Top 4 Reasons Why Jujutsu Kaisen Is the Anime of The Year

2026 is one of the best years for anime lovers, as some of the most anticipated shows will be released or continue. Whether it’s about the second season of Hell’s Paradise, in which Gabimaru keeps searching for the elixir or life, or the anime adaptation of Steel Ball Run in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, otakus are well-fed with great content in 2026.

But one of the most anticipated anime this year is the third season of Jujutsu Kaisen. While the fun is long gone since the first season and things start to get serious, the episodes already aired look amazing, proving once again that the MAPPA studio deserves its praise.

The story, along with the visuals, is so good that people are ranking JJK above the Big Three (Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach) for reasons like the lack of fillers and an efficient balance between wholesome and dark moments. But let’s see what all the reasons are for the anime’s popularity.

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The characters are well constructed

All characters in Jujutsu Kaisen present depth and have understandable motivations for their actions (especially Yuji’s obsession with Jennifer Lawrence). Although the main characters get the most attention, the ones supporting the story are as important for the plot:

• Yuji Itadori is the protagonist with a strong sense of justice, but serious emotional struggles due to losing many close people;
• Satoru Gojo is the strongest sorcerer who blends infinite power with a carefree personality;
• Megumi Fushiguro is a stoic ally with strategic thinking and a serious nature that fades when he’s protecting his friends;
• Nobara Kugisaki is a confident fighter whose loyalty to her friends, Yuji and Megumi, is impressive;

Unfortunately for fans of any of these characters, the third season will put them in massive hardships, but this also means we’ll get to see some of the most epic scenes from the manga brought to life. So, if you’re interested in keeping some of those moments, some of the latest Funko products already include collectibles of Mahito with Drill or Kento Nanami from the Shibuya Incident Arc.

The scene fights are like no other

With so many sorcerers and fighters having unique abilities, the scene fights are as impressive. Everyone loves the battle between Sukuna and Mahoraga in episode 41, especially since the bright visuals enhanced the impact of the characters’ powers. What made it impressive was Sukuna’s struggle to defeat Mahoraga, since both could regenerate their injuries in no time.

Other beautiful scenes that can be placed in a museum include:

• Gojo vs. Toji in episode 27 was an amazingly delicious fight since Toji proved to be difficult to fight against, even if he had no cursed energy;
• Yuji & Nanami vs. Mahito in episode 13 showed Nanami’s abilities when protecting his favourite student and vice versa;
• Yuji & Nobara vs. Eso & Kechizu in the 23 and 24th episodes was one of the most interesting fights of the students collaborating;
• Geto vs. Yuta in Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie showcased the unbeatable Rika in relation to Yuta’s powers;

The visuals are otherworldly

The drawings in the manga were indeed amazing, but bringing them to life was no easy job, which is why MAPPA was in charge of the three seasons. While the studio was known for other popular productions like Terror in Resonance, Yuri!!! On Ice, or Banana Fish, reached its peak when making the fourth season of Attack on Titan, which was a huge change since all the previous seasons were animated by Wit Studio.

The skills and experience of MAPPA animators helped create next-level visuals, with experts like Yosuke Yajima and Hiromi Niwa working on the character designs, and Director Shota Goshozono. That’s how the Culling Game Arc got an amazing source of material that the studio immediately understood how to deliver.

One of the best things about the third season of JJK is the opening song and video, which includes numerous art references. The Scream by Edward Munch, Ophelia by John Everett Millais, or Tote Mutter by Egon Schiele were represented by key scenes in the series.

There are no fillers in JJK

While Naruto and One Piece are, without a doubt, two of the best anime productions in the world, some of their fillers are making it easy for new watchers to catch up or even have the patience to wait for the action to unfold. Some reasons for fillers include the availability of source material or the goal of retaining broadcasting slots or sponsors.

This was not the case for JJK, as the manga ran from 2018 to 2024, giving MAPPA all the source material to bring the story to life. It was already one of the best-selling manga series of all time in 2025, proving how a well-written story does not need to be turned into a lengthy anime. This is why there are only eleven arcs covering the story, and we’ve already reached the tenth with the Culling Game arc.

Jujutsu Kaisen never lost momentum and kept the animation clean, even though the anime is clearly in the shonen genre, which we know takes a while to finish a story. And while the quality of the anime was more important than the quantity, we can never be grateful enough to the MAPPA animators who have been juggling big projects in recent years. With the pressure to deliver a great anime and the responsibility to make it visually appealing to the manga, we hope the animators will continue delivering great shows at a steady pace.

Conclusion

Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the best stories in the manga world, following a group of characters navigating the serious lives of sorcerers. Thanks to the end of the manga, animators could follow the storyline without filters, creating some of the most amazing visuals. The fights are amazing, but the characters’ interactions with each other might make you teary, especially in the third season, which is just airing. So, there are many reasons for its supremacy in 2026.