For several years, HiAnime was one of the first names anime fans typed into a search bar. It promised a huge library, quick updates, and no subscription fee, and millions of people visited it every month. Then, in March 2026, it vanished, and a long list of questions followed. Was it shut down? Did the operators get caught? Is any site using the HiAnime name safe today?
This article walks through what HiAnime was, how it grew, why it disappeared, and what fans can do now. It also covers related names you may have seen, such as Zoro.to and Aniwatch, and explains where to watch anime without the risks.
What Is HiAnime?
HiAnime was a free anime streaming website, usually reached at hianime.to, that offered thousands of series and movies in subtitled and dubbed versions. Many fans also knew it by its stylized name, H!Anime. The site was easy to use, with search tools, genre filters, a watchlist feature, and a schedule showing when new episodes would appear.
Despite its polished look, HiAnime was not a licensed service. It embedded and linked to videos without permission from the studios and distributors that own the rights. Because of this, news outlets and anti-piracy groups described it as an anime piracy site rather than an official streaming platform. That difference matters, because it explains both the legal trouble that followed and the safety concerns around similar sites.
From Zoro.to to Aniwatch to HiAnime
HiAnime did not begin under its famous name. The service first became popular as Zoro.to. In July 2023, it was reportedly shut down by rightsholders and anti-piracy groups, and it soon returned as Aniwatch, using the Aniwatch.to address. The audience simply moved along with it.
In March 2024, the site changed its identity once more and became HiAnime, using the hianime.to domain. Each rebrand kept the same basic idea but gave the service a fresh start in search results. This habit of changing names and domains is common among unlicensed streaming sites, and it is one reason why so many fans still search for older names like Zoro and Aniwatch today. The site was also widely believed to be run from Vietnam.
Why HiAnime Became So Popular
HiAnime grew quickly because it solved problems that frustrated many viewers. Anime is spread across several paid services, and some shows are blocked in certain countries. HiAnime put everything in one place, offered high-definition video for most titles, and added new episodes soon after they aired in Japan. For people without a credit card or access to local streaming services, that convenience was very attractive.
The traffic numbers were enormous. Similarweb estimated around 153.5 million monthly visits in February 2025, a figure higher than that of Crunchyroll’s website at the time. In October 2024, HiAnime reportedly reached about 364 million estimated visits, briefly above the roughly 343 million of a major paid streaming brand’s website. These figures count website visits only, not paying customers, so they say more about demand than about business size.
Rising Legal Pressure on HiAnime
As the audience grew, so did the attention from the entertainment industry. In October 2024, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, known as ACE, filed a DMCA subpoena targeting HiAnime and other piracy streaming sites in an effort to identify the people behind them. ACE is a coalition of major studios and streaming companies that works to remove illegal content.
HiAnime was also named on several watch lists. The Motion Picture Association included it among notorious piracy streaming sites, and the European Commission added it to its Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List. In early 2026, the U.S. Trade Representative listed it in the Notorious Markets report. Together, these listings showed that the site had moved from being a nuisance to a top international enforcement target.
The March 2026 Shutdown
On March 13, 2026, visitors to hianime.to found something unexpected. Instead of the usual homepage, the site displayed a short farewell message saying it was time to say goodbye. Its backup address, hianime.me, also stopped working, and fans quickly filled social media and forums with guesses about what happened.
The operators did not give a detailed explanation. The administrator of the unofficial HiAnime Discord server said the matter was being handled and also warned users about fake donation drives set up by scammers. This is a useful lesson. Whenever a well-known site disappears, copycat pages and fraudulent requests for money often appear within days, taking advantage of confused and disappointed users.
The Vietnam Arrests
The first official explanation arrived in July 2026. Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security announced that seven people had been arrested on July 2 in connection with HiAnime and a wider network of more than 100 piracy websites. ACE confirmed the arrests and thanked Vietnamese authorities, along with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice, for their help in the investigation.
According to the announcements, the group allegedly uploaded more than 26,000 unlicensed titles between 2020 and April 2026 and earned about 12.85 million U.S. dollars from advertising. Four suspects were charged with copyright infringement and money laundering, and the other three with copyright infringement. Four were detained and three placed under house arrest. These are accusations, not convictions, and the court process is still ahead. The arrests came after Vietnam was named a Priority Foreign Country in the 2026 Special 301 Report and after a national crackdown on intellectual property violations in May.
Is HiAnime Safe or Still Working?
The original HiAnime is no longer operating, so any site claiming to be the new HiAnime should be treated with caution. Guides on this topic advise that sites using the name today are not connected to the original and may be copycats built to attract leftover search traffic. Domain endings such as .do, .com.pk, or others can look convincing but do not prove any real link.
The risks are practical. Clone sites often show aggressive pop-ups, send visitors through chains of redirects, and ask for logins or donations. Watchlists and history saved on one of these pages can vanish without warning when the domain goes down. If a page asks for payment details, tells you to install software, or sends you to unrelated websites, close it immediately and run a security scan if you clicked anything.
Legal Ways to Watch Anime
Fortunately, there are many official choices for fans who miss HiAnime. Crunchyroll focuses heavily on new seasonal anime, while HIDIVE offers a lower-priced subscription and some exclusive dubs. Netflix and Prime Video carry growing anime catalogs, including original productions, and each may include titles that other services do not.
Free options exist too. The official VIZ Media YouTube channel shares episodes of select series, and services such as Plex and Peacock offer free tiers that require an account but not a payment. Availability depends on your country, so check which service carries your favorite show before signing up. Free trials are a simple way to test a platform, and following official social accounts can help you learn when a series is added.
Conclusion
HiAnime’s story shows how quickly a giant of unlicensed streaming can change from household name to cautionary tale. It started as Zoro.to, grew through Aniwatch and HiAnime, attracted well over 150 million monthly visits, and then drew attention from ACE, the MPA, the European Commission, and the U.S. Trade Representative before going dark in March 2026. The July 2026 arrests in Vietnam added a legal chapter that is still unfolding, and the charges remain allegations until a court decides otherwise.
For everyday viewers, the takeaway is simple. The original site is gone, copycats carry real risks, and licensed services now offer more anime, in more languages and with faster releases, than ever before. Choosing official platforms keeps your devices safer and supports the creators who make the shows you love. Since news about this case may continue to develop, it is wise to check recent reports from trusted sources for the latest updates.
