TL;DR
Popular Choices
Several anime titles are consistently mentioned across discussions as top picks for fantasy enthusiasts. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is frequently highlighted for its captivating storytelling and appeal to a wide audience [1:2],
[1:3]. Mushoku Tensei also receives praise for its engaging world-building and character development
[1:7].
Dark Fantasy
For those interested in darker themes, Berserk (1997) is often recommended. It is celebrated for its intense narrative and complex characters, making it a staple in the dark fantasy genre [3:1],
[5:3]. Another notable mention is Claymore, which combines elements of adventure and dark fantasy
[3:4].
Unique World-Building
Anime that offer detailed world-building and immersive settings include Ascendance of a Bookworm, which despite being an isekai, is praised for its intricate world and character depth [5:2]. Made in Abyss is another recommendation for its unique setting and compelling storyline
[5:7].
Classic High Fantasy
For fans of traditional high fantasy, Record of Lodoss War is a classic choice, renowned for its epic storytelling and exploration of fantasy worlds [4:1]. Vision of Escaflowne is also suggested for its blend of adventure and fantasy elements
[2:3].
Additional Recommendations
Other recommendations include Dorohedoro, noted for its consistent world and magic system [5:5], and Seirei no Moribito, which offers a rich narrative and well-developed characters
[3:3]. For lighter fare, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear and Skeleton Knight in Another World provide enjoyable fantasy adventures without heavy themes
[4:3].
These recommendations cater to various tastes within the fantasy genre, from dark and gritty narratives to lighthearted adventures, ensuring there's something for every fantasy anime fan.
Kaguya Sama won for Best Romance Anime. Now, which anime do y'all think is the Best Fantasy Anime?
Rules:
I haven't watched it myself but lot of people speak good of it so Frieren : Beyond Journey's End.
Frieren is definitely the best for fantasy
Dark fantasy
Nononono. Let’s save this for best Seinen.
If we are talking bout "ANIME" not "MANGA" than vinland is a better choice IMO.
It's good, but it doesn't beat Freiren
I think Freiren has more broad appeal but personally it’s what I started to fend off my vicious meshi cravings after I finished what’s been released so far
Very good but that'd fit into isekai instead.
Isekai
That belongs to the isekai subgenre
Rezero IS also a great Fantasy I agree. Dope AS Monsers and world.
Iv always been into Fantasy tv series but never really known where and what Fantasy anime would suit me. As of now the only thing Iv watched that’s anime is the Witcher (Nightmare of the wolf) so any recommendations.
Stuff I like are of course George r r Martin, the Witcher, LotR, wheel of time etc
Heroic Legend of Arislan (not the more recent one, the old one with character designs by Yoshitaka Amano)
Record of Lodoss War OVA (the older one, definitely not Chronicles of the Heroic Knight TV series)
RG Veda
El Hazard
Magic Knight Rayearth
Yu Yu Hakusho
On the heroic legend of Arslan I wouldn’t know as I’m new to this but if you help me on knowing the year etc please
The first film was 1991 I believe.
There’s an awesome YouTube playlist here https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIRYuo1ST0L4I8pLgAaCGQOfCcF0N9Ufn
that has both Japanese and English options for the first two OVA movies.
There was also a short series after that (1992 I think), unfortunately they had to switch studios and animation at that stage, and it’s ultimately an unfinished adaptation. But I still highly recommend at least the first two movies as they’re excellent works.
Vision of Escaflowne
I am done
Iv added the ones I could find on Netflix or Prime. A lot of them seem to be on other streams which would you say be the better to get?
CRUNCYROLL
FUNIMATION
or if there’s any other let me know I currently live in the U.K.
Crunchyroll
Slayers
I'm gonna give you some suggestions other people haven't given because I really like them. Not all are strictly high fantasy, but watching too much of the same thing can be boring.
A lot of people are recommending berserk, but I found it painful to watch due to the 3d rendering they used. I've heard they've fixed a lot of it but I couldn't get into it because of how bad it was when it came out.
Here's a list of what to watch and where they are available in America.
Amazon prime: KoKoKku -family with the ability to stop time engages with an eldritch being that also exists in the frozen world. Takes place in modern Japan, scifi.
Land of the lustrous - gem people fight against cloud people who want to steal the gems for themselves in a post apocalyptic serene landscape. Not high fantasy either.
Inuyashiki- two people are killed by aliens, the aliens feel guilty and replace them with killer robots. Moral arguments ensue. Modern times more sci-fi. This has some of the bad 3d during some fight scenes but generally the story is worth it.
Crunchyroll:
Shinsekai yori (from the new world) - psychic children in post apocalyptic future learn to control their abilities as rats are evolving sapience and threatening the human civilization. Future fantasy
The fire hunter- post apocalyptic a young girl is saved from a wild beast by a fire hunter (people who fight beasts to collect their blood as a fuel source) but he is killed in the process. She is tasked with returning his dog and sword to his family in the far away capital. Future but steampunk?
Overlord - man becomes trapped in a videogame as an undead lich has to pretend to be evil while looking for a way home. Classic fantasy setting but from the evil guys perspective.
Dororo- this modern remake of a classic anime (the modern one is serious whereas the one from the 70's was comedic) features a young boy is stripped of his body parts by demons, survives as deaf and dumb quadriplegic, goes on an adventure to get his body parts back by killing the demons that took them. Feudal Japan.
Goblin slayer - western fantasy, kinda rapey at times with the goblins. Man in armor goes about slaying low level goblins due to past trauma becomes extreme expert at it. Classic high fantasy
Maoyu- 15 years after the final battle the demon king and the hero live together and strive towards peace between demons and humans. Classic high fantasy.
The world is still beautiful- a princess with the ability to call rain is married off to a powerful emperor to gain an alliance and save her people. She discovers he's still a child. The plot surrounds the pre marriage ceremonies and their romance(? Courtship might be a better word). Fantasy.
Chaika the coffin princess - daughter of the former evil emperor wishes to reassemble her father's corpse and lay him to rest. This puts her at odds with the eight legendary heroes who beat him. She seeks the aid of old soldiers turned mercenary in a world that doesn't need soldiers because wars are done. High fantasy.
Yona of the dawn- a young princess has her family murdered and she escapes and goes about reclaiming her kingdom from the usurpers. Fantasy medieval but heavy east asian influence.
Rokka braves of the six flowers- warriors are gathered to defeat powerful monsters. Iirc heavy south American influences fantasy. Only downside is the story never finishes they only did one season.
Blue exorcist- two sons of the devil are raised as exorcists by the Catholic church, lots of fights as the protagonists discover more about themselves while fighting the forces of evil. Takes place in japan, modern fantasy.
Noragami- a former god of war completes odd jobs to stave off oblivion as he tries to become something other than a god of war. Modern fantasy in Japan.
Kino's journey- there are two series, a new one and an old one. They both are vignettes of strange worlds as kino travels through new lands with her talking motorcycle. Both kino and their motorcycle learn about themselves and each other on the backdrop of strange lands and strange people. Each episode kind of stands alone. Modern? steampunk? fantasy? Scifi? It is kind of all over the place with genre and themes.
The promised Neverland - children in an orphanage make a startling discovery about what happens to them once they age out of the orphanage and are adopted. Post apocalyptic scifi
Hi-dive:
Akame ga kill- people with powerful weapons fight a rebellion against an evil empire who stockpile the weapons. Classic sword and sorcery fantasy themes with quirky things inserted.
The eminence in shadow - an Isekai that subverts some of the genre by making fun of itself but at the same time a classic power fantasy. A boy is reborn in another world and seeks to become the hidden political power behind everything. Magic and swordfighting included.
Moribito guardian of the spirit: I haven't seen this one in a while so I hope it holds up. A young prince has been chosen by a water spirit and becomes the target for assassins. He is given to a spear wielding warrior for protection and they go on a journey to learn about his ties to the water spirit and the warriors enigmatic past. East asian fantasy.
Funimation:
Seraph at the end- after 90% of humanity was killed by a virus vampires emerged and began to rule humanity using them like cattle. Main conflict is between autonomous humans in safe zones and the vampires that rule everything else. Post apocalyptic vampires/angels. Modern
Sands of destruction - this is based on a video game of the same name, I don't remember the plot too much (2008)just that I really enjoyed it. Desert punk?
Wolf's rain - werewolf children run away from hunters in search of paradise. Modern.
A case study of vanitas- in an alternate victorian era earth vampires and humans coexist in a tenuous peace. A blue vampire is corrupting regular red vampires and the main characters are searching out the blue vampire to find out why. They find him but he's a human. The mystery goes on we learn more about the corruption of the vampires and the past of the human who seeks to save them. Victorian era fantasy western location.
I think I have exhausted all the good ones, it is becoming harder and harder to find something that isn't a harem or ecchi fest, what do you recommend?
My MAL should provide a good list on what I have already watched, thank you in advance if you take the time to find something for me TwT
I don't see you've watched Dungeon Meshi
It's on hold, got bored a few episodes in :( but not enough to drop it
Berserk (1997)
Claymore
Spice and Wolf
Berserk 1997 if you like dark fantasy.
Ohh I had forgotten it existed, will check it out!
Ranking of kings.
Hi guys,
I watched quite a lot of fantasy/adventure anime and I’m starting to run out of options.
Now there is new season of Goblin Slayer and Shield hero, but that waiting is killing me, so I would like to shorten that time with something. I´m looking for something where´s MC doing quest in adventure guild and exploring world.
I would not mind some light romance in addition, but not main focus.
Preferably it could be something like Danmachi, Sword Art, Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter, Overlord, Shield Hero etc.
As I said I’ve already seen quite a lot, but nevertheless I hope you can recommend something.
Thanks!
Hi Novel_Ostrich6875, it seems like you might be looking for new anime to watch!
The users of this subreddit came up with a chart of anime recommendations for newcomers and veterans and an awesome longer flowchart. Maybe you can find something there that you'll like ^.^
You might also find our Recommendation Wiki or daily thread helpful.
The following may be of interest:
A useful website where you can enter an anime and see where it's legally streaming
A list of tracking sites so others can more easily recommend shows you haven't watched.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Here's some recommendations ranging from lighthearted to darker, isekai to fantasy:
Didn't I say to make my abilities average in the next life
My Unique Skill Makes Me OP even at Level 1
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
Skeleton Knight in Another World
The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
Frieren: Beyond journey's end
This ones good, but that doesn't solve the "hate waiting for new episodes" problem lol
You right, but it's so good I still had to recommend it anyway 😭
Record of Lodoss War is probably the obvious play. Not really an "adventure guild" but there's a distinct party exploring the world. The originally OVA is a real gem of high fantasy anime.
Thanks just watched some videos and it looks really good. I’m bout to give it a chance.
I'm a huge high fantasy nerd, but alotta fantasy anime is kinda mediocre and littered with shitty, boring isekais that do nothing for me.
What's like REALLY worth watching?
Looking for:
Give me recommendations! I'll tell you if I've already watched it tho.
Give a small description if you can
(You CAN recommend an isekai, but im not the biggest fan of it :/ )
Ascendance of a bookworm. Yeah, it’s an isekai but the world building and characters are fantastic
Yeah this is definitely a high quality anime. Maybe not crazy popular but definitely deserves a watch.
Easy to get into, and to continue watching
Berserk (dark fantasy)
Definitely might read at some point
Looks sick
You should give it a go man, best manga of all time imo
dorohedoro, I recommend reading the manga, but the anime is great too.
Heard about
Seemed kinda weird, but intriguing
Oh, it absolutely is weird.
But it has a very consistent world and magic system.
I do recommend it.
it’s really good!
Made in Abyss
Ah yes definitely cute 😅
It may be an isekai of sorts. but. Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash is extremely good (in my personal opinion), they aren't extremely OP or instantly have all their abilities and such, they have to struggle and work to get stronger and become better at their class/role.
Synopsis: Fear, survival, instinct. Thrown into a foreign land with nothing but hazy memories and the knowledge of their name, they can feel only these three emotions resonating deep within their souls. A group of strangers is given no other choice than to accept the only paying job in this game-like world—the role of a soldier in the Reserve Army—and eliminate anything that threatens the peace in their new world, Grimgar.
When all of the stronger candidates join together, those left behind must create a party together to survive: Manato, a charismatic leader and priest; Haruhiro, a nervous thief; Yume, a cheerful hunter; Shihoru, a shy mage; Mogzo, a kind warrior; and Ranta, a rowdy dark knight. Despite its resemblance to one, this is no game—there are no redos or respawns; it is kill or be killed.
It is now up to this ragtag group of unlikely fighters to survive together in a world where life and death are separated only by a fine line.
I’m have been looking and can’t have a good anime to watch because there are a ton of them. I like action, thriller, fantasy, sci fi, and mystery. List some of you can please and thank you.
Record of Lodos war, Hellsing, Blood+, Shiki, Gate (the one were japanese military has a portal to a fantasy world), The legend of legendary heroes, Break Blade
Thank you so much
Frieren : Beyond Journey's End
Delicious In Dungeon
Thank you so much
You're welcome.
Higurashi - start from the first one
Thank you so much
Hi PotatoHater1227, it seems like you might be looking for new anime to watch!
The users of this subreddit came up with a chart of anime recommendations for newcomers and veterans and an awesome longer flowchart. Maybe you can find something there that you'll like ^.^
You might also find our Recommendation Wiki or daily thread helpful.
The following may be of interest:
A useful website where you can enter an anime and see where it's legally streaming
A list of tracking sites so others can more easily recommend shows you haven't watched.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
It can be isekai or fantasy, I'm open to anything. I’m looking for something based on your personal taste, whether it’s super hyped, underrated, or even a hidden gem that only got one season. I just wanna dive deeper into the fantasy anime world.
Here’s a quick list of what I’ve seen and how I feel about them:
Top Picks (Personal Favorites):
Overlord – Just hits the right spot for me, personal fave.
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash – Super underrated.
Made in Abyss – Probably the best exploration anime I’ve seen. If there's anything that tops this in terms of exploration, please let me know!
Campfire Cooking in Another World – I’m a foodie lover, and those meals looked better than Food Wars honestly.
Mushishi Zoku – Really calming despite the eerie vibes.
Maquia – Left me feeling emotionally blank… in a good way.
Black Clover – Great action and fight scenes.
Sword Art Online – OG. Probably the first fantasy/isekai anime that really hooked me as a kid.
Good, but not top-tier for me:
Danmachi – It's okay.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – Postponed. I’ll get back to it when I run out of options.
Re:Zero – Finished the earlier season when I was younger, but haven’t touched the newer seasons yet. Might give it another shot someday.
Konosuba – Decent.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime – Postponed watching it. Kinda feels like Overlord, but I just like Overlord more.
To Your Eternity – Loved tit, but not enough to make it to my best-of list.
So yeah…
Got any recommendations?
My personal fantasy favorite is The Eminence in Shadow. MC wants to be a powerful character in Shadow mode, but acts like a background character otherwise. He is the head of a very powerful organization, but he thinks that his subordinates are just role-playing like he does.
I think it is very unique and refreshing, but also interesting and entertaining.
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer was really good imo, nothing crazy but I really enjoyed it
Record of Grancrest War is super fast paced but also a really good and complete story, it has a lot of great characters too
> The Unwanted Undead Adventurer
Look interesting
> Grancresy
Yeah good anime already watched it
What about Delicious in Dungeon?
Stopped watching it, same vibes with frieren
That’s 2 L decisions there… I know frieren takes a few episodes to get moving but there is a reason it’s widely adored. Both shows are great
Record of the lodoss war
Frieren - Gorgeous, can't hype it enough
Mushoku Tensei - content warning - Incredible world. Good power development. Great characters.
Goblin Slayer - content warning. Amazing world and characters. Good stories. Closest to D&D
From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman - Western style sword fighting. Moments of intense combat with slice of life on top. Good setting.
The Brilliant Healers life in the shadows - Mild ecchi moments but good stories/characters
Ideally some lesser known ones as I’m a big fan of the genre and have seen the bigger ones, but stuff like fantasy world with magic and swords and stuff, from isekais to game reincarnation to just pure fantasies, gimme ur best!
seen magi, ovelord, mushoku tensei, re zero, BERSERK?
Dan machi season 1-3
Tenshi slime season 1-2
Mushoku Tenshi
Overlord season 1-3
Knights and magic
Wiseman grandson
The worlds best assassin reincarnated as a aristocrat
The Vision of Escaflowne
Inu Yasha
{Seirei no Moribito}
{The Twelve Kingdoms}
{Somali and the Forest Spirit}
Thanks!
Seirei no Moribito - (AL, A-P, KIT, MAL)
^(TV | Status: Finished | Episodes: 26 | Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy)
Juuni Kokuki - (AL, A-P, KIT, MAL)
^(TV | Status: Finished | Episodes: 45 | Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural)
Somali to Mori no Kamisama - (AL, A-P, KIT, MAL)
^(TV | Status: Finished | Episodes: 12 | Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Slice of Life)
^{anime}, <manga>, ]LN[, |VN| | FAQ | /r/ | Edit | Mistake? | Source | Synonyms | ⛓ | ♥
Jobless reincarnation
Watched Record of Lodoss War for the first time, then Ruin Explores and Arslan and now I really want some classic fantasy anime. Please do not include:
Shows like Bleach/DBZ? Yu Yu Hakusho which are just our modern world but people have magic powers. I love those but they are not what I am looking for.
Bonus points if said fantasy world takes inspiration from non-western history such as Princess Monoke or Arslan. It is weirdly uncommon.
MAGI is very fun.
Edit: whoops I forgot this is retro anime. Magi is more modern from the 2010s.
Edit 2: check out the visions of escaflowne as well as Twelve Kingdoms. Twelve Kingdoms is 2000s anime but it’s very good fantasy.
Twelve kingdoms was what I was trying to to tell him, yeah it's good and I consider stuff from early 2000's retro now since the time limit is like 20 years or older.
Don't know why I thought it was 3 kingdoms.
Berserk is Eurocentric but epic high fantasy. Black Clover isn’t retro but is great. Inuyasha is feudal japan era with demons and monsters and Japanese mythology, so probably closest to what you are looking for
loooove Black Clover and the classic Inuyasha, so glad they aired on adult swim/ toonami. such iconic shows with great music
I love the character design and power system in black clover. It can sometimes be a bit too “power of friendship” for me, but the first major arc (eye of midnight sun) was beautifully done and had me really hooked into the story. It has gone slightly downhill, but I’m still a fan! Inuyasha just has perfect retro vibes. I consider it the period piece equivalent of yu yu hakusho, although i prefer the latter
Vision of Escaflowne is my absolute favourite (series and movie are separate things, but the movie re-imagines things with a more eastern flair), but I will also give special note to Dororo (60s original and remake - i expect most people only watch the remake, but remake is very good), & Aura Battler Dunbine
The three kingdoms was good. Magic knights of rayearth has magic, fantasy and Mecha. Classic clamp anime. Ozanari dungeon is a fun romp Modern ones I liked were seven deadly sins and overlord. Can't think of anymore and I'm not at my PC to look at my hoard.
Edit: I forgot my username reference.
Escaflowne is fucking epic. Again magic, fantasy, and some Mecha.
You mean The Twelve Kingdoms? That's a great show.
Haha yeah, my brain was like 12÷4. Yeah 3 kingdoms makes sense.
Trying to get my wife to watch it with me, we finished magic knights a month ago.
Slayers is a real trip, especially the OVAs and the movie
Hi looking for an anime that I can watch next I'm a Magic the Gathering Player and looking for an anime with great fantasy world building and interesting unique concepts like people with magic and artifacts and inter planar travel and lots of cool creatures like dragons, elves, soldiers, artifact constructs, zombies, merfolk etc
Gonna go out on a limb here and recommend Maouyuu Maou Yuusha. It spends a lot of time developing the mechanics of its world, and has a pretty fascinating take on classic fantasy tropes. Plenty of magic, artifacts, creatures and crazy travel stuff I won't spoil. Sadly it's only a single season.
This seems new and interesting I'll check it out it seems like that other show Record of Grancrest War
Seirei no Moribito
Seirei no Moribito, from what I've seen of it, is very good, though I'm not sure it's high fantasy yet.
But it has spear action, so what more does a person need?
This seems promising thank you for the reccomendation.
I've heard good things about Claymore.
Overlord is also known for good worldbuilding, I think?
I've watched overlord its An amazing show and yes it had similar elements to magic the gathering in terms of magic items and creature types claymore I also watched before its also good hehe
Magi: Labyrinth of Magic. Anime ends on a high note. Continues in the manga, where stuff goes super-crazy.
Ancient Magus' Bride. More slice of life & solving mysteries, not high action. But has insane amounts of Irish folklore creatures & magic.
Re:Zero, specially Season 2 when more stuff is revealed about the dark past.
Danmachi or Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Also known as Familia Myth (the name the author wanted until the editor convinced him of a more... catchy one).
Rage of Bahamut: Genesis. Hell vs Angels vs Humans... all vs Dragon.
Tales of Zestiria the X. Adaptation of a game... with scenes of another prequel game that happens to be my favorite (Tales of Berseria).
Arknights... the game, not so much the anime. Unless they animate the freaky & divine stuff.
Thank you for the reccomendations I have seen magi its a great anime will check out the others 🙂
Record of Lodoss War is based on an actual D&D campaign played by the creators of that OVA.
Oh that's cool will check record of lodoss war as well
best fantasy anime
Key Considerations for Choosing the Best Fantasy Anime:
Storyline and World-Building: Look for anime with rich, immersive worlds and engaging plots. A well-developed universe can enhance the fantasy experience.
Character Development: Strong character arcs and relatable protagonists can make the story more compelling. Consider how characters evolve throughout the series.
Animation Quality: High-quality animation can significantly enhance the viewing experience, especially in fantasy genres where visuals are crucial.
Themes and Genres: Fantasy can blend with other genres (e.g., adventure, romance, action). Determine what themes resonate with you.
Popularity and Reviews: Check ratings and reviews from other viewers to gauge the overall reception of the anime.
Top Recommendations:
"Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood"
"Attack on Titan"
"Made in Abyss"
"Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World"
"Sword Art Online"
These selections offer a mix of engaging stories, character depth, and stunning visuals, making them stand out in the fantasy anime genre.
Get more comprehensive results summarized by our most cutting edge AI model. Plus deep Youtube search.