Animated Princess Shows to Look Out for in the Coming Months

The spring and summer of 2026 are looking to be an exciting time for princess fans after a dearth of content for the last few years. Many familiar stories are returning to the small screen, from fairy tales to fairies to mermaids. This year will see the return of two famous Rainbow sPa properties, a beloved Disney Jr. princess with a magic amulet, and a modern anime retelling of a classic Hans Christian Andersen story. After a slow winter, our favorite princesses are making a comeback in full force over the next few months.


Goodbye, Lara is by far the most unique of the upcoming princess shows this year. Though it shares many of the same properties as other modern anime series, it is based on the timeless story of "The Little Mermaid." Japan loves this Hans Christian Andersen classic and rivals Western media in terms of adaptations inspired by it, including a more faithful animated movie that predates Disney's. The premise of Goodbye, Lara combines the classic tale with modern anime tropes by having the famous mermaid reincarnate in modern-day Japan two hundred years after turning to sea foam and losing the prince. She is given a second chance at love when she meets a boy in the modern world who reminds her of the prince she fell in love with. Whether you're a fan of fairy tales or reincarnation anime, Goodbye, Lara will be well worth checking out when it premieres in July.


Italian animation studio Rainbow sPa recently shared the teaser for the second part of the newest Winx Club reboot, Winx Club: The Magic Is Back. The second set of episodes promises to feature more antics between the fairies of the Winx and the witches of the Trix, with a surprising lack of appearances from Damien, a new character that was heavily featured in the first batch of episodes. Though no release date has been announced, the second part will be coming to Netflix sometime later this year. The studio also announced previously that Winx Club's sister series, Mermaid Magic, would be returning this spring for a second season, but no new information has been revealed since.


A lot of nostalgic properties have been making their way back into the limelight over the past decade. In addition to the recent announcement of Sofia the First: Royal Magic premiering in May, Mattel is hopping on the reboot train with a brand new special that pays homage to Barbie in the Nutcracker, the 2001 film that began Barbie's long and successful career as a fairy tale princess. The special is reported to premiere sometime in 2026, which isn't very specific, but it may coincide with the hype for the highly anticipated Barbie: Dreamscape novel, coming out in late July. A lot has changed in the Barbieverse since the princess era. One of the biggest changes is the addition of a second Barbie Roberts, who now shares equal footing with the blonde-haired version of the famous doll. If I had to guess, the Nutcracker special will likely be rooted in the real world and feature the characters fantasizing about being part of the story, but we'll know more when there's an official trailer.


The spring and summer of 2026 are shaping up to be a magical time for princess fans, with a slew of exciting new shows and reboots hitting the screens. From the anime retelling of "The Little Mermaid" in Goodbye, Lara, to the return of beloved fairies in Winx Club: The Magic Is Back, there's something for everyone. Between Sofia and Barbie making their royal return this year, our favorite princesses are making a royal return, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon. What princess series are you most looking forward to streaming in the coming seasons? Let me know in the comments!
I have always dreamed of being a writer and creating the next great fairy tale princess heroine. Princesses inspire us to be our best selves. While you're here, feel free to follow my page on Facebook, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and check out my books. I'm also on Instagram and Twitter.

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Comments

CristinaMilizia201 said…
I'd say Sofia The First: Royal Magic has me most interested.
March 3, 2026 at 8:36 AM
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