Best Free Anime To Watch On Crunchyroll

Anime fans love having a reliable source of new media to consume, and if you ask anyone, the first name...

Anime fans love having a reliable source of new media to consume, and if you ask anyone, the first name that comes to mind is going to be Crunchyroll. Offering dubs and subs in many different languages, Crunchyroll offers plenty of exciting new shows to watch and enjoy.

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However, it seems that their increase in Premium Content has come with a Premium Subscription, and some fans may not find that the $7.99 asking price is worth it. Thankfully, there are still plenty of excellent shows available for fans of the genre to watch, and here are some of the best options currently available to stream at no cost!

Best Anime To Stream For Free On Crunchyroll

While there is an overwhelming amount of shows to watch on the platform, these are going to be some of the best options currently available for Anime fans to indulge themselves with. No matter if you are watching on your Nintendo Switch or Mobile Device, find these options as soon as possible.

Spy x Family

Spy-X-Family-Featured-Image
Image: Tatsuya Endo, Shueisha, SPY x FAMILY Project

For a good reason, Spy x Family is one of the most popular Shonen manga! It is heartwarming family series that mixes comedy with drama. What makes this one of the best free anime to watch on Crunchyroll is that Season 1 offers all episodes with an English dub if that is what you like. Here is the official synopsis for Spy x Family: World peace is at stake, and secret agent Twilight must undergo his most challenging mission yet—pretend to be a family man. Posing as a loving husband and father, he’ll infiltrate an elite school to get close to a high-profile politician. He has the perfect cover, except his wife’s a deadly assassin, and neither knows the other’s identity. But someone does, his adopted daughter, who’s a telepath!

Vinland Saga

Vinland-Saga
Image: Crunchyroll

One of the best anime out there today, Vinland Saga serves as an intimate study of its main character, Thorfinn Karlsefni. The young Icelandic lad grows from an aspiring warrior who wishes to emulate his father to seeing the real horrors of battle firsthand, to actively participating. It’s in this series that you see his radical developments as a protagonist and the futility of holding grudges against your enemies. The English subbed first season developed by WIT Studio is available for free on Crunchyroll as of August 2023!

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu-Kaisen

While fans are waiting for the newest season of Jujutsu Kaisen to premier, those that have found themselves loving the manga really should give this show a watch. Covering many of the initial first arcs of the story, MAPPA delivers action and excitement on every level. Overall, a great show for someone looking for action, adventure, and quick jokes. The full first season is available to stream at no cost.

Undead Murder Farce – Season 1

Undead-Murder-Farce-Episode-4-Review
Image: ©Yugo Aosaki,Kodansha/THE CAGE USERS

Undead Murder Farce is a brand new anime series currently rated 4.9 stars. You can watch Season 1 without a premium subscription making it a great way to see if this new series is for you. Here is the official synopsis: In this world, creatures like vampires and werewolves still walk about, but Aya Rindo can’t say the same for herself. This beautiful disembodied head, carried by her maid Shizuku Hasei, is a detective searching for her stolen body. One evening, they meet half-human Oni Slayer Tsugaru Shunichi, who offers a lending hand. Now, the trio is traveling through Europe, solving mysteries.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Seasons 1 – 4

Jojos-Bizarre-Adventure

For those fans looking to lose themselves in four seasons of excellent anime, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure follows the Joestar Clan throughout generations of adventures. Featuring a colorful cast of characters, and an overarching story that features some of the most iconic imagery around, fans who haven’t taken the chance to watch this show need to stop what they’re doing and check it out as soon as possible.

My Hero Academia – Seasons 1 – 5

My-Hero-Academia

One of the most popular franchises on the planet, My Hero Academia is popular enough to recently be featured as a main attraction in Fortnite. Following the adventures of Izuku Midoriya and his classmates, fans have grown to love all of the characters in this colorful and charming anime, full to the brim with action. An easy anime to get into for a first-time viewer, and will have them hooked until the very end.

Mob Psycho 100 – Seasons 1, 2, OVA

Mob-Psycho-100

Created by One, Mob Psycho 100 started as a webcomic turned Anime and has kept fans entertained since its first season. As fans tune into the adventures of Mob and friends, viewers are in for a treat as they follow along on this journey. While the newest season may be trapped behind the Premium Subscription, fans can still watch the first 2 seasons and the OVA film at no cost.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – Seasons 1 and 2

Mushoku-Tensei-Jobless-Reincarnation-Season-1
Image: Toho Animation

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’s first season was an insane hit due to the animation style used during the combat scenes. Season 2 started during the 2023 summer anime season and is also available to watch for free with ads. Here is the official Synopsis: When a 34-year-old underachiever gets run over by a truck, his story doesn’t end there. Reincarnated in a new world as an infant, Rudy will seize every opportunity to live the life he’s always wanted. Armed with new friends, some freshly acquired magical abilities, and the courage to do the things he’s always dreamed of, he’s embarking on an epic adventure—with all his experience intact!

Dragon Quest: The Adventures Of Dai

Dragon-Quest-The-Adventures-Of-Dai

Dragon Quest: The Adventure Of Dai takes viewers on a magical and beautiful adventure throughout the world of Dragon Quest. Featuring gorgeous animation and beautiful environments, viewers are in for a treat no matter how much Dragon Quest knowledge they may have. Great as an entry point into the franchise, much like the excellent Dragon Quest Treasures, or to supplement the wait until a new entry in the franchise, The Adventure Of Dai is a long series with plenty to love.

One Punch Man – Season 1

One-Punch-Man

Much like Mob Psycho 100, One Punch Man offers quick humor in a unique style. Featuring a man grown bored with his physical powers, viewers will grow to love Saitama and his snarky wit, Geno and his adoration of the hero, and everything in between. An excellent view, and while the second season is not as high quality as the first, only the First Season is available to view here, anyway.

Fire Force – Subbed

Fire-Force

While the dubbed version of Fire Force may be locked behind the Premium Subscription, fans can get their fix on this superpowered drama by watching the subbed version for no cost. Following along with a gang of Fire Fighters embued with magical powers, this Anime takes viewers through a rollercoaster of events, taking a normal job and flipping it on its head.

Mashle: Magic and Muscle – Season 1 English Dub

Mashle-Magic-and-Muscles
Image: Hajime Komoto

Sadly, the Mashle: Magic and Muscles manga series ended in 2023, but the anime series is still ongoing. You can watch the first season in full English dub to catch up with the series before it ends. Here is the official synopsis: This is a world of magic. This is a world in which everyone casually uses magic. In a deep, dark forest in this world of magic, a boy is singlemindedly working out. His name is Mash Burnedead, and he has a secret. He can’t use magic. All he wanted was to live a quiet life with his family, but people suddenly started trying to kill him one day, and he somehow enrolled in Magic School. There, he sets his sights on becoming a “Divine Visionary,” the elite of the elite. Will his ripped muscles work against the best and brightest of the wizarding world?

One Piece

One-Piece

For Anime fans hoping to lose countless hours of their life, One Piece is available to view at no cost on Crunchyroll. As one of the longest-running shows in any medium, fans that are looking to devote a ton of time to this anime are in for a treat. Following along with the adventures of the Straw Hat Gang, there are plenty of loveable characters, story arcs that take crazy turns, and memes that this franchise has inspired.

Naruto Shippuden

Naruto-Shippuden

Naruto Shippuden is one of the most popular anime of all time, so popular that viewers could ask someone completely uninterested in the medium and they’d likely know about it. Watching Naruto as he learns his power and grows is a joy, even if there is a fair bit of filler in this particular anime. A great watch through and through, and available in full at no cost.

Dragon Ball Super

Dragonball-Super

With Goku finally taking a break from the constant drain of fighting super-powered enemies, Dragon Ball Super starts with Goku enjoying his new life as a Radish Farmer. However, it seems that fate can’t keep him from doing what he does best, as this new story takes fans of the series up against Beerus and his reign of doom. One of the best Dragon Ball arcs on the market, has Goku finally met his match? Find out on the next episode of Dragon Ball Z.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – English Dub

Demon-Slayer-Season-3-Episode-12
Image: ©Koyoharu Gotoge / SHUEISHA, Aniplex, ufotable

If you love anime with striking visuals, Demon Slayer is the series you must check out immediately. While the visuals will bring you to this anime series, the human themes and excellent cast will make you stay. Here is the official synopsis for Demon Slayer: It is the Taisho Period in Japan. Tanjiro, a kindhearted boy who sells charcoal for a living, finds his family slaughtered by a demon. To make matters worse, his younger sister Nezuko, the sole survivor, has been transformed into a demon. Though devastated by this grim reality, Tanjiro resolves to become a “demon slayer” to turn his sister back into a human and kill the demon that massacred his family.

Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw-Man-Anime
Image: MAPPA

An instant fan favorite and a uniquely entertaining submission from MAPPA, the Shonen Dark Trio got their second anime with Chainsaw Man. It’s got some strong animation, a love for pop culture references, and each episode got a unique ending theme (Episode 5 in particular got a banger.) Chainsaw Man features a world ravaged by devils representing the populace’s fear of any given object or creature, with tomatoes ranking lower, and guns/chainsaws closer to the top. The more potent the fear, the more dangerous the devil becomes. The characters of this series are wildly varied, fascinating, and equally engaging instead of solely focusing on the protagonist. That being said, Denji rocks, even if he’s a morally nuanced character with less-than-noble intentions at times.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury

Mobile-Suit-Gundam-Witch-from-Mercury-English-Cast
Image: Sunrise

Ahh Gundam, you deserved to make this list, and the most recent iteration of the iconic franchise was a true return to form. The Witch From Mercury is the best Gundam in recent memory, boasting movie-quality animation and some crazy combat moments, along with some pretty shocking twists. The series was always far more than its basic surface appeal of giant battling robot suits, with this show discussing the grim implications of child soldiers in war while still maintaining a plucky spirit.

With all of the high-quality content available, there is more than enough to keep any anime fan excited for what’s coming next on Crunchyroll. Being able to view all of these exciting anime, and maybe finding a new favorite to binge over these winter months is more than enough to keep fans and newcomers intrigued as to what could be coming to the free tier of the platform next.

Crunchyroll is available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mobile Devices, and PC.

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Author
Shaun Cichacki
As a fan of RPGs, Action & Retro titles, Shaun has been gaming since he was a young boy. Alongside an affection towards Metal Gear Solid, you can find him jumping into anything new and exciting. As a newer writer, Shaun has been working in the Games field for just over 1 year in total and is continuing to learn and grow with experience.
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Matthew Kevin Mitchell
Matthew Kevin Mitchell has been a contributing writer for Attack of the Fanboy and PC Invasion since 2022. Matthew primarily covers Manga like One Piece, horror movies like Scream, and survival horror games like Dead by Daylight. His favorite moment came during his first press event covering Scream 6 for AotF. He hails from Denver, Colorado, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Regis University. When he isn’t scaring himself silly or writing, he loves to play ice hockey, spoil his dog, and drink an unhealthy amount of coffee.
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J.R. Waugh
J.R. is a Staff Writer with AOTF and has been covering gaming and entertainment in the industry since 2022. Along with a B.A. in History from the University of Cincinnati, he has studied at the University of Birmingham, UK, and part of his M.A. at the University of Waterloo. You'll find J.R. particularly at home writing about the hottest manga and anime. He is highly passionate about horror, strategy, and RPGs, and anything about Star Trek or LOTR. When not ranting about fan theories or writing guides, J.R. is streaming his favorite RPGs and other forgotten gems.