Crunchyroll Names Its Top Anime for 2026, and Fans Can’t Stop Watching
Crunchyroll has grown into the go-to streaming destination for anime fans, whether you’re chasing brand-new releases or revisiting beloved cult titles from years gone by. 2026 has been a standout year for the service, packed with new series and plenty more on deck. As Crunchyroll continues to spotlight what viewers are most engaged with, the current fan obsession has been identified as Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
Frieren Season 2 wrapped up only a few months ago, yet it hasn’t cooled off. Even with fresh anime arriving on the platform, the latest Crunchyroll rankings still place Frieren at the top. With additional content confirmed for the future, the series looks set to keep pulling ahead—especially after the strong showing it delivered this year. There’s even a real possibility it could land as Crunchyroll’s Anime of the Year in 2027, with Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 3 scheduled to arrive next year.
Crunchyroll Officially Names Frieren Season 2 Its Most Popular Anime in 2026 So Far
Crunchyroll is a major American entertainment company that began in 1994, and over time it has become especially known for streaming anime. The platform now hosts thousands of series, spanning mainstream Shonen hits such as One Piece as well as more niche titles. With such a wide library, Crunchyroll regularly surfaces what’s currently drawing the most attention from viewers. Right now, that dominance is coming from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2, and the expectation is that it will remain a leading force for the foreseeable future.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End started life as a manga. The story is written by Tsukasa Abe and Kanehito Yamada, and it began serialization in Weekly Shonen Sunday Issue #22-23 on April 28, 2020. Despite occasional hiatuses, the manga is still ongoing. The anime adaptation produced by Madhouse launched on September 29, 2023, bringing the first TV season of the franchise to screens. A second season began airing on January 16, 2026, and finished on March 27, 2026. Even with fewer episodes than the first run, Season 2 still landed as a major hit.
Although Frieren Season 2 aired roughly three months ago, the series’ popularity on Crunchyroll isn’t slipping. It continues to occupy the number-one spot, leaving little opening for newer weekly releases to take over. The sustained top placement is a clear sign that audiences are still deeply invested in this melancholic, magical story.
Meanwhile, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga saw a sales setback in the first half of 2026, where a popular next-generation manga managed to surpass it.
Frieren Season 2 Renewed Viewer Excitement—and Could Win Anime of the Year in 2027
Season 1 is what originally put Frieren on many people’s radar, but Season 2 proved just as compelling. It also brought a wave of renewed enthusiasm after a two-year gap, reviving interest in the series’ emotionally driven fantasy tone. On MAL, Season 1 remains the highest-rated anime, and prior to Season 2 being hit by bot activity intended to drag ratings down, it had been positioned as the second-highest rated series of all time—highlighting how strongly the story resonates worldwide.
Because of how widely Season 2 has landed, it’s being treated as a serious contender for Crunchyroll’s Anime of the Year in 2027. Since Season 2 aired during 2026, it qualifies for the Anime of the Year category at the Crunchyroll Awards 2027. This year, Frieren stood out for its direction and animation, delivered a strong story arc, and—most importantly—built a devoted fanbase prepared to vote if it earns a nomination. Next year could be Frieren’s best shot as well, especially after it missed out in 2025 due to Solo Leveling taking the win.
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Frieren Season 3 Is Coming in 2027, Bringing Another Round of Dominance to Crunchyroll
Both seasons of Frieren have been widely praised, and Madhouse hasn’t been dialing back on effort with the franchise. That’s part of why the announcement that Season 3 was already underway hit so hard right after Season 2 concluded. Madhouse confirmed that Frieren Season 3 is officially scheduled for October 2027. A specific release day hasn’t been confirmed yet, but more details could be shared soon at Anime Expo 2026, which is set to take place this month. For now, the key takeaway is that October is the target window—meaning there’s still more than a year to wait.
Newsletter Reminder for Crunchyroll and Frieren Coverage
Fans are already looking ahead to what’s next in the story, particularly as it prepares to move into the Golden Land Arc. Frieren has grown into much more than a typical fantasy series, and it’s being framed as one of the biggest hits of the 2020s.
All episodes of Frieren Season 1 and 2 are available to watch on Crunchyroll.
