The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is an annual event that recognizes the best anime in various categories, with the Anime of the Year category being the highest honor within this event.
The winner is determined through a weighted voting system that combines scores from a selected panel of judges with votes from the global fans. Let’s rank the nine winners based on their MyAnimeList (MAL) user scores, detailing what caused their victory.
9. Devilman: Crybaby – 7.74 / 10
Devilman: Crybaby (2018) secured the Anime of the Year award in the 2019 Crunchyroll Awards, primarily due to its distinct production quality under director Masaaki Yuasa. Science SARU utilized a form of art style that makes it unique from standard anime of that time.
In this anime, demons have returned, and the only way to fight them is to merge with them. Akira Fudou, who appears weak from all standards, ends up merging with a demon when his friend’s life is threatened.
However, while it grants him powers, the merging brings changes not just to his body, but also to his personality. Themes such as these make this anime one of the darkest anime out there.
In its award year, Devilman: Crybaby beat five other nominees. The competing anime were A Place Further than the Universe, produced by Madhouse, Hinamatsuri by Feel, Megalo Box by TMS Entertainment, Violet Evergarden by Kyoto Animation, and Zombie Land Saga by MAPPA.
| TITLE | Devilman: Crybaby |
| MYANIMELIST RATING (as of March 15, 2026) | 7.74 / 10 |
| STUDIO | Science SARU |
| WINNING YEAR | 2018 |
| RELEASE DATE | Jan 5, 2018 |
| STREAMING | Netflix |
8. Yuri!!! on Ice – 7.90 / 10
Yuri!!! on Ice (2016) won the inaugural Anime of the Year award in 2017. Its victory was driven by its precise depiction of figure skating choreography, which was handled by real-life choreographer Kenji Miyamoto. Yuri!!! on Ice is also one of the best BL anime ever.
The plot centers on Japanese figure skater Yuri Katsuki. Following a crushing defeat at the Grand Prix Finale, Yuri puts his career on hold. To his surprise, Victor, a prominent skater, travels to Japan and offers to coach Yuri after seeing his performance video.
The story is about Yuri’s return to competitive skating, his developing relationship with Victor, and his rivalry with a younger Russian skater named Yuri Plisetsky.
| TITLE | Yuri!!! on Ice |
| MYANIMELIST RATING (as of March 15, 2026) | 7.90 / 10 |
| STUDIO | MAPPA |
| WINNING YEAR | 2016 |
| RELEASE DATE | Oct 6, 2016 to Dec 22, 2016 |
| STREAMING | Crunchyroll |
7. Solo Leveling – 8.18 / 10
Solo Leveling (2024) won the Anime of the Year award in 2025. Its success is attributed to the massive pre-existing popularity of the original South Korean manhwa, and the score for it was created by Hoiryuki Sawano himself. It had everything to be successful.
This anime follows Sung Jinwoo, a hunter in a world where humans with magical abilities battle monsters to prevent them from invading the human world. Sung Jinwoo is initially known as the weakest hunter.
However, after sacrificing himself in a hidden dungeon, he reawakens with a unique program called the System that allows him to level up his physical and magical abilities by completing quests and defeating monsters. This anime follows Sung Jinwoo through many amazing arcs as he grows stronger.
| TITLE | Solo Leveling |
| MYANIMELIST RATING (as of March 15, 2026) | 8.18 / 10 |
| STUDIO | A-1 Pictures |
| WINNING YEAR | 2023/2024 |
| RELEASE DATE | Jan 7, 2024 to Mar 31, 2024 |
| STREAMING | Crunchyroll |
6. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – 8.41 / 10
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019) won the Anime of the Year award in 2020. This victory is widely attributed to the exceptional animation quality provided by studio Ufotable. The studio integrated 2D character animation with 3D CGI environments to create highly dynamic combat sequences.
The story takes place in Taisho-era Japan and follows Tanjiro Kamado. Tanjiro returns home to find his entire family slaughtered by a demon. And his younger sister, Nezuko, is the sole survivor but has been transformed into a demon.
Tanjiro eventually joins the Demon Slayer Corps, a group of people who specialize in killing demons by using various breathing techniques, in order to find a cure for his sister and kill the demon responsible for his loss.
| TITLE | Demon Slayer |
| MYANIMELIST RATING (as of March 15, 2026) | 8.41 / 10 |
| STUDIO | Ufotable |
| WINNING YEAR | 2019 |
| RELEASE DATE | Apr 6, 2019 to Sep 28, 2019 |
| STREAMING | Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix |
5. Jujutsu Kaisen – 8.51 / 10
Jujutsu Kaisen (2020) won the Anime of the Year award in 2021. The primary factor for its win was the high standard of action animation produced by the studio MAPPA.
The story is about Yuji Itadori, who was living a normal life until he was possessed by Ryomen Sukuna after eating Sukuna’s finger. To everyone’s surprise, his own will took over Sukuna’s control; however, he was sentenced to death to prevent Sukuna from wreaking havoc in the modern world. Eventually, he enrolls in Jujutsu High with the help of fan favorite Gojo Satoru.
| TITLE | Jujutsu Kaisen |
| MYANIMELIST RATING (as of March 15, 2026) | 8.51 / 10 |
| STUDIO | MAPPA |
| WINNING YEAR | 2020 |
| RELEASE DATE | Oct 3, 2020 to Mar 27, 2021 |
| STREAMING | Crunchyroll |
4. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners – 8.62 / 10
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022) won the Anime of the Year award in 2023. It won due to its successful synthesis of Polish video game developer CD Projekt Red’s world-building and Japanese studio Trigger’s visual style.
This anime is set in Night City, a dystopian metropolis obsessed with technology and body modification. The protagonist, David Martinez, is a street kid who loses his mother in a drive-by shooting.
Left with severe financial debt, David installs a military-grade cybernetic implant into his own body. He is soon recruited by a group of mercenary outlaws known as edgerunners
| TITLE | Cyberpunk: Edgerunners |
| MYANIMELIST RATING (as of March 15, 2026) | 8.62 / 10 |
| STUDIO | Trigger |
| WINNING YEAR | 2021 / 2022 |
| RELEASE DATE | Sep 13, 2022 |
| STREAMING | Netflix |
3. Made in Abyss – 8.63 / 10
Made in Abyss (2017) won the Anime of the Year award in 2018. Its victory was largely due to the stark contrast between its visual design and its actual theme. Studio Kinema Citrus utilized a soft art style for the character designs, while the story was full of psychological horror. It was supported by the world-building that was highly detailed as well.
The story takes place in the town of Orth, which surrounds the massive Abyss. The Abyss contains remnants of an ancient civilization and dangerous fauna. The protagonist, Riko, is an orphan whose mother was a legendary explorer. Just like her mother, she wants to explore the deepest parts of the Abyss.
During the 2017 awards, Made in Abyss defeated five other nominees. The anime it beat were Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju (season 2) by Studio Deen, Land of the Lustrous by Orange, Little Witch Academia by Studio Trigger, March Comes in Like a Lion (season 2) by Shaft, and My Hero Academia (season 2) by Bones.
| TITLE | Made in Abyss |
| MYANIMELIST RATING (as of March 15, 2026) | 8.63 / 10 |
| STUDIO | Kinema Citrus |
| WINNING YEAR | 2017 |
| RELEASE DATE | Jul 7, 2017 to Sep 29, 2017 |
| STREAMING | Crunchyroll |
2. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 – 8.71 / 10
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 (2023) won the Anime of the Year award in 2024, making it the first franchise to win the award twice. The win was driven by the massive scale of the Shibuya Incident arc.
The season is divided into two distinct arcs. The first arc is a prequel that details the high school years of Gojo and Geto, exploring their ideological differences that led to many major incidents. The second arc, the Shibuya Incident, returns to the present day.
Curses working for Kenjaku trap civilians in the Shibuya district of Tokyo to isolate and seal away Gojo. Yuji Itadori and the remaining sorcerers enter the area to rescue him.
To secure its second top award, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 beat five other anime. The competing nominees were Bocchi the Rock! by CloverWorks, Chainsaw Man by MAPPA, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc by Ufotable, Oshi no Ko by Doga Kobo, and Vinland Saga (season 2) by MAPPA.
| TITLE | Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 |
| MYANIMELIST RATING (as of March 15, 2026) | 8.71 / 10 |
| STUDIO | MAPPA |
| WINNING YEAR | 2022/2023 |
| RELEASE DATE | Jul 6, 2023 to Dec 28, 2023 |
| STREAMING | Crunchyroll |
1. Attack on Titan: Final Season – 8.78 / 10
Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 1 (2021) won the Anime of the Year in 2022 due to its successful payoff of years of complex world-building. Studio MAPPA took over the production from Wit Studio, implementing a darker color palette and utilizing CGI, which made the titan battles look amazing.
The narrative shifted focus to the nation of Marley. New characters are introduced within the Marleyan military before Eren Yeager creates havoc there. Following his extraction back to Paradis Island, Eren initiates a violent coup against the military government. His objective is to trigger the Rumbling.
In the 2021 awards, the series defeated five other nominees. The series it beat were 86 by A-1 Pictures, Jujutsu Kaisen (cour 2) by MAPPA, Odd Taxi by OLM and P.I.C.S., Ranking of Kings by Wit Studio, and Sonny Boy by Madhouse.
| TITLE | Attack on Titan: Final Season |
| MYANIMELIST RATING (as of March 15, 2026) | 8.78 / 10 |
| STUDIO | MAPPA |
| WINNING YEAR | 2021 |
| RELEASE DATE | Dec 7, 2020 to Mar 29, 2021 |
| STREAMING | Crunchyroll |
How is the Crunchyroll Anime of the Year decided?
The winner is selected through a weighted voting system that aggregates scores from a designated panel of judges and votes submitted by the global fan base.
Has any franchise won the Anime of the Year award multiple times?
Yes. Jujutsu Kaisen is the only franchise to achieve this.
Which Anime of the Year winner holds the highest MAL score among those listed?
Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 1 holds the highest rating, with a MAL user score of 8.78 / 10.
So, which one of these anime is your personal favorite? Tell us in the comments.
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