Many anime series come out each year, but only a few become truly iconic parts of pop culture. While some anime, like My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, and Tokyo Ghoul, define an era, reaching a billion dollars in revenue is a remarkable achievement that sets a series apart.
Some popular anime series have become major franchises, often spawning many spin-offs and related shows. While a few of these billion-dollar brands may have already peaked and feel outdated, others are expected to remain successful and thrive in the years ahead, potentially as late as 2026.
Dragon Ball Is Set To Have A Banner Year In 2026
For many people in the ’90s, Dragon Ball was their first introduction to anime. It’s since grown into a massive $10.7 billion franchise, with huge sales in both merchandise and video games. Dragon Ball remains incredibly popular in those areas, and continues to thrive.
Big news is coming for Dragon Ball, including a likely remake of Dragon Ball Super as an anime, a new movie, more video games, and extra content for existing games. There’s also a chance the Dragon Ball Super manga will return from its break. 2026 looks to be a huge year for the franchise, marking the start of a new chapter for Dragon Ball.
Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary Promises Big Evolutions For The Franchise
Pokémon is a hugely successful franchise, earning over $115 billion and surpassing even Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in total revenue. It’s popular not only as an anime and manga, but also as video games and a trading card game. With a dedicated and enthusiastic fanbase, Pokémon has a lot to look forward to as it approaches its 30th anniversary in 2026.
New episodes of Pokémon Horizons: The Series are being released, and several Pokémon Trading Card Game expansions are planned for 2026. Plus, a new video game called Pokémon Pokopia, a life-simulation and crafting game, is coming to the Switch 2. LEGO is also releasing large Pokémon sets featuring Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise in 2026, and they’re expected to be very popular.
One Piece Is Set To Sail To New Heights Across Its Growing Franchise
For the past thirty years, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has been a major force in the anime and manga world, becoming a $20 billion franchise. Now, One Piece is entering a new phase, moving towards the story’s conclusion in 2026. At the same time, the anime adaptation is changing its release schedule to a seasonal format for the first time ever.
Fans can expect a lot of One Piece in 2026! Netflix’s live-action series will return in March, and it’s been a major focus for the streaming service. Plus, Toei Animation has announced plans for a new One Piece movie that year. There’s even a chance we’ll see the remake of the anime, THE ONE PIECE, from Wit Studio in 2026 as well.
Fate (Fate/Stay Night) Will Tackle Anime & Gaming With Two New Titles
The popular dark fantasy series Fate, beginning with Fate/stay night, has grown into a large franchise with over a dozen games, anime shows, comics, and other related media. At its heart, the story follows Shirou Emiya, a brave mage, who becomes central to the Fifth Holy Grail War. The Fate series has already earned over $7 billion, and 2026 looks promising with two big new releases planned.
The anime adaptation of the American-run “False Holy Grail War” will continue with new episodes in January 2026, following its initial release in 2023. Also, a remake of the PSP game Fate/EXTRA, titled Fate/EXTRA Record, is scheduled for Spring 2026 after being postponed from its original 2025 launch date.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Has Become Japan’s Box Office Success Story
While Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was already well-loved as a manga and anime, the movie adaptation is what propelled it to become a massive box office success. The film has shattered records and is now the highest-grossing film in Japanese history.
Ufotable made a smart move by extending the popular finale of Demon Slayer into a three-part movie series. While the second part, Infinity Castle Part 2, isn’t expected until 2027 or later, fans will be able to watch Infinity Castle Part 1 through streaming, digital purchase, or on home video in 2026. The films have also led to new downloadable content for Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles 2, and more of this content is planned for release throughout 2026.
Godzilla Has A Game-Changing Anime That’s Currently in Production
It’s easy to overlook the fact that Godzilla has been around for a longer time and has more films than franchises like Star Wars, Halloween, and James Bond. While the franchise has earned $2.63 billion, and isn’t solely based on anime, Godzilla remains primarily known for its live-action films. However, various anime projects have played a key role in keeping the character popular over the decades.
Godzilla is incredibly popular in the anime world. The next installment, Godzilla Minus Zero, is expected to be the biggest Godzilla release of 2026. Plus, a new anime series planned for 2026 or 2027 will explore the franchise’s history in a fresh way, giving Godzilla’s powers a connection to a young hero, similar to those found in shonen anime.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Is Positioned For Its Duelist World To Deepen In 2026
Originally starting as a manga, Yu-Gi-Oh! has become a massive franchise. Its merchandise has generated over $5 billion in revenue, surpassing many other anime series. While the anime Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!! finished its 151-episode run in 2025, fans can still enjoy new content with the ongoing release of Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game The Chronicles, an original net animation (ONA). A new full anime series for 2026 hasn’t been announced yet.
In 2026, most of the income from Yu-Gi-Oh! is expected to come from products and events celebrating the franchise’s 30th anniversary. However, it’s likely the anime series will also benefit from this special occasion. Several important Yu-Gi-Oh! anime are reaching milestone anniversaries in 2026, and fans are excited to celebrate them.
Mobile Suit Gundam Has Plenty On Its Plate As It Figures Out The Shape Of Its Future
Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Mobile Suit Gundam is hugely influential and practically defines the mecha genre. Over its 47-year history, the franchise has grown to include more than 50 different TV series and spin-offs. Gundam isn’t afraid to try new things and completely reimagine itself, and it benefits from a large collection of Gunpla models, meaning even if a new series doesn’t succeed, the franchise remains strong.
As a Gundam fan, I’m really excited about what 2026 holds! We’re getting a new movie continuing the story of Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway – The Sorcery of Nymph Circe – and finally, the The Witch from Mercury manga will be available here in the US. Plus, there’s a lot of talk that we might even see the prequel project, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom Zero, and potentially a brand new anime series that year too!
Beyblade Continues To Spin To New Heights With Beyblade X & New Beys
Beyblade is a hugely successful franchise, quietly earning $4.6 billion worldwide. It’s become popular in many areas by turning the exciting top-spinning game into anime, comics, and toys that let fans experience Beyblade for themselves. After celebrating its 25th anniversary, Beyblade now includes multiple anime series.
The latest Beyblade anime series has already released over 100 episodes and is planned to continue into 2026. Alongside the new episodes, fans can look forward to new toys and improvements to existing lines like Drawn Brave and Wizard Arc. Now is the perfect time to become a Beyblade fan!
Neon Genesis Evangelion’s 30th Anniversary Promises Big Releases For 2026
Despite recent challenges, Evangelion has still generated $2 billion in revenue. The franchise has always been popular for its merchandise, even during periods without new releases. Looking ahead, 2026 will be a significant year for Evangelion as it celebrates its 30th anniversary with several large-scale events planned in Japan.
In 2026, fans of Evangelion can look forward to several exciting new releases. A 13-minute anime short, set within the Rebuild timeline and titled Evangelion Broadcast 30th Anniversary Special Performance, will be released. A trilogy of Evangelion XR (Extended Reality) games is also planned, retelling the anime’s story through the eyes of a brand-new character. Plus, a fully immersive theme park ride, Evangelion: The Ride 8K, is scheduled to open in Japan in Spring 2026.
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2026-01-14 05:45