2025 has been one of the strongest years for anime in ages, building on what is clearly a new Golden Age in the Japanese animation industry. With widening viewership, more access to anime on streaming, and its popularity growing around the globe, there’s more brilliant anime than ever. From the slice-of-life shonen silliness of Sakamoto Days that took Netflix by storm, to the immense success of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which opened to 80 million dollars, 2025 was an epic year for some of our favorite series. But that's a different article (check out our Best Anime Series of 2025 award); instead, we're here to take a look at our most anticipated anime of 2026 – a year that could potentially top 2025 when it comes to iconic releases and anticipated returns.

Inspired by the massive success and continued cultural impact of anime, 2026 is stacked with unbelievable new series and blockbuster follow-ups, such as: the sophomore season of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, the emotionally-driven fantasy quest that got everyone talking; a new take on Ghost in the Shell, one of the most seminal anime of all time from one of the best studios working today; and the highly anticipated debut of Witch Hat Atelier. And that’s just a few examples of the anime that could make 2026 another incredible year.

We're excited to see which genres blow up, which existential themes stick, and where the future of anime is headed. Who are our favorite creators? Which manga has been selling off the charts? What genre have we not had a hit in for a long time? We’re taking all of that into consideration as we present our list of the anime that we can't wait to watch in 2026!

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2

There's a reason that Frieren: Beyond Journey's End made our Top Anime of 2024 list, and now we're closer than ever to finally finding out where our favorite adventuring party is now. Asking what happens when the war is over and the demon king is defeated, this surprisingly existential and always fantastic twist on the dungeon-raiding anime became an instant classic. The series follows the titular immortal elf Frieren as she deals with the loss of her campaign party – Eisen, Himmel and Heiter – with whom she won the war. It's only through her friendship and adventure with a new human apprentice that she begins to come to terms with her loss and what she could have done differently. This is majestically mature and magical stuff.

Oshi no Ko Season 3

Featuring one of the most insane and unique set-ups ever – a doctor and his former patient are reincarnated as twins born to their favorite pop idol, who is then murdered – this show is a total must-watch. A murdery mystery supernatural crime thriller set in the stunning landscape of idol stars, Oshi no Ko has been going strong since it debuted in 2023. The third season will follow the children, Aqua and Ruby Hoshino, as they continue their careers in the entertainment industry, which will cause a rift between them to grow. The manga upon which the show is based recently ended to much controversy, so it'll be intriguing to see if the show stays faithful to the source material or strays from that path.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3

After the shocking events of the Shibuya Incident, Season 3 of Jujutsu Kaisen has a lot to take on. There were tragic deaths, massive loss, and unexpected team-ups, but the biggest things that we have to deal with are the oncoming execution of Yuji and setting up the wild Culling Game arc, which will see the crew take part in an insane Jujutsu Kumite! It's one of the biggest shonen anime in the world, and one of the most-read manga too, so if you haven't caught up yet, now is the time to get ready before Season 3 hits and changes everything we know about the series.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm

Fans of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials will adore the concept of this new anime series, which will debut in early 2026. It comes from the mind of Fullmetal Alchemist creator Hiromu Arakawa, and adapts her manga of the same name. This is peak shoju storytelling with a shonen twist, as a brother and sister must fight to unite in a world where a select group of humans are able to manifest powers through "supernatural duos,” or Daemons. Together, estranged twins Yuru and Asa will have to find each other and learn how to control their powers in order to save the world from those who cannot.

Witch Hat Atelier

No one was sure if Kamome Shirahama's stunningly intricate work could be brought to the screen with as much care and detail as it needed. Bug Films actually delayed the production of Witch Hat Atelier so that director Ayumu Watanabe and his team were able to take all the time they needed to make the anime just as good as the smash hit manga deserves. In case you've yet to check out the massive Kodansha magic academy series, it centers around a young girl who wants nothing more than to master magic. When she accidentally learns the secret of the art from a visiting witch, she becomes his apprentice and discovers much more about the fantastical world she's joined. From the trailer, this looks like it’s got what it takes to become a classic; next year, we'll find out!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run

It's always exciting when we get a new entry into Hirohiko Araki's insane crime epic JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It still is, after decades, one of the most unique and entertaining anime and manga around. The new sixth season adapts the seventh manga story arc, Steel Ball Run, which features new clan member Johnny Joestar, who is a former jockey and paraplegic in the American West. Functioning more like a standalone story than any of the other arcs, this is a great place for new viewers to jump in. It certainly has an undeniable hook: Johnny must team up with an executioner to take on the cross-country horse race known as the Steel Ball Run. Expect racing, battles, and fashion that would make the most daring dressers blush.

Fate/strange Fake

Speaking of unique and vibrant takes on tropes that we love, the light novel series Fate/strange Fake is a wild take on fantasy questing as well as a thought-provoking story about how much any of us can control our destiny. Of course, we can't wait for the historical anime adaptation to come to screens, especially for those that might not know the shocking set-up or what it means for the characters we meet. For those of you who love Sword Art Online or Lord of Mysteries, or any of the other titles in the Fate series, you'll likely fall head over heels for this when it hits in 2026.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 3

As noted before, we're living in a new Golden Age of anime, and one of the biggest and best examples of this is The Apothecary Diaries, in which a street urchin is pulled into a walled palace and must use her wits to survive as she becomes entangled in never-ending court intrigue. Earning her place thanks to her incredible detective skills and abilities as an apothecary, Maomao exists in a unique setting for a series that operates on a mystery-of-the-week formula. This is an unexpectedly deep and thoughtful show that has dealt with numerous complex topics while being consistently entertaining and surprising. It'll be interesting to see how Season 3 maintains those stakes while building on the emotional heart at its core.

The Ghost in the Shell (2026)

Sure, it's another take on one of the most famous anime of all time, but it's coming from the genius minds at Science Saru, so there's no way this couldn't make it on our list. We're extremely hyped to see what one of the most adventurous and groundbreaking studios does with the trailblazing, iconic cyberpunk anime by Masamune Shirow. In case you've yet to discover Ghost in the Shell – lucky you – it follows a high-tech cyborg cop named Motoko Kusanagi, who tracks down a hacker targeting cyborgs like herself. Given its pedigree, this could be the biggest smash anime hit of 2026.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity

Disney+ is finally back in the big-name anime game with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War's fourth and final installment: The Calamity. Intended as the end of the epic, this will tie up all the loose ends of Soul Reaper Ryūnosuke Yuki’s adventures in the demon-filled world he protects. It's going to be beautiful, brutal, and one of the most talked-about anime endings in years, so make sure you don't miss the discourse and drama when The Calamity hits in 2026!

What are your most anticipated anime of 2026? Did we miss a fave? Are you even more excited than us by one of our picks? Let us know in the comments.

It’s not just holiday decor discounted today. Our favorite phone controller for mobile gaming is back down to its lowest price ever, matching Black Friday savings. The Backbone Pro has $35 knocked off its price tag, so you can grab it for just $134.99. You can find that sale pricing from Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Sure, it’s still an expensive option, but few phone controllers offer the versatility of the Backbone Pro. Whether you’re in the Android or iPhone (USB-C) camp, if you’re looking to get in some gaming on the go, this is a deal you’ll want to check out.

Score Over 20% Off the Backbone Pro Mobile Gaming Controller

Today’s top smartphones have some unbelievable capabilities, delivering enough oomph to play console-level games. However, tapping around on a touchscreen makes the experience fall short. The Backbone Pro remedies the problem, bringing the traditional controller experience along with some handy extra features to your phone.

Just like many top phone controllers, the Backbone Pro lets you slot your phone into its expandable middle section and connect via USB-C. This Pro model, an upgrade of the original Backbone One, also adds Bluetooth support, known as FlowState. That means you’re in for a simple wireless connection to other devices, like tablets, PCs, VR headsets, and even some TVs. Dual batteries, lasting up to 40 hours on a single charge, are housed in the grips, adding some nice heft and extending playtime up to 40 hours.

In IGN expert Matthew Adler’s review of the Backbone Pro, he found many other meaningful improvements from the Backbone One, stating, “The addition of full-size thumbsticks, upgraded triggers, customizable rear buttons, and virtually silent face buttons and D-pad more than justify the ‘Pro’ name.” Overall comfort is also improved, thanks to ergonomic grips with a laser-etched surface that keeps the controller firm in your hands, even during heated marathon gaming sessions.

All of this awesome functionality pairs with Backbone’s impressive app, which combines top game streaming services with a user-friendly interface. From PS5 to Xbox games, playing on your phone should be seamless and streamlined. Additionally, a built-in retro game emulator and expanded customization options further enhance the experience.

With top-tier comfort, impressive controls, built-in Bluetooth, and ample customization opportunities, the Backbone Pro is an especially great deal if you get while it's on sale. Be sure to grab it while you still can.

Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.

Spoilers follow for Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 2.

In the Season 5 episode of Stranger Things, "Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz," Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) lays out for the Hawkins gang (and the audience) exactly what’s going on with the Upside Down. Per Dr. Brenner’s journal, all of the chaos comes down to a wormhole that’s been acting as a bridge between Hawkins and Vecna’s machinations.

If you’re an observant viewer, there have been plenty of breadcrumbs leading to this reveal, including earlier in Season 5 when Mr. Clarke (Randy Havens) was teaching his science class about wormholes. In an interview with IGN, series creators Matt and Ross Duffer said they committed to that idea going all the way back to Season 1 when Netflix required that they outline their endgame for the series.

The Duffers Have Known How Stranger Things Ends for Years

The brothers have previously said that they've known what the final scene of the show will be for "six or seven years." And it sounds like many other elements of the show's final season have been in the works even longer than that.

“Netflix came to us very early on in the writing of Season 1 and were just asking to explain some mythology,” Ross said. “We said, ‘Well, we don't want to tell the audience everything in the first season.’ It's really from the point of view of the characters, and we wanted a mystery. And they said, ‘That's great, but for us, you write it down.’”

Ross told IGN that they sat down with their writers’ room, and that’s where they developed the wormhole underpinning: “It wasn't called The Abyss then, but the idea was that there was this other dimension that all of the evil and our Demogorgons and our monsters came from. It's been in the works for a while, so it's nice to finally be able to reveal it at last.”

Asked if the complexity of the various high-concept ideas about the Upside Down, The Abyss and the science of it all ever broke their brains, Matt admitted, “Sometimes it does hurt your brain. I'm not gonna lie.”

But he also pointed to their talented writers, especially Paul Dichter who has been with the series since Season 1. Matt said Dichter has the “superpower” of being a sci-fi expert.

“He's read every single hard sci-fi book in the world. Ross and I have not,” Matt chuckled. “He's very smart in areas like this, so he's able to keep all of this in his brain. And so whenever we get confused or the other writers get confused, Paul sets us straight.”

Another key collaborator from the start is executive producer/director Shawn Levy who helped them close out the series. In fact, for the first time in the history of the show, they co-directed an episode together, "Chapter Seven: The Bridge."

Matt Duffer said initially that was just a Duffer Brothers episode, but it became impossible for them to do it alone and finish writing the series finale, and they knew they couldn’t screw that up.

Full spoilers follow for Stranger Things: Season 5, Vol. 2, which consists of three of Season 5's eight episodes. Vol. 2 premieres December 25 on Netflix and the series finale debuts December 31. Read our review of Vol. 1 here.

Fear not, Stranger Things watchers who are nervous creators Matt and Ross Duffer can’t possibly answer all of their unsolved mysteries – Season 5, Vol. 2 is an answer-palooza for many of the mythology mysteries that have plagued the residents of Hawkins going back to Season 1. There’s so much going on in this trifecta of episodes, it’s a little overwhelming to process just how much is revealed about the mythology – and between characters – in the three-and-a-half hours that span this volume.

And that’s not to mention that you might want to dig out your Texas Instruments scientific calculators, because Mr. Clark (Randy Havens), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Erica (Priah Ferguson) and even Murray (Brett Gelman) will be taking us all to school — in a very entertaining way — as we get the real 411 about the Upside Down, the Rightside Up and something called the exotic matter holding it all together.

"Chapter Five: Shock Jock” is the second episode this season directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) and picks up from the cliffhanger where Noah Schnapp’s Will the Sorcerer went all Eleven on the Demogorgons. In the wake of his destruction, the heroes of Hawkins take stock of their losses… and realize that all 12 kids have been kidnapped into the Upside Down by Mr. Whatsit/Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). He’s plugged all of them into his hive, but they just think they’re being protected in his faux-perfect Creel house. Having learned from Holly Wheeler’s (Nell Fisher) wandering, he’s got them locked down for safe-keeping until he needs to use his “perfect vessels” for his endgame plan.

In the Rightside Up, Will and company figure out that he’s able to siphon power from Vecna because of their connection. So, unlike Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) powers, proximity is required for Will to get juiced up to fight Vecna. And Lucas’ (Caleb McLaughlin) theory that November 6 will be the day that Vecna’s plans will become known triggers an implied countdown clock that fuels these episodes, and which unspool over one day. Darabont has a deft hand in keeping “Chapter Five” light on its feet, shifting between multiple settings, some high-concept quantum physics chatter, and several much-needed character moments — hello, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton).

All of that is set-up for the ultimate mythology deep dive in "Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz," directed by series executive producer Shawn Levy. Consider this the science class episode of the bunch, as Dustin downloads his big wormhole theory that connects Hawkins and Vecna’s The Abyss. All the praise to writer Kate Trefry for packing a tremendous amount of science talk into this segment while parceling it out in ways that make it understandable for all the Steve Harringtons in the house. Does all of it need to be so layered and complex? Probably not, but it’s handed off amongst several characters who excitedly share the details with one another like everyone is stupid (us included). They make the exposition medicine go down easy.

Also tempering the heaviness of those theories is the parallel adventures of Max (Sadie Sink) and Holly working together to get out of Henry’s head (aka Max’s cave). If we’re awarding MVPs for this volume, Fisher’s Holly earns a gold star for being such a charming addition to the lineup so late in the game. She holds her own in every emotional scene with Sink, and does the character work needed to invest the audience in her plight. Not an easy feat when she could have easily come across as stealing precious time from more established characters.

"Chapter Seven: The Bridge" is yet another grand convergence for the cast as all the various factions come back together at WSQK to figure out a plan strong enough to prevent Vecna from merging realities and wiping out their very existence. Everyone plays a part, including minor characters who share in the hero energy like Robin’s girlfriend Vickie (Amybeth McNulty), Mr. Clark, and another feisty turn by Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono).

Another positive is how Kali/Eight (Linnea Berthelsen) is woven into these last hours in such a satisfying way. It’s like the Duffers recognized how unfair it was that she became synonymous with the most maligned episode of the series — Season 2’s "Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister," — so they’ve given her a gracious do-over. The show’s leaning into her shared history with El means Hopper now has some competition in the familial overprotective department. Kali and Eleven’s sisterly bond is entirely unique to their history, and putting them back together adds a new layer of complications when it comes to the decisions that El makes. They survived an immeasurable level of trauma together in Brenner’s lab, so there’s a lot of weight behind Kali’s argument that it's their duty to prevent it from happening again, even if that interferes with El’s plans for a “happy ending.”

On the checklist of things that don’t work so well, Linda Hamilton’s Dr. Kay is, so far, the Duffers’ least developed of their roster of ‘80s-era actors cast in the series. Don’t get me wrong – Hamilton hasn’t lost her skills when it comes to throwing around dumb underlings, or snarling out orders. But as a well-defined character, Dr. Kay is but a pale shadow of Dr. Brenner. There’s still no context for why she’s all-in about bringing back the number program, which makes her disappointingly one-note. I would have loved to see Hamilton get Paul Reiser-quality material, but that seems unlikely with just two hours left to the series.

Also, this isn’t the best season for Winona Ryder’s Joyce, as she’s strictly been in mom mode. And while that’s important for Will’s character and their bond, it’s limiting for a character who has grown so much up to this point. It’s clear that the romance between Hopper and Joyce — which fueled all of Season 4 — has reverted to best friend mode again. Sure, they’re together, but where’s the love? They don’t need to make out but this season is robbing us of the kind of emotional scenes these two can rip our hearts out with.

Aside from those quibbles, Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 2 absolutely moves the needle consequentially when it comes to those all-important who, what, where, and when answers to the questions the audience has been waiting for. Now, we wait for the big one… why? As Max reminds us, Vecna started out as a human and there’s still some left in there. Will that be the key to his defeat? If they figure out his secrets, can they bring him back to the light and save Hawkins too?

Boxing Day sales are usually loud, bloated, and full of discounts of the "quotation mark kind" that look better than they feel, so I went in deliberately picky this time. I've ignored the filler, skipped the eternal backlog traps, and pulled out the handful of deals that genuinely deserve attention across consoles and PC. These are the games I would recommend to mates with little to no caveat, because the price is right and the experience still absolutely holds up.

Contents

• Retro
• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC
• PC Gear
• LEGO

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 26th anniversary of Turok: Rage Wars, pretty much the only birthday worth talking about today. I've got to be perfectly honest by saying that it didn't personally blow my mind like a shot from Turok 2's cerebral bore gun. I guess I just wasn't interested in a plotless MP-focused entry in the series at the time (and GoldenEye was still the undisputed king of 4P split-screen anyway).

That said, I still played many a round of FFA, CTF, and a goofy Frag Tag where somebody randomly became a monkey. Rage Wars also continued, and indeed expanded upon, the franchise's stable of creative and chaotic weaponry. Case in points: the "Inflator" that used needles of compressed air to violently explode people and the Aliens-tastic "Chest Burster" rifle. Pretty straightforward, that last one.

If you're after a high-end PC handheld, the hottest options are invariably powered by AMD's Z2 Extreme processors, like the headline-grabbing Asus ROG Xbox Ally X and OLED-equipped Lenovo Legion Go 2. There is a third choice now – MSI's new Claw A8 BZ2EM, which comes between the Asus and Lenovo machines in price, while offering a large 8-inch display, long battery life and the new Xbox Full Screen Experience. Does the new Claw do enough to shift the needle, or is the BZ2EM destined to the same anonymous fate as MSI's first Intel-powered Claw handheld?

MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM – Design

The Claw A8 BZ2EM offers a few design tweaks versus the previous Intel-powered Claw A8 AI+, with a redesigned button layout and relocated fans that aren't too dissimilar to the competing Asus ROG Xbox Ally X or Lenovo Legion Go 2. However, the sharp, angular lines and relatively slim dimensions do set it apart, especially from the more rounded Lenovo machine. My review unit came in white, but a lime green model is also available; the construction is plastic throughout.

The back of the device looks a bit basic compared to its more sculpted rivals, with prominent ridges running near the left and right sides to give your hands extra purchase, and relatively small shoulder buttons and triggers, but there's only a small net compromise in terms of overall comfort. I didn't find the device too heavy to hold for longer gaming sessions, but coming to this class of device from something like a Switch or Switch 2, then there is still a noticeable increase in heft.

The Hall Effect sticks and triggers work brilliantly, and ought to last much longer than the potentiometer-based alternatives on earlier gaming handhelds and last-gen gamepads. There's also RGB lighting circling the joysticks, which can be customised or disabled, and two further buttons on the rear which can be customised.

The good news is that the speakers and display (on which more in a bit) are generally excellent, so you can become quite immersed, especially while holding the Claw close to your face. Of course, there's also Bluetooth, plus a 3.5mm port and two USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) ports up top for connecting headphones. The two USB-C ports are capable, supporting DisplayPort Alt Mode, but as they're right next to each other, extremely wide USB-C dongles may block the other port. I prefer devices that split USB-C ports between the top and bottom for that reason – the Ayaneo 2S even comes with two at the top and one on the bottom! – but at least you get multiple USB-C ports in general, making USB-C hubs slightly less essential. A fingerprint reader is built into the power button on the top left, so you don't need to use the touchscreen (or gamepad) to log into Windows.

The BZ2EM comes with a larger 2280 NVMe slot compared to its Intel-powered brother, meaning full-size desktop NVMe SSDs can be installed if you fancy a storage upgrade; these are typically cheaper per gigabyte than the smaller 2230 drives often required for PC handhelds. With 1TB by default, you're probably unlikely to need that upgrade too soon, though.

A MicroSD slot is also available, and makes for an even more affordable way to add (slower) game storage. 24GB of RAM is also included, which is less than the 32GB found on the Intel-based Claw but the same as the other Z2 Extreme handhelds from Asus and Lenovo.

MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM – Display

The MSI Claw A8 is equipped with an eight-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS display that's a tad taller than that on the ROG Xbox Ally X, with a 16:10 aspect ratio instead of the usual 16:9. That extra screen real estate isn't hugely impactful for most games or watching videos, but it is nice for reading news and scrolling through your library. You do pay a small price in terms of performance though, with the extra pixel count meaning that frame-rates in fully GPU-limited scenarios ought to be around 90 percent of what they would be on an equivalent 1920x1080 display. We'll see if that difference is reflected in the performance numbers, but there are plenty of other factors with the potential to impact frame-rates, so it's not a deal-breaker by any means.

The Claw's screen does support high refresh gaming, topping out at 120Hz, which provides a nice boost to temporal resolution that is key for fast-paced or timing-sensitive games, whether tracking targets in Call of Duty or timing parries in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Perhaps more critically, VRR is also available to smooth out uneven frame-rates, reduce judder and eliminate screen tearing without the traditional input lag penalty of v-sync. VRR is still not standard amongst handheld displays, despite these handhelds being much more resource-constrained than desktop PCs or consoles, so its inclusion here is worth celebrating.