Magic is a fundamental part of anime. Even shows that don’t center around wizards or magicians often have some magical component or a power system that mirrors its functionality. Controlling the elements, creating explosions, healing, necromancy — there are anime that covers every form of magic you could imagine.
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But some series elevate themselves by taking the widely-understood principles of magic and adapting them to new forms. These shows play with magic systems in clever ways while also using the existence of the mystic arts to tell compelling, character-driven stories. When done well, a magic anime is as much about the spellcaster as the spells being cast.
10 Cardcaptor Sakura
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A hallmark in the classic “magical girl” genre, Cardcaptor Sakura is a unique entry in the Western anime canon. Particularly for U.S. viewers, the show was often presented as a monster-of-the-week battle anime featuring the card-based magic of its hero Sakura Kinomoto. But readers of the manga or original anime viewers will discover a sweet coming-of-age romance with card-based magical combat as its backdrop. Cardcaptor Sakura features inventive uses of its magic system while still leaving plenty of room for character development.
9 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
One of the best isekai released in recent years, Mushoku Tensei, tells the story of a lonely shut-in who is reborn into a medieval fantasy world where he is a magical prodigy. At a young age, he is able to quickly master complex spells, eventually becoming one of the strongest mages in the world. In his new life, the reincarnated being now known as Rudeus Greyrat will use his magic not only to defeat strange monsters but to protect his family and alter the course of society itself.
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8 Fairy Tail
Despite featuring a world made almost entirely of wizards, Fairy Tail functions much more like a standard battle shonen than most magic-focused stories. Rather than existing as an ethereal force mages need to study, nearly every character has their own distinct magic virtually indistinguishable from One Piece’s devil fruits or JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s stands. Still, the show is a sprawling adventure epic that focuses on the wizards of the Fairy Tail guild and the magic that allows their found family to thrive.
7 Fate/Zero
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The Fate franchise spans a number of semi-self-contained stories, each with a similar premise. A battle royale takes place where mages summon great heroes from history to help them battle for the ultimate prize — the Holy Grail. Fate/Zero is among the strongest overall entries in the series, combining epic battles between Heroic Spirits and the creative use of magic. Zero stands apart from the rest of its cannon by introducing “mage kills” Kiritsugu Emiya, who uses clever tactics and modern weaponry to defeat some of the world’s most powerful mages.
6 KonoSuba
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A satire that pulls no punches, KonoSuba is a hilarious takedown of both isekai and magic stories. Kazuma Sato thought he was beginning a classic isekai story by rescuing a classmate from an oncoming truck, but when he meets the goddess who will reincarnate him, she laughs and tells him the girl would have survived without his help. Embarrassed and vengeful, Kasuma traps the goddess in this new world with him, and the pair struggle to survive as barely-functional adventurers.
5 The Irregular At Magic High School
From Mashle to Black Clover, the hero who’s inept at magic in a world of wizards has become an increasingly popular trope within the subgenre. While Tasuya Shiba doesn’t quite fall into the category due to his unique and terrifying magic skill, he finds the majority of his success at First High School by relying on his engineering knowledge and combat abilities. He’ll rely on these techniques to survive school and serve as the bodyguard to his twin sister Miyuki.
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4 Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
An all-time classic anime series, Magi puts a fantastical spin on a number of classic tales from One Thousand and One Nights. The series primarily pulls inspiration from Aladdin and Ali Baba (and later Sinbad), envisioning a world where the heroes from these tales must enter magical dungeons to claim the power of a Djinn.
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The series is a sprawling epic focused tightly on a budding friendship between its leads as they journey through a vibrant but dangerous world.
3 The Ancient Magus’ Bride
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A supernatural love story heavily inspired by Beauty and the Beast, The Ancient Magus’ Bride focuses on orphaned high schooler Chise Hatori who makes the dark but practical decision to put herself up for auction for a chance at a new home. Much to her surprise, she is won by a giant figure with an animal skull where his head should be. Over the course of their relationship, Chise will discover not only a strange secret world but her own magic within.
2 Puella Magi Madoka Magica
What Chainsaw Man is to battle shonen, Madoka Magica is to magical girl stories. It’s a dark satire that pulls the rug out from under the viewer in the best possible way. The series puts a unique spin on both magical girls and witches, exploring the dark reality of a world that actually relies on young girls risking their lives to slay unknowable monsters.
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It is a haunting story that allows its main characters to get truly creative with how they utilize their magic powers.
1 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
An adorable and unique isekai tale, Slime’s hero is transported to a new world after getting stabbed in the street. His dying thoughts are seen by the new world’s magic system as wishes that result in him being reborn as a slime. Despite his seeming weakness, the character that will eventually be named Rimiru Tempest has a huge advantage — the magical ability of Predator that allows him to devour anything and use its abilities. That skill will soon make this little slime one of the most powerful and magical beings in the world.
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NEXT: Best Anime With A Female Protagonist
