Quick Links
Who doesn’t love an amazing fantasy story? From serious tales likeLord of the Ringsto lighter-hearted romps likeMy Princess Bride, the genre has allowed many, many people to escape from reality, me included. Few forms of fiction have told more fantasy stories than anime, and with countless goodfantasy seriesavailable, you might find it difficult to decide which ones to prioritize.
Throughout the decades, the industry has produced hundreds of brilliant shows that either take place in fantastical settings or blend the mundane with the extraordinary. Certain stories stand out above the rest as anime that no fan should go through life without watching. Let’s take a look atbest fantasy animeof all time, or at least ones that serve as great places to start before jumping into the genre’s more obscure releases.
As they havetheir own article, isekai animewill be excluded. Also, “fantasy” is quite a general term, so the article will prioritize shows set in unquestionably fantastical realms.
Updated August 08, 2025 by Mark Sammut:The Summer 2025 season is almost here, and it comes packed to the brim with fantasy goodness. I cannot wait to visit some new worlds.
Exciting Upcoming Summer 2025 Fantasy Anime
Spring 2025 was a good season overall, but I have to be honest, its successor looks far better on paper. Summer 2025 has almost too many big sequels and exciting newcomers, and every genre has some representation.Dandadan,Kaiju No. 8,My Dress-Up Darling,Call of the Night,Sakamoto Days, andDr. Stonewill hog quite a bit of the attention, and they all have the potential to produce their best season to date. Do you want something new? Well,The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity,The Summer Hikaru Died,City The Animation, andNyaight of the Living Catare just a handful of series that should be great (or, at least, fun).
How about fantasy specifically? In terms of returning names,I Was Reincarnated as the 7th PrinceandThe Rising of Shield Heroare pretty huge in their own right, as long as you enjoy reincarnation and isekai stories, respectively. More importantly, Summer 2025 has plenty of exciting new fantasy anime. The season seems to be specifically interested in dark fantasy. Let’s check out a few of them.
As this anime’s title suggests,Humanity has Declinedfinds 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.
Humanity Has Declineddelivers 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.
One of Summer 2023’s nicest surprises,Undead Murder Farceis 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 Farceenvisions 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.
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 ManandHell’s Paradiseare two recent anime that garnered some criticism for being just good rather than instant masterpieces, andSolo Levelingcould 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 Levelingchronicles 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. Thesequel arguably set a new bar for that genre, even if it is ultimately a fairly ordinary fantasy series.
From the New Worldtakes 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 Worldis 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.
Spanning two seasons,The Labyrinth of MagicandThe Kingdom of Magic, and a spin-off series,Adventure of Sinbad,Magitakes inspiration fromArabian Nights' classic stories. Figures like Aladdin, Sinbad, Ali Baba, and Morgana serve as the protagonists of thisfantasy anime.
Magibegins 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 Magicis especially enthralling as it explores this world’s political and social climate more closely. The spin-off series is also a lot of fun andperhaps even better than the main show.
Aclassic fantasy anime,Slayersis 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,Slayersis 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.
Based on Kana Akatsuki’s light novel series,Violet Evergardenis 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 Evergardenfollows an episodic format as most entries revolve around one of the protagonist’s missions. While the fantasy anime is a bit inconsistent at times, at its best,Violet Evergardenis harrowing, moving, and unforgettable. Themovie is also fantasticand well worth seeking out, even by those who are not especially huge fans of the series.
“Fantasy” is such a loosely defined concept that it expands to include hundreds upon hundreds of shows; however, generally speaking, fantasy anime tend to take place in unique worlds and have a decent amount of action.Mushishiopts for something different.
Adding fantastical touches to a familiar world,Mushishicenters around Ginko, a guy who travels around Japan searching for Mushi – magical creatures usually found in nature. Largely consisting of self-contained stories,Mushishiis a calming and beautiful show, a fantasy anime that blends the extraordinary with the mundane.
It’s hard to deny how muchInuYashafever 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 thatit 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.
InuYashais 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.
Launching in 2013,Attack on Titanwas arguably the most popular anime of the last decade. In its gripping opening episode,AoTestablishes that humanity has been reduced to cowering behind huge walls designed to keep out Titans, massive humanoid creatures with big appetites.
After witnessing the death of his mother, Eren Jaeger sets out to wipe the Titans. That’s just the first episode and things getverycomplicatedfrom there.AoThas gone from strength to strengthsince its debut season, culminating in a gripping final season that is almost nothing like the first. For anyone searching for a darker-than-average fantasy anime,AoTis the benchmark.
