There’s no denying Solo Leveling’s massive popularity, but there’s an anime coming back in 2026 that’s looking to take the year by storm.
There are few anime franchises that can compete with Solo Leveling. In just two seasons, it’s become one of the biggest names in shōnen, and that’s no small feat.
While Solo Leveling has certainly become a mainstay in the world of anime, there’s one series that’s looking to take the crown from the hit manhwa adaptation. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is coming back in 2026, and the franchise will be releasing its fourth season alongside a new movie, and they’re both going to be titanic.
Solo Leveling Is Massive, But…
Jinwoo from Solo Leveling flexing his arm
Solo Leveling became more popular than anyone could have predicted, and yet, its success is completely deserved. There are few series as wonderfully straightforward as Solo Leveling.
While a lot of other shōnen series try to hide the fact that, at their core, they’re just power fantasies, Solo Leveling embraces it. Solo Leveling has never been about the story: it’s about having some of the best fights in the history of anime, full stop.
Jinwoo’s near historic fight against the Ant King towards the end of the second season is a perfect example of everything that Solo Leveling wants to be. It’s a jaw-dropping fight that has accumulated more than 30 million views on YouTube, and that number is only growing. Still, a certain isekai might not let it reign supreme for much longer.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Might Have It Beat
Rimuru Tempest (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is one of the best isekai series of all time, and after two long years, Rimuru Tempest will finally be back in action. He’s the star of a massive isekai series that has the potential to take down even Demon Slayer, and that’s saying something.
The late 2010s and early 2020s have been defined by the isekai genre. It’s a simple premise that opens the art form up to a near endless number of possibilities.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime stars a lowly salaryman who finds himself reincarnated as a slime, usually the weakest creature in any world they’re part of. This time, however, the titular slime becomes one of the strongest characters in the franchise, creating his own country and changing the world in a way nobody could have predicted.
2026 Is Going to Be a Big Year for That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is coming into 2026 swinging. The fourth season is set to air on April 3rd, and the franchise will also be debuting That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea on May 1st.
After concluding the opening ceremony of the Demon Kingdom Federation Tempest, Rimuru and his companions are invited by the Celestial Emperor Elmesia of the great elven nation – the Magi Dynasty Thalion – to visit her private resort island. As the group enjoys their brief vacation, a mysterious woman named Yura appears. A new incident unfolds against the backdrop of the boundless azure sea.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime has never been this ambitious, and with the massive fanbase that it already has, there’s no telling how successful the series will be in the summer of 2026.