If you happen to’re a fan of xianxia donghua and cultivation anime, you’ve most likely seen how the panorama has advanced over the previous a number of years. What began with a couple of breakout hits has grown right into a wealthy catalog of high-quality Chinese language animation. Right now I’m sharing my private prime 3 xianxia donghua rankings for yearly from 2018 via 2026.
These rankings mirror the collection that impressed me most every year based mostly on story, animation high quality, character improvement, and general leisure worth. Let’s dive in.
My High 3 Xianxia Donghua Each 12 months (2018–2026) | Finest Cultivation Anime Rankings
2018–2020: The Dominance of Soul Land and Battle By way of the Heavens
Within the late 2010s, two giants dominated the xianxia donghua scene: Soul Land (Douluo Dalu) and Battle By way of the Heavens (Doupo Cangqiong).
From 2018 to 2020, these two constantly occupied my prime two spots. Soul Land delivered dependable storytelling and likable characters, whereas Battle By way of the Heavens stored viewers hooked with Xiao Yan’s relentless climb. In 2019, Martial Universe earned the third spot due to its strong adaptation of Lin Dong’s journey. By 2020, Swallowed Star joined the checklist, mixing cultivation with sci-fi parts in a refreshing manner.
These years felt just like the golden basis of recent cultivation anime. The manufacturing high quality was rising, and the fanbase was increasing quickly.
2021–2022: A Shift within the Rankings
In 2021, the order flipped. Battle By way of the Heavens claimed the number-one place, adopted by Soul Land. Stellar Transformations rounded out the highest three with Qin Yu’s cosmic-scale journey.
2022 stayed related on the prime, however Jade Dynasty (Zhu Xian) took third place. This collection introduced a extra conventional xianxia environment and stronger emotional storytelling that many followers, together with myself, appreciated.
2023–2025: The Rise of New Powerhouses
All the things modified in 2023. A File of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality (Fanren Xiu Xian Chuan) exploded onto the scene regardless of initially airing in 2020 and instantly took my prime spot. Its trustworthy adaptation, detailed cultivation system, and wonderful animation made it the brand new benchmark for xianxia donghua.
That very same yr, Battle By way of the Heavens and Soul Land nonetheless held sturdy in second and third. By 2024 and 2025, the rankings advanced additional. A File of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality remained primary, whereas Renegade Immortal (Xian Ni) climbed into the second place with Wang Lin’s intense and well-paced story. In 2025, Tales of Herding Gods (Mu Shen Ji) earned third place, praised for its distinctive world-building and artistic energy system.
2026: A New Stability
2026, the competitors feels extra open than ever. Tales of Herding Gods at the moment sits at primary for me, adopted by A File of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality and Renegade Immortal. These three collection characterize the present peak of high quality in cultivation anime.
Why These Rankings Matter
What makes a nice xianxia donghua? For me, it’s a mix of constant animation high quality, significant character progress, and a cultivation system that feels rewarding to look at. Sequence like Soul Land and Battle By way of the Heavens constructed the muse. Newer titles comparable to A File of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality, Renegade Immortal, and Tales of Herding Gods have raised the bar even greater.
The xianxia style continues to enhance yr after yr. Studios are investing extra in visuals, voice appearing, and story pacing. In consequence, followers now have extra high-quality choices than ever earlier than.
These rankings are fully private and based mostly on my viewing expertise every year. Your checklist would possibly look completely different relying on what you worth most—motion, romance, world-building, or pure cultivation development.
Whether or not you’re new to xianxia donghua or a longtime fan, I hope this yearly breakdown helps you uncover (or rediscover) some wonderful cultivation anime. Which collection sits on the prime of your checklist proper now? Be at liberty to share your individual rankings within the feedback.
The golden age of xianxia donghua is way from over—and if the previous couple of years are any indication, the perfect continues to be but to come back.
Final Up to date on September 14, 2026 by Yu Alexius
