Over the last few years, Crunchyroll has grown into the go-to platform for anime fans around the world. With more than 1,500 series and tens of thousands of episodes available, its library is now larger than ever. Whether someone is looking for a major battle shonen, a historical drama, or a laid-back slice-of-life series, there is a good chance it is already sitting somewhere in the catalog.
The platform’s simulcast dub and sub model has also played a huge role in that growth. New episodes often arrive shortly after they air in Japan, making it easier than ever for international audiences to keep up with the latest shows as they happen.
As aanime continues to attract new viewers every year, the series sitting at the top of Crunchyroll’s ratings have started to change as well. Long-running giants like One Piece are still incredibly popular, but the platform’s highest-rated anime is no longer a decades-old classic. Instead, that spot now belongs to a much newer series that has quickly become one of the biggest success stories in modern anime.
10
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
4.9/5 out of 378.1k Rating
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End quickly captured viewers’ attention with its unique storyline in the fantasy genre, where most of the titles were filled with the journey of defeating the looming threat. Frieren turns the script upside down, as the story here begins after the Demon King has already been defeated and the heroes have already saved the world.
That unique premise helped the series stand out in a season packed with action-heavy titles. Rather than relying on constant battles, Frieren focuses on the passage of time, memories, and the relationships people leave behind.
It did not take long for viewers to embrace it. Following its breakout success, Frieren climbed to the top of MyAnimeList’s rankings by dethroning Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, ending one of the longest runs at the number-one spot in anime history. For many fans, it was proof that a quieter, more reflective story could leave just as much of an impact as the biggest action-packed shonens.
9
The Apothecary Diaries
4.9/5 out of 378.4k Rating
At first glance, The Apothecary Diaries looks like a historical court drama, but it quickly proves it is much more than that. The story follows Maomao, a sharp-tongued apothecary with an unhealthy fascination with poisons and medicine. After being kidnapped and sold into the imperial palace, she tries to keep a low profile. Naturally, that plan falls apart almost immediately.
Thanks to her medical knowledge and habit of sticking her nose into everything, Maomao constantly ends up tangled in strange incidents around the palace. What starts as small mysteries soon turns into murder cases, political schemes, and secrets involving some of the most powerful people in the empire. Half the fun is watching her solve problems that everyone else completely misses.
A big reason the series became such a hit, though, is the chemistry between its two leads. Maomao’s dry, unimpressed attitude bouncing off Jinshi’s dramatic and often ridiculous behavior creates some of the funniest moments in the entire series. No matter how serious the mystery gets, their interactions never fail to lighten the mood.
That balance between mystery, comedy, and palace scheme helped turn The Apothecary Diaries into one of Crunchyroll’s highest-rated anime. With Season 2 finishing its run and Season 3 and an Apothecary Diaries movie already on their way, fans have plenty to look forward to in the near future.
8
Spy X Family
4.9/5 out of 424.7K Rating
While most of these series are built around huge fights and fantasy elements, Spy x Family won people over with the wonderfully chaotic life of the Forger family, a group of people hiding secrets so ridiculous that it is a miracle they have not exposed themselves already.
The setup is ridiculous in the best way possible. Loid is a spy trying to save the world through a fake family mission. Yor is secretly one of the deadliest assassins around. Anya can read minds, while Bond somehow sees pieces of the future. On paper, it sounds like complete chaos, and most of the time it absolutely is.
What makes the series special is how effortlessly it jumps between genres. One episode can have Loid pulling off an impossible mission, the next can focus on Anya struggling through school, and somehow both feel equally entertaining.
7
My Hero Academia
4.7/5 out of 440.9K Rating
Right when superhero stories started feeling a little oversaturated, My Hero Academia found a way to stand out. Instead of treating superpowers like a rare gift handed to a chosen few, the series built an entire world around them. In this society, Quirks are completely normal. Almost everyone has one, which means becoming a hero is not about getting powers in the first place, but learning how to use them better than everyone else.
My Hero Academia’s final run will always be one to be remembered, where the series received a Guinness World Record for the most in-demand animated show of 2025, and also took home Anime of the Year at the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This gave the series the perfect send-off it deserved.
6
Chainsaw Man
4.9/5 out of 486.7K Rating
When MAPPA first announced Chainsaw Man, it instantly became one of the most anticipated anime in the industry. A big reason for that was Denji himself. Unlike most shonen protagonists chasing some grand dream, Denji starts off wanting the simplest things in life, whether it’s a decent meal, a roof over his head, or a chance to finally live comfortably. That grounded motivation made him stand out right away.
MAPPA brought Tatsuki Fujimoto’s chaotic world to life with stunning animation and some incredibly fluid action sequences. That momentum carried straight into Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, which became a major success following its theatrical release. The film only pushed excitement for the franchise even higher, especially with some of the manga’s biggest storylines still waiting to be adapted.
With Chainsaw Man’s International Assassins Arc officially confirmed and new production updates expected during MAPPA’s anniversary event on June 19, anticipation for the wild series’ return is only growing.
5
Attack on Titan
4.9/5 out of 532.9K Rating
Attack on Titan occupies a rare place on Crunchyroll’s highest-rated anime list. While many of the titles around it are recent hits, Hajime Isayama’s dark fantasy epic has managed to remain one of the platform’s most celebrated series years after its debut.
A big reason for that staying power is the writing. Few anime have been praised as consistently for their storytelling, shocking twists, and foreshadowing as much as Attack on Titan. Throughout its run, the series regularly appeared among the highest-rated television series on IMDb, competing with some of the biggest live-action shows in the world.
What initially begins as a simple fight for survival slowly transforms into a complex political thriller packed with mysteries, betrayals, and revelations that completely change how earlier events are viewed.
4
Demon Slayer
4.9/5 out of 752.6K Rating
When it comes to pure visuals, Demon Slayer stands in a league of its own. Ever since the anime first aired, Ufotable has consistently delivered some of the most visually impressive action sequences in the medium. What began as a journey of Tanjiro searching for a way to turn Nezuko back into a human has gradually grown into a full-scale war between the Demon Slayer Corps and Muzan’s forces.
Each new arc has raised the stakes and the spectacle. From Rengoku’s heartbreaking battle against Akaza aboard the Mugen Train to Tengen Uzui’s explosive fight in the Entertainment District, the series has built a reputation for turning major confrontations into must-watch events.
With the Infinity Castle trilogy now carrying the story toward its conclusion, all eyes are on Ufotable. If the studio’s track record is anything to go by, some of the biggest and most emotional battles in the entire Demon Slayer series are still ahead.
3
Jujutsu Kaisen
4.9/5 out of 796.2K Rating
Jujutsu Kaisen was already huge before Season 2 arrived, but Shibuya was the arc that pushed it into another category entirely. For months, it felt like every week ended with fans losing their minds over a new episode. Whether it was Gojo’s sealing, Toji’s return, Sukuna taking over, or the destruction of Shibuya, the series just kept dropping one massive moment after another.
Studio MAPPA also brought its best work to the table. From start to finish, the arc was packed with standout animation, but Sukuna’s destructive clash against Mahoraga remains one of the season’s defining moments. Watching entire city blocks get torn apart during the fight perfectly showcased the terrifying gap between Sukuna and almost everyone else in the series.
With Jujutsu Kaisen Season 4 set to arrive soon, the Culling Game will be moving into one of its most important phases. The survival tournament will throw Yuji, Megumi, and the rest of the cast into an even more dangerous situation as they search for a way to finally free Satoru Gojo from the Prison Realm.
2
One Piece
4.8/5 out of 827.7 Rating
Even if One Piece does not hold the top spot in Crunchyroll’s ratings, the franchise operates on a completely different scale when it comes to overall success. Recently valued at an estimated $28.5 billion, Eiichiro Oda’s pirate epic has grown into one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world, surpassing iconic names like Batman and Spider-Man in total value.
The manga continues to break records as well. One Piece has now crossed 600 million copies in circulation worldwide, a milestone very few comic series have ever reached. That achievement places it alongside Superman in comic book history and moves it even closer to becoming the best-selling comic series of all time.
With the Final Saga still unfolding and some of the series’ biggest mysteries yet to be revealed, the momentum shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, the franchise seems poised to keep setting new records as it heads toward its long-awaited conclusion.
1
Solo Leveling
4.9/5 out of 1M Rating
While most fans expected Solo Leveling to be a solid adaptation of a hugely popular manhwa. A very few could have predicted just how big it would become. In barely two years, Sung Jinwoo’s journey from the weakest hunter alive to humanity’s strongest one has turned into one of anime’s biggest success stories.
10 Strongest Solo Leveling Characters, Ranked
Solo Leveling has some of the strongest characters in anime, but it can be hard to see which among them are the strongest in the series.
A big reason behind that success is A-1 Pictures, which brought Sung Jinwoo’s journey to screens with stunning animation. Combined with the story’s addictive progression system and constant sense of growth, the anime quickly became one of the most talked-about releases in recent years.
The momentum is unlikely to slow down anytime soon. With Solo Leveling season 3’s release window now locked in, anticipation is already building for Sung Jinwoo’s next chapter. If the upcoming season can maintain the same level of quality, Solo Leveling‘s record-breaking run may still be far from its peak.