Crunchyroll’s Best Winter 2026 Anime Is Already Clear, And It’s Even Better Than Frieren

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2025 was a fantastic year for anime, with a lot of popular shows, but 2026 looks even more promising. The upcoming Winter 2026 season is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent memory, with several major series returning. Fans are already excited about the continuation of My Hero Academia Vigilantes Season 2 and the final episodes of Fire Force, but those are just the beginning – even bigger releases are coming to Crunchyroll.

Fans are really looking forward to the second season of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, which finished its first season in 2024. However, while Frieren is expected to be popular, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 is predicted to be the biggest anime release of Winter 2026. The new season of Jujutsu Kaisen will begin the highly anticipated Culling Game arc. Anime fans are excited for both shows to premiere and see which one will become the most popular series on Crunchyroll during the winter season.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Is A Sensational Series

  • Frieren Season 1 Premiered In 2023
  • Frieren Returns With Its Second Season In January

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End quickly became a hit when it premiered in 2023. The first season had 28 episodes that viewers loved. It was so popular, in fact, that it reached the top spot on the MyAnimeList (MAL) ratings, and it continues to hold that position even two years later.

It’s been two years since the first season of Frieren finished, and now a second season is on its way, much to the excitement of fans who are eager to continue following Frieren’s story.

It’s a bit disappointing that Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 will only have 10 episodes, especially since fans have been waiting a long time for it. Still, it’s expected to be a major highlight of the Winter 2026 anime season. The only series generating more excitement right now is Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3.

Frieren Is Great, But The True Best Anime Of Winter 2026 Is Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3

  • JJK Season 3 Kickstarts the Culling Game With Incredible Animation and Direction

Frieren is a fantastic anime, and one of the best we’ve seen recently. But when you look at everything coming out, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 is likely to be even bigger. Even with a lot of great shows planned for Winter 2026, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 stands out as the most anticipated.

I’ve been watching the anime world, and Jujutsu Kaisen really stands out – it’s become incredibly popular, reaching a level of success that very few shows ever do. I’m hearing it’s coming back in 2026, and from what I understand, it’s going to be even more impressive. They’re changing up the art style and animation, and it sounds like fans are in for a real treat.

Early viewers have had a chance to watch the first two episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 thanks to screenings of the Jujutsu Kaisen: The Movie. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many calling it the best-looking season of the show yet.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 is expected to surpass even the popularity of Frieren. The upcoming ‘Culling Game’ arc promises incredibly intense fights – potentially more exciting than those in shows like Solo Leveling or My Hero Academia. The author, Gege, also brings a unique dark tone to the series, making it stand out.

Jujutsu Kaisen Has Become One Of The Greatest Series of All Time

Image by MAPPA
  • Jujutsu Kaisen’s Manga Is Just As Successful as Its Anime

The Jujutsu Kaisen anime is incredibly popular, but the original manga is also fantastic. While the anime initially boosted the series’ recognition, the manga has become a huge success, even surpassing other popular titles like Frieren.

Watching someone rob a child of their innocence is something I can’t overlook, and honestly, I don’t think I ever will. It feels like a permanent loss, and I find it incredibly hard to let go of that feeling. – Gojo Satoru

The Jujutsu Kaisen manga has become incredibly popular, achieving sales figures that place it among the best-selling manga ever. It recently exceeded 150 million copies sold, and with its third season airing, sales are expected to climb even higher. Experts believe it could easily surpass 200 million copies sold, boosted by continued sales of older volumes.

Even after finishing in 2024, Jujutsu Kaisen remained incredibly popular, ranking as the second best-selling manga of 2025. Its success is remarkable and surpasses that of many other series, like Frieren.

What’s Next For Frieren And Jujutsu Kaisen?

  • Frieren Could Get One More Anime Season
  • Jujutsu Kaisen Could Get a Movie and Fourth Season

Both Jujutsu Kaisen and Frieren are set to have amazing years in 2026, and fans are already thinking about what comes after. Although no future projects have been officially announced for either series, there’s a lot of speculation about what’s next.

Things are a little tricky for the Frieren anime. Because the manga creators have been facing health issues and taking breaks, the anime is nearly up to date with the source material. Luckily, Season 2 is relatively short at just 10 episodes, which means there’s potential for another season before the anime needs to pause and wait for more manga content.

Fans can likely look forward to a third season of Frieren in the coming years. Hopefully, the manga will be actively releasing new chapters again by that time, giving the anime more source material to work with.

Eisen says the key to defeating powerful opponents is simple: just keep getting back up and relentlessly attacking with everything you’ve got.

The future looks bright for Jujutsu Kaisen. Since the manga finished in 2024, the animation studio has a clear path to adapt the entire story. Many fans believe that after Season 3, a major movie will showcase the highly anticipated battle between Gojo and Sukuna. This movie is expected to be a big success, and will likely be followed by either another film or a final season to wrap up the series.

Jujutsu Kaisen’s sequel, called Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, runs in the Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine. The series is set 68 years into the future, after the events of Shinjuku Showdown. The main characters of Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo are Yuka and Tsurugi Okkotsu, the grandchildren of Yuta and Maki. Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Chapter 17 will be released on January 4, 2026. The release time of the chapter is midnight JST, or 11:00 AM ET (8:00 AM PT). Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump app.

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2026-01-09 23:35