Top 10 Animated Movies of 2026

As we head into the new year, I'm so happy to look back on 2025, which was a challenging year for me in many ways, but was also a year full of a lot of joy, and a lot of great animation (which led to a lot of said joy). Of the over 100 animated releases I saw last year, this list represents my favorites, but I'm so grateful to every filmmaker who chose to tell their stories via animation, and to those who shared their work with me.

Some alphabetical honorable mentions: 100 METERS, ChaO, The Girl Who Stole Time, Predator: Killer of Killers, Zootopia 2

Here are my favorite animated movies of 2025:

10. Dandelion's Odyssey - Maybe the most audacious and ambitious animated movie I saw this year is Momoko Seto's story of dandelion seeds venturing through space to find a new home and fertile ground in which to plant themselves. It's a visually dazzling adventure, pulling from all sorts of media to build its world: CGI, time-lapse photography, macro photography, and more. It's truly unlike anything I've ever seen, a singular work that made my head spin. And it isn't even just impressive or good on that artistic level: it also works so well as pure entertainment, somehow managing to give dandelion seeds personalities, identities, and humor. When this film makes its way to the US, and other parts of the world, I really hope it finds the audience it deserves. (Full review)

9. Witch Watch: Watch Party - I went back-and-forth on if I wanted to include this on my list, as it isn't a movie, but rather a theatrical presentation of the first few episodes of the Witch Watch anime. But because this was my introduction to the series (which has quickly become my favorite anime ever), and because it was a theatrical release, and because this is my blog, I decided to let it receive some more flowers on this list. I don't know that I've ever seen something that gives me such a direct bolt of joy as Witch Watch, about a teenage witch honing her powers under the protection of her (handsome, human-looking) classmate/childhood friend/ogre/roommate. It makes me cackle and beam, and watching this in the theater was one of my happiest theater-going experiences of the year. I left that day knowing I had just witnessed the birth of a new obsession. (Full review)

8. Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc - Sometimes for this blog, I go to see an anime movie without having ever watched the series, because there's usually too much to catch up on (looking at you, One Piece). Not so with Chainsaw Man, which only had a single (quite short) season to watch. And, god, what a show. Denji is a teenager who has fused with a chainsaw devil to gain special powers, which he now uses to hunt down various threats to the world. But because he's a teenager, he's also extremely horny, so it's especially dangerous when said threats are also gorgeous women, as is the case with Reze, a mysterious woman who crosses paths with Denji and turns his world upside-down. This self-contained story is packed with action, humor, and so much heart, and Reze is one of the series' best characters. A great place to jump into Chainsaw Man, or a good reason to start from the beginning. (Full review)

7. The Legend of Hei 2 - In a year full of great releases from GKIDS (typical), The Legend of Hei 2 stands out as my favorite. It takes everything that was great about its predecessor -- beautiful animation, exciting action sequences, memorable characters, and a fully-realized world -- and dials it all up to 11. This movie is exactly what a sequel should be, delivering more of what you love without resting on its laurels. It's bombastic, exciting, a total thrill ride. And with two more movies recently announced, this is a world I can't wait to return to again and again. (Full review)

6. Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window - I review my fair share of movies that haven't or won't come to the US, but I'm flabbergasted that this one hasn't been scooped up for distribution on our shores yet. Based on a best-selling Japanese memoir, Totto-Chan feels like an instant classic in the vein of Grave of the Fireflies or In This Corner of the World, tackling an emotionally devastating story through the eyes of a child. Like so many of my favorite animated movies, this one really gets childhood right. It depicts the energy and the innocence of being young and on the precipice of life, and learning about how hard and uncaring the world can be. It's so gorgeously animated, full of life, and features incredible voice performances, including one of my favorites of the year from living legend Koji Yakusho. (Full review)

5. Ordures - The title of this slim French charmer translates to Garbage, and it does indeed center on a piece of garbage. His name is Gobi, a single-use coffee cup who is devastated when he's tossed away, and becomes determined to reunite with his human user. Told through a mixture of live-action and stop-motion animation, this is one of the funniest movies of the year, one with such a strange set-up and strong point-of-view. Gobi meets an incredible cast of characters over his journey (which clocks in at under 50 minutes). He, like the movie itself, is proof that great things sometimes come in small packages. (Full review)

4. Elio - When Pixar's latest came out this summer, most of the headlines were about the weak box office or the behind-the-scenes drama. In the midst of all that discourse, it feels like the movie got lost. It's a shame, because Elio is one of Pixar's best in recent years. In some ways, it feels like a return to form after this strange period where a lot of the studio's movies got sent straight to streaming, or just failed to find an audience in theaters. Elio had me crying within minutes, and I basically never stopped. It's such a vivid depiction of childhood, what it feels like to not fit in, to be desperate to find your place, to want to belong. It's funny, sweet, and exciting. It'll make you laugh and cry. It's everything you could want from a Pixar movie. (Full review)

3. Nobody - One of the highlights of my year every year is going to Animation is Film, the animation film festival that takes over the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood for a weekend each October. I've been going for years and I've seen a lot of great stuff there, but this year I saw the best movie I've ever seen at the fest: Nobody. Not just another animated take on Journey to the West, this instead follows a group of characters posing as the heroes of that famous epic, with surprising and funny results. The cast of characters here is so colorful and endearing, with fantastic banter, and the film is a heartfelt celebration of the everyday person (or animal) who works to make the world a better place in whatever ways they can. It's a gorgeous epic that never comes at its material the way you might expect. (Full review)

2. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -- The Movie: Infinity Castle - Along with having maybe the longest title of any movie this year, Infinity Castle is also the longest movie on this list, clocking in at over two and a half hours. I would've have minded if the runtime was doubled, because Infinity Castle represents this franchise (which I love) at its best. Even though it doesn't feel like a complete movie (and it isn't -- this is the first in a series-capping trilogy), I left feeling completely satisfied. The film basically presents three impactful action scenes, coupled with character-building flashbacks and various asides to keep the plates of the other characters spinning. And god, it's all so gorgeous, and exciting. Akaza's backstory deserves a special shout-out for its narrative and emotional impact. I can't wait for more! (Full review)

1. KPop Demon Hunters - It's so rare for my favorite movie of the year to arguably (or inarguably, maybe) be the movie of the year. But this was the year of KPop Demon Hunters, which has taken the world by storm. I couldn't be happier.

I wasn't fully prepared for how incredible this movie would be. It delivered what I hoped for: beautiful and fluid animation, a soundtrack full of catchy songs, exciting action sequences. But it also delivered so much more than I could've ever even thought to wish for. The characters are so fully-realized, well-drawn, flawed and lovable and weird. The friendship between Rumi, Mira, and Zoey feels so real with all of their little inside-jokes and well-worn dynamics. The budding romance between Rumi and Jinu is positively swoon-worthy. The way the film gradually fills in the blanks, revealing backstory and lore, is masterful. This is a movie that works on every level.

And, god, this is an emotional movie. It tackles themes of self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, and friendship with such thoughtfulness and grace. And the way so many of these themes play out within the musical numbers...that's everything I want from a movie. (Full review)

Soon, I'll put up my awards post where I'll celebrate these and other movies that really stood out this year. And if you want to see my full animation ranking for 2025, you can see my Letterboxd list here.