10 Greatest Anime Adaptations of the Last Decade, Ranked

Video games have become a powerful storytelling medium, creating stunning visuals and narratives that rival traditional forms of entertainment like movies and TV. 2026 is already proving to be a great year, but the last ten years have given us some truly outstanding game adaptations.

Anime adaptations from 2017 to 2026 have become incredibly popular and are consistently ranked among the best series ever made. This success is largely thanks to major animation studios improving their techniques and using new technology to create visuals that were previously unattainable.

The Apothecary Diaries is a Haunting Tale of Hidden Identities

This story takes place in a made-up country inspired by Imperial China and follows an apothecary’s daughter who is sold to the imperial court. Her quiet life is replaced with a difficult, low-status existence. However, she hides a secret ability that slowly comes to light after she uses it to save the emperor’s child.

Maomao, raised by an apothecary, is incredibly knowledgeable about medicine and skilled at diagnosing and treating illnesses. When her abilities are noticed by Jinshi, she’s unexpectedly elevated to the position of a concubine-in-waiting. Throughout the story of The Apothecary Diaries, the emperor comes to rely on Maomao’s medical expertise, utilizing her skills to care for those closest to him.

Takopi’s Original Sin’s Gut-Wrenching Story Broke Hearts Worldwide

In 2025, the anime series Takopi’s Original Sin quickly became popular, delivering a particularly impactful shonen story. It centers around Takopi, a pink, squid-like alien who travels from its home planet to Earth with the goal of bringing joy to others. However, Takopi encounters Shizuka Kuze, a girl who seems unable to smile. After connecting with Shizuka through a shared meal, Takopi feels a strong bond and dedicates itself to the mission of making her happy.

Shizuka faces hardships that Takopi can’t even imagine, and this is where the story of Takopi’s Original Sin becomes truly heartbreaking. We quickly learn about her difficult life – she’s bullied at school, her father left, and her mother doesn’t provide the support she needs. It’s a deeply moving story that’s likely to make you feel for her, and while you might want to have tissues handy the first time you watch, Takopi’s Original Sin is a powerful and memorable experience.

Mob Psycho 100 Season 3 Proved Perfect Anime Endings Are Real

It’s rare for an anime to finish as strongly as Mob Psycho 100 did, but it managed to deliver a truly fantastic conclusion. Following the success of its first season in 2016, Studio Bones continued to impress with seasons 2 and 3, which were both incredibly popular and consistently improved upon what came before – a level of quality and pacing rarely seen in anime adaptations. It didn’t just end well; each season got even better.

Season 3 of Mob Psycho 100 shows Shigeo Kageyama trying to live a normal life after the events of the previous season. It’s refreshing to see him handle everyday tasks and become more independent, especially after all the conflict he faced. While peace is welcome, a true Mob Psycho 100 season always includes a fight, and this one challenges Shigeo’s newfound stability, ultimately bringing the series to a satisfying conclusion.

Kingdom Season 3 Became an Untouchable Franchise Peak

Stories inspired by real history aren’t common in manga and anime, but Kingdom brilliantly uses the historical Chinese Warring States period as its setting. Fans waited six long years between the first two seasons (which aired in 2013 and 2014) for the third season to arrive. While the show is still ongoing and a continuation of its sixth season is being made, many consider Kingdom‘s third season to be its strongest yet.

Li Mu’s questionable peace agreement with Qin causes chaos, prompting six armies to invade Qin territory and openly display aggression. This marks the first time in the series that Qin’s military faces a seemingly irreversible crisis. The danger feels more significant than ever before, and the collaboration between Studio Pierrot and Studio Signpost results in what many consider to be the strongest season of Kingdom yet.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Was Worth The Wait

Following its end in 2012, Bleach became a huge success in the manga world. A decade later, the Thousand-Year Blood War arc was finally brought to animation. Studio Pierrot, the team behind the original 366-episode series that ran for eight years, returned to deliver this long-awaited story, which is scheduled to be part of the Summer 2026 anime season, delighting dedicated fans.

When the Thousand-Year Blood War arc started, it was immediately clear how much care and effort Studio Pierrot put into bringing it to life. The long-awaited adaptation lived up to the hype, leaving Bleach fans happy and excited for more. In 2023, Thousand-Year Blood War — The Separation was released, followed by Thousand-Year Blood War — The Conflict in 2024. Only Thousand-Year Blood War — The Calamity, scheduled for 2026, remains to be adapted.

Attack on Titan’s Final Season Was Truly a Generational Masterpiece

Attack on Titan is a truly impactful anime, considered by many to be one of the best of its generation. Hajime Isayama’s debut series wasn’t just the most popular anime adaptation of its release year; it’s a story people still enjoy today, whether through the manga or the animated series. Its success led to a four-season adaptation, totaling 94 episodes, and a finale presented as a two-part cinematic event.

The last season of Attack on Titan was as devastating as the giant titans that ravaged the world. Fans who had been waiting since the manga came out were especially excited for the Battle of Heaven and Earth, and the anime adaptation packed a serious emotional punch – even more than Zeke Yeager’s forceful actions. Although a few parts didn’t quite land, particularly the conversation between Eren and Armin in the Paths, the final season was overall brilliantly made.

Gintama: The Final Exceeded All Expectations With Phenomenal Film

I remember watching the Gintama saga unfold, and after Gintama: The Semi-Final wrapped up in 2021, Gintama: The Final was presented as the definitive end to Hideaki Sorachi’s incredibly popular series that started back in 2003. Gintama releases have always been well-received by fans, but The Final really took things to another level. It felt like a peak, surpassing even the excitement around the fourth season back in 2015.

Compared to the fourth season, which had a pretty wacky plot with a broken clock and frozen time, Gintama: The Final jumps ahead two years after the attack on Edo. It shows a huge battle unfolding, and everyone’s hoping they can still save the world. While it still has that classic Gintama humor at the very end, the movie really delivers on the emotional side, bringing a 15-year story to a close. I definitely felt a lot during the finale!

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Became a Worldwide Box-Office Success

The first part of Chainsaw Man was already faithfully adapted, but Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc arrived in theaters with a bigger budget and ambitious goals. The highly anticipated Bomb Girl arc wasn’t simply adapted from the manga; it was expanded and given a full cinematic treatment, drawing large crowds to see it.

The movie beautifully captured the heartfelt emotions of returning characters like Denji and Power, and successfully introduced Reze, the central figure of this story arc. The relationship between Denji and Reze was faithfully adapted from the original manga, and the film delivered on its promise of exciting action and intense visuals. Since its September 2025 release, it has earned over $174.7 million globally, making it one of the most successful Japanese films ever made.

Vinland Saga Elevates Real Historical Characters With Devastating Drama

I recently watched Vinland Saga, and it’s based on a manga by Makoto Yukimura that first came out in 2005. It’s actually his third major work! The animation studio Wit Studio did an amazing job bringing it to life – the visuals are gorgeous, the story moves at a great pace, and the characters are really captivating. It’s definitely helped the series reach a much bigger audience.

Following his father’s death in an ambush led by Askeladd, Thorfinn dedicates himself to revenge, vowing to kill Askeladd himself. To achieve this, he’s forced to join Askeladd’s band and become a trained killer. The adaptation faithfully recreates the manga, emphasizing its brutal violence. By the start of Season 2, viewers are still impacted by these events when the story introduces a new direction that profoundly alters Thorfinn’s perspective.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Is a Full-Blown Shonen Powerhouse

If you enjoy magical adventures and classic shonen anime, look no further than Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Based on Kanehito Yamada’s manga, the 2023 anime quickly gained a huge following – and it’s still incredibly popular. The series excels at combining meaningful moments with consistently well-structured and paced storytelling.

Fans are loving Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, as evidenced by its high ratings on both MyAnimeList and IMDb. Studio Madhouse, known for acclaimed anime like Death Note, Hunter x Hunter, Monster, and Hajime no Ippo, may have created its greatest work yet with Frieren. It’s a beautifully animated fantasy series that’s both comforting and exciting, appealing to viewers of all ages while also delivering some truly impressive action sequences.

Quiz

5 Questions

Test Your Knowledge: Epic Anime Adaptations of the Last Decade

Your Top Score

—

Attempts

—

Report Error

Found an error? Send it so it can be corrected.

2026-03-18 05:19