Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3’s Culling Game Arc Tops Crunchyroll Charts

If you’ve glanced at any anime streaming charts lately, you’ve probably noticed one title refusing to budge from the top: Jujutsu Kaisen. MAPPA’s action-heavy (and frankly, beautifully animated) series isn’t just hanging on out of stubbornness after three seasons, either—the show’s riding a wave of popularity most streaming titles would kill for. And considering season 3 only just wrapped up two weeks ago, it’s honestly wild how fans are not moving on to something else yet. The “Culling Game” arc might be over, but hype for Jujutsu Kaisen? Not close.

Still Number One—Even With New Competition Looming

It’s been years since Jujutsu Kaisen exploded onto the scene in 2020, and Crunchyroll’s numbers prove that it’s still king of the mountain. As of right now, it’s the most-watched series on the platform—even when stacked against old reliables like Hell's Paradise, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and Fire Force. That might not last forever, though: spring 2026 is bringing a fresh batch of new shows, including Witch Hat Atelier, which has hardcore manga readers foaming at the mouth.

For those who might’ve missed the whole premise (what’ve you been doing for the past six years?), here’s the quick pitch: Jujutsu Kaisen is a world where all the world's bad vibes—fear, anger, regret—literally become monsters called “curses.” The scarier the feelings, the scarier (and nastier) the curse. Fighting these horrors? “Jujutsu sorcerers,” basically exorcists who weaponize their own negative energy. It all gets kicked into gear when average student Yuji Itadori literally swallows an ancient, evil relic—a finger belonging to the curse Sukuna. Not his best idea. For his trouble, Yuji gets hit with a death sentence from the secretive Jujutsu higher-ups, but talks his way into a deal: collect the rest of Sukuna’s body, eat it, and then die. No pressure.

Let’s Talk About the “New Big Three”

Anime veterans love talking about the “Big Three”—One Piece, Naruto, and Dragon Ball Z (some folks try to slide Bleach in there, but math aside, it’s the main three). But we’re in a new era now. The reigning trio everyone’s obsessed with? Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Hell's Paradise, sometimes called the “Shonen Dark Trio.” It’s the same shonen formula—massive fights, power-ups, over-the-top rivals—but with way more blood, horror, and existential dread.

Chainsaw Man is newer, Hell’s Paradise is a bit of an underdog, but Jujutsu Kaisen is kind of the flagship for this new wave. It’s smashing viewership records every season, and the manga keeps surfacing on the New York Times bestseller list. (A lot of anime fans own at least a couple volumes.)

What’s Next? Season 4 (But With a Bit of a Wait)

Here’s where things get a little confusing for folks who don’t live and breathe anime. Japanese TV seasons love to split things into “cours” (just think: anime-speak for “half-seasons”). Season 3 already got broken into two cours: the first part just finished end of March, the second half—yes, more “Culling Game”—isn’t dated yet. If you go by standard anime production timelines, you can probably expect “Culling Game Part 2” to show up in Summer 2026. So yeah: the agonizing wait is real.

Main Cast—Who’s Who?

• Yuji Itadori: The surprisingly well-adjusted dude put in the worst case of eat-or-be-eaten decision-making. Hero, host for a demon, all-around good egg.
• Satoru Gojo: The overpowered mentor with the world’s most memed blindfold. If the show has a “face” besides Yuji, it’s this guy.
• Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki: Yuji’s almost-family-level friend group. If Megumi’s all brainy and angsty, Nobara’s chaotic and occasionally terrifying.
• Ryomen Sukuna: The ancient evil spirit literally living inside Yuji. Old, powerful, and basically itching to blow up the world.
• Kento Nanami, Maki Zenin, Panda, Toge Inumaki: Strong supporting players, each with their own weird twists and backstories (yes, one is a talking panda).

How Did This All Happen?

All things considered, it’s honestly a perfect storm: Gege Akutami, the manga’s creator, is pretty much a recluse—good luck finding an interview that actually reveals anything. MAPPA, the studio, keeps outdoing itself with each action set piece. There’s real, actual character work going on—drama, trauma, the works—underneath all the monster bashing.

'Jujutsu Kaisen keeps fans glued to the screen with fight scenes that just are on a whole different level, paired with characters you actually want to see survive to the end—or, at least, get a cool death scene.'

At the end of the day, it’s not just another “monster slayer” anime with pretty visuals. Jujutsu Kaisen knows exactly what it’s doing—and, for now at least, viewers can’t get enough.