5 Best Recent Fantasy Anime for Every Hardcore Lord of the Rings Fan, Ranked by IMDb

Magic, thrilling adventures, other worlds – all this can be an inexhaustible source of inspiration and help to take a break from the routine of everyday life. These five fantasy anime series will satisfy even the most demanding Lord of the Rings fans.

5. Land of the Lustrous, 2017

IMDb Rating: 7.9/10

In the distant past, people fled to the sea from an unknown disaster, where they were divided into bone, flesh, and spirit. A race of immortal jewels was born from bone.

Twenty-eight jewels live on a small island – they do not grow up and feed on sunlight. One day, one of the weakest jewels, Phos, is given the task of creating an encyclopedia on the history of her people, and Phos is forced to turn to the hermit Cinnabar for help.

Land of the Lustrous is a profound work that explores the question of what makes us human, and whether it is possible to remain yourself when every part of you is eventually replaced by something else.

4. The Dragon Prince, 2018-…

IMDb Rating: 8.3/10

The world of The Dragon Prince is reminiscent of classic European fantasy. The inhabited continent is divided into two parts – human kingdoms and the magical land of Xadia, inhabited by elves and other magical creatures, including dragons, who keep order and guard the borders.

All magical creatures have a connection to one of the six elements, and only humans are deprived of it. This is why they invented the seventh form – dark magic, which takes the power of killed magical creatures. With its help they deal with the king of the dragons and break the shaky peace between the kingdoms.

3. Made in Abyss, 2017-…

IMDb Rating: 8.4/10

Orphan Riko lives in a town built on the cliffs around a huge Abyss. No one knows how deep the Abyss is, or if it even ends. And the Abyss is impossible to fully explore – if it is relatively easy to descend, it is almost impossible to climb back.

One day, Riko finds the robot boy Reg on the upper level of the Abyss and learns that her mother, who disappeared a long time ago, might still be alive. Together with Reg, the girl decides to embark on a journey from which she may never return.

While watching Made in Abyss, you should not be deceived by the simplified design of the main characters – what awaits you is an unexpected, sometimes extremely cruel spectacle, unfolding in a world designed with great imagination and skill.

2. Vinland Saga, 2019-2023

IMDb Rating: 8.8/10

The plot of the anime takes us to Europe in the 11th century, during the bloody conquests of the Vikings. During one of these battles, Thorfinn's father dies. He is killed in a duel by the treacherous robber Askeladd. Obsessed with revenge, Thorfinn longs to fight his father's murderer.

Askeladd allows the boy to join a band of mercenaries – for every military achievement, Thorfinn is given the opportunity to defeat his father's murderer in a fair duel.

Vinland Saga is a sweeping, haunting tale of revenge based on the great manga by Makoto Yukimura. Much attention is paid to the historical setting: in the world based on the Icelandic sagas, there is no place for a clear line between good and evil, battles and the horrors of war are depicted as realistically as possible, and many characters have real-life prototypes.

1. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, 2023-…

IMDb Rating: 9.0/10

A band of heroes – the knight Himmel, the priest Heiter, the dwarf warrior Eisen and the elf mage Frieren – defeat the demon lord and save the world. After 50 years, the immortal Frieren visits her friends to bury Himmel. After another 20 years, it's Heiter's turn. Dwarves, of course, live much longer than humans, but even Eisen's time will soon come to an end.

And only Frieren, who has lived for more than a thousand years, does not change at all and travels around the world, century after century, in order to fully understand magic. And having achieved her goal, she decides to embark on a new journey to finally understand human nature – in memory of his deceased friends.

The anime, already named by many as the best title of the year, along with numerous battles and adventures, shows us a simple truth – we should learn to better understand those around us, because nothing lasts forever, even if you are an immortal elf.