The Best of the Winter 2026 Anime Season Revealed: Fierce Competition at the Top!
As the Winter 2026 anime season officially comes to an end, Anime Corner, which keeps its finger on the pulse of the community, has shared the final rankings determining the best of the season. In the massive poll where a total of 45,490 fans cast their votes, Oshi no Ko Season 3 was chosen as the winner of the season with a score of 8.75%. The results, determined by weekly polls held from January 2nd to March 27th followed by a grand final survey, once again proved just how competitive this season was.
In second place on the list is Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 (7.12%), which continues to captivate fans with its emotional depth and epic visuals. Right behind it, Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1 (6.76%) secured the third spot, never letting the intensity of its action drop for a moment. The production, bearing the signature of MAPPA studio, created a huge buzz on social media, especially with the start of the "Culling Game" arc. The top three were followed by Hell's Paradise Season 2 and this season's romantic-comedy surprise, You and I Are Polar Opposites, respectively.
From an industry perspective, the Winter 2026 season has gone down in history as the "absolute dominance of sequel seasons." The momentum Doga Kobo achieved with Oshi no Ko and the meticulous work Madhouse put into Frieren reinforced fans' loyalty to high-quality productions. Furthermore, the return of established series like Fire Force Season 3 Part 2 and Fate/strange Fake managed to keep the audience glued to their screens. This season showed that not only action, but also dramatic and slice-of-life productions like Journal with Witch can establish a strong connection with viewers.
So, what awaits us now? Following this magnificent finale of the winter season, all eyes are turned to the Spring 2026 season. According to Anime Corner data, fans are already excited for the new series starting soon. However, Winter 2026 seems like it will not be forgotten for a long time, especially with the dramatic storytelling of Oshi no Ko and the technical success of Jujutsu Kaisen. If you haven't watched the top 10 productions on this list yet, now is the perfect time to binge-watch them before the Spring season fully begins!
