Winter 2026 Anime Season Brings Major Returns and Franchise Milestones

The centerpiece of the season is JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 3, which will adapt the Culling Game arc. Following the painful fallout of the Shibuya Incident, Yuji, Megumi, Yuta and their allies are pushed into a nationwide ritual orchestrated by Kenjaku. The arc spans multiple arenas across Japan, introducing new sorcerers, new challenges and new levels of power escalation.

Known for its sprawling battles and political undercurrents inside the jujutsu world, the Culling Game is one of the most ambitious arcs in the manga. Studio MAPPA returns to animate the project, making the series an unquestioned anchor of the winter slate.

• Release Date: January 8

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End will return with its second season, though its continuation comes with a bittersweet note. Due to extended publication pauses and author health concerns, this may be the last anime content fans receive for a while.

Season two follows Frieren, Fern and Stark as they push further north, adapting exam material and the arcs that follow. The first season’s gentle pacing, emotional depth and quiet exploration of grief and memory made it one of the standout fantasy series of the decade. The new season is expected to maintain that reflective tone while deepening its core themes of purpose and companionship.

• Release Date: January 16

Fire Force will air its final season this winter, adapting the concluding arcs of Atsushi Ohkubo’s story. The series will move toward its explosive endgame as Shinra, Arthur and the remaining members of the Fire Force confront the Evangelist and uncover the truths connecting this universe to Ohkubo’s previous work.

With high stakes battles, major character revelations and emotional farewells, the final season marks the end of Ohkubo’s career and a major moment for long time fans.

• Release Date: January 9

The second season of Hell’s Paradise arrives this winter, continuing the survivors’ desperate search for the Elixir of Life. Gabimaru, Sagiri and their allies face increasingly powerful Tensen and uncover more about the island’s unsettling origins.

Expect darker storytelling, more intense battles and a deeper dive into the spiritual and biological elements that define the series. Season two is set to be one of the winter’s most atmospheric and violent releases.

• Release Date: January 2026

OSHI NO KO Season 3 is scheduled for release this winter, carrying Aqua and Ruby further into the heart of the entertainment industry. New acting roles, idol pressures and unfinished business from their pasts collide as the story enters more morally complex territory.

The season will expand its commentary on fame, exploitation and public image, continuing the momentum that made earlier seasons global hits.

• Release Date: January 14

The long awaited full television adaptation of Fate Strange Fake will premiere this winter. Set in the United States and centered on a counterfeit Holy Grail War filled with misclassified Servants, unconventional Masters and unpredictable power dynamics, the series stands out as one of the most ambitious Fate projects to date.

With a large ensemble cast and a darker tone, it is expected to be one of the most talked about releases of the season.

• Release Date: January 3

The That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime franchise will expand this winter with a new film focused on an original story centered around Rimuru and the Tempest Federation.

After concluding the opening ceremony of the Demon Kingdom Federation Tempest, Rimuru and his companions are invited by the Celestial Emperor Hermesia of the great elven nation – the Magi Dynasty Salion – to visit her private resort island. As the group enjoys their brief vacation, a mysterious woman named Yura appears. A new incident unfolds against the backdrop of the boundless azure sea.

• Release Date: February 27, 2026 in Japan

A new project set within the revitalized Trigun universe, expanding the world introduced in Trigun Stampede and diving deeper into Vash’s lore and the broader narrative threads.

• Release Date: January 2026

Following the success of its first adaptation, the second season continues the story of Koichi and Knuckleduster as the Vigilante storyline approaches its emotional peak.

• Release Date: January 2026

DARK MOON: THE BLOOD ALTAR is a webcomic inspired by the K-pop group ENHYPEN. Launched in 2022, it is part of Webtoon’s Super Casting initiative, a new series of collaborations with global entertainment companies to develop webcomics and web novels for the platform.

• Release Date: January 9, 2026.

The theatrical compilation film is set to premiere in Japan on February 13, 2026. The movie will feature highlights from Seasons 1 and 2 alongside brand-new animation, continuing the heartfelt love story of Kyotaro and Anna.