Crunchyroll presents a list of anime with Year-of-the-Horse-type bold main characters (MCs), each stepping up to be their own personal horse.
This Year of the Horse symbolizes force, perseverance, and relentless pursuit; therefore, positive stories make sense. From heroes who recover from betrayal to geniuses who propel society forward, these anime series show the will to overcome adversity. They remind us that sometimes the hardest conditions lead to the best new beginnings through tenacious struggles, lasting friendships, and hard-fought successes.
Crunchyroll subscribers can stream these 11 anime series with just the right mix of action, emotion, and heart for a Lunar New Year 2026 binge.
#1. Jujutsu Kaisen (MC: Itadori Yuji)
Although born powerful, Itadori Yuji leads a normal life. To save a classmate, he eats a cursed finger, bringing Ryomen Sukuna into Itadori's soul. The Jujutsu Sorcerers guide him to the Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School, which fights curses. Now begins the heroic narrative of a boy who got cursed to remove curses.
#2. Fire Force (MC: Shinra Kusakabe)
Tokyo is aflame, and bizarre human combustion is occurring around the city. The Fire Force is fighting this fire, and Shinra is geared up to help. He'll utilize his devil's footprints to save the city from ash as part of Company 8. However, his background and a dark secret could destroy everything.
#3. Dr. STONE (MC: Senku Ishigami)
Senku Ishigami, a brilliant, science-driven boy, awakens thousands of years after a strange event turns everyone to stone. Given a world of rock and the destruction of civilization, Senku decides to rebuild using science. He and his super-strong boyhood friend Taiju Oki, who rose at the same time, will recreate society from scratch. Experience 2 million years of scientific knowledge from the Stone Age to the present in a unique, adventure-filled story.
#4. The Rising of the Shield Hero (MC: Iwatani Naofumi)
An ordinary otaku, Iwatani Naofumi, finds a library book that transports him. He fights the Waves of Catastrophe as the Shield Hero and joins the Four Cardinal Heroes with sword, spear, and bow. Excited for a big voyage, Naofumi leaves with his party. Only days later, he is deceived and loses all his money, prestige, and respect. Unable to trust anyone, he hires Raphtalia and fights the Waves and the world. Will he succeed in reversing this dire situation?
#5. Lord of Mysteries (MC: Klein Moretti)
Zhou Mingrui emerges as Klein Moretti in a Victorian steampunk, dreadnought, and occult world. He balances light and darkness with warring Churches. This is the tale of infinite promise and immeasurable danger.
#6. Kunon the Sorcerer Can See (MC: Kunon Gurion)
Blind young man Kunon Gurion wants to produce new eyes with water magic. He overcomes his mentor after five months of magic training and attempts a feat never before accomplished. The story of a blind genius young man who discovers magic and opens the universe begins.
#7. The Water Magician (MC: Ryo Mihara)
Ryo dreams of tranquility after reincarnation, but lands in a monster-plagued wilderness. He becomes one of the most powerful magicians after 20 years of surviving nasty concoctions with water magic and endless youth. When Ryo meets Abel, a clever knight, the magical society takes notice.
#8. Attack on Titan (MC: Eren Yeager)
The trailblazing action anime series Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) combines drama, horror, and anime with a powerful storyline, brutal fighting, and deep philosophical ideas. Massive walls protect humanity from Titans that consume people. After a Colossal Titan destroys his house and kills his mother, Eren Jaeger joins the Scout Regiment with Mikasa and Armin, only to discover he can become a Titan. Eren uncovers dark secrets, political intrigue, and the frightening Titans' origins while fighting for humanity's survival. A complex cast of people plays crucial roles in humanity's survival throughout the series. Attack on Titan is both a psychological drama and an action epic as Eren Jaeger, Armin Arlelt, Mikasa Ackermann, and other characters explore the cycle of pain, ideology, and violence.
#9. In the Clear Moonlit Dusk (MC: Yoi Takiguchi)
First-year high school student Yoi Takiguchi is known for her good looks and kind heart. She is called "Prince." One day, she runs across Kohaku Ichimura, an upperclassman who is also a "Prince." Is it friendship or love that grows between them as they get closer? A tender love story involving a boy and a girl who are both dubbed "Princes" starts.
#10. BLUE LOCK (MC: Yoichi Isagi)
Japan wants World Cup success, so the Japanese Football Association (JFA) launches a tough training program to select its next striker. Three hundred high schoolers compete for the position, but one will win. Which striker will start a new era in Japanese soccer?
#11. TO BE HERO X (MCs: 10 heroes, including Lin Ling)
Heroes become superheroes through fan faith in a world of great heroes. Heroes lose their powers if they lose trust. Heroes' wristband rankings are based on trust value, which is quantifiable. Every two years, the top heroes compete in a tournament to establish trust values and ranks.
Besides these boldest anime, other curated lists by Crunchyroll include romance and sports, which I believe you'll like to watch as well. – PinoyTechSaga
0 Comments