Clevatess was never supposed to be the obvious favorite of the 2026 anime season. It arrived without the enormous mainstream profile of some of the season’s bigger titles, yet as the season has progressed, more viewers have started asking a surprising question: could Clevatess actually be Anime of the Season?
That conversation has gained momentum in recent weeks. Current community discussions are increasingly putting Clevatess among the season’s strongest shows, even while fans remain divided over whether it deserves the top spot.
So what makes the series stand out?
It doesn’t feel like another generic fantasy anime
One of Clevatess‘ biggest advantages is its willingness to break away from familiar fantasy formulas.
The story begins with an incredibly powerful Dark Beast Lord who destroys the kingdom and defeats the forces sent against him. Instead of following a traditional hero’s journey, however, Clevatess ends up traveling alongside Alicia, the reanimated corpse of a Hero who once tried to kill him, and a human baby.
That strange combination immediately gives the series a different identity.
Rather than simply asking whether humanity can defeat a monster, Clevatess asks whether humanity is worth saving in the first place.
That premise gives Clevatess an unusual perspective. The most powerful character isn’t trying to become stronger. He’s observing humans and trying to understand them.
The series keeps changing what viewers expect
Another reason fans have responded so strongly is the show’s willingness to shift direction.
What initially appears to be a straightforward dark-fantasy story gradually expands into something much larger. The relationship between Clevatess, Alicia and the child becomes increasingly important, while the world around them introduces new mysteries and conflicts.
Even the creators have acknowledged how dramatically the series can change direction. In an interview about Season 2, director Kiyotaka Taguchi described the upcoming material as involving a major shift in tone and pacing compared with Season 1.
That unpredictability has become one of the show’s strengths.
Clevatess isn’t just about spectacle
The action certainly helps.
Clevatess is absurdly powerful, and watching that power collide with humans, heroes and other supernatural forces gives the show plenty of spectacle. But the series works because its central conflict isn’t simply about who can win a fight.
Clevatess is essentially conducting an experiment.
He is trying to understand humans.
And Alicia provides the perfect contradiction to his worldview. She was once a Hero who wanted to destroy him, yet circumstances force them into an unlikely relationship.
That dynamic gives the story an emotional dimension that many fantasy series struggle to establish.
The community momentum matters
The Anime of the Season conversation isn’t happening in a vacuum.
Recent community discussions have started putting Clevatess forward as a legitimate contender, although other shows still have strong supporters.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Clevatess will win every ranking.
But it does mean something important: the show has gone from being an under-the-radar fantasy series to one that fans feel deserves to be part of the conversation.
And that may ultimately be its biggest achievement.
So, can Clevatess actually be Anime of the Season?
It’s too early to declare a definitive winner.
But Clevatess has several qualities that make the argument believable: a distinctive premise, unpredictable storytelling, strong character dynamics, dark-fantasy atmosphere and enough ambition to separate itself from the crowded fantasy genre.
Most importantly, fans aren’t praising it simply because it looks good.
They’re discussing where the story is going.
And when an anime generates that kind of curiosity, it usually means it has successfully given viewers something worth talking about.
For a series that initially seemed like a sleeper pick, Clevatess may have become one of the season’s biggest surprises.