Most Popular Anime 1970 2026

Which anime has been the most popular in each era? This bar chart race follows 36 anime franchises from 1970 to September 2026: from Mazinger Z, Lupin III and Doraemon, through Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Pokémon and Naruto, to Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen and Frieren. HOW TO READ IT: the number on each bar is the Popularity Index (0-100), an ESTIMATE made by Statory HQ. No single measured worldwide popularity metric exists for 1970-2026, so the index models each franchise's rise, peak and decline from its premiere year, its peak years and its estimated global reach. Current popularity data from AniList was used as a reference for the level of recent titles. It is not an official chart. The star score on each bar is the real average score on AniList (out of 10). Which anime era was the greatest? Tell us in the comments. CHAPTERS: 0:00 1973-1985: Mazinger Z, Gundam and Doraemon 2:04 1986-1996: Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and Evangelion 3:50 1997-2008: Pokémon, One Piece and Naruto 5:45 2009-2018: Attack on Titan and the streaming era 7:21 2019-2026: Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen and Frieren DATA SOURCE: Average scores, premiere years and cover art: AniList (https://anilist.co). Popularity Index: estimate by Statory HQ. MUSIC: "Eyes In The Void", "Legionnaire", "Simulacra", "Undertow", "Unraveling" by Scott Buckley - www.scottbuckley.com.au Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...