Frieren and More: Top 9 Best Magic Anime to Watch in 2026
List features anime that have already premiered and others still set to arrive this year
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The world of anime is incredibly vast, spanning a wide range of themes and storytelling genres. And one of the most fascinating themes in this medium is magic. It’s not a skill with a rational explanation, like science, for example, but it has always captivated audiences.
With that in mind, Omelete has selected the nine best magic anime that are available now or still set to premiere this year for you to watch. Check them out!
*Updated on June 22
Frieren
Released in 2023, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is the adaptation of an award-winning manga set in a fantasy land, where the elf Frieren, a virtually immortal being, was part of the group of heroes responsible for defeating the Demon King. With peace restored, each of them went their separate ways. However, since the elf can live for millennia without aging, the years pass and she ends up facing an existential crisis when she learns that Himmel, the great human hero of that battle against the Demon King, has died of old age. Faced with this harsh reality, she attends her friend’s funeral and agrees to embark on a new adventure. Alongside Fern, an orphaned mage who becomes her apprentice, and Stark, a young warrior, she sets out on this journey into the unknown, while learning to deal with this new group and forming bonds along the way.
The series has two seasons, totaling 38 episodes of approximately 25 minutes each. The first season is available on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and HBO Max. The second season can only be watched on Crunchyroll.
Witch Hat Atelier
The adaptation of Kamome Shirahama’s manga, Witch Hat Atelier, premiered this April and is being simulcast with Japan. Since its announcement, the anime has been drawing attention for its stunningly high-quality artwork. Described as a “cinematic” production by television standards, Witch Hat Atelier takes place in a magical world where young Coco dreams of becoming a great witch. However, legend says that only those born with magic can become true witches. Living with her mother in a humble village, the girl sees the mage Qifrey using his powers and manages to cast a spell herself, astonishing everyone. The problem is that she ends up turning her own mother into crystal and falls into despair, since she has no idea how she did it or how to reverse the process. So Coco sets out in search of Qifrey, who is looking for a coven and decides to take the girl on as his apprentice. Now, alongside the other apprentices, Coco begins to unravel the mysteries of magic while desperately pursuing her dream of becoming a witch.
The series is a lighthearted fantasy that stands out for its epic visuals and the ridiculously fun, creative solutions it finds for the protagonist’s challenges. Released in April, the first season of Witch Hat Atelier is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Jujutsu Kaisen
A phenomenon that burst out of the anime bubble and into pop culture as a whole, Jujutsu Kaisen is a magical adventure that follows Yuji Itadori, a teenager who belongs to an occult club and whose life changes forever after an act of sacrifice. He tries to save his friends from monsters known as Curses. To do so, he swallows a talisman known as one of Ryomen Sukuna’s ‘fingers,’ the King of Curses. Under normal circumstances, this act should have killed him. However, he ends up becoming a kind of vessel for a spirit, turning Yuji into a curse-fighting warrior. Faced with this unexpected ability, the boy decides to enroll at the Tokyo Jujutsu High, where he can develop his skills and become a sorcerer capable of exorcising the Curses scattered around the world.
So far, the series has three seasons, with a total of 59 episodes, each with an estimated runtime of 23 minutes, in addition to two movies. And most interestingly, this may be the anime with the most viewing options available in Brazil. That’s because all three seasons are available on Crunchyroll, while the first two seasons can also be watched on Netflix. The first season is also available on Globoplay and HBO Max, while the second is on Disney+.
Wistoria: Wand and Sword
In a world saved by mages, access to magic has become synonymous with power and status. Wistoria: Wand and Sword follows young Will, a boy who enrolls at Regarden Magic Academy to fulfill the promise he made to his best friend from their orphanage days, Elfaria, that they would always stay together. The problem is that Elfaria is one of the school’s top students, with exceptional mastery of magic, while Will is completely unable to use it. Against all odds, the boy relies on his extraordinary skill with the sword to prove himself worthy of being a student at the Academy, facing monsters and other challenging missions to earn extra credits and improve his grades. It’s a classic story of hard work making up for talent in a world full of magical creatures and deadly dangers.
Currently, Wistoria is in its second season, with episodes being released on Crunchyroll.
Fire Force
In Fire Force, a phenomenon affected the world, bringing different forms of death to humanity. But perhaps none of them is as bizarre as spontaneous human combustion. Yes, out of nowhere, people suddenly burst into flames and turn into demons called Infernals, who roam around causing fires throughout the city and spreading terror. In this context, the Holy Sol Temple joins forces with Tokyo’s authorities to create a task force to fight supernatural fire. The series follows Shinra, a firefighter with pyrokinesis abilities, which have left him with a few traumas and nicknames, since he goes around leaving fiery footprints wherever he walks. After his family’s death, the young man joins the company to save people from this combustion, needing to learn how to use his abilities for good.
With three seasons, the anime totals 73 episodes and came to an end in April of this year. Fire Force is available on Crunchyroll.
Fate/Strange Fake
This story is an unexpected adventure set in a world where people battle over an all-powerful mythological object: the Holy Grail. The artifact grants any wish to whoever possesses it. This leads the mages of that world to summon historical figures from different eras in an attempt to claim the Grail, resulting in epic duels. In this context, an association of mages tries to recreate the Japanese Grail War in the United States, about 70 years after the original events. They choose the city of Snowfield as the stage for this battle, but the rules end up being different. Faced with this false war, which summons riders such as Pestilence, the concentration of magic in the region becomes extremely high, triggering a true Grail War. The series follows Ayaka, a master in the Grail War, as she tries to win this edition amid a host of new characters.
So far, Fate/Strange Fake has only one season with 13 episodes, but the reception has been so positive that a second season seems to be only a matter of time. The episodes are available on Crunchyroll.
Sentenced to Be a Hero
In a medieval fantasy world, knights are chosen to take on the role of “heroes,” a living nightmare. That’s because they become the front line against demons and lose the right to their own lives. How so? Well, if they die in battle, they are brought back to life so they can keep fighting. And each time they are resurrected, their memories gradually fade until they become soldiers with no personality or opinions of their own. In this context, the story follows Xylo Forbartz, a hero who has a habit of stealing things wherever he goes and who became infamous for killing a goddess who had been corrupted by demons, as part of a major scheme against him. Xylo ends up stealing the coffin of Teoritta, a goddess of swords who chooses the young man to be her knight. There’s just one problem: he doesn’t want to make that pact with her. So the group sets out on an adventure against a demon who wants to destroy everything, while Teoritta tries to convince Xylo to work with her. It’s basically an extremely fun magical medieval melodrama.
Sentenced to be a Hero has a few clichés, but they’re handled very well. With 12 episodes, the first season is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
Magic Knights Rayearth (2026)
This is a different kind of entry on our list, since the anime hasn’t premiered yet, but it looks very promising. A remake of the ’90s anime, Magic Knight Rayearth is set to premiere in October this year. The story is an adaptation of CLAMP’s manga, following three high school girls—Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu—who are on a field trip to Tokyo Tower when they are transported to Cephiro, a fantasy world on the brink of collapse. When they arrive in this new world, the girls are welcomed by a mage who explains that the princess’s kidnapping by a priest has put the prayers that sustain Cephiro’s existence at risk. Now, they will receive the magical powers of knights, drawn from fire, water, and wind, to face dangers and save Cephiro.
It’s still unknown where the new version of Magic Knight Rayearth will be available, but the original anime is streaming on Netflix.
Magilumiere: Magical Girls Inc.
In a world full of monsters known as Kaii, Magical Girls are the profession most girls dream of. They work for major companies, are paid very well, and use incredible equipment. In this setting, the series follows Kana Sakuragi, a recent college graduate who is struggling to find a job. Gifted with an incredible memory and highly skilled, she always fumbles her interviews and ends up losing positions to other candidates. That is, until an ice Kaii appears, forcing a company to urgently recruit a Magical Girl. Kana sees the emergency Magical Girl show up and realize she needs help. With her exceptional memory, Kana immediately learns techniques and movements and helps the girl defeat the Kaii. Now, Kana joins a kind of Magical Girl startup, where she will learn to live with this new team and become a Magical Girl herself.
With only 12 episodes, the first season of Magilumiere: Magical Girls Inc. is available on Amazon Prime Video. The second season is currently in production and is expected to premiere in July this year.
