Best Magic School Anime

One of the most common themes in anime is fantastical settings where the adventures never end. Add in the elements of a school setting, and you have the makings of an anime about a magical academy. Anime set at magic academies have skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade. These shows depict epic tales of heroism, drama, and interpersonal relationships.

Fan imaginations can run wild thanks to the many anime shows depicting magic academies, such as The Misfit of Demon King Academy and The Irregular of Magic High School. However, not every magic school anime is created equally, and there are a few that truly shine.

Updated on August 20, 2025, by Mark Sammut: The best magic academy anime have received a new contender in the Summer 2025 season, and while the show is not yet done, it has done enough to be added to the full list. Secrets of the Silent Witch has been introduced, along with the fairly polarizing Reign of the Seven Spellblades.

19

Reign of the Seven Spellblades

MyAnimeList: 6.56

Starting things with a divisive magic school anime, Reign of the Seven Spellblades is one of those shows that feels more like an advert for the light novel than something that can and should be enjoyed solely in isolation. That’s not to say the anime is bad, but rather that it can be a bit of a frustrating watch.

Notoriously slow, Reign of the Seven Spellblades spends its first five episodes setting up not only its world and concept of magic, but also its definition of a mage. They are beings who are driven by a pursuit of knowledge, to the point that they can be consumed entirely by its allure. Despite consisting of mostly predictable storylines, the anime accomplishes some great world-building throughout its run, creating a universe that feels magical but also threatening.

We meet Oliver, a new Kimberly Magic Academy student who is highly talented with a sword but also seems relatively unassuming at first. He quickly develops a connection with Nanao, a samurai with a dark past. They quickly become involved in the school’s more cutthroat and dangerous practices, particularly when they find themselves in the labyrinth.

18

Villainess Level 99: I May Be The Hidden Boss But I’m Not The Demon Lord

MyAnimeList Score: 7.13

The Light Magic and the Hero Otome game is progressing as smoothly as it should. At least, until Yumiella Dolkness, the hidden boss, regains her memories of her past life as a human and realizes that she’s inside a game. As someone who always preferred the game’s fantasy elements, Yumiella decides she won’t let her life, particularly her love life, be determined by the game mechanics and decides to level up as much as she can as fast as she can.

In all this, Yumiella made one mistake: she didn’t properly hide her powers during her enrollment into the Royal Academy and was revealed to be level 99 at just 15 years, which sends the entire otome game world into a frenzy. With this, Yumiella should be able to determine her fate, right? Amidst the uncertainty, she now must deal with constant attention, something she didn’t bargain for.

Villainess Level 99 works almost solely thanks to Yumiella, who is just an awkwardly lovable protagonist who fumbles her way through social situations. The school has almost nothing unique about it, but that kind of works as the anime is, at least, partially a parody of otome game isekai stories.

17

Trinity Seven

MyAnimeList: 7.03

I can admit, Trinity Seven is one of those “love or hate” type shows, a statement that can be said for pretty much every harem under the sun. The 2014 series is even more divisive due to belonging to the “battle” subgenre, which is mostly associated with underwhelming fight sequences. Trinity Seven has fairly mediocre action, but it is elevated by a decent cast of characters and a fun magic school setting.

Arata is set to become a demon lord, but he needs to get some real education to prepare himself for the role. So, he ends up attending Royal Biblia Academy, which happens to be home to the Trinity Seven. The latter are all girls who are roughly his age, and harem shenanigans begin. Trinity Seven is primarily for people into battle harems, although it is a decent magic school anime as well.

16

A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special

MyAnimeList: 7.06

A rare anime based on a manhwa, A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special has a familiar but still solid hook. After failing to save the world, Desir travels back a decade, granting the opportunity to hopefully set things right. He enrolls at a prestigious academy that echoes society’s class discrimination, and he sets out to tear down those walls by forming a team designed to showcase common folks. Due to his experience, Desir focuses on speeding up his companions’ growth, all in an attempt to increase their chances of surviving in the future.

A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special is a fairly well-liked manhwa, and the anime has been decent but unspectacular. The main trio of Desir, Pram, and Romantica are likable enough, although the latter can be a bit frustrating at first. The animation is mostly just passable, but season 1 was successful enough to warrant an upcoming sequel.

15

Baka & Test: Summon the Beasts

MyAnimeList: 7.50 (Season 1)

Baka & Test: Summon the Beasts might not be the first magic academy anime that comes to mind, mainly due to the show being remembered for its over-the-top humor rather than its incorporation of magical or supernatural elements. Furthermore, the anime has more in common with School Rumble and The Daily Lives of High-School Boys than The Misfit of Demon King Academy, and the school’s “magic” mostly comes down to short battles that are not that important in the grand scheme of things.

Yet, Baka & Test is one of the more refreshing and memorable stories set in one of these types of schools, specifically due to its emphasis on slice of life silliness. The comedy revolves heavily around, well, idiots, so it is a bit of an acquired taste. That said, if the humor clicks with someone, they will get a lot out of this series.

14

Tokyo Ravens

MyAnimeList Score: 7.40

Onmyodu is a form of magic technique that is dominant in the world of Tokyo Ravens. These magical powers are seen in the Tsuchimikado family, and everyone born into this family is destined to have magical powers, except Harutora Tsuchimikado. Harutora has no problems with not having magical powers and is satisfied with his ordinary life until he finds himself at Onmyou Academy with his best friend, Touji.

The Onmyou Academy was put in place to preserve the Onmyoudou magical technique. On entering the school, Harutora has no knowledge about magic, but as the anime progresses, he realizes that he has magic in him, but it was sealed, and soon enough, he can break the seal and become very knowledgeable and proficient in the use of onmyodou.

13

The Misfit of Demon King Academy

MyAnimeList Score: 7.33 (Season 1)

When it comes to anime about a magical school, The Misfit of Demon King Academy is up there with the most popular among them, especially its opening season. The series depicts the standard trope of a group of heroes with superpowers, but it does so in a way that puts the spotlight on more than just the main character. The anime revolves around Anos Voldigoad, the most powerful demon lord in history, who was reincarnated 2000 years after his death. After being resurrected in a world where its inhabitants’ magical prowess has diminished, Anos works to regain his position as the most powerful demon lord at Demon King Academy.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy is kind of a difficult one to rank. Although nothing too novel, season 1 is a lot of fun. Anos is the ultimate OP protagonist, and Sasha and Misha are likable enough as the story’s main supporting characters (and Lay is great too). However, the sequels are messier and, frankly, far worse.

12

Gakuen Alice

MyAnimeList: 7.64

Gakuen Alice

Release Date

October 30, 2004

Directors

Takahiro Ômori, Masashi Yokoyama

Writers

Masashi Yokoyama

A slightly forgotten 2000s show, Gakuen Alice is well worth checking out if you are craving a quirkier-than-average magic school anime. For one, Alice Academy’s “powers” are quite broadly defined, allowing for a wide variety of specialties that range from the mundane to the extraordinary. While the student body’s abilities are used to relatively good effect, Gakuen Alice is primarily a comedy that revolves around the friendship between four characters, all of whom are likable enough.

Despite only being 26 episodes and barely scratching the surface of the manga, the anime is still a bit long in the tooth at times, as the writing and tone are quite inconsistent. However, at its best, Gakuen Alice is a cute and surprisingly nuanced coming-of-age story.

Story-wise, the show follows Mikan, a kind-hearted girl who decides to enrol at Alice Academy to stay with her best friend, Hotaru.

11

A Certain Magical Index & A Certain Scientific Railgun

MyAnimeList Score: 7.34 (Season 1)

A common setting for magical academy anime is the institution itself. A Certain Magical Index and its spin-off, A Certain Scientific Railgun, go even further by depicting their academies on a citywide scale. Academy City features a wide variety of educational facilities, from pre-schools to higher institutions.

Experts in the fields of magic, esper powers, and advanced technology work hand in hand with various organizations. The so-called sorcerers of the magic faction face off against the espers of the single-talent faction in the anime series. Both sides are vying for Index, an entity that contains the secrets of more than 103,000 magical grimoires.

While the light novel is brilliant throughout, A Certain Magical Index‘s anime is fairly inconsistent. Seasons 1 and 2 are fine, while season 3 is a rushed mess that ruins one of the best arcs. As such, the adaptation cannot be recommended wholeheartedly. Fortunately, A Certain Scientific Railgun is far better, with each season being (at least) good.

10

Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Part 1

MyAnimeList Score: 8.22

At the center of Mushoku Tensei might not be a magic academy, but the first part of the second season is all about Rudeus attending Ranoa Magic Academy. During his time at the Magic Academy, Rudeus meets new friends and old allies, albeit in an unexpected manner. Seeking to cure his erectile dysfunction, Rudeus researches and tries everything he can.

However, that doesn’t exempt him from the challenges Magic School Academies tend to put their protagonists through, whether through unhinged bullying or challenges to prove himself. During his time at the magic academy, Rudeus also discovers an old love and the center of the teleport incident, who turns out to be from the same world as him, leading to one unexpected development after another.

While somewhat divisive due to a lack of action, this arc highlights Mushoku Tensei‘s world-building and capacity for slice of life goodness, all the while allowing Rudy to mature slightly.