Now that the Summer season is a few weeks in, we are roughly halfway through the2025 animecalendar. The year has been fantastic so far, and an argument could be made that the best is yet to come. Although it is still too early to pick theanime of the year, a few contenders have already laid claim to the title and will almost certainly be in the discussion by December.
Solo Leveling Season 2is one of these shows, but is itthe AOTYso far? Naturally, everyone has their favorites, so the answer will vary from person to person. There is no such thing as an objective winner; however, let’s attempt to get as close to that as possible.
So, we’ve taken the year’s best anime so far and calculated their average scores from these websites: MyAnimeList, Kitsu, Anime-Planet, IMDb, and Livechart.me. Consequently, this data can be used to create a ranking of the highest-rated 2025 anime so far, based on thousands of ratings from five sources that might have slightly different audiences.
Here are a few criteria and notes:
Honorable Mentions
Before getting into the highest-rated 2025 anime so far, let’s include a few honorable mentions.
8.40
IMDb (Average of Episodes 1–16):8.72
8.31
IMDb (Average of Episodes):8.84
8.27
IMDb (Average of 2025 Episodes):8.46
8.26
IMDb (Average of 2025 Episodes):8.18
Kitsu:8.39
Livechart:8.47
Ending 2024 on a high and maintaining that momentum for 2025,Orb: On the Movements of the Earthmight be the most one-of-a-kind anime of the last few years. Set in 15th-century Poland and featuring a revolving roster of protagonists who all build upon their predecessors' work,Orbis ambitious, beautifully, fantastically written, and consistently intense.
So, what is the story? Well, the Church is all-powerful and tells people what to think, and going against these teachings can be punishable by death. According to the institution, the Earth is the center of the universe and exists right under Heaven; however, a few scholars who are fascinated by the stars refuse to believe this is the truth. They are willing to risk everything to learn how the universe works.
Orbis about humanity’s inherent craving for knowledge and independence, all the while showing their capacity for executing horrors that are also pure evil. The anime has quite a few slow moments, but it is never boring, and the highs are dizzying.
Livechart:8.54
Ah,Re:ZERO, the mosthighly-acclaimed isekai animeand, simultaneously, one of the most polarizing. While the light novels are generally regarded as superior, the adaptation has done an admirable job of introducing a wider audience to Subaru, Emilia, and Rem, all the while telling a challenging narrative that incorporates time travel, horror, visceral action, and significant structural shifts. Every season is different from the last, and the third entry is about as close to battle shonen asRe:ZEROwill ever get. After airing the first eight episodes in 2024, the show came roaring back with perhaps its strongest stretch to date, as long as you are generally fine with a heavier focus on fights.
Out of all the AOTY contenders highlighted in this article,Re:ZEROis the hardest to outright recommend, just because it seems unlikely that too many new viewers are going to jump on board this late in the story’s run. Still, if you have never tried this series, I would advise changing that. You might hate it, but you might also love it.
IMDb (Average of Episodes 1-5):9.56
Livechart:8.13
Here it is, the Summer 2025 exception.
Takopi’s Original Sinis a short series consisting of just six episodes, so most of the story has been told. More importantly, this anime is ALREADY something special, regardless of the quality of the final chapter. Genuinely challenging to sit through, this psychological drama touches upon child abuse, neglect, bullying, murder, manipulation, desperation, depression, and suicide. That combination would be too exhausting for most anime, butTakopi’s Original Sinhandles these themes with a daft touchand sobering confidence. Do not be tricked by the adorable mascot-esque alien; this is 2025’s most mature and, at times, terrifying anime.
Coming from a planet defined by naive, happy aliens, Takopi wants to spread that joy to Shizuka, a young girl who is being bullied at school and is clearly at her wits' end. While Shizuka is the most sympathetic character in the first two episodes, Takopi’s gradual loss of innocence drives the narrative forward, as both the alien and the audience are repeatedly shown humanity at its worst. Yet, an element of hope persists, even if it seems to be fleeting.
IMDb (Average of Season 2 Episodes):8.31
Kitsu:8.88
Livechart:8.64
The Apothecary Diariesis a masterpiece that has had the misfortune of airing alongside bothFrieren: Beyond Journey’s EndandSolo Leveling, two anime capable of overshadowing pretty much any competition. Honestly, if you were to argue that Maomao’s story is better than either of those series, I would not fight you. Season 2 is just slightly superior to its predecessor, and it builds splendidly towards an incredible final stretch of episodes that manages to provide a temporary satisfying conclusion while also setting the stage for a sequel, which has already been announced.
On the surface,The Apothecary Diariesis a mystery anime about a girl, Maomao, who uses her expertise in poison to solve cases within a country’s imperial court. The cases present interesting riddles, but their greatness lies in their constant ability to introduce complex characters who shine a light on the setting’s wider politics. Also, Maomao is just the perfect protagonist.
IMDb (Average of Season 2 Episodes):9.01
Kitsu:8.78
Livechart:8.96
Yep; so far,Solo Levelingis the AOTY. Say what you want about the show, and plenty of people have, but its success is fairly easy to understand. The anime has great and dependable action, with basically every episode incorporating an exciting fight (or multiple). Sung Jinwoo is not the most complex character in anime history, but he is cool and quite charming, along with having a relatable motivation to save his mother.
While he is so OP that nearly none of season 2’s enemies present anything resembling a challenge, Sung’s moveset is not static, and he is constantly unlocking new shadows and tools to use in battle. Not everyone enjoys or wants an aura farming story, butSolo Levelingdoes it better than nearly every other series. In terms of pure action anime,Solo Leveling Season 2is the new standard.
