2026’s Anime Of The Year Is Set To Take Solo Leveling’s Crown

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This article contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling series.

As an anime fan, I remember how incredibly successful Solo Leveling was at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. It really swept the board, winning Anime of the Year and also earning Sung Jinwoo the title of Best MC. Beyond those big wins, the series took home a lot of other awards too, making 2025 its year at the Crunchyroll Awards. However, everyone’s anticipating some serious competition for Solo Leveling in 2026.

Things will likely be different in 2026. While Solo Leveling had a very strong season – even better than the one that won at the Crunchyroll 2025 Awards – it faces serious competition from My Hero Academia, which has been a top anime for years. My Hero Academia‘s final season ends this December, making it eligible for Anime of the Year at the 2026 Crunchyroll Awards. Considering its consistently higher fan ratings compared to Solo Leveling, it’s expected to win the award next year.

My Hero Academia Will Likely Beat Solo Leveling At the Crunchyroll Awards 2026

Image by Studio Bones

It’s hard for any anime to compete with the massive popularity of Solo Leveling. The show has become incredibly famous in the last two years, and despite only having 25 episodes, it’s become a fan favorite. Remarkably, Solo Leveling quickly rose to become the top-rated and most reviewed anime on major platforms like Crunchyroll, which explains why it’s so difficult for other series to surpass it.

I represent everything you’ve overcome – your hardships, your fight, and the pain you’ve endured. I am death, but also the peace that follows, and the fear that accompanies the end. – Ashborn to Sung Jinwoo, Solo Leveling

While many anime series are popular, My Hero Academia truly stands out. It’s a landmark series that helped bring anime into the mainstream in the 2010s, and is arguably the most iconic anime of that decade. After an amazing ten-year run, the series is coming to an end, and fans will always remember the enjoyment it brought them.

Putting aside my fondness for earlier seasons, I think Season 8 of My Hero Academia is truly the best one yet. The animation and overall production quality are noticeably better than anything we’ve seen before, but it’s the story itself that’s really grabbed me. So far, every episode has scored over a 9 on IMDb, which speaks volumes about how good it is. It’s already proving more popular with fans than Solo Leveling, and many are predicting it will take home the top prize at the Crunchyroll Awards in 2026.

Solo Leveling Enjoyed An Unfair Advantage In 2025

It’s worth pointing out that Solo Leveling had a significant boost during the 2025 Crunchyroll Awards. Season 2 of the show was being released at the same time, giving it an edge over other nominated series like The Apothecary Diaries and Frieren. While Solo Leveling ultimately won, it’s unlikely to repeat that success in 2026.

My Hero Academia Is The Highest-Rated Anime Series Of 2025

As 2025 nears its end, it’s evident that My Hero Academia Season 8 is the top-rated anime of the year, and it’s likely to stay that way. Looking ahead to the 2026 Crunchyroll Awards, My Hero Academia is currently considered the strongest contender for Anime of the Year.

I realized something important when I was seventeen: people aren’t really born equal. We all develop in our own unique ways, and that’s actually what connects us. It’s because we’re different – each with our own minds and bodies – that we naturally seek out others who might share some of our experiences or perspectives. That’s how I began to understand how society works.

With consistently high ratings and a fantastic response from viewers, and now that the series is finishing up, it’s the clear frontrunner to win next year’s award. It’s expected to become the new top anime, surpassing Solo Leveling, which most anime fans will likely celebrate.

Solo Leveling Season 2 was fantastic, even if the story isn’t particularly complex. The anime delivers incredible action and is hugely enjoyable for fans. While Solo Leveling is great, when a truly iconic series like My Hero Academia Season 8 arrives, it’s hard to deny that it’s the best.

Currently, there are 25 episodes of Solo Leveling available to stream on Crunchyroll, split across two seasons: one with 12 episodes and another with 13. For manga fans, My Hero Academia recently finished its run with a total of 431 chapters, all of which are readable on Manga Plus. The anime adaptation is also concluding, with a final season of 11 episodes available on Crunchyroll.

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2025-12-07 23:34