Crunchyroll’s Darkest Anime of 2026 Just Became a Gripping Espionage Thriller

At any given time, the most popular anime on Crunchyroll are about battling supernatural enemies, demon possession, and apocalyptic cataclysms. However, the darkest new series of the year may be the historical Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia. The series stands out from the shonen fare that typically dominates Crunchyroll — both in content and in art style. It tells the story of a well-educated slave in 13th Century Persia who is captured by Mongol conquerors and seeks to use her knowledge to take them down from within. It’s a heart-stopping thriller combining medieval action with royal politics and espionage, and it manages to be incredibly chilling even by the standards of Crunchyroll, where main characters are regularly put through the wringer.

Jaadugar: A Witch’s Life in Mongolia just premiered on Saturday, July 4 and is airing week-to-week now on Crunchyroll. The six episodes we’ve seen so far have already subjected the heroine, Sitara (Akira Sekine/Cristina Vee) to as much heartache as Yuji Itadori, or perhaps even Eren Yeager. The series is a reminder that true historical events can be just as shocking as the fictional adventures concocted by artists, and that breaking the mold in an established medium can resonate with a wide audience. Jaadugar is rapidly turning anime fans into history buffs, and vice versa.

‘Jaadugar’s Story and Art Both Draw From History

Image via Science Saru

Before even delving into its grimdark story, Jaadugar stands out on Crunchyroll due to its unique art style. This goes back to the original manga by Japanese artist Tomato Soup. In 2024, she told the Japanese news outlet An An that she was trying to imbue her work with the style of medieval art and manuscripts, since they play such a large role in the story. In her mind, this meant making things less “realistic,” yet still expressive and vibrant.

The result is a show that looks deceptively soft and colorful on the surface. Some of the cutesy character designs are at odds with the violence depicted, and that only serves to make the impact even more brutal. Even worse — the series is generally accurate to history as far as scholars understand it today. The city of Tus was sacked by Mongols in 1220 CE, and characters including Tolui (Ryōta Suzuki/Alex Mai) and Sorghaghtani (Misaki Kuno/Emi Lo) were real historical figures that shaped the fate of civilization.

Tomato Soup even considered making a real historical figure the protagonist of the series. She originally planned the manga around Töregene (Ami Koshimizu/Michelle Rojas), but later decided that Sitara made a more interesting perspective. She also gives the audience a better view of the size of the Mongol Empire, and the human cost of its conquests. It might be a stretch to call the show educational, but it certainly invites curiosity from the viewers, and could conceivably lead some to seek out more information on a chapter of history they haven’t learned about before — particularly for Western audiences. The timing is excellent, as just last year National Geographic aired a docu-series called Genghis Kahn: The Secret History of the Mongols, which is now streaming on Hulu in the U.S.

In the show, Sitara’s education makes her a valuable asset to the Mongols as they seek to hold onto their power and adopt the advanced technology of their conquered lands. She is enslaved by Tolui, the youngest son of Genghis Khan, and ingratiates herself to Tolui’s wife Sorghaghtani. Sorghaghtani has lofty ambitions of bringing Western technology and scholarship into Mongol society, and Sitara hopes to use her position at the princess’ side to take revenge for the destruction of Tus.

‘Jaadugar’ Makes History Feel Personal

Image via Science Saru

Jaadugar is an ongoing series, though its historical basis gives us some idea of where the story is headed. Still, the show evokes so much suspense by focusing on the fictional character Sitara, leaving the audience wondering what will become of her as her captors jockey for power amongst themselves. It’s conceivable that Sitara could achieve some level of vengeance that would satisfy her, even for those who know what becomes of Sorghaghtani, Töregene, and the rest of the Mongol Empire.

This perspective also allows a historical drama to feel larger and more alive than many fantasy settings today. The worldbuilding is as dense and stylized as the author can dream of, and there’s no threat of “power-creep” or other narrative issues that often plague manga and anime in their later story arcs. Instead, history serves as a template to flesh out the experience of one fictional girl, and in the process, the historical narrative becomes more personal and digestible for a wide audience.

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is airing week-to-week on Saturdays on Crunchyroll in the U.S., with English dub episodes coming two weeks after subtitled ones. The manga series is ongoing as well, with the English translation coming from Yen Press. Volume 3 was just released last week, and Volume 4 will follow on October 27.