10 Most-Anticipated Anime of 2025: What You Need to Know

It's too early to say if animanga fans find themselves in the midst of a renaissance, but there have been some absolutely killer releases in recent years. From huge adaptations like Dandadan to underrated gems like Orb: On the Movements of the Earth andBartender: Kami no Glass, 2024 delivered a barrage of top-notch anime truly deserving of viewers' time. 2025 is promising the same; in fact, the year is absolutely stacked with choice titles that make it hard to whittle down the list. Winter 2025 alone is packed with amazing anime.

There are a number of honorable mentions, like Dandadan's second season or the comeback of major franchises like Lupin the Third and KATSEYE. Releases throughout the year are so promising that it almost feels sacrilegious to exclude them. Nonetheless, the whittling has happened: here's a well-rounded sampling of the top anime 2025 has in store.

10 Re:Zero (Season 3, Part 2)

Release Date: February 5, 2025

First up is a continuation of Re:Zero's stellar third season. For the uninitiated, Re:Zero is a genre-breaking isekai that dabbles with the genre conventions of drama, romance, and psychological anime too. Centering around the protagonist Subaru Natsuki, Re:Zero focuses on on his special ability, "Return by Death", as he navigates the political and social dimensions of a world he's more than happy to call home. Words can't describe the sheer power that this series has—but they can try, and anybody who hasn't given it a chance should at least do that much.

The first part of Re:Zero's third season brought some of its best character development and world-building yet. Subaru convincingly went from one of isekai's most frustrating protagonists to a full-throated leader, while heroine Emilia has shown her unique strength and Re:Zero shows its singular emphasis on its supporting cast among its isekai competitors. The third season leaves off as Subaru and crew mount a counterattack against the Witch Cultists after they completely dominate the city of Priestella. So goes the "Attack" arc of season 3. On February 25, fans will get to return to Priestella to see how the Re:Zero's "Counterattack" arc plays out.

9 Solo Leveling (Season 2)

Release Date: January 5, 2025

Solo Leveling sits alongside Tower of God as two majorly impactful manhwa in a sphere that traditionally has been Japan-only. Despite possessing a simple premise on its face—Sung Jin-woo's combat level advances far faster than those around him—Solo Leveling has won fans over with its hype action, compelling narrative, and lovable cast. The first season plainly established just why the series has been seen as a tour de force in manhwa communities for years.

Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- premiered on January 5, 2025. It's been running steady ever since. Having started off by wrapping up the Red Gate arc and promising stable progress into the series' acclaimed Jeju Island arc, Solo Leveling's second season is going to hit some of the series' highest notes . Airing now on Crunchyroll, Solo Leveling is a must-see anime functioning a loving ode to battle shōnen and isekai.

8 My Hero Academia (Season 8)

Release Window: Fall 2025

Elephant in the room: My Hero Academia's famously controversial ending. Despite My Hero Academia's later epilogue, which some argue saved the series' finale, the ending already wasn't bad on its own (albeit perhaps unexpected for longtime fans). In fact, viewers still have plenty of reasons to tune in for the final season of the beloved shōnen, with the "Star and Stripes", "UA", and "Final War" arcs still lying ahead. A precise date hasn't been announced, but for now, My Hero Academia's final season can be expected in Fall 2025.

7 Lazarus

Release Date: 2025

One of the most exciting projects ahead in 2025 is another original coming from the creator of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, animated by the capable hands at MAPPA and developed in conjunction with the minds behind John Wick. Of all director Shinichirō Watanabe's projects, Lazarus promises to be the true spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop.

If anybody could help with recapturing the iconic magic of Cowboy Bebop, it would be the dream team joining hands with him. Lazarus is slated for a 2025 release, and it already looks fantastic based on the first looks fans have been given. Details are few and far between right now, but every anime enthusiast should keep their eyes peeled.

6 The Rose of Versailles

Release Date: January 31, 2025

The Rose of Versailles is one of the most important shoujo series of all time. The series has a deeply compelling story behind its choices, which pushed the envelope for what shoujo series could do and talk about. Even today, it remains one of the most provocative and interesting stories around—one which just happens to serve as a landmark representative of the birth of modern shoujo's most recognizable traits.

In spite of its profound influence and its singular perspective, The Rose of Versailles hasn't actually been animated since its adaptation back in the late '70s. MAPPA (Attack on Titan: Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man) has answered the colossal call, promising to bring the series to life yet again with a new film to debut on January 31, 2025. The studio's renowned ability to imbue storytelling deeply into animation is already evident in The Rose of Versaille's gorgeous trailer.

5 Kaiju no. 8 (Season 2)

Release Window: July 2025

Kaiju no. 8 hosts a perhaps familiar premise for Attack on Titan fans: in a world where the enemy is monsters, the protagonist ends up being able to turn into a monster. Don't be misled, though; the series has an identity all its own, and its super engaging first season has fans hooked. Season 1 ended with protagonist Kafka being taken into custody. Kaiju no. 8's second seasonwill premiere in July 2025, picking up where the first season left off as Kafka returns, his tactical value now proven, and the series turns the intensity up to 11.

4 Dr. Stone: Science Future

Release Date: January 9, 2025

Dr. Stone has easily won fans over through the years thanks to its novel approach in reworking science fiction through the lens of a battle/adventure shonen. It could even be argued to be an isekai, as genius Senku Ishigami tries to rebuild in a future where the technology viewers know and love has all but disappeared. The first three seasons have been absolutely fantastic, and the fourth season promises to be even better.

Dr Stone: Science Future is a multipart seasonwhich premiered onJanuary 9, 2025. Its trajectory and its manga counterpart indicate that the season will do a lot of work in lore, world-building, and character departments as the main troupe sets off for the much-beloved South America arc. Anime fans need to catch up on the series if they haven't seen it already, as the tantalizing mystery at the core of the series—who petrified humanity in the first place?—comes closer to unraveling.

3 The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2)

Release Date: January 10, 2025

The Apothecary Diaries - Season 2

10.0/10

Release Date: January 10, 2025
Network: Nippon TV, RAB, TVI, YBC, JRT
Series: The Apothecary Diaries
Episodes: 24

Season Number: 2
Episode List: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 24

In 2024, The Apothecary Diaries won viewers over with its effortless blend of romance, historical drama, and episodic medical mystery. Covering the travails of an apothecarial apprentice, Maomao, who's kidnapped and sold off to a court in imperial China, the series' intriguing voice has propelled The Apothecary Diaries to be one of the top-selling light novels and manga for years. Its anime, streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix, has followed suit and brought The Apothecary Diaries even further acclaim.

The second season of The Apothecary Diaries has been hotly anticipated; the series is intoxicating on its own, and its episodic format has left fans craving more of the same. The first episode of The Apothecary Diaries season 2 has been lauded for reinforcing one of The Apothecary Diaries' core themes: how women get along in a male-dominated world, and what barriers exist for them. Since premiering on January 10, 2025, The Apothecary Diaries' second season has elegantly met expectations so far, with no signs of slowing down.

2 Zenshu

Release Date: January 5, 2025

One of the little moments 2024 provided was the author of award-winning manga Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! coming out with demands for a second season. It may not be Eizouken, but it mirrors its premise of manga/anime as a craft. Above all, Zenshu is a MAPPA must-watch for 2025. Centering around a girl who gets sucked into a world that she created, Zenshu is a provocative take on isekai.

Zenshu's heroine is already being compared to the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen's Gojo Satoru, one of the highest honors in the animanga world. The series isalready airing, having premiered onJanuary 5, 2025, and it shows MAPPA at the top of their game with gorgeous animation. The veteran studio reveal themselves as total masters of the craft with an indefatigable love letter to animation as a whole.

1 Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc

Release Window: 2025

Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc

Release Date: September 19, 2025
Director: Tatsuya Yoshihara
Writers: Hiroshi Seko

Cast

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Kikunosuke Toya
Denji (voice)
Reina Ueda
Reze (voice)
Shiori Izawa
Pochita (voice)
Tomori Kusunoki
Makima (voice)

Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc follows Denji, a unique devil hunter known as Chainsaw Man, now part of Special Division 4. After an encounter with Reze, a café worker he meets while sheltering from the rain, Denji’s life takes an unexpected turn amidst his pursuit of personal dreams.

Main Genre: Animation

With Chainsaw Man's first season premiering back in 2022, it's been a while since fans of the franchise have gotten anything new. The end of Chainsaw Man's first season hinted at the enthralling arc to follow with a shot of Reze. Denji falls for Reze and negotiates his struggles with his unique identity in Chainsaw Man's world; it's sunshine, until the Bomb Devil appears.

Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc is a promising concept covering a fan-favorite arc of the manga. While a concrete release date for Japanese cinemas hasn't yet been provided, it's known that the movie will come out at some point this year. Fans of the franchise should prepare for an intense, explosive ride.

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