15 Anime Series to Check Out if You Love Movies About Witches (2025)

Witches have had an interesting history in anime. The magical girl genre started with a few young witches. In fact, an early name for the genre was "majokko," or "little witch." Witches have also appeared in suspenseful thrillers and high-fantasy stories. In fact, there have even been a few seinen and shonen titles that, have not only had witches, but had one as the main character. Of course, witches can also be the villains of the story or even supporting characters. In anime, witches can be good or bad, though some turn out to be morally ambiguous.

Thanks to this, fans of movies about witches might find a witch-centered anime series they enjoy. Sometimes, an anime has similar themes or even a similar plot to various witch movies. Occasionally, specific movies might even have been an influence on certain anime or at least get a few shout-outs in the series.

Sally the Witch (1966)

Sally the Witch is an early example of the magical girl anime, inspired by the American sitcom, Bewitched. Sally is the princess of the magical kingdom of Astoria. Growing bored with her life as a princess, Sally decides to venture into the human world, where she makes new friends. Sally is joined by her sidekick Cub, who poses as her brother, and, later, another little witch known as Poron. Posing as a human, Sally must keep her powers a secret from her new friends, or she'll have to erase their memories and return to Astoria.

What Makes it Great

Sally the Witch created a lot of milestones. The series is often hailed as the first magical girl anime, serving as a strong influence on early examples of the genre, though Himitsu no Akko-chan predates it as a manga. In fact, some have argued it is actually one of the first shojo anime. Thanks to a French Canadian dub, Sally the Witch is also the first shojo series to air in North America. The original 1960s series also proved popular enough to get a second series in 1989.

Majokko Megu-chan (1974)

Majokko Megu-chan is a magical girl anime revolving around a young witch named Megu who is part of a competition to become the next ruler of Witch World. To help introduce her to society, Megu travels to Earth, where she is taken in by an older, former witch named Mami. Passing her off as her eldest daughter, Mami even enchanting her husband and children into believing Megu has always been a member of the family. Along the way, Megu gains a rival in the icy Non Gou, another contender for the throne.

What Makes it Great

Majokko Megu-chan set a precedent for many later anime heroines. The series helped popularize elements like tomboyish heroines or rivals, and even villains in mahou shojo series. The idea of a magical character bewitching characters into believing they've been part of the family would also become a popular trope in anime, such as in Minky Momo and Sailor Moon. Notably, while technically a shojo series, Majokko Megu-chan was also an early example of a mahou shojo series being marketed for both boys and girls.

Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997)

Revolutionary Girl Utena starts with a young girl named Utena who is comforted by a prince after the death of her parents. This inspires her to become a prince herself. Years later, Utena enrolls at Ohtori Academy, where she encounters a girl named Anthy. Dubbed the "Rose Bride," Anthy is used as a prize in a series of duels to claim ownership of her. Utena decides to act the part of the heroic prince and protect Anthy from the duelists. Little does Utena know that the prince from her backstory is connected to the duels, with sinister intentions.

What Makes it Great

The role of the fairy tale witch is heavily analyzed in the series. Utena is made aware of a fairy tale of a witch sealing away a prince, the former being Anthy and the latter being her brother, Akio, also known as Dios. Throughout the series, Anthy is an ambiguous figure, appearing at times to be the manipulative witch, the put-upon heroine, and a tragic figure who wanted to protect her brother. A prominent idea that appears in the series is that, in fairy tales, the witch must have once been the girl who wasn't saved by the prince.

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Witch Hunter Robin (2002)

Witch Hunter Robin, the SOLOMON organization, is tasked with fighting "witches," who exist as people with latent abilities that nearly resemble magic. In SOLOMON's Japanese branch, a young "craft user" known as Robin Sena, who has power over fire, and has been trained to fight witches. In time, however, Robin will go from a witch hunter to a hunted witch. As the series goes on, it comes to light that the witches aren't all antagonistic and the organization's interest might be more sinister than it appears: the witches are being harvested for body fluids to help empower the organization.

What Makes it Great

In anime, witches don't just exist to be cute magical girls, but can also function in darker works, as shown in Witch Hunter Robin, a supernatural thriller. The concept of using witch hunts in horror stories, especially with some supernatural twist, has appeared frequently in Western cinema, as well. Early on, the series is a typical "monster-of-the day" style, but things become more complicated when it's revealed the conflict with the witches is more complicated than it seems.

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Ozu no Mahōtsukai (1986)

Ozu no Mahōtsukai is an anime series adapting L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, as well as a few of its sequel books. Dorothy is a young Kansas farm girl who is transported by a cyclone to the magical world of Oz. While there, Dorothy encounters all sorts of colorful characters, including witches, both good and bad, like the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. All the while, Dorothy hopes to go back home, but returning to Kansas won't mark the end of her adventures in Oz.

What Makes it Great

In the West, The Wizard of Oz is one of the most well-known and beloved of witch-centric works. The MGM film and the original L. Frank Baum books have helped codify the portrayal of witches, both good and bad, in popular culture. For fans of the books and the film, it can be interesting to see the characters in their own anime adaptation. In particular, the series also adapts some of the later books of the series that usually don't get adapted, likewise giving some Oz characters a rare on-screen appearance.

Ultra Maniac (2003)

Ultra Maniac follows an average schoolgirl, Ayu Tateishi, whose best friend, Nina Sakura, has a secret. Nina is a witch and is involved in a competition to marry the prince of the magic world. Unfortunately, Nina isn't very skilled when it comes to magic. Added to that, Nina's old friend, Maya, has become her rival as another contender for the throne and is willing to cause trouble for the human world. However, Nina, Maya, and the prince may have once met years ago.

What Makes it Great

Ultra Maniac, especially its anime adaptation, is a tribute to many classic magical girl anime and manga, particularly the contest to choose the new queen of the magic world. Many episodes revolve around exploring the spells Nina can cast, as well as dealing with characters from the magic world, resembling classic witch stories. In the original manga, upon first learning about magic, a disbelieving Ayu comments that she hasn't even read the Harry Potter books. In the author notes, Wataru Yoshizumi commented on wanting to read the Harry Potter books for reference while writing the series, but wasn't able to.

Flying Witch (2016)

Flying Witch is a shonen series that revolves around a young witch named Makoto, who moves to Hirosaki to further her training., bringing her cat familiar, Chito. The seemingly quiet town is filled with seemingly unseen supernatural forces, from a fortune-teller trapped with the appearance of a dog to a ghost who works at a café. Despite this, the series is known for being a laid-back slice-of-life series, that uses the supernatural for magical realism.

What Makes it Great

Fans of Kiki's Delivery Service may especially enjoy Flying Witch, as the series shares many similar elements with the Studio Ghibli film. In both series, a young witch leaves her home to start training, complete with a feline familiar in tow. For fans, both anime conjure up images of their magical heroine flying on a broomstick. Kiki's Delivery Service also loved to show off the new environment found in the town Kiki moved to. Likewise, Flying Witch features a lot of real-life places in Hirosaki.

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Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches (2015)

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches is a shonen series that stars Ryu Yamada, who doesn't do too well in school, who switches bodies with Urara Shiraishi, his school's best student. In order to change back, the two are persuaded to revive the Supernatural Studies club. Soon, they will encounter "witches" who each have different supernatural powers, from charming to even copying other powers. The witches' powers reflect their desires and are normally awakened with a kiss.

What Makes it Great

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches develops a unique mythology for the series' witches. In film, witches come in all different shapes and sizes. Each of the seven witches has a specialized power. With the importance on kissing, which even has the power to cancel out spells, the series explores the idea of connected magic with love, a common theme in witch-centric works. Like in a few magically based series, there is the occasional hint that the supernatural aspects of the series may just be in the characters' imagination.

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Izetta: The Last Witch (2016)

Izetta: The Last Witch takes place in an alternate version of the world where World War II is about to start. Izetta is the last of her kind: the last member of a witch clan with the power to manipulate objects through touch. As war looms in the background, Izetta encounters the princess of the nation of Eylstadt vows to help save the principality from the nation of Germania. Izetta soon becomes a symbol of hope, known as "The Second Coming of the Weisse Hexe." However, with Izetta as the last witch, magic itself may soon come to an end.

What Makes it Great

Izetta is a sympathetic character throughout, being the last of her kind whose powers are destined to bring her nothing but sorrow. Izetta seems to be a victim of fate and history, is partially doomed to reenact the story of the original "Weisse Hexe," who was betrayed by the prince she loved. With the story set during a time of war, Izetta often finds herself risking her own life. As with many modern witches, Izetta usually substitutes a broom with other objects, like a rifle or an occasional lance.

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Maho Girls Pretty Cure! (2016)

Maho Girls Pretty Cure!, or Witchy Pretty Cure, is an installment in the Pretty Cure, or PreCure, anime franchise. Mirai Asahina is an average schoolgirl who sees a girl flying on a broomstick. She learns the girl is a young witch, Riko, coming from a magical world. While attacked by a dark sorcerer, the two awaken as Cure Miracle and Cure Magical, who must study magic and fight the dark forces.

What Makes it Great

Many installments in the Pretty Cure franchise often pay homage to previous classic magical girl anime, as well as having a specific theme. Maho Girls Pretty Cure! has a witch-theme, somewhat paying homage to the original magical girls like Sally the Witch. Like in a few witch-centered films, magic schools exist, with the characters going there to study. Interestingly, it's noted many of the classic fairy tales of the real world exist in the magic world, except it's the magic characters who are the protagonists, somewhat reflecting how witches have gone from supporting character to the main attraction in stories.

Burn the Witch (2020)

Burn the Witch was originally an anime film, but has been streamed as a three episode series, as well as garnering an anime prequel. The series is set in the world of Bleach and follows two witches, Noel Niihashi and Ninny Spangcole, who work for the Soul Society's Western branch. While serving for the Wing Bird group, the two are tasked with managing dragons, who serve as a potential threat to humans.

What Makes it Great

As in many witch stories, the theme of fairy tales is important. Early on, Nini gets a monologue about how she'd rather be the person casting spells than the storybook princess falling under spells. Similarly, seven dark dragons exist, called "Märchen," who are styled after fairy tales. In a sense, the miniseries would also appeal to fans of witch movies since it technically started as one and, like a movie, can similarly be enjoyed in one quick watch.

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Umineko When They Cry (2009)

Umineko When They Cry is an anime series based on the visual novel series of the same name. The Ushiromiya family attends their yearly family conference set on the island of Rokkenjima to discuss matters of inheritance. They are told of a "Golden Witch" Beatrice, who is supposedly the source of the head of the family's good fortune. Initially disbelieving in magic, the family receives warnings that Beatrice is planning on taking what the family has unless they decode an epitaph found in her portrait.

What Makes it Great

Umineko When They Cry is a murder mystery with supernatural trappings. Some horror fans have compared the series' atmosphere to Dario Argento's witch-centric horror films, Suspiria and Inferno. Thanks to the supernatural elements, in this story, however, there is a fate worse than death itself: being trapped in an endless cycle of repeatedly dying and reviving.

Tweeny Witches (2004)

Tweeny Witches follows Arusu, a young girl who is obsessed with witches and the occult, thanks to a book given to her by her father. After bullies try to steal her book, Arusu finds herself magically transported into the Magical Realm, where she meets apprentice witches. Unfortunately, this new magical world isn't exactly what she thought it would be, including witches imprisoning fairies. After freeing captured fairies, Arusu's new friends are punished with a curse, tasking the three of them to recapture the fairies. All the while, a war between witches and warlocks comes to light.

What Makes it Great

Many viewers who are fans of witch-centric works could probably find themselves identifying with Arusu's interest in magic. It initially seems like an escapist fantasy at first when she travels to the magical world. However, the series is much darker than most early "majokko" anime, once Arusu finds herself there. However, the series isn't without its more idealistic moments, making the series one for fans of the dark fantasy genre.

Little Witch Academia (2017)

Little Witch Academia stars Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, a young witch-in-training who attends the magical school Luna Nova Academy. Akko doesn't come from a magical background, but was inspired by her idol, the witch Shiny Chariot, to live up to her ideals. In fact, Akko even obtained the Shiny Rod relic Chariot left behind. However, there may be a dark secret concerning Chariot and Akko's struggles to become a witch. Meanwhile, Luna Nova has to deal with magic being seen as outdated by the world at large.

What Makes it Great

As a series set at a magical school, Little Witch Academia is an anime that may interest fans of the Harry Potter or The Worst Witch series. In fact, a few characters from Little Witch Academia have also been compared to various Harry Potter characters. Early on, Akko also feels like the perfect escapist character for fans of fantasy stories, trying to become a witch in spite of her lack of magical prowess. Highlighting the series' mass appeal, parts of the franchise have been advertised as shojo, seinen, and shonen demographics.

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Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina (2020)

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina is an anime based on the eponymous shonen light novel series. Elaina is inspired by the stories of Niké, a witch who had adventures around the world. Elaina takes it upon herself to follow in her idol's footsteps, aiming so far as to become the youngest witch-in-training to pass her exams. While trying to become an apprentice witch, Elaina is initially rejected, until she is granted the title of "Ashen Witch," by the "Stardust Witch" Fran. Like her idol, Elaina will travel around the world, little guessing a possible connection she has with Niké.

What Makes it Great

Just like many fans of witch stories, Elaina shares the escapist fantasy of coming into magic powers and going on adventures herself. However, Elaina is eventually given a chance to live out her fantasies. The series is also known for its beautiful animation. The franchise has also been noted for its international appeal, having prominent fan bases in Vietnam and China, thanks in part to the light novels. Notably, the series does not shy away from dark and dramatic moments, making it a series for older fans of witch-centric works.

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