2025 was anime's biggest year yet – and may have provided the blueprint for a decade of domination

Whichever way you look at it, it's hard to argue against the idea that 2025 was anime's biggest year to date.

Almost a billion dollars in box office revenue, a string of breakout hits, and the mainstream glass ceiling being broken has taken the industry from passionate niche to global sensation in the eyes of everyone from Japan to Hollywood.

Better yet, 2025's successes may have quietly provided a blueprint for a decade of domination as anime closes in on comic book movies and video game adaptations as The Next Big Thing.

Don't believe me? January was already a portent of anime's surging popularity. South Korean series Solo Leveling, which charts the easy-to-digest journey of the world's worst hunter on his way to becoming a monster-slaying legend, broke some unexpected records, including becoming the most-liked, most-reviewed, and most-watched series on Crunchyroll. Not bad for a series that was effectively unknown outside of its homeland before last year.

From there, shows frequently debuted on streamers' top 10s and generated levels of social media debate far beyond many one-and-done series that failed to move the needle and swiftly fell into television's increasingly large graveyard.

Supernatural comedy Dan Da Dan on Netflix, mech series Gundam on Amazon, and sci-fi thriller Lazarus on Adult Swim in the first half of 2025 was evidence enough that anime audiences are broad, their interests varied, and (crucially) producers are finally willing to take a gamble in a big way.

Anime slays its demons

New anime shows, though, paled in comparison to familiar big hitters this year. While the likes of Attack on Titan are in the rear-view mirror, Demon Slayer, Chainsaw Man, and My Hero Academia were household names that didn't let the side down, with the latter signing off in style this December – and avoiding the sort of backlash that tends to dominate the discourse of most final seasons.

But, of course, 2025's Year in Anime was very much punctuated by the industry blowing the bloody doors off in cinemas. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle proved to be a whirlwind success, not only becoming the highest-grossing anime movie of all time (besting 2020 predecessor Demon Slayer: Mugen Train), but also leaving Superman and Fantastic Four: First Steps firmly in the dust at the box office. Who could have predicted that even five years ago? The times, it seems, are a-changing.

The tongue-twisting title Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc didn't put moviegoers off, either. Like Demon Slayer, it was a canon continuation of its main series but – importantly – gave newcomers and those newly interested in anime a peek into the medium's more mature canvas, complete with a touching love story at its core.

While its $175 million box office may seem meagre in comparison to Infinity Castle's efforts, it proves that anime audiences will flock towards most properties – and could tempt other powerhouse TV franchises to follow suit. Solo Leveling: The Movie, anyone? At the very least, expect compilation movies – whose recaps and teases of what's to come again proved a hit for very little outlay – to be all the rage in future years, especially when there's money to be made in-between seasons.

While not anime by any true definition, KPop Demon Hunters' anime sensibilities certainly didn't hurt its popularity. Even more pleasingly, it felt like the result of a new generation being far more accepting of outlandish animated adventures and its more Eastern point of view.

Yet, this year wasn't perfect. The scourge of AI reared its ugly head once more, most notably in the inescapably bad AI English dub bolted on to the Prime Video streams of Banana Fish. The controversy over One-Punch Man's animation woes, too, proved that more time, money, and care – without crunch – should be given by producers all too eager to cut corners and trim budgets. Those are two trends anime would do well to leave in 2025.

Then, there's the small matter of 2026. With all we've learned about anime this year, it's hard not to see another success on the horizon.

While some shifts, such as an expected proliferation in the number of live-action adaptations, may not be as welcomed, there's plenty to look forward to – with an even brighter spotlight on them.

Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 and the second season of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End will get the year off to a sizzling start. One Piece's more measured, slower approach to its release plans, coupled with a new JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Oshi no Ko, a Sekiro show, and a Ghost in the Shell comeback means, wherever you look, anime is planting its flag in the ground, ready to pick up where 2025 left off. Whisper it, but this could be the start of something truly special.

For more, check out our picks for best anime shows and best anime movies.