The must-watch anime to look out for in the fall 2022 season

After many long months, it’s finally here: the biggest anime season of the year! Between the return of beloved series like My Hero Academia, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Mob Psycho 100, and Spy x Family and the highly anticipated premiere of Chainsaw Man, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Urusei Yatsura, and more, the fall 2022 anime season boasts a veritable smorgasbord of fantastic new anime to watch.

And even with all that said, that still isn’t the sum of everything this season has to offer, as we’re still waiting on confirmed premiere dates and streaming platforms for several of the season’s most anticipated premieres, on top of trailers for shows like Golden Kamuy season 4, Pop Team Epic season 2, and others.

We’ll continue to update this list later as we get a clearer picture of everything the upcoming season has to offer, but in the meantime, here are 18 anime airing this fall that you should look forward to.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

First announced in 2020, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a 10-episode sci-fi action anime set in the universe of CD Projekt Red’s action role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 and Mike Pondsmith’s original tabletop roleplaying game. The series follows David, a street kid trying to eke out a living in the technology- and body modification-obsessed metropolis of Night City. After crossing paths with Lucy, an elusive hacker, David chooses to pursue a life as an “edgerunner” — an outlaw mercenary-for-hire willing to go toe-to-toe with the city’s most notorious cyber-psychos and criminals if the pay is right.

The trailer is impressive, featuring the sort of highly stylized visuals and explosive action one would naturally expect from the likes of director Hiroyuki Imaishi (Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill) and Studio Trigger. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners will feature character designs by Yoh Yoshinari (Little Witch Academia, BNA: Brand New Animal), as well as a score composed by Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners premieres on Sept. 13 and will stream on Netflix.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War

More than a decade since the end of Bleach’s original anime adaptation, studio Pierrot has returned to produce a new anime based on the previously unadapted final arc of Tite Kubo’s supernatural action manga. Directed by Tomohisa Taguchi (Akudama Drive, Persona 4: The Golden Animation), Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War will see Ichigo Kurosaki and his Soul Reaper allies fight against the Quincy empire of Wandenreich in all-out battle to decide the fate of all existence. Several members of the original production team have returned for this new season, including character designer Masashi Kudo and composer Shiro Sagisu.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War premieres Oct. 10.

Chainsaw Man

Based on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s critically acclaimed action-horror manga, Chainsaw Man follows Denji, an impoverished teenager who is forced to hunt Devils, powerful supernatural monsters manifested from humanity’s collective fears and traumas, in order to pay back his father’s debt to the yakuza. After being betrayed and left for dead, Denji fuses with his pet Chainsaw Devil Pochita to become Chainsaw Man, a powerful Devil-human hybrid with the ability to summon chainsaws from his body.

Chainsaw Man is without a doubt one of the most anticipated anime premieres of 2022, if not the most anticipated, full stop. MAPPA’s anime adaptation boasts a murderers’ row of talented young animators behind its production, including director Ryu Nakayama (Jujutsu Kaisen), character designer Kazutaka Sugiyama (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation), action animation director Tatsuya Yoshihara (Black Clover), as well as Devil designs by Kiyotaka Oshiyama (Devilman Crybaby, Deca-Dence) and a score by Kensuke Ushio (A Silent Voice, Devilman Crybaby). With a team like that, Chainsaw Man is easily shaping up to be the belle of the ball this fall anime season.

Chainsaw Man premieres on Oct. 11 and will stream on Crunchyroll.

Housing Complex C

The Toonami original horror anime Housing Complex C follows Kimi, a young woman living in a small housing complex in a seaside town who begins to question whether her home is haunted after witnessing a series of inexplicably horrific events. The series is directed by Yūji Nara and is produced by animation studio Akatsuki.

Housing Complex C premieres on Oct. 1 and will air on Toonami.

My Hero Academia season 6

My Hero Academia returns this fall with an all-new season! The sixth season of My Hero Academia will adapt the Paranormal Liberation War arc of the manga, with Deku and the rest of the heroes facing off against the Paranormal Liberation Front led by Tomura Shigaraki, the grandson of All Might’s mentor, Nana Shimura, and the villainous apprentice of All Might’s nemesis, All For One. As with the previous seasons, My Hero Academia season 6 will be produced by studio Bones and helmed by director Kenji Nagasaki.

My Hero Academia season 6 premieres Oct. 1 and will stream on Crunchyroll.

Spy x Family (cour 2)

After premiering back in April and quickly securing its place as one of this year’s best anime, Spy x Family is back with a whole new batch of episodes! Loid Forger’s (aka Twilight) mission to prevent a war from breaking out between the neighboring countries of Ostania and Westalis is imperiled by a new nemesis in the form of a terrorist bomber. In order to eliminate the threat, Loid will have to rely on the aid of his assassin wife Yor, as well as the help of his psychic daughter Anya, all without breaking his cover in enemy territory! In addition, this next batch of episodes promises to spend more time introducing Bond, the Forger family’s trusty psychic canine.

Spy x Family premieres Oct. 1 and will stream on Crunchyroll.

Pop Team Epic season two

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Pop Team Epic season two premieres Oct. 1 and will stream on Crunchyroll.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury

The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise returns with its first new television anime since 2015’s Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. Set in a new universe separate from the continuity of any previous Gundam series, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury follows the story of Suletta Mercury, the franchise’s first female main protagonist, who transfers from her remote home planet of Mercury to attend the Asticassia School of Technology with the goal of becoming a mobile suit pilot.

Directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi (Kiznaiver, Spriggan) and Ryo Ando (86, Double Decker! Doug & Kirill), the preview trailer announcing the anime’s simulcast premiere in October looks fantastic, boasting gorgeous sci-fi environments and lightning-fast mecha action.

The prologue episode of The Witch From Mercury is available to watch online.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury premieres on Oct. 2 and will stream on Crunchyroll.

Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit

Between highly anticipated premieres like Chainsaw Man, My Hero Academia season 6, and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, the fall 2022 anime season is positively saturated in adrenaline-pumping action shows to choose from. If you, like me, are looking out for something a bit more cozy à la Laid-Back Camp to enjoy in between bouts of intense martial arts action fare, Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit will be right up your alley. The preview trailer alone is one of the most soothing pieces of animation I’ve seen in a long while.

Based on Shiro’s slice of life manga of the same name, Encouragement of Climb follows the story of Aoi Yukimura, a quiet girl with a fear of heights who, after reuniting with her childhood friend Hinata, takes on mountaineering as a hobby and makes several friends along the way. Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit is technically the fourth season of the anime, a 12-episode season which will adapt the previous five- and 15-minute episodes of the series into four compilation episodes before progressing from episode 5 onward. The series is directed by Yusuke Yamamoto and is produced by studio 8bit.

Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit premieres on Oct. 4 and will stream on HIDIVE.

Do It Yourself!

Another chill-looking anime premiere to check out this fall season is Do It Yourself!, an original anime series that sees director Kazuhiro Yoneda once again collaborating with composer Ryohei Sataka following their work on 2020’s Gleipnir. The anime follows the lives of six high school girls as they embrace the challenges and rewards that come from working on their own DIY projects in the city of Sanjō. The trailer looks delightful, with a soft pink-and-purple-toned color palette and memorable character designs courtesy of Yuusuke Matsuo (Encouragement of Climb, IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls). Do It Yourself! is being produced by studio Pine Jam.

Do It Yourself! premieres on Oct. 5 and will stream on Crunchyroll.

Mob Psycho 100 Season 3

Mob Psycho 100 returns for its third (and possibly final) season. Following the defeat of the villainous esper Toichiro Suzuki and his terrorist organization Claw, Mob Psycho 100 finds Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama at a crossroads in his adolescent life. As the Psycho Helmet Cult that Mob unwittingly inspired into existence grows in number, the young psychic is faced with some of life’s biggest questions: What kind of person does he want to be, and what career does he want to pursue? He won’t have to confront these questions alone, though, as his mentor Arataka Reigen and his friends will be beside him every step of the way.

Director Yuzuru Tachikawa (Death Parade, Deca-Dence) returns, this time as the series’ executive director, while Takahiro Hasui (Bungo Stray Dogs, Sk8 the Infinity) comes on board as this season’s acting director. Studio Bones will once again handle animation duties and, if the opening title sequence for this latest season is any indication, Mob Psycho 100 season 3 is primed to be the series’ best yet.

Mob Psycho 100 season 3 premieres on Oct. 5 and will stream on Crunchyroll.

Blue Lock

Based on Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura’s 2018 manga of the same name, Blue Lock follows several characters among a group of over 300 of Japan’s best and brightest youth soccer players as they compete for the prestigious title of becoming the Japan Football Union’s ace striker. In order to do so, however, they’ll have to compete against one another in a ruthless winner-takes-all training tourney to rise to the top and become the best. Think Squid Game, but instead of the risk of literal death it’s just the death of one’s hopes and dreams amid a flurry of soccer balls barreling toward them at high velocity — no pressure! The anime is directed by Tetsuaki Watanabe with Shunsuke Ishikawa serving as assistant director and production duties handled by studio 8bit.

Blue Lock premieres on Oct. 8 and will stream on Crunchyroll.

Bocchi the Rock!

Based on Aki Hamaji’s popular four-panel manga series, Bocchi the Rock! follows the story of Hitori Goto, aka “Bocchi-chan,” a taciturn high school girl who spends her days at home alone playing her guitar. After uploading a video of her playing online, Hitori is recruited by a drummer, Nijika Ijichi, to play in her band for the first time in front of other people. The series is produced by CloverWorks and directed by Keiichiro Saito (ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. Regards).

Bocchi the Rock! premieres on Oct. 8 and will stream on Crunchyroll.

Urusei Yatsura

Urusei Yatsura returns to television with an all-new anime series produced by David Production, the studio behind JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Fire Force, and Cells at Work. Based on Rumiko Takahashi’s sci-fi rom-com manga, Urusei Yatsura follows the story of Ataru Moroboshi, a lecherous high school student who accidentally becomes betrothed to Lum, a hot-tempered, blue-haired alien princess who can shoot lighting from horns on her head. Together with Shinobu, Ataru’s actual human girlfriend, and his friends, Ataru stumbles from one misadventure to the next.

The original 1981 series is widely considered one of the most iconic anime of the 1980s, which means expectations for this new anime are high, to say the least. Urusei Yatsura will be directed by Hideya Takahashi and Yasuhiro Kimura, who previously worked as directors on 2018’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, and feature character design by Naoyuki Asano (Mr. Osomatsu, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!). The series is confirmed for a total of 46 episodes, with the first half of the series slated to premiere this October and air through to the end of March.

Urusei Yatsura premieres on Oct. 13 and will stream on HIDIVE.

To Your Eternity season 2

To Your Eternity follows the immortal being Fushi who, after the events of last season, has exiled themself on a remote island in search of peace. After being approached by their mysterious creator, Fushi once again embarks on a personal journey in order to save humanity from a race of deadly creatures known as the Nokkers. Unlike season 1, To Your Eternity season 2 will be produced by studio Drive instead of Brain’s Base, with Kiyoko Sayama assuming directorial duties from Masahiko Murata. However, the rest of the anime’s principal staff members will remain, with Shinzo Fujita, Koji Yabuno, Ryo Kawasaki, and Takeshi Takadera returning as series script supervisor, character designer, music composer, and sound director respectively.

To Your Eternity season 2 premieres Oct. 23 and will stream on Crunchyroll.

Tatami Time Machine Blues

Based on Tomihiko Morimi’s novel of the same name and a sequel to Masaaki Yuasa’s time-bending coming-of-age anime The Tatami Galaxy, Tatami Time Machine Blues centers on the unnamed protagonist once again travelling back in time, this time to prevent his perpetually mischievous friend Ozu from destroying the remote control to the student dormitory air conditioner and condemning its residents to a miserably hot summer.

Yuasa will not be returning to helm the sequel, having taken a sabbatical following this year’s Inu-Oh, but not to worry — Shingo Natsume, Yuasa’s protégé and the director of celebrated anime like Space Dandy, Sonny Boy, and the first season of One-Punch Man, will be directing this new series. From the looks of the trailer, Tatami Time Machine Blues looks like a worthy follow-up to studio Science Saru’s strangest (and arguably best) series to date.

Tatami Time Machine Blues premieres Nov. 9 and will stream on Hulu.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean part 3

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean returns with 13 new episodes, concluding the saga of Jolyne Cujoh’s perilous struggle to escape from Green Dolphin Street Prison, rescue her father Jotaro Kujo, and stop the nefarious Stand user Father Enrico Pucci from resurrecting the Joestar family’s longtime nemesis, Dio. Fans of the series can likely expect eccentric new enemies, flamboyant allies, and even more outrageous supernatural fights.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean part 3 premieres on Dec. 1 and will stream on Netflix.

Gudetama: An Eggcellent Adventure

Following in the footsteps of Aggretsuko, Gudetama — the lazy egg mascot created by the Japanese toy company Sanrio — is also getting his own series on Netflix! This live action/ CG animated hybrid show follows Gudetama teaming up with a tiny chick named Shakipiyo as they embark on a whirlwind adventure to find the chick’s mother. The season is expected to run for ten episodes.

Gudetama: An Eggcellent Adventure premieres on Dec. 13 and will stream on Netflix.

Lupin Zero

The incorrigible “gentleman” thief Lupin the Third has been in countless incarnations over the years, from the original 1971 anime co-directed by Masaaki Ōsumi and Studio Ghibli co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata to more recent iterations from the likes of Sayo Yamamoto (Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine), Takashi Koike (Lupin the IIIrd: Goemon Ishikawa’s Blood Spray), Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First), and more. Despite this, no-one has yet dared to tell a teenage Lupin story. That is, until now.

Directed by Daisuke Sakō (Lupin the Third: Part 5), Lupin Zero tells the story of the eponymous heist maestro during his high school years growing up in 1960s Japan. Along with recounting how he met his future partner-in-crime Daisuke Jigen, the series will combine stories from the original manga with new stories written by Ichiro Okouchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Sk8 the Infinity). The trailer itself looks intriguing, and with a creative team like that, Lupin Zero seems sure to be a strong spin-off series.

Lupin Zero premieres on Dec. 16 and will stream on HIDIVE.