Magic is a staple of anime, taking on many different forms in many different series. Magic has no limits, from casting a fireball to sealing legendary demons, to reality-bending spells that can alter the space-time continuum. These special techniques and adventures have their place and genre within anime, and with a unique perspective, power system, and storytelling, they are fantastical stories of supernatural adventure.
Moreover, wizards come in all shapes and sizes. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, male or female, or even if you’re a human being or something else! Only the most skilled and courageous spellcasters can push forth and reach victory in these fantastical stories of determination and attaining forbidden knowledge.
10. Fairy Tail
There are many wizard guilds in the world of Earth-land, but none like Fairy Tail. Popular and with a penchant for trouble, the guild searches the Kingdom of Fiore where Natsu Dragneel, one of the members, tries to find his adoptive father the dragon Igneel.
Natsu invites a young celestial wizard, Lucy Heartfilia, into the ranks of Fairy Tail and adventures ensue as they embark on several missions to catch wanted criminals, stop illegal guilds, and defeat the accursed wizard Zeref.
A battle shonen, Fairy Tail is an action-packed adventure with an outstanding soundtrack and an entertaining story. And as the guild stands in the eye of danger, Zeref won’t hesitate to crush them with his dark magic.
9. Cardcaptor Sakura
Now we get to an all-time classic of the magical girl subgenre. Sakura Kinomoto is a ten-year-old student who by chance, happens to find a mysterious spellbook named The Clow. After accidentally releasing the cards sealed inside The Clow, the Beast of the Seal Keroberos is summoned to aid her in recovering all the magic cards before they unleash mayhem and chaos on Earth.
With the title and responsibilities of “the Cardcaptor”, Sakura faces all sorts of mischief and tribulations. It won’t be long before her friends realize there’s something off with her nightly adventures and will offer their help, as Sakura must learn to balance her daily life with her duty to find all the Clow Cards. This is an endearing story of friendship, comedy, and romance.
8. Slayers
Lina Inverse is a talented and avaricious sorceress who travels the world stealing treasures from thieves and bandits. After a band of thieves ambushes her in a forest, the valorous swordsman Gaurry Gabriev mistakes her for a damsel in distress, and the two of them easily defeat the brigands. He offers to escort her on her journey, and though she’s not too eager about the idea, she ends up accepting.
However, one of her magical treasures is wanted by dark, powerful forces that will haunt the unlikely duo. Slayers draws inspiration from the original Dungeons & Dragons and it’s uncannily similar to a roleplaying campaign with lovable characters and a whimsical story that unfolds into two sequels: Slayers Next and Slayers Try.
7. InuYasha
After being dragged into a cursed well within her family’s Shinto shrine, Kagome Higurashi’s life changes forever. She finds herself trapped 500 years in the past, during Japan’s violent Sengoku period.
The demon who dragged her there seeks the Shikon Jewel, a magical pearl reborn in Kagome capable of fulfilling any wish. And after the jewel shatters during their battle, she recruits the hybrid of demon dog and human Inuyasha to collect the fragments and keep them from falling into the wrong hands.
They form a team with demon hunter Sango, perverted monk Miroku, and kid demon fox Shippo in their quest across feudal Japan, where they will encounter an ancient evil who seeks the Shikon Jewel to plunge the world into darkness once more.
6. Jujutsu Kaisen
Carefree high schooler Yuuji Itadori spends his time in the Occult Club and visiting his bedridden grandfather. The old man instills two powerful teachings within him: to always help others and to die surrounded by people.
But when Yuuji unseals a finger talisman, he becomes the host of the powerful curse Ryomen Sukuna and all sorcerers hidden in everyday society are required to exorcise him immediately.
However, upon seeing him retain control over his own body, the sorcerers postpone Yuuji’s death sentence. Instead of execution, he’s allowed to join the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School until he consumes all of Sukuna’s fingers so they can finally eliminate the curse.
The animation is off the charts, and the series features a solid power system and a refreshing cast of characters. Jujutsu Kaisen is most definitely a series that will leave its print in anime for the years to come.
5. Tales of Phantasia: The Animation
Tragedy strikes the lives of two friends, Cless and Chester. The two young men find their village razed to the ground at the hands of the Black Knight, who seeks the power of Demon King Dhaos.
However, Dhaos’ reawakening signals not only the end of the Black Knight but the annihilation of the entire planet. Since Cless and Chester’s ancestors sealed the Demon King, along with the ancestors of young cleric Mint, it’s their fate to put a stop to his plans once again.
Their journey will take them a hundred years into the past. Once there, a summoner and a sorceress join them as they strive to defeat Dhaos and his army to save the past as well as the years to come.
Based on the original RPG that kickstarted the Tales of franchise, Phantasia is an all-time classic adventure filled with magic, swordfights, and an emotional, nerve-wracking ending.
4. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Madoka and Sayaka are two regular middle school students, with regular problems and regular life. One day they find a cat-like animal named Kyubey who offers them a contract.
They will get any wish granted in exchange for magical powers and the task of fighting witches, who are responsible for many crimes and disasters occurring in modern society. But Madoka will soon learn that the path of a magical girl is filled with suffering and pain, and nothing is really what it seems.
A subversion of expectations, Madoka Magica is a dark fantasy anime with psychological twists and turns. The series is a complete reversal of the magical girl tropes and is refreshingly provocative, evocating a deep sensation of sorrow and pain.
3. Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (The Rising of the Shield Hero)
There are many worlds other than this one. Japanese youth Naofumi Iwatani is summoned to one of these worlds along with three other young men to Melromarc castle. The King of Melromarc appoints them as the Cardinal Heroes, and their task is to fight the hordes of monsters known as Waves, creatures from another dimension that raid the world and seek to destroy it.
The three youths receive the legendary weapons; Bow, Spear, and Sword respectively. Yet, Naofumi isn’t so lucky. The Shield is the only weapon unable to attack. Moreover, after a sudden betrayal, the citizens of Melromarc revile and shun him.
Embittered, the Shield Hero eventually enlists demi-humans Raphtalia and Filo, who become powerful warriors under his care. And little by little, the group begins to work to help the ungrateful peasants to restore their reputation, growing as folk heroes who will unravel the mystery of the Waves and the parallel worlds.
2. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Life in the mountains was good for Tanjiro and his family. Though impoverished, they were able to live a peaceful and happy existence and loved each other dearly.
One night, Tanjiro gets stranded in a stranger’s hut, who warns him of flesh-eating demons that lurk at night. The following morning, he finds his family massacred except for his younger sister Nezuko. But she has been turned into a sanguinary demon.
Driven by rage to find a way to restore his sister, Tanjiro will join the mysterious group known as the Demon Slayers in a quest to annihilate them all and preserve Nezuko’s fragmented humanity.
With dreadful, fearsome villains, a heroic crew of demon hunters, and an outstanding cinematic art style, Demon Slayer stands above ordinary shonen anime and has rightfully become a worldwide phenomenon.
1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Alchemy is the technique of transforming one substance into another. After their mother dies, the brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric attempt to bring her back to life defying the taboo of human alchemy.
The experiment results in Alphonses’s body being completely obliterated and Edward losing his left leg. In an attempt to recover his brother, Edward sacrifices his right arm and attaches Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor.
These traumatic events turn the young brothers into determined alchemists who will seek the Philosopher’s Stone, a miraculous substance, to restore their bodies to normal. However, their journey will unravel a deep conspiracy to hide the real nature of the Philosopher’s Stone.
With flawless world-building and storytelling, solid characters, and emotionally intelligent themes, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the greatest magic anime. There are masterful dramatic turns and plenty of emotional moments in the series that impact the viewer and pull them into the world of Amestris and an unforgettable adventure.