elixir and escape the island as an all-out showdown between humans and celestial immortals draws near.
Studio MAPPA can do no wrong in its animation and adaptation abilities, other than their controversial overwork culture of its animators. While I was not too high for Hell’s Paradise off the rip, I was enthralled by Shinsenkyo and its mysteries. The colouring of this anime competes with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba in a different way. Seeing the first episode at the special Crunchyroll event, the first episode fluidly picks up where Season 1 ended. But please MAPPA, pay your animators their fair wages and improve work-life balance!
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 (MAPPA) – January 8th – 9:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM ET
Yuji Itadori is a boy with tremendous physical strength, yet he lives an otherwise ordinary high school life. One day, to save a classmate attacked by curses, he eats a finger belonging to Ryomen Sukuna, allowing the curse to take residence within his soul. From that moment, Itadori shares his body with Sukuna.
Guided by the most powerful of sorcerers, Satoru Gojo, Itadori is admitted to Tokyo Jujutsu High School, an organization dedicated to fighting curses. Thus begins the heroic tale of a boy who became a curse to exorcise a curse, a life from which he can never turn back.
The most-anticipated anime of 2026 returns, competing with its other studio project, Hell’s Paradise. As someone who could not wait for the anime to get to the Culling Games arc, I am excited for anime watchers to meet some new sorcerers jumping into the fray. Viewers may get a little bored with the very short build-up arcs, Itadori’s Extermination Arc and the Perfect Preparation Arc, but the setup is worth it. Coming out of Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, I thought Itadori’s Extermination Arc was handled well, looking more interesting than when I read it. Again, though, MAPPA can slow down a bit with its releases! Fans are willing to wait for spectacular art.
BONUS: Trigun Stargaze (Studio Orange) – January 10th
It has been two and a half years since the Lost Julai tragedy laid waste to an entire city and plunged the planet into chaos. Meryl continues her search for Vash the Stampede alongside her new, younger sidekick, Milly, and crosses paths with Wolfwood along the way. Meanwhile, Vash has taken the name Eriks and lives in hiding in a remote backwater town. When he receives an abrupt visit and an SOS from the third ship they call home, he acts swiftly to protect those dear to him. Just as the planet receives hopeful news from the far reaches of outer space, the one-winged angel returns to spread havoc and despair. Fates collide to forge a final reckoning for a panicked world.
Coming off the highs of Trigun Stampede, this sequel series serves as the final phase of the reimagined anime. The cult-hit franchise continues to earn praise for its storytelling, and it is hard to resist Vash and the space western atmosphere. While the CGI animation still needs refinement, the remake is fluid overall. Viewers looking for impressive cinematography and fight choreography will find plenty to enjoy. No prior viewing of the 1998 version is required.
