LA Anime Expo (LA AX) has delivered a buffet of awaited anime returns and new arrivals for the 2026-2027 season. The announcements were so good that anime fans’ hearts could explode from the upcoming and premiere catalogs. Here are our top picks that caught our eye!
10. Star Wars Visions: The Ninth Jedi
Star Wars was something LA AX visitors did not expect to see. However, the trailer for the Star Wars Visions story has piqued the fans’ interest. LucasArts Films partnered with Production I.G. to bring a new anime experience in their upcoming series, The Ninth Jedi. Young Kara and her Jedi crew are on a quest to search for a strong Jedi to face a powerful warlord.
The trailer indicates that General Nawaan is the true mastermind. What caught viewers’ eyes is questioning Kara’s sense of justice to see if she is truly worthy of wielding a lightsaber. Star Wars fans have not seen this in quite some time since exploring it with Anakin Skywalker in The Clone Wars. They are hoping to be swept away once the series airs on Disney+ next month on August 5.
9. Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia
Crunchyroll launched Science Saru’s anticipated historical fiction anime, Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia. The series gifted the studio’s loyal watchers the two-episode premiere on Jul. 4 to kick off the series. In ancient Mongolia, Genghis Khan led the Mongol Empire to conquer the lands. Sitara, who lost her home and family, is taken into adoption by the scholar Fatima and is inspired by her son, Muhammad.
She chooses to study and use her intellect to breach the empire from within. Her fate later changes when she encounters Töregene, the sixth wife of the third Mongol Empire prince. With her by her side, the changes are set in stone for Mongolia’s future.
8. Kaiju Girl Caramelise
For the Godzilla lovers, this anime could be your fantasy, or a possible comedic nightmare. From KADOKAWA and action figure manufacturer Good Smile Company brings Spica Aoki’s action school life, Kaiju Girl Caramelise.
The monster girl trope is taken to a new level of dangerous affection. Kuroe Akaishi, who just wants to be a regular high schooler, is always at risk of endangering her crush, Arata Minami. Every time her love for him is triggered, her monstrous transformation takes shape. The series is now available to watch on Crunchyroll.
7. Dungeon Meshi Season 2
Dungeon Meshi fans were starving for any update on its next season. They finally received a definitive answer at the Studio Trigger LA AX panel. The anime’s loyal viewers will witness Season 2 on Netflix in October 2027.
The previous season ended when Laios’s younger sister, Falin Touden, became a chimera under the spell of the lunatic magician, Thistle. His party members, Marcille, Chilchuck, Senshi, and Asebi, travel deeper into the ancient dungeon to search for her, hoping to free her soul. Director Yoshihiro Miyajima is confirmed to return for the show’s production.
6. Gachiakuta Season 2
Kei Urana’s fast-growing action thriller, Gachiakuta, is confirmed to have a Season 2 after having a strong anime presence in 2025. The series’s next stage sets Rudo and the Cleaners into the deeper depths of the Pit. Rudo will be developing new powers and exploring the various systems of his world’s broken society. Director Fumihiko Suganama said at LA AX that the story will have a “big pivot” and includes lots of plot growth.
Hopefully, Gachiakuta will be able to rebound after last year’s fumble with the Japanese stage play adaptation controversy. Fans were deeply upset with Urana’s efforts to have a diverse cast. Despite saying that she tried, the stage production hired two Japanese actors to portray the series’s African characters, Seimu and Corvus. She distanced herself from social media after the casting announcements.
5. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War-The Calamity
The end is near for Ichigo Kurosaki’s story. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War will be concluding with its final part, dubbed The Calamity. Variety reported the synopsis in an exclusive interview:
“The new installment picks up as the Thousand-Year Blood War between the Soul Reapers and the Quincies nears its end. The Royal Guard confronts General Yhwach as he breaches the Royal Palace, shattering Squad Zero’s Bankai before entering the Reio Greater Palace. Ichibe Hyosube tasks Ichigo and his allies with protecting the Soul King himself, triggering distortions across the Three Worlds.
The Thirteen Courts Guard Squad and surviving Quincies advance on the Royal Palace, now transformed into the Wahr Welt under Wandenreich control, setting up battles against the Royal Guard as Ichigo confronts Uryu’s true motives and the Almighty Yhwach.”
Along with the epic conclusion, Bleach will be continuing in an upcoming mobile game. Bleach: Mirrors High introduces a new cast that will explore the fallout of Yhwach’s defeat and the fate of the Three Worlds
4. Black Clover Season 2
Yuki Tabata’s smash hit, Black Clover, drives the hype at LA AX. The series’s second season now has a definitive release window after months of trailers. Black Clover’s official blog post on Jul. 2 presented the main visual poster with the date stamp set to October 2026. The convention visitors were treated to Season 2’s premiere early, helping fans reconnect after Season 1 ended in 2021.
Ayataka Takemura, who previously directed the successful animated feature Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King, is entrusted with the upcoming season. The series adapts the Spade Kingdom Raid arc, where Atsa and his friends are on a mission to rescue Captain Yami. Tabata has also decided that the anime’s sequel will also feature the final battle after ending the manga on April 30.
3. Solo Leveling Season 3 / Beyond the System
Two years after its Season 2 finale, the award-winning series Solo Leveling confirmed its third season at LA AX 2026. However, there’s a catch. According to Collider, Sony Pictures is developing Solo Leveling’s next animated feature, Beyond the System.
The story of E-Rank Hunter Sung Jinwoo is set for another obstacle. Little is known about the concept, but Collider reported that it will not include the Recruitment Arc, Ahjin Guild Arc, and the Double Dragon Arc. Its trailer also implied that this film is the theatrical version of Season 3. The cinematography will be blending life-action environments and 2D animation.
2. Cyberpunk Edgerunners II
Cyberpunk Edgerunners II received a nice reception from its announcement and hinted at its premise at LA AX 2025. Now that Studio Trigger and CD Projekt Red are nearly finished with their production, the official Cyberpunk 2077 channel launched a new trailer for Night City’s next chapter.
The production team describes this standalone story as being in an era of “lawlessness and unforgiving, Night City at its most brutal.” And the Cyberpunk Edgerunners II 2nd trailer displayed its violent nature through its chaotic storytelling. The series’s sequel is set to launch on Netflix in Fall 2026.
1. Steel Ball Run 2nd-3rd Stage (Jojo Bizarre Adventure 7)
After Netflix aired the introduction back in March 2026, Steel Ball Run will finally resume the story of Johnny Joestar. The official teaser presented the Jojo community with the chapter’s cast and its improved animation style. Warner Bros. Japan has confirmed that the series will be 11 episodes long, with each airing on Fridays, starting on Sept. 25.
The reason for the 5-month wait is that Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure animation studio, David Productions, didn’t finish animating the season. According to Jojo Portal, the team had difficulty animating the horses, which play a crucial part in Steel Ball Run’s story. Anime director Yasuhiro Kimura had 3DCG assigned to create their fluid motions, but the story involves them in over 5,000 cuts. He reminded fans to wait patiently, not to rush the 7th installment’s quality.
