For years, Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan has maintained its position as one of the dominant forces in the anime industry. Attack on Titan took the world by storm upon its anime adaptation by Wit Studio, before it was followed up by its continuation by Studio MAPPA. Thanks to its overwhelming popularity, the series remains one of the highest-rated series ever on platforms like MyAnimeList.
For a while, Attack on Titan was the king of dark shonen, showcasing gruesome plotlines and action that kept fans always coming back for more. Sadly, the series has officially been surpassed by one of the biggest returning shonen hits of 2026, Bleach. Bleach officially beat Attack on Titan with a score of 9.12/10 on MyAnimeList, with no sign of slowing down as new, exciting episodes rack up one after the other. Attack on Titan would need a new anime project if it hopes to regain its high ranking.
Attack on Titan is an iconic series by Hajime Isayama. In manga form, it first debuted in 2009 in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine, but its true breakthrough came in 2013 when the series was picked up by Wit Studio. The series would reach new levels of fame with its Return to Shinganshina arc adapted by WIT Studio. Because of how sensational this series has been, by the end of its run, it established itself as one of the highest-rated anime series of all time. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2, its peak, is rated incredibly highly on MyAnimeList, and it currently sits at a rating of 9.05/10. This makes it the 10th-highest-rated anime of all time. However, its 10th spot is actually a drop from its previous ranking. Previously, Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 was the second-highest-rated anime of all time, behind only Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Technically, Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 1 was also number 1 for a short while. Even after the rise of other big hits, the series remained around the top five highest-rated anime of all time for a short while, but most recently, it has been surpassed by a new and rising shonen release, pushing it further down the list.
Indeed, Attack on Titan's current biggest rival is Bleach, which is a legendary series known by almost all anime fans. While the anime adaptation of the series ended in 2012, it made a return in 2022 with the Thousand-Year Blood War arc that was previously not brought to life by Studio Pierrot. Since 2022, Thousand-Year Blood War has been getting yearly seasons, and currently its last edition, Part 4, is airing. Needless to say, it has been sensational, and because of that, it has received a new high rating. On MyAnimeList, Bleach: The Thousand Year Blood War Part 4 officially ranks at 9.12/10. Overall, this makes it the second-highest-rated anime of all time, just behind Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 1.
Bleach just surpassed Re:Zero Season 4, but their scores are neck and neck, and rankings could shift again. For now, Bleach is only 0.13 behind Frieren, and as the story continues and edges towards its end, the franchise could reach sky-high levels on rating platforms and potentially become the single highest-rated anime of all time.
Bleach is not a new series by any means. The story by Tite Kubo has long been referred to as one of the best shonen series of all time and considered to be among the most impactful stories of the 2000s. It is considered, alongside One Piece and Naruto, one of the Big Three series that defined shonen. While Bleach is big, having sold 130 million copies overall with 74 volumes, it is often overshadowed by other big shonen like One Piece, Naruto, and even newer hits like Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer. Sales-wise, it’s even overshadowed by Attack on Titan, as Isayama’s hit currently has over 140 million sales with only 34 volumes.
However, Bleach's return after years, with a new, stylish adaptation that cut down filler and improved animation, definitely helped repopularize the series. Most recently, what really stood out to fans is the new content added to the Thousand Year Blood War that was never in the manga. It was revealed that Tite Kubo aided in the creation of the Thousand Year Blood War anime through newly revealed plots and information that he was previously unable to include in the manga due to his health issues and time constraints while writing the arc. This gave birth to some exciting and new iconic moments.
What propelled the rating of the series most recently was Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4, Episode 5, titled "Life To Defend You". In this episode, Orihime took the lead, and her new character moment, written by Tite Kubo, has taken the anime community by storm. Orihime sacrificed herself in the latest episode released on August 22, 2026, through her power of rejection. Using this power, not only did she prevent Ichigo's death, but she moved forward to erase the most overpowered antagonist of the whole series, Yhwach. Orihime’s new terrifying aura and unexpected plot twist that manga readers didn't expect made it a shocking episode that propelled its rating and quickly made it a fan favorite episode.
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