The top 10 cultivation and donghua anime showcase Chinese animation’s breathtaking technological rise. From Tang San’s spirit mastery in Soul Land to Link Click’s emotional time travel and Xiao Yan’s heavenly flames, discover this explosive vertical.
#1: Soul Land (Douluo Dalu) (2018)
Studio: Sparkly Key Animation | Score: 8.2 / 10
Tang San reincarnates in the Douluo Continent, awakening dual martial spirits and hunting spirit beasts to lead the Shrek Seven Devils to godhood.
Soul Land is the undisputed commercial titan of Chinese donghua, accumulating tens of billions of views. Sparkly Key Animation pushed Unreal Engine 3D CGI to historic heights, crafting intricate spirit ring abilities, martial soul avatars, and colossal continent-spanning wars. Tang San and Xiao Wu’s enduring romance anchors the massive cultivation progression.
Where to start manga: Followed by Soul Land 2: The Peerless Tang Clan (Douluo Dalu II).
#2: Link Click (Shiguang Dailiren) (2021)
Studio: Studio LAN / Haoliners | Score: 8.7 / 10
Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang operate a small photo studio, using supernatural abilities to dive into clients’ photographs to alter past regrets without changing the timeline.
Studio LAN and director Haoling Li produced an international donghua phenomenon. Link Click blends time-travel mystery, urban suspense, and heartbreaking human drama with jaw-dropping 2D Sakuga animation. The opening theme ("Dive Back in Time") and pulse-pounding cliffhangers create some of the most addictive television of the 2020s.
Where to start manga: Original donghua series. Season 3 and Bridon Arc film in production.
#3: Battle Through the Heavens (Doupo Cangqiong) (2017)
Studio: Motion Magic / Foch | Score: 8.3 / 10
Xiao Yan loses his cultivation genius overnight, but with the aid of master Yao Chen inside an ancient ring, he embarks on an epic quest to master Heavenly Flames.
Battle Through the Heavens represents the peak of Chinese 3D Xianxia action. Produced by Shanghai Foch and Motion Magic, the series evolved from modest beginnings into cinema-level 3D combat spectacles in the Three-Year Agreement arc. Xiao Yan’s fusion of different Heavenly Flames creates visually breathtaking pyro-kinetic warfare.
Where to start manga: Ongoing weekly broadcast; adapted from Tian Can Tu Dou’s classic web novel.
#4: The Daily Life of the Immortal King (Xian Wang de Richang Shenghuo) (2020)
Studio: Haoliners / Pb Animation | Score: 7.9 / 10
Wang Ling is an omnipotent cultivation powerhouse who only wants to live a quiet life eating crispy noodle snacks, but his overwhelming power constantly causes chaos.
Combining the deadpan comedy of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K with high-budget cultivation magic, Haoliners Animation creates an irresistible parody. Wang Ling’s attempts to suppress his universe-destroying spiritual energy result in hilarious misunderstandings and jaw-dropping 2D Sakuga climaxes.
Where to start manga: Ongoing seasonal broadcast on Bilibili.
#5: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) (2018)
Studio: B.CMAY PICTURES | Score: 8.5 / 10
Wei Wuxian, the founder of demonic cultivation, is reincarnated 13 years after his death and reunites with his former rival Lan Wangji to solve a gruesome murder mystery.
B.CMAY PICTURES’ adaptation of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s novel is a visual marvel of traditional Chinese ink-wash painting blended with kinetic martial arts. The tragic fall of Wei Wuxian—from an idealistic young cultivator to a reviled necromancer driven to despair—is told with heartbreaking dramatic power and traditional guqin musical compositions.
Where to start manga: Complete adaptation across 3 seasons. Read the 5-volume English novel from Seven Seas.
#6: Heaven Official’s Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu) (2020)
Studio: Haoliners Animation League | Score: 8.4 / 10
Xie Lian, the fallen prince of Xianle, ascends to heaven for the third time as a laughingstock god, descending to earth where he encounters the terrifying ghost king Hua Cheng.
Haoliners Animation craft a breathtaking fantasy romance rich with mythological reverence. Xie Lian’s gentle perseverance through eight centuries of humiliation contrasts beautifully with Hua Cheng’s devoted protection. The lush art direction, silver butterfly motifs, and emotional vocal themes create pure romantic enchantment.
Where to start manga: Read Seven Seas Entertainment’s 8-volume English novel series.
#7: A Will Eternal (Yi Nian Yong Heng) (2020)
Studio: B.CMAY PICTURES | Score: 8.1 / 10
Cowardly orphan Bai Xiaochun seeks immortality out of a paralyzing fear of death, unwittingly turning entire cultivation sects upside down with his bizarre genius.
B.CMAY PICTURES delivers one of the funniest and most dynamic 2D cultivation donghua ever made. Bai Xiaochun’s absolute terror of dying leads him to concoct volatile pills and master iron-skin martial techniques, sparking hilarious sectarian chaos while delivering blistering martial arts clashes.
Where to start manga: Adapted from Er Gen’s celebrated novel.
#8: Renegade Immortal (Xian Ni) (2023)
Studio: Sparkly Key Animation | Score: 8.2 / 10
Wang Lin, a mediator’s son with mediocre talent, steps onto the cruel and bloody path of cultivation, determined to defy the heavens and protect his loved ones.
Renegade Immortal represents the grimdark, unforgiving face of Xianxia. Sparkly Key Animation crafts breathtaking 3D CGI depicting ruthless cultivation sects where murder for treasures is the norm. Wang Lin’s cold, calculated survival instincts and unyielding Dao heart provide an authentic dark fantasy journey.
Where to start manga: Ongoing weekly broadcast on Tencent Video / Bilibili.
#9: Fog Hill of Five Elements (Wu Shan Wu Xing) (2020)
Studio: Samsara Animation Studio | Score: 8.5 / 10
In ancient China, five elemental envoys defend humanity from beasts seeking the holy beast Kirin, unlocking devastating elemental martial arts.
Samsara Animation Studio and director Zhilun Lin achieved immortal status with Fog Hill of Five Elements. Produced by a tiny, hyper-dedicated team, its brush-stroke ink animation and blisteringly fast hand-to-hand weapon choreography are widely considered the absolute pinnacle of 2D combat animation globally.
Where to start manga: Complete 2-part miniseries on Bilibili.
#10: Quanzhi Fashi (Full-Time Magister) (2016)
Studio: Shanghai Foch | Score: 7.4 / 10
Mo Fan wakes up in an alternate modern world where science has been replaced by magic, awakening two elemental talents: Fire and the extremely rare Lightning.
Quanzhi Fashi blends modern urban high school life with brutal elemental monster invasions. Mo Fan’s dual awakening allows him to stay several tactical steps ahead of wealthy sect prodigies, utilizing ruthless tactical street smarts to defend Shanghai from subterranean calamity.
Where to start manga: Adapted from Luan’s 3,000+ chapter web novel.
