Winter 2026 Must-Watch: 4 Anime That Redefine Excellence

If you thought 2025 was peak, Winter 2026 just said, "Hold my beer."

We are only one week into the new year, and the quality of animation hitting our screens is nothing short of legendary. We’re not just talking about good shows; we’re talking about "Masterpiece" territory.

Based on our intensive first-look reviews, here are the elite titles that have already scored 9.0 or higher.

1. Fate/strange Fake (Rating: 10/10)

A-1 Pictures has done the impossible: they made us forget about Ufotable. The raw, sketchy, and high-octane visual style of Strange Fake is exactly what the "Visual War" needed. It’s gritty, it’s experimental, and it’s perfect.

👉 Read our Visual Analysis: Why A-1 Beat Ufotable Style

2. Golden Kamuy: The Final Season (Rating: 9.5/10)

Brutal, hilarious, and deeply moving. Sugimoto and Asirpa’s journey is reaching its peak, and the first few episodes are handling the weight of the finale with incredible grace and violence.

👉 Read our Golden Kamuy Final Season Review

3. Sakamoto Days (Rating: 9.5/10)

The most anticipated action-comedy of the year. If you like John Wick mixed with a bit of a dad-bod humor and god-tier fight choreography, you’re already behind on your 2026 watchlist.

👉 Read our Sakamoto Days Review

4. Sentenced to Be a Hero (Rating: 9.0/10)

The dark horse of the season. A convicted hero forced to fight the Demon King sounds like a trope, but the execution is dark, cynical, and surprisingly fresh.

👉 Read our Sentenced to Be a Hero Episode 1 Review

The "Endgame" Ongoing

While the seasonal premieres are stealing the show, let's not forget the titans that are still dominating the 10/10 scores:

• One Piece: The Meaning of the Final Scene
• MHA Final War: 5 Characters Who Actually Saved the World

Winter 2026 isn't just a season; it's a marathon of peaks. Grab your snacks, it's going to be a long winter.