Over the last few decades, anime has become incredibly mainstream, and obviously quite a few anime series that came out a long time ago are not up to the standard of modern anime. Many series that are still popular in 2026 have rather outdated adaptations, and these brilliant stories definitely deserve new adaptations. New anime adaptations can fix a number of their problems, from animation and pacing issues to incomplete stories. It can also be a way to expose the series to new fans.
With many iconic series receiving remakes, there are some amazing anime that are more than deserving of their own remakes, with some already having confirmed remakes like One Piece.
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Naruto
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Original release date: 2002
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Main Character: Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto is one of the most legendary manga and anime series of all time. The story of this manga follows Naruto Uzumaki and it's a pretty exciting ninja story that everyone, anime fan or not, has heard of. The Naruto the anime started in 2002 and ended in 2014. Undeniably, Naruto is waiting for an anime remake now more than ever. After all, the big shonen hit One Piece is currently still ongoing, but it's also getting a remake.
The quality of the Naruto anime still holds up even now in 2026 in terms of animation, but the original series has a lot of filler and a modern adaptation could elevate this work. With Naruto's large fan base, this could only be a huge success.
Crazy
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Original release date: 1997
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Main Character: Gut
Crazy is one of the most famous seinen manga series of all time. While his manga is incredibly popular, it has never been properly adapted into an anime, although several attempts have been made. As such, even now in 2026, Berserk still doesn't have any impressive anime adaptation, which is quite disappointing considering its exciting story.
There are several reasons why Berserk doesn't have a great anime adaptation, one of them being Kentaro Miura's extremely complex art style. Still, Berserk more than deserves a modern makeover. While the anime could never capture Berserk's essence as well as the manga, it's still worth a try.
Dragon Ball
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Original release date: 1986
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Main Character: Goku
Dragon Ball he is known as the father of shonen and this is due to the fact that he influenced many works that came after him such as One Piece, Naruto and Bleach among others. Even in 2026, Dragon Ball still has several new projects. Just recently, Dragon Ball Daima was animated and fans can look forward to it in the future Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol deliver new content.
While all of these projects are exciting, fans would also like to see remakes of the already animated Dragon Ball series. For example, the original Dragon Ball series with the adventures of little Goku is quite outdated, and considering how popular Dragon Ball is today, a modern remake of some of its older parts could only be a great success.
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Yu Yu Hakusho
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Original release date: 1992
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Main Character: Yusuke Urameshi
Togashi is a legendary mangaka, and although most fans know him today for his work on Hunter x Hunter, his original hit series was Yu Yu Hakusho. Yu Yu Hakushohowever, it is now quite dated and most fans have moved on from the story as it has not received any new content for a long time.
As with many older manga series, it deserves its own modern remake. Yu Yu Hakusho it would be the perfect series to remake because it would bring the story to life and introduce it to younger anime fans. A remake of the show could also be perfect for Hunter x Hunter fans who have been waiting for their own anime to return.
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One piece
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Original release date: 1999
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Main Character: Monkey D. Luffy
One piece is the best-selling manga worldwide and is currently being adapted into an anime by Toei Animation. With that said, One piece already has a confirmed remake in the works and definitely needs one despite its ongoing anime. This is because the early part One piece they are already quite outdated.
Most of all, the One Piece anime struggles with terrible pacing and a lot of deviations from the source material. It must also be said that in many arcs the animation is below average. Wit Studio's remake remains without a release date, but fans are still pretty excited to see a new take on Eiichiro Oda's iconic manga.
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Claymore
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Original release date: 2007
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Main Character: Clare
Claymore is the shonen version of Berserk, and needless to say, it's one of the most popular manga series of all time. While Claymore's manga is phenomenal, it suffered from a subpar anime adaptation. Not only was the anime adaptation itself poor compared to the incredible source material, but the series also never finished the manga's story.
When the Claymore anime aired, the manga was still ongoing. When the anime caught up with the manga, it just stopped. As such, much of Claymore's story remains untold in the anime. A Claymore remake could fix all this and give the story a proper conclusion with more modern animation.
Tokyo Ghoul
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Original release date: 2011
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Main Character: Ken Kaneki
In the 2010s Tokyo Ghoul was one of the most popular anime series. His first season was incredible. However, everything that followed was a terrible attempt at rewriting and deviating from the manga's story. It's definitely a series that desperately needs a modern remake, especially given its quality.
With that being said, any remake for the Tokyo Ghoul anime should stay true to the source material if it wants to succeed and not fail where the first adaptation failed. Ken Kaneki's gory story could reach the same popularity as Isayama's Attack on Titan if done right.
Inuyasha
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Original release date: 2000
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Main Character: Inuyasha
In the last few years Rumiko Takahashi, the legendary Mangaka, has had many of her works remade. Notably, fans have recently seen Ranma 1/2 getting a modern remake and still getting new anime seasons.
Thanks to the remake, Ranma 1/2 gained a lot of popularity after being a forgotten manga series for a long time. Rumiko Takahashi's most popular work, Inuyashadeserves a remake anime for similar reasons. Inuyasha is one of the most popular isekai stories of all time, and it's a show that's still talked about even now in 2026. With a modern remake, the series could start over and gain a new and younger fan base.
