Even decades after its release, The Lord of the Rings films are still the highwater mark for quality fantasy content. Whether it’s in film or television, few other fantasy universes have ever come close to matching its scale and spectacle, it’s lovable characters or incredible worldbuilding. Still, anime has had a thriving fantasy genre for decades now and generated some true classics.
Over the years, anime has created quality fantasy content for every kind of viewer. Whether they prefer high fantasy or gritty and grimdark, or if they like straightforward epics or comedies, there’s something for everyone. They might not be quite as good as The Lord of the Rings, but they’ll still provide viewers with several fun nights of enjoyment.
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10
Record of Lodoss War Presents a Classic High Fantasy Epic
Stream Record of Lodoss War on Crunchyroll
Back in the ’90s and early 2000s, Record of the Lodoss War was known as anime’s answer to Lord of the Rings. While the series can’t quite match up to that accolade, it does come pretty close. The series is a classic high fantasy epic, even if it can sometimes feel a bit more like anime’s Dungeons and Dragons than it does Lord of the Rings.
The series follows Parn, the son of a knight who decides to learn what happened to his father. What starts as a basic journey for knowledge though quickly turns into an epic quest as Parn gains allies and learns several truths about his world. Parn and his allies eventually become vital to stopping a dangerous old evil, keeping their continent from being immersed in an endless war.
9
Slayers Offers Epic Hilarity & Epic Adventure
Stream Slayers on Prime Video
Despite her dimuntive size, sorceress Lina Inverse is one of the most powerful mages that ever lived. Yet she spends most of her time taking on simple quests and stealing treasures to make money. Her unorthodox adventures lead her to cross paths with quirky companions and dangerous would-be conquerors alike.
Slayers is one of the earliest breakout hits for fantasy anime, spanning multiple seasons, OVAs, and films. While the series has no problem getting serious, it shines just as brightly with its comedy. It’s a series that epitomizes that gritty ’90s animation style, yet any viewer looking for a good laugh and great fantasy adventure should start here.
- Release Date
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1995 – 2009
- Network
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TV Tokyo
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Megumi Hayashibara
Lina Inverse (voice)
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Yasunori Matsumoto
Gourry Gabriev (voice)
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Yumi Touma
Sylpheel Nels Lahda (voice)
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Jouji Nakata
Maryuo Gaav (voice)
8
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Features Incredible Character Development
Stream Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? on Hulu
While Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon might have one of the worst names ever, and certainly one of the longest anime titles ever, it’s better than it sounds. The series follows Bell Cranel, the lone member of the Hestia Familia, whose lifelong goal is becoming a hero. Though Bell isn’t very strong, the strength of his desire to become a hero develops a power that lets him gain strength faster than anyone else. While this new power makes him able to protect the Hestia Familia, it also brings him into the path of many strange new allies and enemies alike.
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Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon features some of the best worldbuilding in fantasy anime. The series is always introducing new layers to its world through its lore and character development. The Dungeon itself will leave viewers full of questions, particularly in Seasons 3 and 4. Meanwhile, Bell’s development from a shy wallflower to someone worthy of leading an entire party is an incredible journey. Viewers shouldn’t let the harem shenanigans fool them, either, as this series isn’t afraid to travel some dark and unexpected paths.
7
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Sees an Elf Exploring to Learn About the World
Stream Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End on Crunchyroll
An ageless immortal, Frieren has already helped save the world once. After defeating the Demon King, Frieren parts from her comrades, promising to meet them again once she finished with her travels. When she meets them again, though, she finds them all to have grown much older, not realizing that over 50 years have passed. As she loses her comrades to old age, Frieren realizes how much she missed by never truly getting to know them. With that, she sets out on a new journey with the intention of embracing every day ahead of her.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is one of the best anime of the 2020s by far. Frieren‘s unique premise makes it equally possible to see slice-of-life adventures as dungeon diving, or answer complex questions about human nature. It’s this variability that pulls viewers deeper in, as it truly feels like they’re living in the world being shown to them thanks to the anime’s incredible worldbuilding skills.
6
Claymore Is a Grittier Fantasy Focused on Monster Hunting & Vengeance
Stream Claymore on Crunchyroll
In Claymore, humanity is plagued by attacks from powerful monsters known as Yoma. Their only defense against the Yoma are women from a group known as The Organization. These women, known as Claymores thanks to their signature claymore weapons, protect society by using power gained from the Yoma themselves. The series follows Clare, one of the youngest Claymore, after she saves a young man named Raki. With his family wiped out by a Yoma attack, Raki begins following the stoic Clare, slowly learning about the world beyond his village.
Claymore is another series for fans who prefer their fantasy a little darker. There’s no grand quest to be found in Claymore, other than Clare’s quest for revenge. Still, it captured the minds of a number of anime fans in the 2000s thanks to its cool, stoic protagonist and cool fight scenes.
5
Berserk Tells a Surprisingly Optimistic Story in a Gritty Setting
Stream Berserk (2016) on Crunchyroll
Berserk is for viewers that are willing to abandon the high fantasy for a bit of dark fantasy. The series focuses on Guts, a powerful swordsman that spends his life constantly on the run. Guts is on the hunt for his former friend Griffith, leader of his old group the Band of the Hawk. Out of a twisted desire for power, Griffith sacrificed the entire Band of the Hawk, with Guts as one of the only survivors. Still, the mark on Guts’ body makes him constantly hunted by demons, meaning he has to keep surviving against the demons if he wants his revenge.
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Berserk has been one of the must-watch anime of the ’90s since the day it reached the West. It’s gritty fantasy story is unlike any other, as the late Kentaro Miura was such a talented creator. While other stories like this revel in being grimdark, Berserk often feels optimistic, thanks to Guts’ desire to survive and keep pushing no matter what happens. It also features some great character writing that elevates the series into the level of being true art.
4
Mushoku Tensei Features Some of Anime’s Best Worldbuilding
Stream Mushoku Tensei on Crunchyroll
Viewers who can look past some of Mushoku Tensei‘s more problematic elements will find one of the greatest fantasy series ever written. The series is an isekai anime where a shut-in in his late thirties is suddenly reborn in another world. Born into a loving family, Rudeus Greyrat decides to make the most of his second chance at life. Yet attempting to make a better life for himself is more difficult than he thinks, particularly when he has no life experiences of his own to pull from.
Mushoku Tensei isn’t like most isekai anime of the modern era, where the protagonist is overpowered and can easily deal with any threat. Though he is talented, Rudy frequently finds himself outclassed, or in situations where his strength can’t help him. Also, since the series follows Rudy from infancy, viewers are able to see him grow up and how he handles all the stages of life with this second chance. It’s a beautiful, touching story that has some of the best worldbuilding and character development not just in fantasy, but in anime period.
3
Ranking of Kings Features Incredible Character Writing
Stream Ranking of Kings on Crunchyroll
Fantasy series Ranking of Kings follows Bojji, a prince everyone in his kingdom refers to as “The Useless Prince”. Since Bojji was born unable to hear and speak, everyone assumes he’ll never be of any use to the kingdom. However, Bojji is far more brave than anyone thinks, and he sets out on a journey to become worthy of his role as successor to the throne.
Ranking of Kings isn’t just a fantastic fantasy anime, but a heartwarming series many viewers will find unforgettable. Viewers shouldn’t let the simplistic art style fool them either; the animation is perfectly fluid when it wants to be, like when WIT Studio shows off during the series’ action series. At the same time, the writing allows for most characters to be fully formed and three-dimensional, so every character has not only a backstory but a reason for everything they do. Ranking of Kings is a must-watch for fantasy anime fans, but also for viewers looking to check out the best 2020s anime has to offer.
2
Granblue Fantasy: The Animation Features Beautiful Sky Islands
Stream Granblue Fantasy: The Animation on Crunchyroll
Like many of the best fantasy anime, Granblue Fantasy: The Animation embodies the spirit of setting out on a grand journey. The series focuses on Gran, a young man with dreams of leaving his island to go looking for his father. When Gran discovers Lyria, a young woman trying to escape from the powerful Erste Empire, he decides there’s no better time to go searching for his father. After rescuing Lyria, Gran and his talking winged lizard Vyrn set out to discover Estalucia, where his father claimed he’d be waiting for him.
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Though it’s based on one of the many gacha video games out there, Granblue Fantasy: The Animation does an excellent job as an adaptation. It features Gran and his friends growing from a tiny group into a proper crew, all while developing the world around them. The series’ gorgeous setting of floating sky islands creates a world viewers will want to spend forever in, making it unfortunate the show only runs for two seasons.
1
Record of Grancrest War Offers Massive Battles & Political Intrigue
Stream Record of Grancrest War on Crunchyroll
The land of Atlatan is at war, as petty lords battle over land while beings made of “Chaos” attack the citizens. Yet hope seems to come from the knight Theo Cornaro, who’s developed the power of a magic crest that can absorb Chaos, a skill he shouldn’t have obtained on his own. Also on his side is Siluca Meletes, a mage seeking to bring peace to the land in the hopes of making up for a failure of her own.
Record of Grancrest War comes from the creator of Record of Lodoss War and is similarly a massive fantasy epic. While the anime offers plenty of awesome battlefield scenes, the big focus is on Theo and Siluca’s ability to build alliances to help fight back the chaos. Grancrest War was a sleeper hit when it released, and the only thing that holds it back from being one of the greatest fantasy anime ever is a slightly rushed storyline. Nonetheless, fans can expect a complete adaptation thanks to the series wrapping up near the same time as its source material.
Record of Grancrest War
- Release Date
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January 6, 2018
