Collider recommends a mix of classic and modern anime for viewers in 2026, judging series by factors including writing, animation, influence, popularity and critical acclaim.

– Death Note: A high-stakes psychological thriller about a pupil using a lethal notebook to reshape society while evading a brilliant detective; praised for its ethical questions and early plot twists.
– Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End: A reflective fantasy following an elf confronting loss after a heroic quest, combining quiet character-led storytelling with striking animation.
– Serial Experiments Lain: A 1998 cyberpunk drama whose unsettling exploration of identity, the internet and online power is presented as particularly relevant today.